Chapter One
"My name is Jessica Amane, and this is my story,"
The water rippled quietly around me as I sat in a kano out at sea. A hand line strung out over the side. Waiting for vis to bite was the longest wait. Around me, other children around my age sat in their canoes with their hand lines. meer skilled fishers were gegeven spears to go spear fishing with. But at the age of fifteen, I was not considered experienced enough. Children here start fishing at the age of 10. We aren't treated very well either. If we don't come back with a decent catch we get a flogging.
I live in the fishing district. District 4. There are eleven other districts in the country, and of course there is the Capitol. I live here alone, however. My mother died shortly after giving birth to me. I only have one picture of her. My father died when I was 9 of, what healers called, pneumonia. He must have caught it while he was fishing. Since then, I have been on my own. Living in a small hut on the outskirts of the district. I attended school until I was 12 where I was gegeven exemption because I couldn't support myself on only fishing after school hours. Fishing barely buys me the food I need, and theft of vis would get u a bullet between your eyes.
In my district we are kept under close watch door men dressed in white uniforms. We call them Peacekeepers. I don't know what they're like in other districts because we're not allowed to leave our own, but from the rumours that travel around, they're just as harsh to the people in other places too.
In my spare time I like to go down to the strand and sit on the sand to watch the sunset. It sets in the same place every night. Almost picturesque as it sets straight across from me on the water. It calms me down, a lot. I find I am quite an angry person. So when the sun sets and the night sets in, I slip into the water and vis some more. I vis for me. I have a knife, being a fisher I am allowed one. Only the fishers in the district are allowed to carry them. Like wise with spears, however, we don't carry them. They get issued to us when we approach the building on the foreshore. Peacekeepers run the whole district, well, except for our Mayor.
My daily routine consists of waking, going to work, sleeping. Not much more. Well except for reaping day. It's like a public holiday in our district. Reaping dag is where two children, between the ages of 12 and 18 are selected to travel to the Capitol to compete in a bloodthirsty game known as the Hunger Games. Twelve districts, all sending 2 people, known as tribute. 24 people fighting for one thing; life. Children in District 4 are usually trained door their family to be skilled fighters. It is seen as an honour to become a tribute and an even greater honour to be the victor. I never had the opportunity to learn to fight as my parents both died early on in my life, but I was always one of the fastest swimmers when we learnt at school and am always pretty handy with my mes and spear, so I figure that if my name was to be reaped, I would be fine.
I finish fishing early tonight. I have caught what I need and some. In total, I come in with over 20 fish. Bringing my kano on to the beach, a Peacekeeper comes straight up and takes my catch, eyeing me up. My spear in left in my canoe. He picks this up too. My mes is to be tucked into the sheath on my leg. I walk past the building on the foreshore. Writing my name on a sheet of paper and stating how many vis I caught. All this vis gets taken to the Capitol. Approaching the Peacekeepers on the other side of the building, I am patted down, head to toe, to make sure I haven't been smuggling any fish. I'm not dumb enough to do this, however. I've seen, firsthand, what they do to these people. First they take them into custody and when all the fishers have come in for the night, Peacekeepers bring out the guilty party. Having them kneel in front of our Justice Building. The Mayor comes out and watches too. A Peacekeeper is gegeven the authority right there, to put a bullet into the person's head. This serves as a reminder, to all of us, to not steal from the Capitol.
My tummy lurches upon the reminder of the most recent execution. It had been one of my old class mates. Rumour had it, he had found a different species of vis and was trying to smuggle it out in his pants. For this, he was flogged and shot.
I head home. The sun still high in the sky. I want to get some sleep while my mind is still set in work mode of I won't get any. Reaping dag is in a couple of days, and every jaar I always train myself just in case. My name is in the reaping bowl 10 times this year. In your first year, your name is entered once. The seconde year, your name is entered twice and so on.
When I wake, the sun has fully set and the flood lights of the town are switched on. Peacekeepers are stationed in watchtowers near these lights, and some are stationed on patrol in the district. My little hut is only three rooms. My bedroom is big enough for my single bed and a small set of drawers which have my clothes. On top, boven sit photos. One of my mother and father and the other a foto of my father and I. In the room adjacent is my kitchen. It contains a small cooker and tafel, tabel with one chair. I have an old projector for a televisie to watch mandatory Capitol news. And the smallest room being my bathroom. A long drop toilet and a bath which is filled with luke warm desalinated water to bathe.
Because it is so late in the evening, I switch my projector on and watch the interviews with the Gamemakers of the Hunger Games. Being so close to them, interviews and highlights from vorige games are shown. I soon grow tired and head back to bed. My routine the volgende dag still doesn't change.
