Feral raced through the forest, her bare feet slapping the damp earth and kicking up leaves as her fox-red hair flowed out behind her. They were close behind her, all the tributes she had watched die over the years. There were so many of them. And they wanted to kill her. The trees raced by and everything began to speed up, going faster and faster until everything was blurred and individual shaped couldn't be distinguished. Suddenly she hit something hard, and at the speed she was going at it felt like she should have been dead, but nonetheless she rose to her feet again. She studied what she had ran into, since she had left the dead tributes far behind. It was a large boulder, about the size of a house. Its surface was perfectly smooth. She looked carefully at the rock and realized the letter G was carved into it. She studied the rock more closely until she noticed more letters, randomly carved into the rock. V, A, I, E, N, another G, and R were there as well.
The realization of what the letters would spell unscrambled hit her like a slap in the face. Gavering. He had once been her boyfriend; he had once been there for her. But that was until the day the Capitol had taken him away from her.
But it was already too late. The rock was slowly rising into the air, somehow being lifted by the decaying body beneath it. She gawked at Gavering's dead body, too scared stiff to move. Suddenly, the other dead tributes appeared behind her, forcing her to the ground and trampling her. The boulder dropped on them all and the last thing she saw was Gavering's face.
She awoke shaking violently, her body coated in sweat. Her little brother, Pinn, stood at the foot of her bed, staring up at her with big blue eyes filled with concern. He was only nine, and Feral was thankfully that he still had a few more years before the reaping would be able to take him as well. She tried to force herself to stop shaking but it took her several minutes to completely stop quivering. The entire time Pin looked on silently.
"Today's the day…?" He murmured, walking around the side of the bed to sit next to her. Pinn was small with tan skin and bright red hair and sparkling blue eyes. There was a calmness about him that could make an angry badger relax.
"Yes," Feral nodded. She looked out the window, a square that had been cut out of the wood, and looked out at the forest beyond. They lived on the fringes of District Seven, which she knew was very fortunate. The forest was a comfort to them, like a second home. "Today's the day of the Reaping."
"Feral," said a new voice. Her little sister, Willow, timidly approached. She was tan with brunette hair. Like everyone else in her family she had bright blue eyes, except hers sparkled with fear. She had turned twelve the month before, which meant that year would be her first Reaping. "What if… what if they pick me?"
Feral put on a faint smile, trying to look reassuring, like the idea was little more then a child's nightmare instead of a terrifying possibility. "Its okay, Willow, they're not gonna pick you."
"But what if they do?" She squeaked, sitting down cross-legged on the bed her small hands balled in fists. "What will I do? What will you do? Who… who would get the water every day if I didn't come back?" It was true Feral knew none of the answers to those questions. Every day, Willow woke up an hour earlier then everyone else to make the journey through the forest and to the river to get fresh water for them to drink. She had no idea which of them would do it if…
"It's not going to happen, Willow," Pinn stated so forcefully that they couldn't help but believe it to be true. There was a long moment of silence in which none of them said anything; they all just drifted off in their own minds.
What if they choose me? The thought struck Feral suddenly and sent a shiver down her spine. The idea that she would have to compete in the Hunger Games… well, to her it was unimaginable. She could barely watch when a squirrel died in the forest, there was no way so could kill other teenagers to survive. It was required to watch the Hunger Games every year and that was painful enough.
She suddenly remembered her dream and she began shaking all over again. Pinn and Willow each took one of her hands until she calmed down. The thought of seeing Gavering so… dead… made her feel like she going to throw up. She had once been in love with him. They had dated for six months before he had been picked in the Reaping. She had watched in horror as he had been killed in an avalanche sent by the Gamemakers. Now the only time she saw him was when he haunted her nightmares.
