This is a story I've been thinking of writing for a while now. Most things here are similar to The Hunger Games book series but for this story it's as if Katniss Everdeen and company never existed. There still 12 districts located in Panem, and the Hunger Games(now Disney Games) still take place as a punishment for the rebellion. Instead of President Snow, Panem is under the control of President Walt Disney. Contains Disney characters (obviously). I was going to name this The Disney Games but there were other fanfics with that name and I wanted to do something original, so…that's how the title came about if any of you were wondering. Read and review. I hope you guys like it.
1
Thunder boomed as bolts of lightning light up the darkened sky. A thick rain cascaded down upon the only ship in the sea as the harsh waves violently rocked it from side to side. Crew members scampered across the deck desperately trying to secure loose ropes and stabilize the sails against the roaring winds. The captain stood at the helm, vigorously turning the wheel and doing everything he could to avoid rouge waves that would easily overturn the large vessel.
Crates of fish were thrown overboard and nets and harpoons were thrown off of their shelves after a particularly nasty wave crashed against the starboard side of the ship. The captain hated seeing the deck suck a mess but disheveled equipment and lost cargo was the last thing on his mind at the moment. He watched as another wave caused a sailor to stumble over the railing and into the treacherous waters below.
"Man overboard!" He bellowed over the winds.
Another lightning bolt cracked through the cloudy sky and hit the mast, effectively reducing it to oversized splinters. The larger of the remains crashed down upon the deck and broke through the thick wooden boards beneath the crews' feet. Several pieces also fell onto unsuspecting crew members, impaling them and dropping them to the floor before others could holler a word of warning. The flaming sail landed upon a crate of fish and set it on fire as well. Sailors rushed to put the fire out while avoiding the large hole in the deck.
Beneath the gaping hole a middle aged brunette woman lay under the wooden debris that was strewn about the hull. Strands of hair stuck out of her disheveled bun and were plastered to her face with sea water. A few feet from her outstretched hand lay a first aid kit that was thrown from her grasp with the force of her fall.
There was the dulled sound of clomping boots descending the stairs. A figure moved through the hull, staggering along against the force of the rocking ship.
"Idunn!" The figure shouted frantically in a deep voice. "Idunn where are you?!" The man moved from the stairs and started lifting the heavy boards blocking his way as he searched around him.
The woman, Idunn, groaned and attempted to move toward the voice. She found herself stuck underneath a rather large fallen support beam. It lay across her abdomen making it difficult for her to breathe. Idunn tried to speak, to call out to the man but she could barely take in enough air to breathe lightly let alone call out. She brought her leg up and slammed it down against the ground, the heel of her boot making a thumping noise that echoed across the room. She waited a moment before doing again and again.
The man stopped rifling through the boards as the first thump reached his ears. Despite the echo, he could tell that the sound had come from somewhere to his left.
"Idunn!" He yelled again as he heard the next few thumps that proceeded he first one, signaling to him her approximant location. He shuffled through the debris as fast as he could, jumping over some pieces and ducking under others.
Idunn continued banging the heel of her boot against the floor as she hopelessly tried to pry the large beam off of her or at least shift it so she could take in more air.
The man looked over the clumps of wood around him, desperate for any sign that he was near the woman. And then he saw it; a lone hand poking out from in between a plank lying diagonally between a crushed barrel and the wall.
He rushed over, throwing wood out of his way with a strength he never knew he had. He reached the hand and saw Idunn's face around the table, covered in dirt, dust, and blood. He saw that her body was weighed down by a large support beam that prevented her from moving.
"Idunn, I'm here." He breathed as he bent down to lift the beam. He could see the relief flood her face as she saw him. His muscles strained against the weight of the heavy beam and he grunted a bit as he lifted it. He managed however and threw it off to the side.
Idunn gasped as the weight was lifted from her abdomen and she took in many deep breaths as she was encased in the man's arms. He pulled back for only a moment to inspect a gash across her cheek before hugging her tightly again. "You're face…"He started.
"Adgar, I'm okay. It's just a scratch. Everything was fine; it was just a little hard to breath. You're here with me now though."
"I'm so glad you're okay. The mast, it collapsed and broke through the deck. And you were down here getting first aid things for the crew and the next moment half the hull is full of broken barrels and shelves and the remains of the mast. I thought…I thought I might have lost you. And I almost did." Adgar let out a strangled sob into her shoulder and tightened his grip on her. "I could have lost my wife. The girls could have lost their mother."
"Adgar, it's okay. I'm here. The girls are safe at home. Everything's all right." She said to him as she rubbed soothing circles around his shoulders. The ship rocked violently again and the pair was sent tumbling.
"We need to get topside. " Adgar said as composed himself and helped Idunn to her feet.
The pair shimmied through the wreckage around them, making their way toward the stairs. Upon reaching their destination, the two clomped up the stairs before being bombarded by the wind and rain once more.
Adgar took in the destruction around him. The crippled deck, the obliterated mast, and the bodies of fallen sailors. He ran towards the stern, raising him arms to shield his eyes from the heavy rain assaulting his vision.
"Captain!" He yelled when he had reached the helm. "We can't take much more sir! The ship is a wreck and the crew is in disarray!"
"Get to the point man!"
"Captain the waters are calmer to the west, back towards the mainland but with the waves, there's no way we'll be able to make it to the harbor with the ship. We need to lower the lifeboats and abandon ship. She's going down one way or another. It's our only chance of making it Captain."
"Nonsense! I've never yet had to abandon a ship and I'm not starting now!"
"Then you condemn us all to death!" Adgar shouted infuriated.
"Aye if that's what it takes! Let the storm rage on, we'll make it out! Damned be the weather!"
The waves were getting larger by the second, traveling up to twice the size of the ship before sloshing down again. Adgar ran back across the deck to find his wife clutching the railing as if her life depended on it. Though it probably does. He thought bitterly as the ship lurched and swayed again. He crossed over to where she stood and wrapped his arms around her.
