Chapter Two - The Reaping - Nightlock - A Foxface Fanfiction

Deep breathes. In, out, in, out. I told myself that, ordered if, I felt as if I didn’t I would suddenly just stop breathing. I made my way over to a peacekeeper, I felt the prick of the needle, and watched a bead of scarlet bead of blood appear, before being smeared across a piece of paper and an odd looking machine registered it. I heard it speak my name, “Finch Avone” I moved quickly out of the way of the others and made it over to the fourteen year olds, my age group. I stood there silently for a while and watched some peacekeepers run across the stage to make sure it was neat and clean.

 

I glanced to my left, there was Owle Suine, a short blonde girl I knew from class. We weren’t the best of friends, but we nodded in greeting to each other. The girl to my right was a girl slightly shorter than me, and just as bony. She had raven black hair and piercing dark blue eyes, I turned to her, a smirk lingering on her face. I knew her as well, Austre Gline, a girl who never liked me because I always won running races.

I could feel my hands shaking, and I wrapped them around each other, looking at the stage.  I watched as our Escort walked on the stage, our district has had her since I could remember. She was an tall, slim woman with what looked cheek bone implants. She had dark black crystals circling her eyes, and dark blue shadow smeared across it swirls, with what looked like small golden flecks across it, as if to represent the stars and the galaxy. The themed outfit did not stop there though, she wore a large gown that was shaped like a triangle, and the hem swerved up so high it covered her head like an umbrella, it was also dark and encrusted with thousands of tiny jewels, and it glittered every time she would move in the sunlight. Her name was Galaxia, which explained her outfit very well.

 

She struggled across the stage, speaking lightly to the Mayor as she did, and patted her bright golden hair that was cascading down her back. She flashed a smile at the district before chatting to some camera people.

I watched the large clock above town hall, the large second hand ticking directly on the 12 and the minute hand shifted to make it eleven o’clock. Our Mayor stepped up to the podium from his seat and flashed a nervous smile to the district.

 

He spoke the words I have heard many times before, even when I was a young child and not even up as a tribute. He starts of telling us about the origin and history of Panem, the country that rose up from the ashes of a place that had once bared the name North America. He starts the list the disasters we also encountered, the droughts, the storms, the fires, the encroaching seas that swallowed up so much of the land, the brutal war for what little substance remained. And the result from all this was Panem, a shining Capitol ringed by thirteen districts, which brought peace and prosperity to its citizens. Then there was the Dark Days, the uprising of the districts against the Capitol. Twelve were defeated, the thirteenth obliterated. The Treaty of Treason gave us the new laws to guarantee peace and, as our yearly reminder that the Dark Days must never be repeated, it gave us the Hunger Games.

The rules of the Hunger Games are simple. The punishment for the uprising, each of the twelve districts most provide one girl and one boy, called tributes, to participate. The twenty-four tributes will be imprisoned in a vast outdoor arena that could hold anything from a burning desert to a frozen wasteland. Over a period of several weeks, the competitors must fight to the death. The last tribute standing wins.

Taking the kids from our districts, forcing them to kill one another while we watch �" this is the Capitol’s way of reminding us how totally we are at their mercy. How little chance we would stand of surviving another rebellion.

Whatever words they use, the real message is clear. “Look how we take your children and sacrifice them and there’s nothing you can do. If you lift a finger, we will destroy every last one of you. Just as we did in District Thirteen.”

To make it humiliating as well as torturous, the Capitol requires us to treat the Hunger Games as a festivity, a sporting event pitting every district against the others. The last tribute alive receives a life of ease back home, and their district will be showered with prizes, largely consisting of food. All year, the Capitol will show the winning district gifts of grain and oil and even delicacies like sugar while the rest of us battle starvation.

“It is both a time for repentance and a time for thanks,” intones our Mayor, who was a tall plump man, mostly because he had such great access to food and delicacies, he was balding slightly and he had a round shining face.

 

He took a deep breath before reading the past Victors of District 5, for not being a Career district, we have done fairly well. We have had a total of fourteen winners, but only nine are still alive and well. And out of those nine, all of them have mental or alcohol issues, or even both. They were all sitting on the podium, a couple white, some shaking, and one girl crying. 

The mayor smiled weekly before holding his hand out, “And now, our beautiful Escort, Galxia!” The mayor turned and quickly walked for his seat, his head down and looking into his lap.

In a matter of moments the district fell silent, and a high nasal voice of the Capitol filled out ears.

 

“Hello District Four! And a Happy Hunger Games to you! May the Odd’s be ever in your favour!” Galxia waved to us all, smiling widely, and we all returned the gesture with a deadly stare.

 

“So now, we all know the tradition, Ladies first!” Her shrill voice giggled into the microphone, and I winced a bit at the noise of her voice. I could feel the tension as everyone held their breath, I just hoped it was not someone young. Someone under thirteen would be terrible, I didn’t even consider for a second who’s name was going to be called out, the be forced to walk on stage, in front of the whole world and to realize their death was soon near.

 

There was a silence as we heard her open her mouth, and her voiced shrieked loud and bubbly “And out first female district 5 tribute for the 74^th Hunger Games is … Finch Avone”

Author's Note

Once again still going through the editing process!

This one is a pretty short one - I also notice some of my story line does not match up at the moment, but will once the final edit is up!

Also I know the idea with her dad owing money is a little far fetched - but I feel like it need something different and it will make a little more sense later on hopefully!

I of course try to not copy the book - but some basic information is needed and I can't do much about changing it because then it would change the whole book!

Please review if you have any further ideas, or even questions!

Reviews

[Arya Le Dasmones]

Sounds great so far :) Nice suspense at the end of this bit. This idea of the story told from a usually disliked character's view is amazing, so kudos for that.