What if district 13 didn't get blown up? And what if there was a 14th district hidden from everyone?
District 14 wasn't known to the public, it was kept hidden due to the lack of people. They were told that as soon as their population increased than...
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District 14 was a small town, the population being around 1000 people. We were smaller than any other district hence the reason we were kept a secret. President Snow knew if we were found out about then all hell would let loose as we were the only district that didn't participate in The Hunger Games. I wasn't quite sure what it was, all I knew was that it was a cruel game made all for entertainment. We weren't allowed to watch it let alone talk about it, anyone who did was punished severely.
Ever since the day my parents had come home everything changed. The town changed, my family changed, but most importantly. I changed. The days got longer as I worked harder, the axe in my hand slicing through chunks of wood easily. Something about the clean-cut of the wood made me feel at peace. Here I could throw away all my anger with one swing of the heavy axe.
The only other time that I was at peace was with my brother. He turned twelve years old only a month ago, yet he was certainly mature. He regularly wore a tucked-in white shirt with suspenders attached to it. He looked too fancy to be in District 14. Mateo Ordell. He was a ray of sunshine, always came with a bright smile on his face. He told Dad jokes that were only funny because of the way he reacted. His jokes were accompanied by a loud laugh that lit up the room no matter the situation. "Marley! Look what I made." He ran into my room dangling a bracelet made out of pearl beads. He softly grabbed my hand and wrapped the bracelet around my wrist.
"It's beautiful, thank you, Mateo. I appreciate it." Seeing the smile appear on his face made my day better, after being out and chopping wood most of the morning.
"Can you come to make some more with me, please?" I couldn't say no to the puppy dog eyes, especially when it came from him. I allowed him to guide me to where he had a little kit made up with bits of wire and small jewels. I pretended that I didn't know how to do it just to hear him explain it to me. "And that is how you make one."
Our time spent making bracelets was cut short when my parents came storming in. My Mother ran straight to her room where she slammed the door shut, my Father following closely behind her. "I had to!" His voice came out higher than normal as I listened to him pound on the door. Muffled sobs came from the other side of the room and I knew it was time to leave.
"Hey Mateo, what do you say we go to the market to find more beads?" He wasted no time getting up and getting his shoes on. "I've just got to get something really quick." I walked back to my room and by the time I made it my Father had been let in. My curiosity got to the best of me as I stood in front of their door, trying my hardest to hear what they were arguing about.
"What do you mean you had no other choice?" My Mother's tears had been replaced with anger as she spat each word.
"It was her or all of us. What else was I supposed to do? Let them take everything away from us?" My parents often spent time arguing but this one was like no other. Who was taking everything away from us?
"I don't know, maybe not tell them for the Hunger Games that our tribute could be our own-" Their argument was cut short by my brother shouting out to them.
"Mum! Dad! There's someone at the door!" I quickly rushed away from their door allowing myself to not look suspicious. As my Mother stepped outside, I could feel her anger radiating as she stomped with every step she took. I followed my Mother out only to see that a man with a white suit on and a label that said 'peacekeeper' on him was there. Did they know about the arguments? Were they here to take us away from our parents?
"Marlowe, Mateo. Follow this young man. He will take you to where you need to go." I wasn't sure how I felt about having to follow an odd-looking man to who knows where my I had no other choice as my mother placed her hand on my back and guided me out the door, Mateo in front of me.
I turned back to look at my mother oddly, but she'd already shut the door by the time I could.
