The Storybook Games

Chapter 2

Merida

I could hear my parents in their bedroom,"discussing" things. They meant to keep them from us, especially me, but I knew exactly what they were doing. They were talking- and probably crying, at least on my mom's part- about the Quarter Quell. The reaping in our district, district 12, is in a week, (among all of the other districts) and my mom is pregnant.

From what that scoundrel Dictator Gothel said, even unborn babes' names are put into the reaping ball. Which means Christiana- that's what we were going to name her- would be slaughtered before she was even a week old.

I wasn't gonna let that happen. And if it was the last thing I did, I would kill every last one of the tributes in the arena. For my sister. For my family.

I set out to go hunt.

Hiccup

After I heard Gothel's announcement, I went outside and sat down. I had to. Though I knew I wasn't likely to be chosen- we did live in a pretty big place, after all- I felt pity for the people who would.

A dog ran beside me, barking frantically. It galloped behind me and shivered, putting its paws over its head.

I picked it up. It was a scrawny, wet pug, and I could feel its ribs. Maybe I would take it home, give it sonething to eat-

Twang!!

I looked around. What was that? Oh well. The dog had stopped shivering, apparently not cold anymore. I petted his ears, not wanting to look at him until I'd fed him something. Just glancing at his ribs sticking out made me cringe.

Footsteps. My head jerked up, taking in the thin red- headed girl who stood in front of me, holding a bow and arrows. So that's what had made that noise. I scratched the dog's back, taking in how still he was. Wow. I didn't know dogs could be this still.

The girl gestured at my arms. I looked down. Was she talking about the dog-?

I dropped it, startled. "You- you shot that poor dog? I- I was going to take him home, maybe feed him!"

She picked up the dead pug, her eyes finding mine. "Some people need ta eat too," she said. It was barely a whisper.

I watched her go, stuffing the dog in a bag and slinging it over her shoulder. If anyone could survive in the Hunger Games, it was her.