In which sixteen-year-old Barley Miller from District 9 is thrown into an arena to fight to the death with not only 22 other children but with her younger brother as well, Barley has to figure out how she can keep both of them alive as well as deali...
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After all the interviews, the tributes were dumped back into the Monkey cage, and most of the tributes decided to have an early night to prepare themselves for tomorrow. Barley saw that Adam was hiding behind the large rock his legs pulled up to his chest, his head resting on his knees.
Barley walks over and sits down next to him, she puts her arm around his shoulder and pulls him in close letting his head rest on her shoulder as quiet sobs begin to flow from the young boy, tears staining Barley's white shirt. She lets him have his moment, gently rocks him, and whispers comforting words in his ears.
"I'm scared Barley"Adam's muffled voice quietly announces his voice horse from crying.
Barley gently strokes his hair. "me too"Barley tells him with sadness in her voice.
Adam slowly pulls his head from Barley's shoulder and looks at his older sister. "I miss home, papa and Hunter"Adam continues tears brimming in his baby brown eyes.
"I miss them too but you'll be home to them soon"Barley tells her brother confidently.
This was what broke the young boy, loud and violent sobs erupted from the boy. "I don't want to go home without you, it's like you've already given up, it's like you don't want to fight"Adam cries.
Barley places her hands on her brother's face, forcing the young boy's tear-stained face to look at her. "I haven't given up, my main priority is keeping you safe, only one person can win Adam and if I can get you out I will. I want us both to win more than anything"Barley tells her brother honestly.
Adam holds onto his sister tightly and refuses to let go for a long while.
After about an hour, Adam fell asleep, his small body lying not too far from Barley. Barley watches over him and watches quietly as his chest falls and rises.
"Him and Mizzen are kinda cute when they're sleeping"Coral announces as she walks over to where Barley is sitting.
Barley laughs. "You're acting like we haven't adopted them,"Barley tells her with a mall smile.
Coral sits down next to Barley and reaches her hand out, interlocking her fingers with Barley's, and holds her hand tightly. "I can't believe they're still going ahead with the games,"Coral tells Barley.
Barley scoffs. "You expected the Capitol would, they're a bunch of scumbags at the end of the day,"Barley tells her anger beginning to rise in her voice.
Coral squeezes Barley's hand tightly. "Let's not spend our last night of peace talking about them,"Coral tells the girl calmly.
Barley begins to calm down and rests her head on Coral's shoulder. "What do you want to talk about then?"Barley asks quietly.
Coral remains quiet for a moment thinking things over. "What's your favorite color?"Coral asks.
Barley looks up at Coral confused. "My favorite color? It's our last night of peace and you want to know my favorite color?"Barley questions the red-haired girl.
"Yes,"Coral tells her casually.
Barley rests her head back on Coral's shoulder and thinks about the question. "Green"Barley tells her quietly before looking up at Coral. "What about you?"Barley asks.
"Blue"Coral tells her.
"Like the sea back in Four?"Barley questions.
Coral laughs. "Like the color of your eyes"Coral tells her looking deep into Barley's eyes.
Barley feels her cheeks begin to heat up, she looks down at the floor, Coral takes hold of her chin and pulls it up so she's looking face-to-face with Coral, Coral leans in and kisses Barley passionately Barley kisses Coral back taking hold of her face and deepening the kiss.
Fireworks erupt in Barley's stomach, she'd never felt this way about anyone before and they'd both be dead in two days.
When Barley was awoken the next morning by the Peacekeepers shouting as they entered the Monkey cage, she saw an arm wrapped around her body, and when she turned to look behind her she saw the arm belonged to a still sleeping Coral who was holding onto her tightly.
Barley gently nudges Coral, and the red-haired girl groans quietly, she soon hears the Peacekeeper's shouts and quickly sits up, she removes her arm from Barley and looks around, she sees Adam who walks over to the duo.
"What's happening?"Adam asks his voice groggy from sleep.
Barley gently takes the twelve-year-old's hand. "It's time Adam"Barley tells him in a shaky voice feeling fear for what's about to come.
Adam immediately dives into Barley's arm who holds onto her brother tightly and whispers words of comfort to the boy. The moment is ruined when a pair of Peacekeepers walk over to the trio and pull's them apart from one another.
They are led out of the Monkey cage, the sun is high in the sky. The tributes are taken to a truck and placed inside, Barley and Adam sit down on the bench, Adam resting his head on her shoulder, and holds onto Barley's hand for comfort.
The journey to the arena was quiet none of the tributes speaking not knowing what to say to one another. After what felt like forever the truck stopped the doors were opened and they were escorted out by Peacekeepers, they began splitting the tributes apart likely taking them to a different entrance. When they tried to take Adam from Barley all hell broke loose.
"Barley! Barley! No! You can't do this!"The young boy screamed for his older sister, tears streaming down the young boy's face as he struggled against the Peacekeeper trying to drag him away.
"Adam! Adam! It's Okay, I'll find you I promise!"The older girl shouts back as she watches helplessly as Adam is finally dragged away.
Barley is led inside the building alongside Bobbin and Treech, and guns where placed against each of their backs to make sure they don't act up, Barley is led to a bright red spot on the floor.
"Stand on your spot or you will be shot"A peacekeeper announces.
Barley looks around the arena, she spots Adam across the room he is standing with Teslee on the right of him and Hy on the left side. The tributes look at the weapons laid in front of a pile of fallen rubble, but that's not what has Barley's attention she looks up at a large stone beam and sees a body hanging limply. It's Marcus.
The older boy is hanging to the beam by ropes tied around his wrist and attached to hooks sticking out of the beam, the boy has been beaten severely, and Barley can just about make out Marcus's face and sees it's bloody and bruised.
Anger begins to build in the blonde teen's stomach, she didn't know Marcus that well but she still felt for him, he was a person with dreams and aspirations and the Capitol has treated him like trash but what else was Barley expecting?
Barley slowly looks away from the body and focuses in on who's next to her, she has Circ to her right and Sol on her left. "The 10th Annual Hunger Games will begin in sixty seconds"An automated voice announces for all the tributes to hear.
Barley focuses in on Adam who catches Barley's eyes, Barley mouths to the boy that she's coming straight to him and the boy nods back, a fake brave look on his face. Barley then spots a small knife at the edge of the pile and makes a decision.
"Five, four, three, two, one"The automated voice announces and a buzzer sounds alerting the tributes they can move.
