Hey all! I'm writing another story based in the Hunger Games universe. It's during the 5th annual hunger games, so things will be different! I apologize for spelling, my iPod can't spell worth crap Enjoy! Chapter 1 I rolled out of bed, barely managing to stay awake with each move. Ugh, I thought, yet another day to watch the world pass by and another day to waste. Of course, that hadn't been the way always. We used to be a proud people, a strong people with little fear. We were so close to space travel again, to escaping this decaying surface and reexploring what lies beyond. Then the Dark Days. We all cowarded under our beds, praying that the Capitol would forgive us and continue on with life. We rebelled, and the Capitol punished us all. District Six was lucky, we were considered drug addicts and they quickly squished our small militia without much damage to buildings or factories. But district 13 was diminshed to rubble, eradicating life and leaving a painful reminder of what happens when you go against the Capitol. That wasn't enough though. At the end, five years ago, when we could all leave our houses safely, they came up with a cruel idea to reopen the wounds every year. The Hunger Games. It was only the fifth year, but we all knew what would happen. District 1, the closest related to the Capitol by acted as a pet, would manage to win from having the 'luxury' of training their children to be killers. All the other districts watched their children go to battle, doomed to be slaughtered after hearing their name at reaping. All districts hoped their tributes could manage to score a victory for the home team, but the only upset was the very first game when district four won because the girl tribute had war experience. District 2 just set up an academy to train their children also, so the competition was going to be heated this year. It's funny, how you can treat it like an actual game, almost like Trains and Lanes the board game. When someone loses, everyone says 'Nice try, but you just weren't mean enough to win.' And the game continues without a second pause. The Hunger Games were like that, but it would never happen to me. It was a one in a hundred thousand chance, if that to get picked. "Isaac! Hurry up and make me breakfast!" I heard a voice yell. My mother wasn't the most poliet person there was. After my father died, she began to use morphling. That was when I was twelve, and my older brother Andrew first took charge of the house. The war changed my brother. After he came back from district three a week before the Dark Days, he started to talk about rebellion himself and started to read his books. My older brother called out, "Isaac, it's okay. I'm cooking this morning." And I stood up. He stole books from district 3, all about how to make explosives, weapons, radios, all sorts of things you'd need in case of a war broke out. No one saw it coming, at least not in our district. A few days before the initial lauch, district Thirteen threatened the Capitol to try and get freedom. The turn out was their district being leveled and a distinct model of what happens to districts that act against the regime. I rubbed my eyes, and called back, "Thanks." It was the same routine every morning, I would get up and wonder what has become of the world and merely continue without a second thought of it. I reached for my dresser and opened the drawer. I glanced around, deciding on what shirt to wear that day. There was a crash from the kitchen, and yelling soon followed. Again, a daily routine of my mother bickering on how not everything was perfect with her meal. "This isn't good, this is garbage! Your father could have..." I ignored the conversation, knowing where it would head. The morphling had done a number of things to her. Make her skin yellow, as skinny as a bean pole, give her hallucinations. I picked uo the first shirt, it was a bright plain red shirt with no letters on it. Our district was a middle class, as middle as it got in Panem. We weren't very rich, but we weren't district 12 either. The people here were average, except for the drugs, and wore tshirts and shorts most of the time to show that we were 'average'. "Mom, please sit down." My brother ordered her sternly, and I heard a thunk. My mother must have hit him again, I thought and continued to get changed. I pulled off my shirt, and placed a new one on. The shirt was loose because I had recently bought it from the clothing store that had a sale going on. There was another crash, this one louder. Worried, I quickly changed my shorts and hurried down stairs. I entered the dining room to find my mom sitting in the corner, rocking back and forth. I sighed and found my brother in the kitchen, still cooking. "You're cut!" I told him, suprised. I reached toward a drawer to pull out some gauss. "It's nothing." Andrew replied, and I shook my head. He had to be some strong figure head for my sibiligs and myself, but it wasn't working. He couldn't continue to be the super man he thought he was. My brother stopped stiring whatever was in the pot and looked at me. "This has to stop. We can't keep her like this. Maybe those correctional facilities aren't as horrible as they sound Isaac." I held the gauss in my hand, and reached over his head to the other side. I began to rap the gauss around my brother's head while I talked, "No. We can't just abandon her like that." He raised his voice, "Look at her. She's in a corner, curled in a ball. Is that what you-" I interupted him, "And how do they even fix them? The second a person leaves they are back being a morphling. We can do a bett-" He countered with, "A better job how? Is this the family you want for our siblings?" "No never. We need to save mom, I get that. But I'm saying that those places aren't-" My brother raised his voice more, "Aren't what? As good as home? If you haven't noticed, our home is falling apart after Dad died." I stopped with the gauss the second I heard Dad. Even after five years... It was too soon. Andrew sensed why I stopped, "Isaac, I didn't mean to go that far. I'm sorry." I dropped the gauss and started toward the door when my brother put his hand on me. "Get off me. I'm going for a walk." I told him, pushing his hand off my shoulder. Andrew stood there, stuned. It wasn't the first time this had happened, but it hurt him more every time. I opened the door, and slammed it behind me after I stepped outside. The breeze was gentle as I took in a breath. The smell of a bakery permeated the air, the new bread causing my stomach to grumble. I glanced down toward the source, the shop down a block. If I wasn't in a bad mood, I would have gone. But it was a bad day indeed, and my mind was all over the place. I took a left, walking down the newly redone sidewalk. It was smooth and clean, recently redone after the Capitol approved the project to try and redo our district. The Capitol did not perfer District Six; but we made the cars, trains, and were working on space rockets. Those are something