"The captain won't abandon ship." He told her. "He thinks he can sail us out of the storm."
"He's going to get us all killed."
"There's hardly a truer way to put that, dear." Adgar said while watching another wave rise above the ship.
A sob broke past Idunn's lips. "I'm not afraid of death. I'm really not. It's another adventure. But we can't die, who'll look after the girls? They're so young and we're never going to get to watch them grow up." She sobbed again. "What if- what if one of them gets Reaped this year? I know this is Elsa's last year but anything is possible. Anna will be all alone. The same can be said if Anna's Reaped. She's fifteen; she deserves to live her life, Elsa as well. And we as her parents should be there with them."
"Idunn, the girls will be fine. Elsa's eighteen; she can take care of Anna. They're strong girls; they'll be okay." Adgar was trying to mask his own fear, to be strong for his wife. He smiled down at her. "They'll be fine."
Another wave splashed down upon the deck. Idunn grasped the back of Adgar's soaked jacket before she addressed her husband. "I love you Adgar."
"I love you too."
More water was dumped upon them as the next wave crashed down. The ship tipped to the left and didn't rock back into place due to the ever rising water on the other side. More waves rose and fell until one stood as tall as the mast itself, when it was still intact that is. In the blink of an eye, the wave knocked against the unstable ship. The ship was flipped over a complete ninety degrees, sending crew members and left over cargo into the depths of the deep water below.
There was a loud scream followed by a strangled yell, "No! No, please, no!" Everything was shaking. Bodies floated underneath the wreckage. Only a few crew members were struggling to resurface. Soon they stopped moving too. Someone was still screaming. Who was screaming? Everyone was dead, who's left to scream?
"Anna! Wake up!"
The lifeless bodies of Idunn and Adgar drifted by and the screaming became louder, more intense. This time it was accompanied by several gut wrenching sobs. "No! No! NO!"
"Anna! It's just a dream! It's okay, wake up!"
The sunken ship disappeared and was replaced by a sudden bright light which was almost immediately replaced by the blurred image of a young woman. She wore a look of fear, apprehension, and concern.
"Anna, what happened? Are you okay?"
Anna raised a shaky hand to her head while sitting up and folding her legs underneath her. She slid a hand down her face to find it wet with tears. She rubbed her eyes with the heels of her hands before turning her attention back to the woman beside her. The woman was staring intently at her, as if she was waiting for Anna to burst into flames.
"What?" Anna said, slightly annoyed.
"Well, it's about three in the morning and you were thrashing around in your bed like a madwoman while sobbing and screaming."
"What's your point Elsa?"
"My point is that I'm trying to make sure that you're okay. I am your sister you know." Elsa said.
"Yeah, I know." Anna snapped.
"Hey, don't be all mad at me because I'm trying to make sure that you're okay. Don't you think I at least deserve some kind of an explanation?"
Anna sighed. "You're right, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you." She ran a hand through her bangs and pushed them out of her eyes. "I just had a nightmare I guess."
"I'll say." Elsa said with a light laugh, causing Anna to chuckle. "Do you want to talk about it?"
"It was nothing. I just had a dream about mom and dad, that's all."
Elsa's face softened as she leaned in and enveloped Anna in a hug. Anna wrapped her arms around the older girl's waist and buried her face into her shoulder. She shut her eyes tight and tried to keep herself from recalling the horrible dream. Her parents' lifeless bodies drifted through her mind's eye and her grip tightened on Elsa's shirt. She shifted her head into the crook of Elsa's neck and several more silent tears dripped onto Elsa's smooth pale skin as she took in several shaky breaths.
"Shh, it's okay." Elsa said while stroking her sister's sleep mused hair. The two held each other until Anna's tears had stopped and dried. Elsa pulled away from the hug and gave her sister a small smile while tugging a few strands of the girl's red hair out of her mouth.
"Go back to sleep." She said softly before standing up. "You need some more rest." She crossed the small room and flipped the light switch off before walking towards the door.
"Elsa, wait." Anna said quietly. Elsa turned back to face her sister. "Could you um…Could you sleep in here for the rest of the night? Please?"
"Of course." Elsa replied before walking back over to the bed.
Anna scooted over in the bed to make room and Elsa lied down next to her. She pulled the blanket over the pair of them and felt Anna snake her arms loosely around her waist. Elsa wrapped her arms around her sister's shoulders and pressed a kiss to her temple.
"Sleep well my princess."
"Since when am I a princess?" Anna asked with a small laugh.
"Since you decided that I was a queen. If I'm a queen then you get to be a princess by default, no matter how ungraceful you are."
"Gee thanks." Anna drawled.
Elsa giggled. "Anytime." She replied before closing her eyes.
There were a few moments of silence before Anna's sleepy voice rang out again. "Elsa?"
"Hmm?" Elsa responded without opening her eyes.
"Thank you for being the best sister ever."
"Anything for you, princess. " Elsa whispered as Anna succumbed to sleep's pull and soft snores filled the room.
XXX
The two sisters woke several hours later to the light of the break of dawn. Elsa rubbed her eyes as Anna rolled over and shoved her thin pillow over her head, desperate for a few more minutes of sleep. Elsa threw the blanket off of her and stretched before standing up and making her way out of Anna's room and into her own. She reached the small dresser pushed up against the wall and pulled a pair of clothes out that were suitable for the day's work.
Being eighteen, Elsa had to "give back to the District" by performing her expected labor in return for little pay. Everyday Elsa had to make her way down to the docks and work until nightfall with smelly dead fish. She had to clean them, scale them, and gut them before sending them off to the local market where others could purchase the meat.
The average dock worker in District 4 would have an everyday quota of seventy five fish minimum shipped off to the market. Failure to complete said quota would result in a flogging, the Peacekeeper's specialty here in District 4.