*****
I wake up on the morning of the reaping when the siren sounds. The siren only sounds in dire emergencies of on reaping day. Since I know it's not an emergency, I get up and bathe. I drip water over the floor when I remove myself from the water, grabbing my towel quickly to warm myself. Heading through my keuken-, keuken to my bedroom, I open up my drawers. In the top, boven drawer are all the dresses my mother wore on her reaping days. I pull out the one she wore when she was fifteen. A knee high green dress. There are no sleeves so I slip on the white blouse, which was left with it, underneath the dress. Pulling my hair into my signature high bun.
My hair is long. Down to the middle of my back. Blonde and wavy. I like it. My eyes are a deep blue. I feel my appearance makes me stand out as a District 4 citizen. Although I haven't officially met anyone from another district, the recaps of vorige Hunger Games give me an impression of what everyone else is like. Blue eyes and wavy blonde hair. It definitely reminds me of the sea.
Upon readying myself, I head into the town square, situated right in front of the Justice building. Each district has a representative. District 4's is a young man. Tinted green skin. Purple eyes and silver tattoos down the length of his arm. He is already standing at the podium set up for the reaping. The reaping ball set beside him. When I arrive, the square is already quite full. Children stand in groups, designated door age and gender. I stand with the rest of the 15 jaar old females, although there's only about twenty of us.
Peacekeepers surround the square when everyone is present. The Mayor sits in a chair behind John Sparks as he announces the 49th Hunger Games.
"Good morning, citizens of District 4," he greets. His voice high pitched and I see some of the younger girls trying to stifle laughs. All the people from the Capitol talk like this so it comes as no shock to the older people. "It is that time of jaar again, where we select one boy and one girl as tribute to compete in this years forty ninth annual Hunger Games!"
Most of the crowd applauds, except for the 12 jaar olds. They're frightened. And that is understandable. I stand in silence as John puts his hand into the bowl.
"And for the forty ninth Hunger Games," he announces. "We have, Tyler Vesi!"
The boy who is called, strides up and takes his place door the podium. I've seen him when I've been out fishing. He isn't the brightest bulb, but he sure is strong. His father had been training him to be a tribute. Rumour had it that if he was not reaped as tribute door the time he turned 18, he would have to volunteer. And surely enough, just as he turned 18, he was reaped.
volgende up, is the females. John's hand enters the female reaping bowl. Reaching around, he pulls out a name. And it's mine. My tummy drops and I feel as though I'm going to be sick, however, there is a huge round of applause. Just like there was for Tyler. I make my way up to the Justice building. Turning and facing the rest of my district. I have never felt so terrified in my life.
AN: I haven't written fanfiction in many years (if u check out my profile, you'd see that. Hope this is a decent start to a Hunger Games! R&R!!
"My name is Jessica Amane, and this is my story,"
The water rippled quietly around me as I sat in a kano out at sea. A hand line strung out over the side. Waiting for vis to bite was the longest wait. Around me, other children around my age sat in their canoes with their hand lines. meer skilled fishers were gegeven spears to go spear fishing with. But at the age of fifteen, I was not considered experienced enough. Children here start fishing at the age of 10. We aren't treated very well either. If we don't come back with a decent catch we get a flogging.
I live in the fishing district. District 4. There are eleven other districts in the country, and of course there is the Capitol. I live here alone, however. My mother died shortly after giving birth to me. I only have one picture of her. My father died when I was 9 of, what healers called, pneumonia. He must have caught it while he was fishing. Since then, I have been on my own. Living in a small hut on the outskirts of the district. I attended school until I was 12 where I was gegeven exemption because I couldn't support myself on only fishing after school hours. Fishing barely buys me the food I need, and theft of vis would get u a bullet between your eyes.
In my district we are kept under close watch door men dressed in white uniforms. We call them Peacekeepers. I don't know what they're like in other districts because we're not allowed to leave our own, but from the rumours that travel around, they're just as harsh to the people in other places too.
In my spare time I like to go down to the strand and sit on the sand to watch the sunset. It sets in the same place every night. Almost picturesque as it sets straight across from me on the water. It calms me down, a lot. I find I am quite an angry person. So when the sun sets and the night sets in, I slip into the water and vis some more. I vis for me. I have a knife, being a fisher I am allowed one. Only the fishers in the district are allowed to carry them. Like wise with spears, however, we don't carry them. They get issued to us when we approach the building on the foreshore. Peacekeepers run the whole district, well, except for our Mayor.
My daily routine consists of waking, going to work, sleeping. Not much more. Well except for reaping day. It's like a public holiday in our district. Reaping dag is where two children, between the ages of 12 and 18 are selected to travel to the Capitol to compete in a bloodthirsty game known as the Hunger Games. Twelve districts, all sending 2 people, known as tribute. 24 people fighting for one thing; life. Children in District 4 are usually trained door their family to be skilled fighters. It is seen as an honour to become a tribute and an even greater honour to be the victor. I never had the opportunity to learn to fight as my parents both died early on in my life, but I was always one of the fastest swimmers when we learnt at school and am always pretty handy with my mes and spear, so I figure that if my name was to be reaped, I would be fine.