the Capitol wants to try and save their sorry selves from the world they've created. The Dark Days had set back the entire country centuries, even our own "druggie" district. Thirteen, in a last ditch attempt to cause this set back, destroyed almost all online information in the Districts, save 3 and the Capitol. The blackout was maybe for a second, but it had done so much more than the process. Almost everything we made had to be done by hand now, the technology was not avaliable for our district. I kicked a rock in my path off to the side, and glancing up at the factory before me and reading the bold words PLANES INC. imprinted into the side of the plain white building. The only reason why the Station was still here was the old factories. I glanced up, and saw the smoke rise from the tube at the top. They assembled each part, one at a time, to recreate cars here. Planes were banned after the atmosphere was ruined, way before the Dark Days. "Isaac!" I heard a voice, and smiled while I turned to meet her. "Shelby." I called back, holding out my arms for her. Shelby was an inch shorter than me, and had long brunette hair that flowed down to her shoulders. She ran into my arms, grasping my sturdy shoulders and squeezing tightly. I hugged tightly back, happy to forget about the world for a moment. "Listen, Andrew called me over." I frowned, being sucked back into reality. "You know he didn't mean it. It's just hard for him t-" "I know." I blurted, wanting to change the subject. Shelby let go, and took a step back. She crossed her arms, annoyed with my attitude. "Okay then." Shelby turned her back to me, taking a step away. I gripped her shoulder, stopping her from leaving. "You know how hard it's for both of us... Please just don't leave now." Shelby turned back toward me, and leaned in to give me a kiss. I prepared for the hit, when a cat call nearby interuppted the moment and we both pulled back quickly. "I have to go." Shelby told me, blushing. She quickly walked off, not wanting to attract anymore attention. How could I be so stupid, I thought, I should have gone on with it. I searched around to find who made the call, but I could not find anyone. My mind came up with a few possible suspects, but I pushed the thought aside as the sun started to go down. I turned back the way I came, and started forward. I took one last glance back at the old car factory, confident that nothing could go wrong.
Chapter 2 "Isaac." My brother lectured me as I entered our home. My mother was nowhere to be found, "You can't go running off. If you keep on doing it, David or Sawyer might try and-" I cut him off, "I understand that. I just needed to think for a bit. I agree with you on sending mom to a home, I think that it would be way safer for us and for her." I crossed my arms, seeing a look on his face. "No complaining this time?" Andrew asked, and I shook my head no. He sighed with relief, and turned toward the table. Andrew sat down, took in a breath and relaxed while I pulled out another chair. "Where is she?" I asked. "Upstairs in her room." Andrew replied casually, acting as though it was no big deal that someone wasn't around her. He didn't look at me, though. He was being too suspicious. "What did you do?" I confronted him, standing up and taking a step forward. "What do you mean?" Andrew asked, glancing out the window and avoided eye contact with me. I walked around the table and stood infront of him. "What. Did. You. Do?" Then I realized it. "Why would you send her away without me! What if I didn't want her to leave?!" I yelled at Andrew, and he shot straight up. "Is this some kind of joke to you? Look at us!" He gestured toward our less than organized kitchen. "Is this the environment you want to live in, you want our siblings to live in?" "No, you know what-" "What you meant, Isaac? The only thing I can see you meaning is that your too stuborn to change this. This is for the better." I turned away from Andrew, upset. Maybe I was stubborn, but to risk a better life and want this was an upsurd thought. But I never really did what was likely to happen. "Andrew, I'm sorry. It's just... I thought we were going to do this together, you know?" I told him, mentioning about a conversation we had almost a week ago. "I understand, but you just aren't old enough yet." Andrew replied, obviously not wanting to budge. "I'm seventeen!" I countered his argument. "Well they still enter you for reaping and I can't risk that." "Risk what? Trying to have a stable family?" I turned back, staring straight at him. "How would being a tribute help our family? Is that what you want, just as soon as we have a little peace-" I grabbed his arm, "You know the odds are in my favor. We have over ten thousand eligible, and you think I am going to get picked?" Andrew brushed off my arm, "It can still happen." "There are over a million names in that jar, and yet you-" "It can happen. We're done talking." My brother ended the conversation, and left the kitchen. I sighed and sat down, knowing what tomorrow was. Every year we would go to the Station square, the same trudging walk that two unlucky people would not make again. Some did not show up. Those people usually weren't alive with a week so the rest of us realized that abscence was not taken lightly. A light flckered on upstairs, and it was almost midnight. I walked toward the room, wondering why my little brother was awake. "Mom," a small, quiet voice whispered in the room. My brother was up again, talking to our mom and hoping she would be safe and he would not be picked. He was twelve years old, and still very sweet. My brother's name was James, and he was about half my height. He, like myself, was a bit of a runt. Unlike our brother Andrew, James and I did not recieve the good genes in the family. I leaned against the doorway, and James jumped when he saw me. "Hey buddy." I said, not loud enough for anyone else to hear. "Isaac, I'm... I'm scared." James was about to start crying, and i walked over to him and bent over. "Listen, I know what you are going through. I used to do it every year, but I'll tell you a little fact." "What?" He sniffled between his words. "There are over ten thousand people that can go. Most have entered in their names a lot of times so they can get extra food." I patted his back, "So two times verses over a million names. That's a pretty good odd. And I promise, i would volunteer if you were ever picked." He glanced up at me, and then looked back down. "But... They can still-" I squeezed his shoulder and told him, "Hey. It's gunna be okay. I promise." My brother laid down, and I got up. He wouldn't get back up, and I made sure he would be safe. I shut the door quietly, and locked it. Last time he... Had an accident and almost ran away. I hated doing that, but i couldn't lose him, our family couldn't lose another person. I walked over to my room, and glanced back toward James's room. I sure as hell hoped the odds were in my favor. (Please post feedback on the feedback thread!)