Elsa peered into the cracked mirror atop the dresser and effortlessly twisted her platinum blonde hair into her usual intricate braid which lazily fell over her shoulder. She walked into the bathroom, quickly brushed her teeth and washed her face before making her way back into Anna's room only to find the young girl snoring softly once more with a small drool spot on the pillow, which had somehow found its way back underneath her head. Her hair was defying gravity, sticking up in random directions.
Elsa raised a hand to her mouth to conceal a small giggle as she took in her sister's appearance. She strode over to the bed. "Anna, wake up."
Upon receiving no response, Elsa decided upon using a different tactic to wake her snoozing little sister. She noticed one of Anna's bare feet poking out from underneath the covers and she found a devious smile gracing the features of her face. She bent down and slowly reached her hand toward the underside of the foot. She began lightly tracing her fingers around the smooth bottom of the foot, tickling it. Anna simply grunted and jerked her foot to the other side of the bed.
Elsa frowned and straightened up. She grabbed hold of the blanket and yanked it swiftly off of the bed.
Anna shot straight up into a sitting position. "Wazzamatter?" She asked sleepily, eyes still closed.
"Anna, I have to go down to the docks now." Elsa said.
Anna yawned and popped an eye open, small pout present on her face. "Okay, you have to go work. Why do I have to get up?"
"Because knowing you, you wouldn't get up until two in the afternoon." Elsa said with a laugh.
"Fair enough."
"Don't get into any trouble today okay? And no more going past the fence with Kristoff. If you guys get caught there's no telling what they'll do to you."
"Why do you have to be so uptight Elsa? We've never come anywhere near getting caught before. And Kristoff always leaves Sven to make sure no one comes."
"Ooh, you guys have a pet moose as a watchdog, I'm really convinced now." Elsa sarcastically drawled.
"He's a reindeer." Anna whispered.
"Seriously though Anna. We don't live in some fantasy world where people can go anywhere and do whatever they please. We live in Panem. You know how brutal the Peacekeepers are here in 4. They control us and everything we do and hurt us when we disobey them. Leaving the District's fenced in area is directly disobeying them and President Disney. The Peacekeepers are not forgiving and neither is Disney. A rebellion by the generation before us and we still pay the price every year when they ship twenty three of us off to our deaths. The Reaping is tomorrow if you've forgotten. People like that aren't going to just give you a warning and tell you not to do it again. If you were seen outside the District's boundaries you would be lucky if they didn't shoot you on the spot." Elsa was getting frantic. She was pacing back and forth past the side of Anna's bed, waving and shaking her arms. "Just because you're with Kristoff and his weird domestic moose doesn't mean you're not going to be seen."
"Elsa." Anna said while reaching out and grabbing a hold of Elsa's wrist. "I know, I get it. I'm sorry I brought it up…" She attempted to lighten the mood a little. "And I told you already, Sven is not a moose, he is a reindeer. Kristoff says that reindeer are better than people. They probably are though, considering the fact that reindeer probably don't send their children off to fight for to the death… I wish I was a reindeer."
Elsa chuckled and sat down on the bed next to her sister. "With hair like that, you could probably pass for one." Anna reached a hand to her hair and attempted to pat it down, to no avail. Elsa sighed. "Let's not talk about the Games or the Reaping right now. I'm sorry I kind of went off. It's just that… I don't think I could bear it if anything happened to you."
Anna wrapped her arms around her sister. "I'll be fine Elsa. I won't go into the woods anymore, I promise."
"Thank you Anna." Elsa took in a deep breath before speaking again. "I have to go now or I'll be late. I'll be home around nine and I'll see if I can get us something for dinner."
"Have fun."
Elsa laughed. "I think the only way I'll have fun at the docks is if a Peacekeeper slipped on a fish and fell into the water."
"Hey, anything's possible." Anna smiled back.
XXX
About ten minutes after Elsa departed for the docks, Anna emerged from the bathroom ready to start the day. After falling ungracefully out of bed, she had crossed the room to her dresser where she pulled on a faded pair of jeans, a t-shirt, and a ripped up dark green jacket. She then went into the bathroom to brush her teeth. Upon finishing, she proceeded to attack her hair with a brush in an attempt to flatten in down and remove some of the knots from it. When it looked decent enough, Anna braided it into two pigtails that fell over her shoulders.
She left the bedroom and entered the kitchen. Grabbing the last several slices of sea-salted bread off of the counter, Anna wrenched open the front door and walked out. She munched lightly on piece bread as she began walking through the grass, toward the rocks by the edge of the harbor.
A voice shouted out behind her, "Hey!"
Anna paid it no mind, figuring it was directed to someone behind her. Only when she heard the next shout of her surname did she recognize the voice and stop walking.
"Arendelle!"
She sighed and rolled her eyes before turning the face the speaker. "What do you want Duke?"
Duke ignored the question. "Still have some stale food to eat I see. It's a wonder that you have any money to buy bread. Or did you steal that? I wouldn't be surprised if you did." He said motioning to the bread in my hands.
Anna simply glared at him. She knew that Duke was trying to provoke her and wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of responding.
"It's a wonder that old shack you call a house hasn't collapsed yet. Hasn't it been there since they created District 4?"
"Did you actually want something or are you just here to annoy me?" Anna asked.
"Depends." He answered vaguely.
"Depends on what?"
"Am I annoying you?"
"Wow, your stupidity amazes me. To answer your question, no you are not bothering me; I just find it incredulous that you have nothing better to do with your time than harass me. If you'll excuse me now, I have somewhere that I have to be and I'm afraid you've made me late." With that, Anna spun on her heel and strode off without giving him a chance to respond.