The house the Tarani family lived in was a small, two room shack-like structure. It was entirely made of wood with only one window, which resided in the bedroom in between Feral's and Pinn's beds. The first room, the smaller of the two in which the front door opened into, was the living room, with a table and enough chairs to fit the entire family. On a creaky stool they had placed a small TV that always made a static noise that really got on Feral's nerves. Sometimes the noise haunted her nightmares as well, usually accompanied by Gavering's face. The other room was used as a bedroom for all the people in the Tarani family.
There was a low groaning noise in the bed to the right of Pinn's. Feral glanced over as her older brother, Tier, slowly sat up and yawned, stretching his muscular arms towards the ceiling. He looked like he was tired enough to go back to sleep, and Feral couldn't blame him. He worked twelve hours a day out in the forest, cutting down trees for lumber. It had, however, made him strong, and if he was ever chosen for the Hunger Games he would have an advantage.
"Good morning," Pinn said.
"What's so good about it?" Tier growled, throwing his thin blanket off him and rising to his feet. "It's just another day to slave away under the eyes of the spoiled Capitol. They think we're their puppets, like little toys they can just play with and throw away. Well, let me tell you something! If I get chosen for the Hunger Games-"
"Oh, Tier, don't say that!" Willow cried.
"If I get chosen for the Hunger Games," He continued, ignoring Willow's interruption. "I'm going to make them remember me. Make them realize how wrong and sick and twisted they all are!" He shoved on his shoes and with nothing more to say he stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.
"Has Tier got the Reaping rage again?" Sage asked, sitting up. She was the eldest of the Tarani children, with long brunette hair and gorgeous blue eyes. She was twenty and was planning on moving out as soon as her own house was assigned to her.
"Yep," Feral nodded scratching her head. Sage slowly stood up and lumbered over to sit on the edge of the bed with the rest of them. She was taller then the other Tarani children, with tan skin and a slender body type. She looked like she could use another hour of sleep, which Feral knew was completely acceptable for her since she worked in the paper factory every day.
Tier and Sage had both gotten off from their jobs because it was the day of the Reaping. Feral, Willow and Pinn had all gotten off school as well, since the reaping was like a holiday. It was almost a joke. Holidays were supposed to be happy, fun times. The Reaping was about as far from it as you could get.
"So the Reaping comes around once again…" She muttered. She glanced over at Willow, who looked utterly terrified. "Don't worry; the chances of any of us getting picked are… about a thousand to one."
That, of course, might not have been true. Feral had signed up for tessera for each of her family members the moment she had turned twelve, which meant that at her very first Reaping her name had gone in seven times. Now that she was fifteen, her name had been entered seventeen times. As for Tier, who had also signed up for tessera as well, his name would be entered thirty-five times.
"Where's Dad?" Willow asked suddenly. Feral glanced over at their father's bed to see him missing. His bed hadn't even been made. But then again, it usually wasn't on Reaping day. Just like Feral, he usually had haunting nightmares on the night before the Reaping. He would be long gone by now, taking a walk in the forest, thinking over what he would do if one of his children were picked in the Reaping. Already, he had lost a child, Ivy, to the Hunger Games. She had been the eldest of the children and had been chosen when she was only thirteen. Feral hadn't been old enough to remember her very well, but she did remember her death. She had been decapitated by the other District Seven tribute named Hiro Firr. Hiro had made it to the final four, but was killed off by the victor whose name Feral couldn't remember when he was impaled with a spear.
"He must be out hunting," Pinn replied, not realizing the pain the day brought him. Although hunting was against the law, it was one of the only things keeping them alive. Their father had a twisted leg, which made it almost impossible for him to find a job. Instead, he went out into the forest with his throwing daggers and waited in the bushes for game to walk by. When it did he would throw a dagger at it and kill it. He would then bring it back for the family to eat.
He once taken all of the Tarani children out into the forest and tried to show them how to hunt; it hadn't gone very well. Pinn had horrible aim and was a slow runner. Willow was scared of everything and rustled the leaves to much. Feral almost broke down into tears whenever the prey died. Tier was slow and every animal within a three mile radius could hear him coming. Sage had absolutely no patience whatsoever.