HG 5 C2 Chapter 2 "Isaac." My brother lectured me as I entered our home. My mother was nowhere to be found, "You can't go running off. If you keep on doing it, David or Sawyer might try and-" I cut him off, "I understand that. I just needed to think for a bit. I agree with you on sending mom to a home, I think that it would be way safer for us and for her." I crossed my arms, seeing a look on his face. "No complaining this time?" Andrew asked, and I shook my head no. He sighed with relief, and turned toward the table. Andrew sat down, took in a breath and relaxed while I pulled out another chair. "Where is she?" I asked. "Upstairs in her room." Andrew replied casually, acting as though it was no big deal that someone wasn't around her. He didn't look at me, though. He was being too suspicious. "What did you do?" I confronted him, standing up and taking a step forward. "What do you mean?" Andrew asked, glancing out the window and avoided eye contact with me. I walked around the table and stood infront of him. "What. Did. You. Do?" Then I realized it. "Why would you send her away without me! What if I didn't want her to leave?!" I yelled at Andrew, and he shot straight up. "Is this some kind of joke to you? Look at us!" He gestured toward our less than organized kitchen. "Is this the environment you want to live in, you want our siblings to live in?" "No, you know what-" "What you meant, Isaac? The only thing I can see you meaning is that your too stuborn to change this. This is for the better." I turned away from Andrew, upset. Maybe I was stubborn, but to risk a better life and want this was an upsurd thought. But I never really did what was likely to happen. "Andrew, I'm sorry. It's just... I thought we were going to do this together, you know?" I told him, mentioning about a conversation we had almost a week ago. "I understand, but you just aren't old enough yet." Andrew replied, obviously not wanting to budge. "I'm seventeen!" I countered his argument. "Well they still enter you for reaping and I can't risk that." "Risk what? Trying to have a stable family?" I turned back, staring straight at him. "How would being a tribute help our family? Is that what you want, just as soon as we have a little peace-" I grabbed his arm, "You know the odds are in my favor. We have over ten thousand eligible, and you think I am going to get picked?" Andrew brushed off my arm, "It can still happen." "There are over a million names in that jar, and yet you-" "It can happen. We're done talking." My brother ended the conversation, and left the kitchen. I sighed and sat down, knowing what tomorrow was. Every year we would go to the Station square, the same trudging walk that two unlucky people would not make again. Some did not show up. Those people usually weren't alive with a week so the rest of us realized that abscence was not taken lightly. A light flckered on upstairs, and it was almost midnight. I walked toward the room, wondering why my little brother was awake. "Mom," a small, quiet voice whispered in the room. My brother was up again, talking to our mom and hoping she would be safe and he would not be picked. He was twelve years old, and still very sweet. My brother's name was James, and he was about half my height. He, like myself, was a bit of a runt. Unlike our brother Andrew, James and I did not recieve the good genes in the family. I leaned against the doorway, and James jumped when he saw me. "Hey buddy." I said, not loud enough for anyone else to hear. "Isaac, I'm... I'm scared." James was about to start crying, and i walked over to him and bent over. "Listen, I know what you are going through. I used to do it every year, but I'll tell you a little fact." "What?" He sniffled between his words. "There are over ten thousand people that can go. Most have entered in their names a lot of times so they can get extra food." I patted his back, "So two times verses over a million names. That's a pretty good odd. And I promise, i would volunteer if you were ever picked." He glanced up at me, and then looked back down. "But... They can still-" I squeezed his shoulder and told him, "Hey. It's gunna be okay. I promise." My brother laid down, and I got up. He wouldn't get back up, and I made sure he would be safe. I shut the door quietly, and locked it. Last time he... Had an accident and almost ran away. I hated doing that, but i couldn't lose him, our family couldn't lose another person. I walked over to my room, and glanced back toward James's room. I sure as hell hoped the odds were in my favor.