She continued on until she reached the electrified fence in front of the mound of rocks at the far edge of the harbor. Anna knew getting past the fence would be no problem, seeing as she had done it many times before. Several years earlier, a section of the fence had shorted out in a thunderstorm and was never replaced thus creating the perfect spot to sneak past. Anna glanced around her, making sure that no one could see her before she dropped to the ground and rolled herself underneath the bottommost wire.
She popped off of the ground and jogged the short distance to the rocks in front of her. Anna gripped the unsmooth surface and began to hoist herself up. Utilizing the cracks and crevices of the rock as she had done many times before, Anna quickly made her way up. Just before reaching the top, her right hand hit a metal bar encased in the surface of the rock.
Making sure her feet were situated beneath her, Anna took hold of the bar with both hands. She flung her body forwards, using the momentum of the movement to whip herself sharply to the left once she passed the edge of the rock. When her arms were bent at almost a ninety degree angle around the rock's edge she let go and rolled into a hollow cave on the side of the rock invisible to the fence.
Anna picked herself up off of the cave floor and brushed a bit of dust from her pants.
"You sure do know how to make an entrance don't you?" A voice chuckled from an area farther back in the dimly lit cave. "Who knew that as clumsy as you are on the ground, you can climb with all the grace of a chimpanzee?"
"Stuff it Kristoff." Anna replied trying to sound irritated yet failing as a smile broke through her fake frown. A shadow moved toward her through the cave and revealed itself to be another one of Anna's close friends, Merida.
"Oooh, we've got us a feisty one today." She joked.
"Give her a break Merida." Another light voice called out.
"Thanks Rapunzel." Anna said as her friend withdrew herself from the darkness, shadows dancing dramatically on her face and long blonde hair. "Oh, before I forget…" Anna removed three slices of only slightly squashed bread from within the pocket of her jacket. Her friends' eyes lit up upon seeing the food. "Here."
After divvying the bread out, Anna waited in silence as her three friends consumed their respective pieces. Kristoff was the first to finish, picking a spare crumb off of the space beside his lip before wiping his hands on his baggy pants.
"Thanks for the bread, Anna." He said while the other two made noises of agreement through their full mouths.
When the others had finished, the group of friends sat in a comfortable silence. They sat in the cave, staring out into the bright forest beyond their rock, listening to the birds sing and watching the leaves on the trees blow in the light wind.
Anna let her thoughts wander to possible outcomes of the following day. Tomorrow was the Reaping for the 62nd Annual Disney Games. Herself and the four people she cared about the most (being Elsa, Kristoff, Rapunzel, and Merida) would all be in the Reaping and could sent off to their almost certain death. Anna was the youngest of her group of friends but they all met the age requirement to be included in the Reaping. Kristoff, Rapunzel, and Elsa were all eighteen so this would be their last year. However, Merida was sixteen and Anna, only fifteen. Anna couldn't imagine a world without her friends or her sister. What would she do if one of them was Reaped?
Anna was never one for silence so she decided to voice her thoughts. "The Reaping is tomorrow, you know..."
Her statement was met with more silence, however each of her friends turned to face her. The silence was no longer comfortable, but eerie. Merida was the first to break it.
"Do you suppose that if you had the chance to chance your fate…you would?"
"Are you saying that you think one of us is like destined to be Reaped or something?" Kristoff asked.
"No, but that's a possibility. I meant…If you could change your fate and live somewhere else or as someone else… would you?"
"That's crazy Merida." Rapunzel spoke up. "The only way something like that would ever happen would be if the world somehow shifted. The sky would be new and the metaphorical fog would be lifted from over us." She sighed. "Sadly that's only a dream, and an old one at that."
"Always the realist." Merida said through an eye roll.
"I would turn myself into a reindeer if I could." Kristoff said thoughtfully. "Then Sven would have a buddy to hang out with. One that's not a human I mean. The only bad thing would be the smell. People definitely smell better than reindeer."
"I think that applies to everyone except you, Kristoff." Anna teased, causing the other two girls to laugh.
"That's right ladies, laugh it up." Kristoff said after a moment of the nonstop laughter. "We'll just see who's laughing after today's race to the river when I kick all your butts…again." The girls stopped laughing immediately.
He was of course referring to their weekly race through the woods. Once a week, the four friends would race from the fence through the woods to a small river that we had found while exploring. Only two races had taken place before, Rapunzel being the first winner, and Kristoff the most recent.
"The only reason you won that race was because you cheated!" Merida said. "You rode Sven to the river while the rest of us ran."
"It wasn't cheating. It was giving myself an advantage." Kristoff replied with a shrug.
"Cheater!" Rapunzel yelled pointing a finger dramatically at him. "If you hadn't cheated, I would have won that race and you all know it."
"Whoa whoa whoa, Blondie. I was in prime position to come in second for that race and you tripped me! And it would have been first place if Mr. Bjorgman over here hadn't cheated."
"Did not." Rapunzel said with a fake dramatic gasp. The devious smile on her face afterwards betrayed her and said that indeed, she did trip Merida, and she did it intentionally. "Let's be honest though Merida. The only way you are going to win one of these races is if a bear attacks the rest of us while we're running. And we all know that's not going to happen so just let it go, honey."
"Is that so?" Merida asked. "With a face like yours, I'd be surprised if you told us you haven't been attacked by a bear already."
"At least I don't talk to imaginative little whisps and claim they show me my way when I get lost!" Rapunzel yelled, a look of pure fury on her face.
"They are not imaginative!" Merida shrieked stepping toward Rapunzel.
"Ladies, ladies." Kristoff said, stepping in between the two bickering girls. "Let's all just calm down and have seat before someone gets their head ripped off." The two girls glared at each other for another moment before stalking off to opposite sides of the cave and sitting down.
"I for one," Kristoff continued," Am curious as to why Anna over hear hasn't said a single word this whole time. That's a little abnormal for her not to be talking don't you guys think?"
Everyone's eyes were on Anna who was nervously twisting her fingers together in her lap.
