The Beginning (Welcome to the First Ever Hunger Games)

Let the Games Begin

We crawled quickly out of our hidey hole and looked at each other. Both of us with the knowledge that we could not afford to be late, not with the harsh consequence accompanying it. We start sprinting towards the gates of District 10.

The guards never check for identities for people that are coming in and only those that are going out which mostly keeps my rendezvous a secret when there is a gurad patrolling the fences.

I grip Nix's  little hands tightly and pushed our way through the bustling jammed up bronze gates. The familiar scent of cows and sheep filled my nostrils as we squeezed past the gaunt looking farmers that were looking to sell or trade their livestock in the market and that are coming back to watch the supposed Reaping. 

Shoving the both of us past a particularly fat cow, we made it out of the crowds and sprint towards the Square.  We reached there in time, just as the guards were lining us up in our age groups. From the youngest to the oldest, the boys and girls separated from each other.

A white gloved hand then reached for me and yanked me into place where I should have been. The Peacekeeper stared at me accusingly and went back to his sorting.

I let go the breath I didn't realise I had been holding since Nix and I separated when I saw her safely pushed into line with the others.

 Sounds intensified as we see the group of Peacekeeper approaching the podium. I looked around me and saw people with different set of emotions displayed on their faces.

Some curious, some distrustful like mine, although most were animated with eagerness. I guess the latter has heard about the 'good fortune' that may come to them.

  "I can't believe it! I am so excited!' the girl in red squealed to the girl next to me.

"Imagine NOT having to work anymore and maybe I've got a chance to find someone better than the guys in this place." They both smiled at the thought.

I clenched my teeth and laughed internally at the stupidity of what they are saying...Didn't they know that that the Capitol would never ever willingly let you have all that without you having to pay a price. The price that is going to have to be paid was going to be high.

A blood price.

All attention then turned towards the platform when a grey haired with white smattered across and  dressed in a gray suit man walked up and took the microphone from its stand and stood there scanning us with his dark black eyes.

Someone high up the ranks then, after glancing around at the guards surrounding him.

 "Now Now Everybody quiet down", he chuckled to himself. The noise level damped down after that.

It was unnerving the way he spoke as if knowing something big that was going to happen. I did not learn how to read expressions in camp for nothing before the Capitol took over. I narrowed my eyes at his plump face, looking for the lies hidden there.

" Everyone of you knows what happened before us, The Capitol, that came to save you and feed you while you struggled to live after the disasters that happened that left all all of you starved and wanting,"

 Is there even a difference now? Looking at the others, their clothes hanging from their body like sacks, the glint of hunger in most of their eyes.

What have they done for us that isn't worse than what is happening now?

"WE have done so much for you " his face turned dark, " yet SOME still continue to go against us. Anyways, even though now we have vanquished the rebels that stood against us,"

I clenched my fists at that note.

"we want you to remember that nothing and NOT even District 13 was able to stand against us. Although after the Uprising, we have decided on a... reward I shall say that , for the loyalty that you have presented us. The Capitol have come to a decision that a Game shall be hosted every year from now on to never forget the hunger and that ONLY because of us, you are able to lead such an easy life," he smirked.

I wanted to wipe that expression away from his face with my knife, my heart breaking looking at the state of my family and companions near me. Easy life. Starvation clawing at their arms and cheekbones.

Does ANYONE here looks like they are having an easy life?!!! I wanted to scream at him.

"The rules of this 'Hunger Games' is simple. Two of you, one male and one female between 12 to 18 will be chosen randomly from each district. The 24 'tributes' will be put into luxury and training before the start of the Games where you will be placed in an arena with different settings every year that could and WOULD be engineered to be anything. A setting of a forest, desert, field of whichever we choose. Then the tributes try to fight and survive. The last one standing in the Hunger Games would forever live a life of comfort and the District that wins it would be showered with prizes, mostly food for that year." He smiled convincingly.

A whoop called out from the back of the group. Stupid boy.

I glared at his smiling pudgy face expression and felt a gut feeling that there was something left unsaid. Something very important.

I yelled out in an almost hysterical tone, " What happens to the losers then?!!"

He glanced at the guards nearby and nervously motioned them with a nod of his head to come closer to him. He looked down at us and said smugly,

" They die of course. The winner kills the rest of the tributes. You don't have a choice on whether or not you get to go."

A gasp shook through the crowd. 

No!!!! A voice shouted in me as I looked at the people around me.  Some of them are little more than children. 

The chances of them ending up in the Games.....