Survivor of the Games (Hunger Games Fanfiction)

Chapter 1

A loud scream in my head wakes me up. I look at the clock in front of the bed, it's six o'clock. I try to go back to sleep again but I can't get the scream out of my head. That's a result of the Hunger Games. They say you have a great life as a Victor because you have everything you will ever need, and more. But that's only one side of the coin, it's the happy side. The other side of the coin is very different, the side people don't see. Victors often try to forget their horrible experience from the arena, but I haven't found a way to forget, yet. Even if it was almost seven years ago. People still call my name, Thomas Blackwood, when I go to the Capitol to mentor the male and female tributes from my district, district 12. The poorest of all the districts. But this year will be different because it is the 75th Hunger games -and may the odds be ever in your favor- the year of the Third Quarter Quell. Today president Snow will officially announce the Games live on television. For this special occasion, all district will be powered with electricity, so they can all hear what will happen during this years Games. The people from the Seam are happy when they got half an hour of power a day. But for the Hunger Games there will be electricity all the time so they can view the Games. When I finally get out of bed it's half past six. I dress myself and go downstairs. On the kitchen table lays a loaf of bread with a knife next to it. Suddenly I hear something moving behind me. I grab the knife without hesitation and throw it at the sound! 'Damn!' I turn myself and see my brother Jayden standing there. I shout out loud : 'Never do that again, I could have killed you!' 'I'm sorry', he says, 'I didn't think it would work.' 'Well, it did work and I almost killed you', I reply. 'Are you hungry?' I nod and take the knife from wall and cut the bread. I only eat one slice with some wild turkey and then get up to put on my brown leather jacket, it's a relic from my old life, before I won the Games. The memory takes me back to the life I had before I moved to Victor's Village. I had to hunt in the woods on the other side of the fence. It's illegal, but I didn't have a choice. It was poaching or dying. I still hunt to trade in the Hob, the black market, but it's actually not necessary. It keeps me busy. Today I do the same thing, but I take my brother with me. He's a pretty good hunting partner, but I still keep him pretty close because he's only been hunting with me for half a year. I have nine years of experience hunting in the woods. I sell my catches to different people, such as the baker, the mayor and the butcher, the people in the Hob, even to Peacekeepers. Despite the fact that they are good customers, I still have to be careful. Especially because it is almost Reaping Day. After I put on my jacket I walk straight out of the house without looking back. 'Are you coming with me or not?' I ask Jayden. He doesn't answer, so I guess that means yes. We have to walk for a fifteen minutes to get to the hole in the fence. A few year ago I made the hole bigger and I even created a small passage to get through easily and quickly with our loot. When we arrive at the fence I remove the bush in front of the small passage and crawl through it. 'Why didn't you widen the hole so we can crouch through it?' Jayden asks. 'You know why.' I reply with a slightly irritated voice. 'We will take our bows with us out of safety. And we're just going to check the snares, that's it.' I say. 'You still haven't answered my question!' He shouts. I just keep walking and roll my eyes without him seeing it. When we are about ten meters into the forest I go to a large oak tree surrounded by mushrooms. I look around to make sure that no one is watching us. After ten seconds I decide it is all safe and I bend myself down and I take the two arches from under the tree. I give one to Jayden who was waiting patiently for the bow. 'Only use it if you under attack.' I warn him. 'We're not here to hunt.' 'Yes yes, I know.' He says impatiently. 'Lets go then, and don't leave my side. I still know these woods better than you.' It is half past seven when we arrive at the snares. My first look promises a lot. I set up six traps yesterday, five went of. 'Lets collect these animals.' I say when I untie a squirrel. Squirrels are populair among people from the Hob and some merchants. Five minutes later, all the animals are lying side by side on the ground. The catch consists of tree squirrels and two foxes. 'Not bad, not bad at all.' I say. 'What do we do now?' Jayden asks. 'I go to the Hob to sell the foxes, and to the baker and the Hob to sell the squirrels.' 'Can I go with you this time?' He asks me. I never take him to the Hob. In the black market you have to be strong, because otherwise you will recieve an unfair price for your goods. I never took him with me because he could quickly agree to an unfair price. But today I will take him with me but under my conditions. 'Yes, but under my conditions.' I say to him. 'Yes, yes, yes!' He calls softly. 'I mean it, only under my condition.' 'Ok.' He says. 'What are the conditions?' 'I do the talking and negotiate the price.' I say in a serious voice. 'Ok, can we go now?' He says impatiently. I nod and throw the foxes over my shoulder while tying a squirrel to my belt. 'Let's go.'  When we arrive at the passage and have hidden our bows, it is half past eight. Luckily the passage is just between Victor's Village and the Merchant section . 'Thomas? Where do we go first?' 'The bakery.' I answer. 'He always buys squirrel meat.' When we arrive at the bakery it is twenty five past eight. I knock on the backdoor and wait for the baker to open the door. When the door opens I show him two squirrel. 'Aah.' He says satisfied. 'What do you want for it?' He asks silently. 