"Kristoff's right." Rapunzel spoke up. "Is there something wrong Anna?"
"Yeah, are you alright?" Merida asked.
"I'm fine you guys. It's just that…um… Elsa doesn't want me going past the fence anymore." Anna said glancing between her friends.
"Uh Earth to Anna. You're kind of outside the fence right now." Kristoff said with a small chuckle.
"I know. I didn't tell her I wouldn't go outside the fence, I just said that I wouldn't wonder into the woods with you guys anymore… I can't do anymore of the races or go to the river with you…" There was a pause before she spoke again. "Are you guys mad at me?"
"Why would we be mad at you?" Merida asked. "You're just listening to your sister who's obviously just concerned for your safety."
"Yeah, there's absolutely nothing wrong with that." Rapunzel chimed in.
"Do you want to just go into town today? We can still have a little adventure in the market or something."Kristoff offered.
"Really? That would be great." Anna said as a big smile lit up her face. "You guys are the best."
"Don't forget it." Merida said with a laugh.
XXX
Five minutes later, the group was approaching the electric fence, having climbed back down the rocks from the cave with little difficulty. They took turns getting past the fence, the girls falling into a bout of raucous laughter when Kristoff decided to go through the wires instead of under, catching the tip of his boot on a wire and falling flat on his face. The group's feet could be heard clomping against the pavement as they continued on their way.
They passed several stands selling bread and fish and others selling things like blankets and clothes. One stand was even selling beads, yarn and jewelry in addition to clothes and shoes. Anna looked over the stand and saw a particular necklace that stood out to her. There was a thick metal snowflake hanging on a black string. It seemed simple yet beautiful at the same time.
Elsa loves everything that has to do with winter…This would be perfect for her…Anna reached down in her pants pocket and pulled out what few coins she had. She glanced down at the coins and then back at the necklace.
"Hey guys, hang on for just a second." She said to her friends as she walked up to the stand.
"Yoo hoo." A voice rang out from behind the stand. "Over here."
"Hi." Anna said when she saw the vender sitting behind his stand.
"My name is Oaken." The large man said to her. "We are having a big summer blow out if you are interested." He said holding up a bottle of sunscreen. "Half of swimming gear, shoes, and a sun balm of my own invention, ya?"
"Oh um…great. But I came over because I saw that necklace." Anna reached over and pulled it from the shelf it was hanging on and set it on the counter in front of the man.
"Oh, yes. That will be forty."
"Forty?" Anna repeated her face dropping. "Could you do ten? It's all I've got."
"Oh, dear. That's no good. See this metal is from my brother's blacksmith shop and he has a big supply and demand problem."
"Oh, I get it. Thanks anyway."
"I can help you out and go down to twenty." Oaken told her.
"Really?" Anna asked hopefully. Oaken nodded.
She stuck her hand in each of her pockets, desperately searching for more loose coins. She found three in her back pocket and one in her jacket. She spun around when a hand tapped her on the shoulder. Kristoff was holding three coins in an outstretched hand.
"Kristoff, I can't take your money,"
"Don't worry Anna. It's one coin from each of us." He said pointing over his shoulder at Merida and Rapunzel. "We'd give you more but we didn't think to bring our money today since we thought we'd just be going into the woods." Seeing the still unsure look on Anna's face he chuckled. "We owe you anyway. What with all the bread you bring us every morning." He dumped the coins into Anna's hand.
"Thanks Kristoff." She said before turning back to Oaken.
Anna held out the coins in her hands and gave the vender a sheepish smile. "Um, so I don't have twenty but I have seventeen…" She said in a small voice.
"May I ask why you want to purchase this necklace?" Oaken asked.
"I think my sister would really like it. She loves anything to do with winter and the necklace is a snowflake so…Anyway, she's always doing stuff for me and she pays for everything because she's older than me and I thought it would be nice to get her something for a change."
"That's very touching dear." Oaken said before pausing. "Keep two, give me fifteen and the necklace is yours." He says after the pause.
"Really?! Thank you Oaken, thank you, thank you, thank you!" Anna squealed. She handed him fifteen coins and pocketed the leftover two along with her new present for Elsa.
Anna runs back to her friends after thanking Oaken again. She had a large smile on her face as she addressed her friends. "Thank you guys so much for the money. I'll pay you back as soon as I can."
"No, you don't need to pay us back." Merida said.
"Yeah, if anything, we owe you more money." Rapunzel added.
"Just be sure to tell us whether Elsa likes it or not." Kristoff chimed in.
"…I hope she likes it." Anna said thinking aloud.
"It's a gift from you Anna. She'll love it no matter what." Merida told her fellow red head.
"You think so?"
"We know so Anna." Kristoff said.
With that, the group of friends continued through the market. They stopped every now and then, looking at more stands and conversing with their venders. They reached the snobby, expensive part of the market that sold ridiculous things like diamond encrusted silverware, pure silver goblets, and even food items like apples, beef, eggs, and milk that were rarely seen amongst the lower class residents, namely Anna, Kristoff, Merida, and Rapunzel.
Anna always hated going through this part of the market despite the fact that there was hardly anyone shopping here. She thought there were more practical uses for the precious metals such as making more coins so those that struggled to get by could purchase more food. Looking at the food itself was bad enough as well. The foods sold in this part of the market were considered delicacies by many of the residents of District 4. Most people ate stale bread and fish whereas people like the Mayor and his family, the Peacekeepers, and the Victors had enough money to eat meats and fruits.
Anna gazed at a bucket of apples as she walked by. The fruit had always intrigued her; everything from the ranging colors and strange shape and structure had always interested her and she had always wondered what they tasted like. Probably a lot better than fish. She thought somewhat bitterly.
It infuriated Anna that some people got to live it up and dine on these seemingly delicious foods when most others had to work endlessly just to pay for small meals and meager housing. This was one of the reasons why she never had time to spend with Elsa anymore. The older girl was always working at the docks to provide food and shelter for herself and her sister and Anna almost never got to see her anymore.
