It happened almost a year ago. One week until the day. 47 years after the revolution overthrew the Capitol, gave rights to the districts, gave way to an ancient system called democracy, and most importantly, ended the cruel annual event known as the Hunger Games. We lived in harmony, the 13 districts and the Capitol. Electing our own leaders as a nation. Panem. Each district, or state as they were renamed, responsible for a different trade. My state, known as Applecia manufactured medical goods. From bandaids to high tech surgical equipment. We made it. Once, we mined for coal, but coal isn't needed anymore. Not since District 13, now known as Albertia led the rebels to victory. No more Hunger Games. No more hunger. Open trade between districts, freedom to travel. Freedom to vote people in and out of leadership. We all got used to it. But like I said, it happened nearly a year ago. A week until the day.
Nobody saw it coming. It just happened. One day, things went bad. A streak through the sky trailed by smoke and then…boom. A huge cloud burst into the air. Fire. Smoke. Debris. It was all consuming . And just like that, Albertia was gone. Destroyed. Rubble and dirt. Communication was cut, no matter how hard we tried. 3 days later, the train arrived. We expected news, supplies. But instead, men and women carrying guns and dressed in white poured of the train and opened fire, shooting indiscriminately, people fell. I ran. I grabbed a little kid standing next to me and ran. I knew who they were, we've seen photos of them in school. Our own local police force was caught off guard, they tried to fight back, but they were overwhelmed. My brother was a police officer. There 100 of them in total. Police officers. They were all killed. Once the shooting stopped we were herded into the Square like cattle. We waited, standing for hours, guarded by the peacekeepers. Occasionally, someone made to leave, they taken to the front, stripped naked, whipped and then shot as an example. Then they brought them out. The bodies of the Police officers. To prove to us, our protectors were dead. They strung them up around the square for display. Shrieks and wails of despair were met with laughter from the peacekeepers.
A man took to the stage. He had a microphone and his face appeared on every screen. Camera crews, I didn't even see them arrive.
"My name is Head Peacekeeper Cloyton. This nation of Panem is back under the rightful control of its true leaders. The system of states is hereby abolished and series of districts has been reinstated. Likewise, the coal mines will reopen promptly. Those who defy the new rule will become miners as punishment." He finished the a glare at us. As though we were insects. Less than insects. Something disgusting. Not worthy of his time.
"Lies!" called an elderly man from the front. A peacekeeper promptly winded him with a blow to the stomach.
"Excellent! Our first miner! Take him, find his family and take them too."
Soon news started filtering through. It turns out, when the rebels took the control 47 years ago, they didn't know there was a secret Capitol facility located in what was once known as "area 51", even before what was once North America fell, it was top secret military base. In the 47 years since the taking of Panem, they've been planning for the re-installation of the old ways. It was swift. They'd been planting people in the Capitol for nearly 2 years. The day the missile hit 13, they'd blown up the Parliament. Killing the President and all the State Representatives. They quickly took vital infrastructure, communications, air force hangars, things of the sort. They had people in the military as well. So they took control of that. They radioed to 13 and told them there was a gas explosion and that the survivors were recovering. The people of 13 were assigned with the task of examine the layout of all the Capitols gas lines to determine the problem. Their attention was no longer on their radar screens. They didn't even see the missile coming. Boom. Gone.
Old laws were reintroduced, ones we didn't know about but were expected to follow. Soon the mines had a decent workforce. Katniss and Peeta were dragged from their homes, they didn't come without a fight, but they were far outnumbered. The whipped them in the square and left them in the stocks, naked for a week. The peacekeepers took it in turns to taunt them, commit unspeakable acts to them. All in public for us to see. Their children, adults now were forced to watch. The Capitol seems determined to show us the rallying point of the last revolution, is gone. Weak. Overpowered by the Capitol forces. On that same day, Cloyton announced it. The Hunger Games would recommence. The reaping would take place one week after the initial arrival of the Peacekeepers.
So here I am. Awake in my bed. The morning of the reaping.