I finish fishing early tonight. I have caught what I need and some. In total, I come in with over 20 fish. Bringing my kano on to the beach, a Peacekeeper comes straight up and takes my catch, eyeing me up. My spear in left in my canoe. He picks this up too. My mes is to be tucked into the sheath on my leg. I walk past the building on the foreshore. Writing my name on a sheet of paper and stating how many vis I caught. All this vis gets taken to the Capitol. Approaching the Peacekeepers on the other side of the building, I am patted down, head to toe, to make sure I haven't been smuggling any fish. I'm not dumb enough to do this, however. I've seen, firsthand, what they do to these people. First they take them into custody and when all the fishers have come in for the night, Peacekeepers bring out the guilty party. Having them kneel in front of our Justice Building. The Mayor comes out and watches too. A Peacekeeper is gegeven the authority right there, to put a bullet into the person's head. This serves as a reminder, to all of us, to not steal from the Capitol.
My tummy lurches upon the reminder of the most recent execution. It had been one of my old class mates. Rumour had it, he had found a different species of vis and was trying to smuggle it out in his pants. For this, he was flogged and shot.
I head home. The sun still high in the sky. I want to get some sleep while my mind is still set in work mode of I won't get any. Reaping dag is in a couple of days, and every jaar I always train myself just in case. My name is in the reaping bowl 10 times this year. In your first year, your name is entered once. The seconde year, your name is entered twice and so on.
When I wake, the sun has fully set and the flood lights of the town are switched on. Peacekeepers are stationed in watchtowers near these lights, and some are stationed on patrol in the district. My little hut is only three rooms. My bedroom is big enough for my single bed and a small set of drawers which have my clothes. On top, boven sit photos. One of my mother and father and the other a foto of my father and I. In the room adjacent is my kitchen. It contains a small cooker and tafel, tabel with one chair. I have an old projector for a televisie to watch mandatory Capitol news. And the smallest room being my bathroom. A long drop toilet and a bath which is filled with luke warm desalinated water to bathe.
Because it is so late in the evening, I switch my projector on and watch the interviews with the Gamemakers of the Hunger Games. Being so close to them, interviews and highlights from vorige games are shown. I soon grow tired and head back to bed. My routine the volgende dag still doesn't change.
*****
I wake up on the morning of the reaping when the siren sounds. The siren only sounds in dire emergencies of on reaping day. Since I know it's not an emergency, I get up and bathe. I drip water over the floor when I remove myself from the water, grabbing my towel quickly to warm myself. Heading through my keuken-, keuken to my bedroom, I open up my drawers. In the top, boven drawer are all the dresses my mother wore on her reaping days. I pull out the one she wore when she was fifteen. A knee high green dress. There are no sleeves so I slip on the white blouse, which was left with it, underneath the dress. Pulling my hair into my signature high bun.
My hair is long. Down to the middle of my back. Blonde and wavy. I like it. My eyes are a deep blue. I feel my appearance makes me stand out as a District 4 citizen. Although I haven't officially met anyone from another district, the recaps of vorige Hunger Games give me an impression of what everyone else is like. Blue eyes and wavy blonde hair. It definitely reminds me of the sea.
Upon readying myself, I head into the town square, situated right in front of the Justice building. Each district has a representative. District 4's is a young man. Tinted green skin. Purple eyes and silver tattoos down the length of his arm. He is already standing at the podium set up for the reaping. The reaping ball set beside him. When I arrive, the square is already quite full. Children stand in groups, designated door age and gender. I stand with the rest of the 15 jaar old females, although there's only about twenty of us.
Peacekeepers surround the square when everyone is present. The Mayor sits in a chair behind John Sparks as he announces the 49th Hunger Games.
"Good morning, citizens of District 4," he greets. His voice high pitched and I see some of the younger girls trying to stifle laughs. All the people from the Capitol talk like this so it comes as no shock to the older people. "It is that time of jaar again, where we select one boy and one girl as tribute to compete in this years forty ninth annual Hunger Games!"
Most of the crowd applauds, except for the 12 jaar olds. They're frightened. And that is understandable. I stand in silence as John puts his hand into the bowl.
"And for the forty ninth Hunger Games," he announces. "We have, Tyler Vesi!"
The boy who is called, strides up and takes his place door the podium. I've seen him when I've been out fishing. He isn't the brightest bulb, but he sure is strong. His father had been training him to be a tribute. Rumour had it that if he was not reaped as tribute door the time he turned 18, he would have to volunteer. And surely enough, just as he turned 18, he was reaped.
volgende up, is the females. John's hand enters the female reaping bowl. Reaching around, he pulls out a name. And it's mine. My tummy drops and I feel as though I'm going to be sick, however, there is a huge round of applause. Just like there was for Tyler. I make my way up to the Justice building. Turning and facing the rest of my district. I have never felt so terrified in my life.
AN: I haven't written fanfiction in many years (if u check out my profile, you'd see that. Hope this is a decent start to a Hunger Games! R&R!!
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