Anna was so engrossed in her thoughts that she didn't notice there was someone in front of her until she ran right into them. She smacked her head into a shoulder hard as the man stumbled back and fell to the ground.
"Hey! Watch it you little-"He starts before he realizes who had run into him and his features twist into a smirk.
"Oh my gosh, I am so sorry!" Anna exclaimed not recognizing the hooded person on the ground as she attempted to help him to his feet.
The man rudely pushed her helping hand away as her stood and turned to face her. He dropped his hood so she could see him better, revealing himself to be none other than the son of the Mayor, Duke. Duke brushed some imaginary dirt off of his clothes before turning to Anna and giving her a slight bow.
"My apologies Miss Arendelle. I should have been watching where I was going. Were you in anyway injured?" He asked in a pompous yet seemingly concerned sounding voice.
Kristoff, Merida, and Rapunzel were glancing at the pair of them as if they had suddenly sprouted an extra head. Her friends' reactions had nothing on Anna's. The red head was gaping at Duke with the most perplexed look plastered to her face. Her brows were scrunched together in absolute confusion and her jaw was hanging slightly open.
"I'm sorry, what?" She asked, clearly confused.
"I was simply inquiring as to your health. You hit your head rather hard, are you alright?"
"What are you playing at Duke?"
"Nothing at all. I am astounded you would accuse me of being falsely concerned about you. Since you haven't fainted by now, I'm going to assume that you are okay. Well at least as okay as a person like you can be."
"'A person like me'?"
"Well of course. I mean a person like you living in a rundown shack and practically eating only stale bread for your meals can only be okay to a certain extent."
"You'd better stop right there unless you want me to hit you with a frying pan." Rapunzel threatened.
"Can someone like you even afford a frying pan?" He scoffed.
"Leave my friends out of this." Anna snapped. "We talked this earlier Duke. I don't care what you've got to say, especially if it pertains to you verbally attacking me."
"I wouldn't 'verbally attack you' as you say if you didn't make yourself such an easy target. The fact that you're dirt poor and spend your time with people like this," He said motioning to the three friends who were still unmoving, listening to the conversation, "in addition to the fact that you're weak-willed makes it seem as though you're practically begging me to insult you."
"Now just one minute-"Kristoff started angrily before Anna silenced him with a look.
She turned her attention back to Duke. "As I said before, I don't care what you have to say or what excuses you make."
Duke continued speaking before she had the chance to turn away. "I don't need any excuses to insult you. You being you is enough. You're an abomination. An unintelligent, weak piece of trash that deserves to be on the ocean floor, out of sight. You're a disappointment and embarrassment to your friends, your family, and the entire human race."
Anna rolled her eyes, giving no indication that his words had the slightest effect on her. She let out a fake yawn. "You done yet?"
"Hardly." He sneered.
Anna cut him off as he opened his mouth again. "Look Duke, just because you're father is the Mayor doesn't mean you're automatically allowed to insult anyone you feel like insulting and run around here acting like you own the place." She spun on her heel and began walking off.
"Come on guys, we're done here." She said to her friends as she strode past them.
"At least I have a father!" Duke shouted at Anna's retreating form.
Anna stopped walking immediately. She turned to look at Duke again, face devoid of any and all emotions.
"What did you just say to me?" She growled.
"Nothing, I merely pointed out the fact that I have a father and you…well, you don't." Duke smirked at her.
Anna sprinted the few steps to Duke, face contorted in fury. Her fist made contact with Duke's jaw, effectively knocking the smirk right off of his face. Duke fell to the ground with Anna on top of him, pounding every inch of him that she could reach with her fists. She felt a pair of hands wrap themselves around the upper arms and hoist her off of the Mayor's son who was now nursing a bloody nose.
After being dragged to her feet, Anna flailed her legs in an attempt to kick Duke.
"Calm down feisty pants!" Kristoff's voice rang in her ear.
"Let me go Kristoff!" Anna shrieked, still attempting to leap onto Duke.
"Not until you calm down."
Just then, five Peacekeepers came around the corner, obviously drawn by the sound of a brawl. Kristoff swore under his breath and released Anna.
"Run!" Merida yelled at the two of them as she and Rapunzel sprinted away from the scene.
The group of friends was quickly separated as they attempted to evade the Peacekeepers. Two Peacekeepers followed Merida and Rapunzel leaving the other three to chase after Kristoff and Anna.
Anna could hear her heart beat racing along with her short breaths as her feet hit the pavement alongside Kristoff. They bolted out of the marketplace with the Peacekeepers not too far behind. Anna's entire being was flooded with dread as she followed Kristoff who was weaving in between houses. She knew that if they were caught they would be punished severely.
Kristoff in front of her took a sharp turn and darted into an ally, grabbing Anna's wrist and wrenching her behind him. The two ducked behind a barrel of fish as the three Peacekeepers ran right past the ally where they hid.
After a moment, Kristoff crept to the end of the ally to see if the Peacekeepers were still in the vicinity. Upon not seeing them anymore, he ran a hand through his sweaty hair and turned to Anna who was looking at him apprehensively, waiting for him to yell at her for being so reckless.
She didn't have to wait long.
"What the hell was that Anna?!"
"Kristoff, I-"
"Do you know what they would've done if they'd caught us?!" He fumed.
"I-"
"They would have given us a public flogging! And that's if they were feeling generous!"
"Kristoff-"
"What were you thinking?! Starting a fight in the middle of the market the day before the Reaping. That was the stupidest thing anyone-"
"I'M SORRY!" Anna bellowed. "I know I shouldn't have hit Duke, I'm sorry! He was just making me so mad and then he just had to bring up my father and I couldn't take it anymore! I can't stand the fact that people like him can do and say whatever they want to people like us and we can't do anything about it! I'm sorry I couldn't control the urge to punch that pompous idiot in the face! I'm sorry that-"
"Whoa Anna, it's okay, chill out. You're rambling again."
