Rue's Hunger Games
This is it. I'm going to die. Or maybe not.... I'm smart, I can climb, I can make food. I wouldn't count me out yet. But in a way im already dead; brain dead. My name echos through my head in the strange capitol accent. Rue Dauhling. Female tribute in the seventy-fourth hunger game. My feet shuffle to the stage, but I'm completely unaware of it. Step by shaky step I mount the stairs, and then there I am. The capitol lady calls for voulenteers, but of course no one comes forth. No one dares to take the place of poor little Rue. No, not poor little Rue. Smart, strong, brave Rue. I raise my head and square my shoulders. I'm not going down without a fight. I'm going to win and come back and for once my family and I will be full. The whole district will be fed. I just have to survive the Hunger Games. I look out and find my family. The hopelss looks on their faces knocks all of the buzz out of me. What am I thinking? I cant win this. A weak, underfed 12 year old like me can't win. I can only die.
The boy tribute is called to the stage. It's Thresh. I know him some, seen him in the fields and what not. He's strong. Maybe he can make it through the capitol's killing games. When the reaping is ended by the anthem, we are escorted to the Justice Building, and taken to a room where we will say our final goodbyes to our families. There is a big plush couch against one wall and I silently cross the room to sit on it. How can I do this? How can I say goodbye to my family and just leave them to fend for themselves while I go and be slaughtered? It's not fair. The Hunger Games are stupid, and not fair, and I hate them. I'm on the verge of crying when my family comes in.
I run to my mother and hug her. How can she stand to watch her oldest child, who's only 12, go to meet her death sentance? How will she deal with the lonliness, the loss? How will she bear to put the other 5 children to bed crying for their sister, and more essentialy food? I kiss her on the cheek and pull Aster into a hug. She doesn't cry. She doesn't talk. She just hugs me back. Aster looks exactly like me with her dark skin, long black hair, and big brown eyes. She's only nine and already she has a lot to deal with. I go child by child and embrace them all. My five younger siblings will soon be watching me be hunted by the other tributes. I finally get to my father at the back of the room. He picks me up and kisses my hair. When he sets me down he pulls out a simple necklace woven with what looks like straw.
"It's a good luck charm, Rue. It was my grandmother's. Take it and wear it as your token in the arena." My father whispers as he hangs it on my neck. Its beautiful and brings tears to my eyes.
"I love you all." I say, just barely holding back sobs.
"I wuv you too Wue." Says my youngest sister, Azalia. She's only two. She wont remember anything when I die. She's safe. A safe child.
Just then the Peacekeepers come and take my family outside. They exit with sad goodbyes and rushed hugs. Don't cry, don't cry I keep thinking because I can feel the tears welling up. I walk back over to the couch and sit until there is a rap on the door. Suddenly an old man enters the room. It's Mr. Woodward. Mr. Woodward is like a Grandpa to me. He lives alone and many nights he would give my family food to help fill the poor scrawny bellies. He still works in the fields even though he could have stopped years ago. He crosses the room on shaky legs and gives me a hug.
"Goodbye, Rue. Good luck. I'll help your mother and father with the younger ones don't worry." He says into my ear.
All I can do is reply with a weak thankyou before the Peacekeepers take him away and I am loaded onto the train. The platform by the train is swamped with people and cameras all screaming questions and snapping pictures. Head high, Rue, I think as I march across the platform.Thresh is next to me, and stands some-what protectively over me to sheild me from the cameras. Finaly we climb onto the train and are taken to our rooms. My room is huge! It's bigger than the house I live in! And there's a shower with warm water! I strip down and eagerly get into the shower. When I get out I get dressed and then my mentor, Sagan, comes and gets me for dinner.
Thresh is already at the table when Sagan and I get there. The food is starting to be laid out by people in white clothes. I sit down and dish up a plate of fruit and rolls followed by soup, and pork, and potatoes. There's so much food! I'm about to burst when a girl brings out a huge platter over flowing with cookies and brownies and tarts. I grab a vanilla cookie off the top and follow it down with water. After we are done eating, we are taken into a room to watch a recap of the reapings.
I watch silently and take in all my competition. Almost all of them are bigger than me. Probably more trained too. When we get to district 11 I barely pay attention, not wanting to see the scene replayed. Then comes district 12. The capitol lady, who's name I think is Effie, reaches into the reaping ball and pulls out the female tribute's name. Primrose Everdeen. There is a beat of silence as the tiny girl walks forward to the stage, and then a girl with gray eyes and long brown hair braided on the top of her head is screaming "Prim! Prim! I voulenteer I voulenteer!" It's easy to hear the desperation in her voice as she sweeps the girl, Prim, behind her. There's some confusion on the stage and then she is invited up to introduce herself.
"That's the spirit! Now what's your name?" Effie asks in the thick capitol accent.
"Katniss Everdeen." The girl says into the microphone.
"I bet that was your sister. Couldn't have her stealing all the fame." The capitol lady laughs into the microphone. What a stupid woman. She doesn't understand what someone will do for their family.
When it's time for a round of applause, no one claps. Then the district 12 mentor gets up to speak and ends up falling off the stage because he is so drunk. This is followed by laughs from the commentors. Then the woman reaches into the male reaping ball and pulls out the next name. Peeta Mellark. There is a faint trace of recognision and sadness on Katniss' face but only for half a second and then it is back to that emotionless mask. The whole program is ended with the anthem and people reminding Panem to tune in tomorrow for the parade. The t.v. clicks off and it is silent. Slowly I get up and go to my room. It's been a long day and I just want to sleep.
