Chapter 3- Whole New Level
The Hunger Games was something that had really brought Jay and me together when it came out. We had both loved it and started calling each other "Jabberjay" and "Mockingjay". We did everything like the Hunger Games. We said we lived in "District 14", the one for insane people, we each got mockingjay pins, and we read the book often. We had loved it. Until the dreams started.
I dream almost every night that I'm in the Hunger Games. All sorts of weird things happen. It's different people every time and not one of them are Rue, Katniss, or Peeta. I wake up feeling like I'm fighting to stay alive. Sometimes I start screaming. Sometimes Jay is there to comfort me.
Jay sleeps on my balcony because my parenys are usually out and he doesn't like to go to the foster home. Usually I just wake up panicing and I don't wake him up, but last night was crazy. I'm just glad he was there or it would have been much worse
My memories are also in the dreams. Except they get mixed up so it seems like I've lived in Panem all my life. It's so real.
Also, bullies have been following me around for eight years. As I stopped caring how I looked, it got worse. Now, they don't hurt me but there are plenty of mean words.
And I have time to think about this while I'm in Mrs. Bore's class. All of the students know her as Mrs. Boring though. So, as she goes on and on in a monotone voice about the history of America, I'm thinking about the future.
What if the Hunger Games could come true? America destroyed by war, hate, disease. A part of me believes it's possible, while the other part hopes people are smarter than that. I nearly jump out of my skin when I feel a hand quickly tap my neck. Crap. Of course it's Jay. I sneek a peek at him and he quickly puts a piece of paper in my hoodie. I press my lips together as I push my ponytail aside to get the note.
'Want to go to a baseball game this Friday?' It says.
Seriously?! He risks getting us in more trouble just to pass me a stupid note about sports?! He knows I hate sports more than anything. Why on earth would he send me a stupid note asking something he could have asked me anytime? I know I'm overreacting but still!
I take a deep breath and write back. 'You hate sports. What gives?'I quickly toss it over my shoulder without looking. It takes a second before I hear a quick tap tap tap to know he caught it. We had thought of this system a few years ago. He puts the note in my hoodie (we always sit like this every year. Being rich has it's perks), I take it and write something back, then I toss it over my shoulder where he always catches it. When he does, he taps to confirm it. I really don't know how he catches it. I'm always looking foreward.
I feel him put the note in my hoodie again where I pick it up.
'My brother's gonna be in town and wants me to see him play'
That's right! I had forgotten about Jay's older brother, Trey. He was the only family Jay had only came into town from time to time. He was also a pro baseball player.
'Fine!' I write. 'But you owe me!' I toss it back and hear the tap tap tap. As soon as I threw it back, I feel my hoodie move as Jay puts the note back in.
'Don't I always?' I only smirk at him as a response.
***
My heart stops as I'm suddenly back home. I'm from Distict 10 so there's cows, pigs, and sheep everywhere. I sit by a sparkling clear blue pond, laughing. It feels so good to laugh at something Jay said. Everything had been so bad, that it feels like the best thing in the world to throw my head back and just laugh without another care.
"So you would actually tell them to shut up?" Jay says. I have no idea what we're talking about but I go along, my smile a mile wide.
"What else could I do?" I fall back in the grass, holding my sides. I stare up at the sky, making shapes out of clouds. I see the sunshine and smile more. I feel so inoccent, staring at the sun which reminds me of Jay's brilliant eyes. He lays down beside me and takes my hand.
"What are you thinking about?"
"How your eyes look like the sun." Once it's out, I can't believe I told him that. But he just smiles and looks into my eyes.
"Your eyes look like the pool." I shove him.
"My eyes are too dark to look like the pool!"
"No, they change colors according to your mood. I notice when your sad, they get darker, stormier. But when your happy like this, they lighten so much I feel like I can see through them."
I smile at him as the world blurs.
And I find myself in a tree, surrounded by darkness.
***
The first thing I do is start to cuss in my mind. I would do it out loud, but I'm afraid someone would hear me. The second thing I do is try to remember how I got in the tree. The only thing I remember is my memory of District 10. Should I get out of the tree?
Suddenly I feel like I've been tackled. I fall back against the tree, breathing hard. I look behind me, expecting to see someone, but I'm alone. It doesn't look like I've been physically harmed. Though I feel like it's a very bad idea to get out of this tree. Strange. Despite my insticts, I grab my stuff and start to climb down the tree.
When my feet hit the ground, I look up and it's starting to get light. What?! I still have a few hours before sunrise. Crazy gamemakers...
I turn in the way I remember the lake being. I didn't get much at the Cornucopia, so I'm out of water and food. If I remember correctly, it should only be a five minute walk.
When I reach the lake, something feels off. Between the day and this feeling, I think I'm going nuts. I hear a branch snap behind me and I duck as an arrow comes flying at my head. Who was that? I peek up from my spot behind a bush and see a girl. She's a few years older than me with a dark braid going down her back. What was her name? Kat? Katniss? Yeah, that's it!
Katniss steps forward, searching for me. I duck back without making a sound. I wait three minutes before looking back. I sigh in relief when I see she's gone. I get up and walk over to the water where I lean down and scoop some up. I splash it on my face and take a long drink. I'm so distracted by the water that I don't notice Katniss is behind me until it's too late. She grabs my shirt from behind and pushes me against a tree.
"Are you Dot?" she growls in my face.
"Um, uh, no, wait! Yes!" I sputter, my thoughts so crazy, I could hardly do anything.
"I have a message for you." she says softer. "You and your friend, Jay, better prepare."
"For what?" I sqeak, losing my voice.
"I can't tell you. Just be prepared for anything, don't let anything take you by surprise, and remember," she pauses for dramatic effect. It's definitely dramatic when she could kill me any second. "anything can happen this week."
Now I can't say anything at all. I'm confused as crap, but I nod my head frantically trying to find a way out. I know she's gonna kill me soon. Always when something important is about to happen, you can feel the tension in the air.
And just like that...
She let's me go.
"Be careful out there, and never take this message as a joke." And she's gone. Disappeared almost.
One thing is for certain, I think as I'm slipping away, this message just took my already crazy life to a whole new level.
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Real or Not Real?- A Hunger Games FanFiction
Fanfiction"Everyone has problems. Like you don't have any coffee in the morning. Or in my case, hot chocolate. You don't have running water. Your car won't start. These are just ordinary problems. Not mine. Everyone knows the book, The Hunger Games which was...