"Whoopdy-dittle-doo Kristoff!"
"Hey, I was just trying to diffuse the tension, don't bite my head off for it!"
"Sorry." Anna muttered, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "…Do you think Merida and Rapunzel are okay?"
"I'm sure they're fine. We should probably out of here in case the Peacekeepers come back. I'm going to go home now. You probably should too; Elsa will kill me if something happens to you. I'll see you in the Square tomorrow."
"Oh, okay… I guess."
XXX
Little did Kristoff know that Anna didn't go home. She went down to the beach behind their rock cave instead. She was still fuming about their encounter with Duke earlier and decided to take her anger out with a little spear fishing.
Anna retrieved her harpoon from underneath an old piece of dried out wood that lay toward the end of the beach. She watched several crabs scuttle out from under the wood as she lifted it up.
Anna jabbed the dull end of the harpoon into the ground as she kicked off her shoes and socks and rolled up the legs of her pants. The warm sand filed in between her toes as she walked toward the water's edge. She waded into the water until it rested about halfway up on her exposed shins. The harpoon was gripped loosely in her right hand, sharp end pointed back toward the beach as she stood still, scanning the water around for a fish.
After about a minute of searching, Anna spotted a dark shadow lazily drifting through the water about thirty feet to her right. She slowly spun the harpoon in her hand so the bladed end was facing the open sea and her grip tightened. She bent her elbow and pulled her arm back, balancing the center of the harpoon in her hand. She slowly and stealthily tread through the water towards her prey.
The fish's silhouette before her morphed into Duke's face. A scowl settled upon her face as she seethed.
The Duke fish opened its mouth and echoed Duke's words from earlier. "'Weak. Unintelligent. Abomination.' "
Her scowl deepened as she drew closer to the unsuspecting fish; She was poised to strike.
"'Piece of trash. Disappointment. Embarrassment.' "
With a roar of fury she shot her arm forward and jackknifed the harpoon through the water. The deadly piece of metal whistled toward the fish and-missed. Anna couldn't believe it. She missed. Anna never missed.
She watched, enraged as the startled fish sped away, deeper into the sea. Anna let out a cry of fury as she slammed her hand down into the water and whipped it back up, sending water flying everywhere. She splashed over the few feet to where her harpoon was embedded into the sand and ripped it free. Anna spun around and whipped the harpoon and the first thing she saw, a crab on the beach. The harpoon hit the crab in the center of the shell, cracking and going through it thus killing the crab immediately.
Anna angrily stomped out of the water. She pulled her shoes and socks back on before pulling the crab off of the harpoon. She used the edge of her shirt to clean the blade of the harpoon before replacing it under the wood at the end of the beach and making her way home, crab in tow.
XXX
Several hours later, the sun was almost set as Elsa pushed the door to her house open with a two bulky cloth bags in her arms. She set the bag with the two sisters' dinner on the table. The dinner (as usual) consisted of salty bread and fish. Elsa kept the other bag in her hand as she walked toward her sister's room. She gently pushed the door open and saw Anna reading in her bed.
Anna looked up when she heard the door creak and smiled upon seeing her sister.
"Hey Elsa. Did you have a good day?"
Elsa moved from the door to sit by her sister and Anna put her book down.
"It was alright." Elsa answered. "Same as always I guess."
"That's good." Anna smiled before glancing down at the bag still grasped in Elsa's hand curiously. "What's in there?"
"Oh this, it's nothing." Elsa said feigning indifference as she set the bag on the floor. "You don't want to see it."
Anna sat up. "Yes I do. What is it?"
"Really, it's not important…"
"Come on Elsa, tell me! Tell me! Please?" Anna pouted as she pulled on her sister's arm.
"Oh alright." Elsa sighed in mock defeat and retrieved the bag from the ground with a smile.
She set the bag on the bed in front of Anna and watched, amused, as the younger girl opened it excitedly.
Anna stuck her hand into the bag and withdrew a small rectangular box. She flipped the box over to inspect the packaging and gasped when she saw it. She glanced up speechless at Elsa to see her older smiling.
"Well, aren't you going to open it?" Elsa asked.
Anna nodded and unceremoniously tore the wrappings from the box. She lifted the lid of the box to reveal eight round brown circles glistening in the light.
Anna let out a child like squeal of joy. "Chocolate!" She brought the box to her nose and inhaled the sweet aroma before sighing dreamily. "Elsa how did you get the money for these?" Her face dropped into a fake stern look. "You didn't steal them did you?"
"No I didn't steal them." Elsa said, playfully slapping Anna's shoulder. "I've been saving up my extra money for a little while now to get them for you."
Anna leaned over and hugged Elsa. "You are the best sister ever." There was a pause while the sisters hugged before Anna spoke again. "Oh! I almost forgot. It just so happens I got something for you too."
"Really?" Elsa asked. "For me?"
Anna nodded. "Close your eyes and hold out your hands." She instructed.
When Elsa did so, Anna removed the snowflake necklace she had bought earlier from her back pocket. She placed it in her sister's hands.
"Okay, open your eyes."
Elsa opened her eyes and looked down at her hands. She held the necklace up closer to her eyes to inspect it, face devoid of any emotions.
Her sister's lack of response worried Anna. "I-if you don't l-like it then I can g-get you something else." She stuttered.
After a moment, Elsa responded. "Are you kidding?" She asked eyes still on the necklace. Her face split into a huge grin. "I love it!"
"You do?" Anna asked hopefully.
"It's amazing! It's even better since it came from you." Elsa responded as she pulled the string over her head. "Perfect fit."
"Do you want a piece of chocolate?" Anna offered.
"No thank you, they're yours."