Feral was a healer, not a fighter. Whenever someone was injured they were taken to her, and although she was young she was the best healer in that area of District Seven. They paid her to help them so it kept her out of the factories or from having to cut down trees. And she loved it. Helping people made her feel like she was actually doing something to improve the world. She had what their father called 'healing hands' with a gentle but firm touch and soft skin.
They sat around for a while, no one really saying anything, just lost in their own little worlds. Feral, Sage and Pinn had tough bread for breakfast, but Willow refused to eat anything. "I'm not hungry," she said.
"But you'll need your strength," Feral argued, playfully shoving a ripped-off piece in her mouth. She swallowed it indignantly while the rest of them laughed. Their giggles slowly faded into silence as they ate their breakfast.
"Oh!" Sage said suddenly. "The District One Reaping must be on!" Sage crossed over to the TV and flipped it on. It was already on the channel showing the District One Reaping where they were watching the video President Snow had recorded explaining why the Hunger Games existed.
For some reason Sage enjoyed seeing who was picked every year. She claimed it was 'interesting', seeing all the different people from the other districts.
"Ladies first," A man said when the video had ended. He reached into the glass orb and pulled out a name. "Feriday Lilian!" A small twelve year old girl attempted to make her way to the stage but was quickly replaced by a sixteen year old Career named Spark Earideth. Spark was beautiful and petite with a muscular build. She had blonde hair streaked with pink highlights, and strange yellow-green eyes.
Feral compared herself to Spark, although she wasn't entirely sure why. Feral was taller, with fox-like red hair and bright blue eyes. She was fair, like Spark, and was skinny but not nearly as muscular. Spark had a certain quality to her that made everyone positive that she would be a killer in the arena.
Next were the boys, "Aron Chashier!" The man called out. A four-teen year old boy stepped up onto the stage before a handsome career named Chance Redner volunteered and took his place. Chance was average height, with spiky blonde hair and dark green eyes. Sage gasped when she saw how handsome he was.
"He's a Career, Sage," Willow reminded her.
"Whatever," Sage rolled her eyes. Sage might have found the Reaping to be exciting but Feral thought it was just downright depressing. It made her sad, looking at the people going into the Hunger Games and knowing that only one of them was going to survive.
"I'm going for a walk," Feral announced, rising from her chair and heading to the door. She slid on her boots and slung her brown messenger bag over her shoulder before stepping out into the cool morning air. She waved at their neighbor who was watering her garden before turning off to head to the forest.
"Daisies are gorgeous this time of year," she said when she reached the electrified fence. Suddenly, a rope latter dropped down from a tree branch that hung over the fence. She smiled and glanced around to make sure the Peacekeepers weren't watching before climbing up and pulling herself into the tree. A ten year old boy named Tomm sat cross-legged on the branch.
Just because District Seven was the lumber district, didn't mean the forests were free for wandering. They had separate, fenced-off sections of the forest that they got lumber from in which the only animals that could be found there were birds. The only plants that grew there were the towering pines.
"Hey Feral," he said casually. Tomm manned the rope ladder on weekends. It was illegal to go into the forest and the fence was always electrified, so this was an actual business for some of the District Seven citizens. "You have the fee?"
"Sure, Tomm," She smiled faintly. She unzipped an outside pocket on her messenger bag and pulled out an old silver necklace which she placed in his hand. It had been their mothers but was so rusted it looked nothing like what it had when she had been alive. No one ever wore it, anyway, so there was no point in keeping it.
He reached over and plucked the necklace from her grasp. He examined it for a second before shoving it in his pocket. "You may pass." He crawled up onto another branch to let her go. She climbed down the tree with ease and dropped the last five feet to the ground. Tree climbing was something she had been doing her life, as had almost all the children from District Seven. For her, it was as easy as walking.
