Kill or be Killed | A Hunger Games Fan Fiction |

Talented

'I'm impressed' My father proclaims as he stares at the 20 or so knives sticking out of the 5 dummies. 

As I wander over to wrench the knives out of the chalk dummies, Ferox, one of my trainers and a past Hunger Games Victor at The Academy, begins to explain to my father. 'See here, Mr. Hymen'

'Call me Roland' Dad says, chuckling.

'Why of course. See here, Roland, Keely has managed to puncture all four fatal points of the body; the chest, throat, head and the abdominal region .' Ferox says with a smug smile. 'If this was a real person,' He points to a knife sticking out of the third dummy 'They would be long gone' He then proceeds to pull out said knife by the hilt, the only part visible from outside the chalk encrusted figure. 

As Dad and Ferox continue chattering, I freeze at the sound of a high pitched laugh. It's Ashlar. I roll my eyes as I see her unsuccessfully trying to flirt with Glint, Alder and Sixer, some of the many arrogant but lethal careers from District 2, our home. 

'Keely! Come here for a sec' Alder calls over to me from the other side of the gym.

I yank the last knife out of the throat of a dummy and saunter over in their direction, still holding the knife. 

'You called?' I look up as I polish the blade of the knife on the hem of my shirt.

'We' He cringes at Ashlar twirling her red hair on her finger 'were just talking about tomorrow.'

'What about it?' I now look around at the rest of them, poking my tongue out at Sixer - it's our little inside joke. 

'Oh I don't know.' Glint says sarcastically tapping his chin 'What was that thing on tomorrow? Oh yeah.. the reaping. The reaping of the 100th Hunger Games. The thing that kids fight - '

He is cut off my Alder. 'The twist is being announced tonight. Usually it's announced months before but Snow thought it would be a nice... surprise, didn't he?'

There is a new president Snow. Not Coriolanus Snow, but his only child, Axl. 

'We've talked about this guys! First to volunteer goes into the arena. First in best dressed.' I say. 

'It's a Quarter Quell Keely, what if there is no volunteering?' Alder presses. 

'Ooooh I hope they have the same arena as the 97th Hunger Games! That was my favourite year!' Ashlar squeals.

My head cocks in her direction quick smart as I raise the knife past my head and I am about to let it fly into Ashlar's skull when Sixer grabs my wrist and pulls the knife away, and Glint clutches about my middle and carries me out of the gym, me still kicking and screaming. Through the tears and screams that I know are my own, I see Alder shake his head at Ashlar. 

She looks puzzled 'But what did I do?' 

I see Alder shaking his head at Ashlar. He's knows why I'm now a little mentally deranged. I lost my best friend in the 97th Hunger Games. He went in but he never came out. He was my brother and his name was Calix.

District 2 male tribute almost always have the highest betting odds. They're strong, lethal, and they're Careers. Born leaders. My brother was one of those. He had the highest odds going in, being an 18 year old volunteer male from District 2. He was a Capitol favourite from the start, he had enough sponsors to keep him going and he was the leader of the Career pack, yet he wasn't arrogant enough to put his whole trust in the others. In the bloodbath, Calix killed two people: the girl from 5 and the boy from 11. The pack went out hunting that night and found the girl from 12, which the boy from 1 happily brought to an end. Calix was the last one of the Careers left alive along with the girl from 1 when another tribute cleverly wiped out the rest of the pack. They (Calix and Glitta, the girl from District 1) went on for a few days and were down to the final 5, when the boy from 4 tortured Glitta while he had Calix strapped in a tree. Her cannon  fired and suddenly the girl from 9 comes charging from out of the forest, mace in hand and swings it at the boy from 4. Now it was the final 3. Calix, the District 9 girl, and some other unknown tribute. The girl from 9, Omri strapped down Calix to the ground and held him hostage in the Cornucopia and tortured him over the course of several days when, finally, the unknown tribute, the boy from 7 shows up and kills them both with his axe.

I snap out out my trance as I stare down at the floor of The Academy gym and try to forget the pain I felt as a hearse arrived at our front door. He was stitched up and very pale and cold. My mother was traumatised as she had seen her own sister be taken by the Games. She's still not quite the same. I don't think anyone is anymore. 

But tomorrow, I'm going to volunteer, no matter what. To avenge my brother and home come still breathing. This year is the year, my dad and I have been discussing tactics of the games for years, my mother... not so much. She no longer takes interest in the games because the games to my brother. 

*          *          *          *          *          *

As I choke down the last bit of my dinner, (roast chicken pasta bake) my father beckons me to join him and my mother in the lounge room, where our TV is positioned. I see president Snow sipping from a glass of chardonnay on the pristine white balcony that is the front of the government building. A young boy, maybe around 6 or 7 walks toward him with a large box in hand. The anthem plays, and the Treaty of the Treason is read. There is a large roar from the crowd as President Axl Snow steps up to the microphone. 

'Good evening Panem. Tonight is the eve of the 100th Hunger Games reaping, therefore, the alter to the Games shall be announced.' He says smugly 'For the first Quarter Quell, on the 25th anniversary, as a reminder to the rebels that their children were dying because of their choice to initiate violence, every district was made to hold an election and vote on the tributes that would represent it. For the Second Quarter Quell, on the 50th anniversary, as a reminder to the rebels that no number of people can overcome the power of the Capitol, double the amount of tributes were sent into the arena. For the third Quarter Quell, on the 75th anniversary, as a reminder to the rebels that even the strongest among them cannot overcome the power of the Capitol, the male and female tributes will be reaped from their existing pool of victors.' 

There is an even louder cheer as President Snow reaches for an old and worn envelope with the number '100' on the front. 'As a reminder to the rebels that weather you are picked or you volunteer, you are forced into it or whether you are one of the strongest among them, four female and four males will be chosen from each District.' I can almost hear the hush over the Districts right now, not wanting to miss a word. 'But not just any four. The first person to be drawn from the bowl must participate in the Games, no volunteering allowed. The second tribute picked must be voted. The third must be a volunteer, no one can leave the reaping until someone does so. And the fourth tribute must be reaped from the existing pool of victors, volunteering is allowed. There will be 96 tributes in total, normal age restrictions apply to all areas except the victors reaping.'

The Capitol crowd goes nuts. 96 Tributes? 96 tributes! So much blood to draw. So much time to avenge by brother. There can be only one volunteer girl from our District, and that girl will be me. 

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Hi everyone! I'm Olivia and please read my new Hunger Games Fan Fiction! I will be uploading at least 3 times a week at this rate! Please follow, vote, comment and don't forget to apply for a cover made by me (See Cover Creator by hundreacrewood100) 

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