"Come on Elsa, we haven't had chocolate since we were children. I know you want some." She said as she playfully shook the box in Elsa's face.
"Well…If you insist." Elsa said, reaching out and pulling a piece from the box and putting it in her mouth.
"I do insist." Anna said happily as she popped her own piece into her mouth.
"Mmmmm…Chocolate." They moaned at the same time. The two looked at each other and erupted into a fit of giggles.
Anna went to put another piece of chocolate in her mouth when Elsa stopped her. "No more chocolate before dinner Anna. Come wash up, I'll have it ready in a few minutes."
Anna pouted for a moment before remembering the crab she had killed earlier."Oh Elsa! I got a crab for us to eat tonight! I caught it on the beach."
"Crab? I can't remember the last time I had crab…" Elsa pondered a moment before shrugging. "Anyways, I'm sure it'll liven up our fish and bread."
About twenty minutes later, the sisters were back in Anna's room, talking and finishing off the chocolate. They stayed like this for a while longer before Elsa realized the time and told Anna it was time for bed.
"Aww Elsa." Anna yawned. "I'm not even tired, why do we have to go bed?" She asked as she climbed under her blanket
"You are tired Anna. And you need to go to sleep; the Reaping is tomorrow and you need your rest."
Anna dropped her gaze to her lap, thoughts on the possible events the next day could bring.
Elsa noticed Anna's silence and walked over to hug her. "Hey, don't worry. Nothing's going to happen tomorrow. Everything will be just fine."She pressed a kiss to Anna's temple before standing up and walking to the door. "Goodnight."
"Elsa?"
"Yes?"
"I love you."
Elsa smiled. "I love you too." She said before pulling the door closed.
XXX
A figure was running through the jungle, stumbling into tree branches as they went. There was a rustling in the bushes surrounding the figure as they ran. The figure let out a grunt as their boot caught a large tree root and they face first into the ground. The figure groaned and grasped their abdomen, drawing it away to reveal the dark blood that was seeping out of a large cut. The figure's platinum blonde hair was matted with sweat, dirt, and blood. As the figure lifted their head, they were revealed to be none other than Elsa Arendelle.
The rustling behind her was growing louder by the second as Elsa picked herself up off of the ground. She ran off as fast as she could, running into more and more trees along the way.
The appearance of another figure caused Elsa to skid to a stop, eyes wide in fear. Upon seeing the figure's face, she relaxed slightly, relieved to see the man in front of her. The momentary relief morphed into horror as the man stalked towards her, sword in hand.
"What are you doing? Kristoff!"
Kristoff didn't hear her as he walked toward the retreating blonde, poised to strike her down. Elsa was frozen in fear as her big burly blonde friend approached her. Elsa watched as an arrow was suddenly whizzing through the air towards the pair of them before it planted itself directly into Kristoff's back. He dropped to the ground unmoving as the sound of a canon firing was heard.
Elsa looked past his body to see Merida standing ten feet behind him, loading another arrow into her bow. She let the arrow fly towards Elsa who was forced to roll out of the way. The movement sent shockwaves of agonizing pain through her wounded abdomen. She had to roll again to avoid the third arrow sent her way. Elsa bolted behind a tree.
Elsa checked her pockets to discover a knife that she hadn't noticed before. She peered around the corner to see where Merida had gone and why the arrows had stopped. She found the red head quickly rummaging through the pockets on Kristoff's lifeless body.
Elsa stepped from behind the tree out to throw the knife at the young girl but brought her boot down on a stick in the process, causing a loud crack to echo throughout the jungle. Merida whipped around as Elsa sent the knife spiraling hilt over blade towards her. The red head managed to release another arrow before the knife dug itself deep into her chest. Elsa let out a yell as the arrow entered her left arm. The noise was barely heard over the boom of another canon.
The rustling from before could be heard once more as Elsa attempted to drag herself off of the ground once more. Just as she returned to her feet, a fist made contact with her head, effectively dropping her to the ground once more. A series of kicks hit her still bleeding abdomen but stopped as suddenly as they had started.
A strangled yelp came from behind Elsa as she pulled herself away from the ground yet again, groaning in pain. She saw through her fuzzy vision, Rapunzel's head in the arms of a dark figure. The figure jerked her head to the side, breaking her neck. She fell to the ground dead as another canon boomed and the faceless figure converged on Elsa.
He bent down and retrieved the sword from next to Kristoff's body and approached her menacingly. Elsa backed away from the man until her back was pressed against a tree, trapping her. The man ran forward with a burst of speed and Elsa attempted to duck under the blade but was too late. The man hit his mark and drove the sword through Elsa's stomach as she screamed in pain before dropping to the ground. A final canon blared through the jungle as the man laughed though the echoes of Elsa's scream could still be heard.
"ELSA!"
Anna sat bolt upright in her bead, sweat and tears rolling down her face, Elsa's scream still blaring through her ears. Her breaths were coming in gasps as her body shook uncontrollably. Within the next second, Elsa burst through the bedroom door. She saw her sister sitting up in bed and immediately dropped down and scooped her into a hug.
Anna's arms were tight around her sister's shoulder as if she was scared Elsa would float away. She was still shaking as Elsa brought a hand up to soothingly stroke her hair.
"E-Elsa…"Anna sobbed into her sister's shoulder.
"Shhh, It's okay. It was just a dream."
"Y-you w-were in the G-Games and K-Kristoff was t-there and Merida and R-Rapunzel and you all k-k-killed each o-other. A-and then someone e-else came and k-killed you a-and… a-and-"Anna stuttered, still shaking and crying.
"It's okay, I'm right here. It was just a dream. Kristoff, Merida, Rapunzel, and I are all fine. I promise."
The two sisters' held each other until Anna was no longer crying and continued holding each other long after that. Both sisters were deep in thought. Neither was thinking the same thing, yet one thing between the two of them was certain…
Neither of them was ready for the day to come.