AN: Hey everyone! I just realised that I hadn't added a author note yet. I actually wrote this story 4 years ago in my mother tongue, Dutch, so there is a slight possibility that you may recognize it. Because the story is also published in a different language on a different site. I am going to translate and publish my other one-shots as soon as possible. There will be OC's later on in the stories, so you will be warned. Having said that, please enjoy the story and leave a review with your opinion!
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There they hung, those bright red, juicy berries. I recognized them immediately from my district.
During the harvest you would be able to sneak a few into your pockets if you were lucky and the peacekeepers looked the other way. According to protocol the peacekeepers had to make you empty your pockets after each harvest, and when you were caught stealing, there would be severe consequences. Most of them had enough pity in them to turn a blind eye, especially with the children. Still, there were always those sadistic peacekeepers that loved a good execution, or a brutal flogging if they felt particularly merciful that day. The berries were created only for the capital, one berry would give you enough energy to keep on working for the day. I saw them hanging when I returned to the meeting point and decided to pluck them to celebrate our success with destroying the provisions.
With the surprised image of Katniss in my mind I slowly climbed out of my tree, my eyes fixated on those berries. It was probably not the most wisest decision, and perhaps it was the hunger deciding my action. Alas it was already too late when the net engulfed my small body that I realised that this was in fact a trap.
Blind panic overcame me and I screamed the first name that crossed my mind, 'Katniss! Katniss, help!' On a second thought, also not the smartest thing to do.
I tried to wriggle myself out but the net kept slung around me like a magnet. The soft sound of rustling leaves caught my attention, for a second I hoped that Katniss would appear from the bushes to save me from the net. But off course I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up, these were after all the hunger games.
The boy from district 1 emerged from the bushes, a false smirk on his face, obviously satisfied with what he caught in his net. In his hand he held a long sharp looking spear that would be able to kill you with ease. With my eyes focussed on the spear, my heart raising I screamed Katniss name again, my voice growing higher and more desperate.
Please don't let the gamemakers win! 'Katniss! Katniss!'
This time, I did hear an answer: 'Rue!' A look of surprise because of the sudden reinforcement replaced the evil smirk on the boy's face. I heard Katniss' booths running my way and prayed with all the faith that I never thought I had that she might be on time.
The boy however recovered too quickly from his surprise and threw the spear towards the net, perhaps he changed his mind that killing each other would only please the capital.
Katniss appeared at the clearing and shot the boy in a second with one smooth motion of her bow. But it was already too late, the spear had struck its target by now, it had pierced my stomach so fast that I didn't even have time to blink.
The pain was unbearable, no soft death for me it seemed. My weary eyes glided to the berry bush only to be met with an empty soil. There was no bush, and there were no berries, and I was going to die by a false trick from the game makers, I should've known, the odds were after all, never in my favour.