The air smelled richly of pine needles as she made her way deep in the forest. She walked slowly, observing the scenery and trying enjoying the fresh air. Every once in a while she stopped to collect herbs which she used in her healing practices. If mixed the right way many of the plants in the forest could make very useful remedies and antidotes. The medicines that were for sale in the stores in District Seven were expensive; she could make cures that were almost as good just by gathering herbs from the forest.
She stayed in the woods for several hours until the sun began to rise in the sky and she knew that she needed to head back inside district boundaries so she could get ready for the Reaping. She made her way back to the tree and climbed over waving her goodbye to Tomm. He kind of reminded her of Pinn, the way he sat and his facial features. But he was no where near as intelligent as her little brother and no where near as well mannered.
Feral climbed down the rope ladder back into District Seven. She headed back over to her house and walked through the door. Their father sat at the kitchen table, staring off into space. He was tall and tan with brown hair the bright blue eyes that were such a trademark of their family. He barely glanced up as she walked in.
"Hey, Dad," she said, walking over the cabinet and starting to place the herbs inside. It was her medicine cabinet, where she kept all the things she needed to heal people.
"Hey, sweetheart," he said quietly, waving in her general direction but not looking over from his spot on the wall. She wondered if he was waiting for it to move. Feral sighed, but didn't say anything else as she unpacked her herbs. She headed into the bedroom where everyone was getting ready. Sage was already dressed and looking excitedly nervous, her brunette hair tied up in a bun and fake pearl earrings in her ears. She was in a beautiful blue dress that went down to her shins and wearing a fake pearl necklace and bracelet that matched the earrings. Willow sat on her bed in a dark grey dress that went down to her knees, letting Sage do her hair. Pinn sat on his bed in his best shirt and pants, worriedly twiddling his thumbs. Tier stood by the window in a flattering outfit, staring outside at the forest beyond.
Feral walked over to the girls' closet and pulled out a short, green dress. It had sleeves that went down to her elbows and silky fabric that was comforting to the touch. She pulled it off its coat hanger and laid it on her bed. Climbing out of her clothes she slid it on and studied herself in their gritty, body-length mirror. She looked beautiful, the green complimenting her red hair. It reminded her of a forest on fire.
"Let me do your hair!" Sage demanded, coming up behind her. Not waiting for an answer, she guided Feral over to one of the beds where they sat down and she braided her hair down her back.
"You look beautiful," said Willow, coming over to stand in front of them. All as one, they made their way to the town square. Everyone in the city had to be there; else they would be severally punished. After checking in, Feral kissed the rest of her family good luck, before making her way to stand with the other fifteen year old girls in front of the Justice Building. On the stage, Eve Tern, the other District Seven tribute mentor, and the mayor waited for everyone to settle down.
"You look great," said a voice behind her. Feral turned to see her best friend, Sash, standing behind her with a blank expression and a pained look in her brown eyes. She hated the Reaping. Sash was tall, with olive skin and wavy brown hair. She kept glancing over at the sections for the fourteen and the twelve year olds where her two little sisters would be.
"They'll be fine, Sash," Feral said. "We'll all be fine." She wasn't sure whether she was saying this to convince Sash or herself.
"Welcome, welcome," said Kiena Dirthwig. She wore a bright pink wig and matching dress. Her heels were five inches tall and Feral was slightly concerned that she was going to fall and hurt someone. "Happy Hunger Games!" That was contradictory. "And may the odds be ever in your favor!"
After a few more smiley words from Kiena they played the video recording of President Snow explaining why the Hunger Games were necessary. It was the video that always made Feral want to bang her head on a table. It was horribly boring and made absolutely no sense. Why would anyone punish someone for something they didn't do? The children hadn't been in the rebellion, their ancestors had. Not that she disagreed with the rebels' beliefs.
"Ladies first," Kiena said as the video ended. She stepped up to one of the glass balls and sank her arm in slips of paper. She could feel everyone in the audience holding their breath as she unfolded the paper and paused dramatically. "Feral Tarani!"