'Two brown loaves of bread.' I say in a serious voice. He thinks about it, and then goes to get the loaves. He gives us the loaves and I immediately wrap them in the towel that he gives us. 'Happy to do business as always.' I say. He nods and closes the door. 'He didn't agrue about de prize!' Jayden says. 'He knows it is a reasonable price.' I say. 'That was fast!' He says. 'Realy fast.' He is right, but his wife disaproves it, so he buys them fast and secretly. 'Let's go, now we go to the Hob.' I say silently. 'Why don't we sell the rest elsewhere?' 'Because no one else in the merchant section buys squirrels and foxes.' It is true, only a few people in the merchant section buy illigal goods. Especially the meat of wild animals. When arrive at the Hob it just nine o'clock, but the place is already swarming with people. Jayden doesn't say anything, that's for the first today. I walk strait to the soup maker and show her the foxes. She smiles and puts a large piece of leather on the table. I take it in my hand and look at it. 'Mmh.' I say doubtfully. 'I'll take it.' It is good leather with which you can make all kinds of things. 'Let's go home.' 'Already?' He asks. 'Yes, already.' I reply. 'You can have the squirrel, dad knows what to do with it.' We have to walk for about half an hour until we reach our parents' spice shop. It is one of the smaller shops of the merchant section, but it is a good shop.  I bought it with my prize money immediately after I won the Hunger Games. So my family didn't have to stay in the Seam. And I still have plenty of money because I get paid every year to mentor my tributes. 'Bye, little brother. I'm going home.' I give him the squirrel and go home. President Snow will announce the games at noon so when I arrive at home I clean up some stuff and wait until noon. The TV switches on on exactly 12 o'clock. President Snow stands on his podium and immediately starts talking. 'Welcome everybody. Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor. Today we celbrate the 75th Hunger Games! The rules of the Games state that there will be a special Hunger Games every 25 years. So today we celebrate the Third Quater Quell. For this years Games twice as many tributes will compete for the title of Victor. —But, one of the tributes, regardless of gender, age and health condition, will be chosen out of the reamaining group of Victors.' No! No! Not again! I see memories of the arena back before my eyes. Fear, confusion, insecurity. Al those emotions I felt in the arena! I might go back in the arena. The tought of having to go back in the arena makes me sick and before I know It I'm back in my room. I spend the rest of the day in bed without sleeping, but in the end the fatigue gets the better of me and I finally fall asleep. When I wake up it is eight o'clock. I take a shower and go downstairs. The bread from yesterday still stands on the table so I sit down and eat until all the bread is gone. I start thinking about the Games again. In four days it will be Reaping Day. I decide that I will use those four days for training. So that is what I do. I practice with kitchen knives that serve as trowing knives, and I go hunting in the woods with Jackson, one of the other two Victors, to increase my accuracy with a bow. And before I know it is Reaping Day. I wake up at seven o'clock. I know I'm not going to fall asleep anymore so I get up with a nauseous feeling. One of us will get back into the arena. Me, Jackson or Haymitch. Only three Victors. A game of chance. Jackson and I always go to the Capitol because we are the most recent Victors from District 12. But this year Haymitch will go with us. As a mentor, or as a tribute, but he won't stay in 12 during The Games. When I go to the kitchen I take a good look at the house, bacause it might be the last time I come here. I have lived here for the past seven years. I'm stressed all the time during breakfast, but I know there's nothing I can do. If your name is taken out of that bowl, then you know that you are most likely to die. Our tributes usualy make it to the top six. That makes 12 a worthy and sometimes deadly opponent. But nobody has won after I did. Eight o'clock, I go outside without taking a another look at the house. Peacekeepers who will guide us to the square, are waiting for us at the gate. I say good morning to them and walk over to Jackson and Haymitch. We look at each other without saying anything, but I know that they think the same thing as me. Not again! The voice from the Peacekeeper in charge brings me back to reality. 'Gentlemen, it is time to go.' On this sign the Peacekeepers will stand around us and move towards the Square. I just want to stay here but I know it's not an option so I'll walk along. When we approach the square I put on an illegible face. We walk to the podium, but I avoid eye contact with the crowd. I go up the stairs and stop in front of the large glass sphere with only three closed name cards. One of them has my name on it. Katrina Celton steps up the podium and wichesh everyone happy Hunger Games. 'No time to wast, Victors first!' She says with a high voice. Without hasitation she takes the first name card she sees. My hart rate goes up when she opens the small card. 'The first male tribute from District 12 is... Thomas Blackwood!' No! No! I have to get back into the arena! Not again! I get myself together and walk to Kathrina with an emotionless face. But inside I'm screaming it out. 'Wonderfull! Wonderfull!' She says happy. 'Now the second male tribute for District 12.' She puts the open card back in to the sphere and walk over to the big filled sphere with the boys' names in it. One of them will join me into the arena. I look how her hand goes into the sphere and picks a random card from the large boll. She opens it and looks confused. 'The second male tribute from District 12 is... Jayden Blackwood!' No! Not my brother!