Disclaimer: The Hunger Games belongs to Suzanne Collins!
Hi, HungerMESGames here! I hope you enjoy the chapter (It's my first story ever) and since Zach is my own character I won't go into as much detail as Opal! I hope you enjoy it and remember to review it telling me what you think
Opal Star POV – District 1
Again! The smell of burning flesh, the scared screams of my little brother as he struggled to breathe in the smoke filled air. The scent of charred wood and the sound of terrified screams bounced off the walls of my once luxurious home. Every night it was the same dream. The one where I was helpless, frozen in place, forced to watch the death of my whole family again and again. I could do nothing but watch and cry. They were all gone now, my little brother Max, my caring and kind mother and my hardworking father, all dead and it was my fault. I was a coward. Now there was nothing I could do because they're gone. The image started to fade and I could hear voices. "Opal, wake up"
I screamed as I opened my eyes. I thought it was a peacekeeper, coming to take me away to the orphanage, where I belonged. Thank god it was only Ky, my best friend since the accident. Or my only friends should I say. Nobody understood me. They didn't know the pain I felt, the guilt. Only Ky understood, which is why we're inseparable.
"The reapings are in ten minutes" Ky said. Oh no the reapings! I completely forgot. In my district, District 1, the reapings are considered a chance to prove yourself. A chance to win money, fame and fortune. Being the career district that it is, many people volunteer. But this was my year. I was volunteering. I'd trained since I was 8 for this moment. Even though I was only 14, which is considered too young to volunteer, I was going to do it anyway. I was ready now and I needed the money that you receive after winning. The abandoned building I was currently living in, on the edge of District 1 was too open and certainly not suitable for a future victor!
I had to wear something nice I realised. The only place I was going to get something acceptable to wear was in my old house. Even though it had burned down, the basement was still standing. The basement was my floor, where I trained, slept and practically lived.
"Come on" I called to Ky. I sprinted to my house in the middle of the district and skidded to a stop outside of a distant memory of my house. There was nothing there apart from a huge pile of rubble. I wiped my face clear of emotion, I didn't want Ky to see me as weak. I started towards my house and leapt through the piles of rubbish. I was surprise to see many of my family's personal items had survived. My mother's jewellery box seemed untouched and I bent down to open it. The polished leather creaked as it opened. I gasped as I realised it hadn't been touched. Her pearl necklace was still there. That was worth thousands! And her emerald ring and sapphire diadem. I lifted the diadem and placed it on my platinum blonde hair, I quickly glanced in my mother's favourite diamond encrusted mirror and I saw the diadem went nicely with my eyes bringing out the blue and making them pop. I was about to turn away when I saw a slip of paper. It looked like the thousands of slips heaped in the reaping bowls. On the front it said my name. Opal. I heard the sound of crunching glass behind me and I quickly shoved the slip into my pocket.
"What was that" Ky asked
"Oh nothing, forget it" I whispered
Ky gave me a funny look but I turned around and went to find the basement door. I spotted it out the corner of my eye. I rushed over and flew down the steps, everything seemed perfect, untouched, almost like nothing had ever happened. Ky didn't follow me down, good. He knows his place. This was my area, in a way sacred to me. I had spent most of my life down here, happy and content. I stepped over to my room, the door was still ajar and I cried out.
It was like my dream again but different, I wasn't sleeping so how… 'Opal' My mum had screamed. I jumped up and ran to my bedroom door, across the basement and up the stairs. I could feel the intense heat and I didn't understand. 'Mum' I had called curiously. 'Help mummy' I heard Max cry. I continued to run up the seemingly endless stairs and came to an abrupt halt. In front of me was a blazing fire. I could see it through the impenetrable glass door the flames licking at the barrier to the real world, my house. They danced and seemed to taunt me, laughing if fire could do such a thing. All I could see was an endless wall of flames and I blacked out.
I woke up in the arms of a man, lying on the floor, I must have collapsed. I turned to see Ky holding me, stroking my hair and whispering softly to me. I leapt up "Get out" I screamed at him. He glared at me. "I was trying to help, can't you see that"
"Out" I whispered. I felt weak nobody was meant to see me like this. I pushed Ky away and he stumbled back up the cursed stairs with a hurt look on his face.
I slowly opened the door to my bedroom and walked softly across to my closet. I pulled a random dress out and smiled. My bridesmaids dress to my parents wedding. White with a black bow around the waist. How appropriate. I undressed and stepped into it. The silky smooth fabric felt the same as it did three years ago. I hadn't changed much since then, apart from losing a lot of weight due to my training regime getting harder as I got older. And the obvious, I no longer had my old life. My family, my friends and my emotions. I tugged the mysterious slip out of my torn jeans pocket and slipped it into a tiny pocket in my dress. I didn't have time to read it now.
I sprinted out of the room and took the steps three at a time. The reaping was in two minutes. I would make it just in time. I would volunteer and make my district proud.
Zachariah (Zach) Martin-Novata POV – District 1
"Zachariah, get down here right now" my mother called. My name is Zachariah Martin-Novata I'm 18 and I'm going to win the 98th Hunger Games I thought to myself. I leapt out of bed and landed lightly on my feet. I smiled. This is my year, I have to win! I ran down the stairs and sprinted to the kitchen. I sat down at the huge mahogany dining table in my seat, to the left of my father. My mother sat opposite me and my sister Silver sat next to her. "There's my boy" my father boomed.
I was his only son and heir to his huge company, Martin-Novata industries. We created electrical goods such as computers, but not just computers, many other electrical devices that make life easier for the Capitol and our district. Since I was my father's only son, I was in line to take over, but I had other plans. I was going to win the hunger games, and when I came back I would expand the company into a multi-millionaire project. Inventing new technology to help Panem. My sister used to be in line but then she went into the Hunger Games. She won, as she is sitting next my mother right now. Silver Martin-Novata, my father's delicate little daughter. Or that's what he thought…
Her games were by far one of the bloodiest I have ever seen. Mainly due to her. She hated being my father's little toy for him to show around to all his rich friends. So she volunteered after training for years and she ripped apart the competition. She murdered most of the careers and when the final battle came it was between her and her district partner Golde Harrod. She speared him through the neck and mutilated his body, shedding the good girl image she used to wear. My father was horrified and he wasn't the only one. Nobody expected her to win against a huge hulking career.
But when she came back she was different. She was a shell of herself. People say she went insane after she realised what she had done and the grief overcame her. She's better now. She's not had a break down in two weeks which is a record for her.
Anyway I wasn't going to turn out like her. I knew what the games were like, I was prepared.
"We have to go now" my mother called out" I jerked out of my trance.
My family and I all gathered our coats and left the house. We lived relatively close to the square so it wasn't a long walk.
"Are you going to volunteer today Zachariah" my little sister Glamour asked. I had three sisters, my older sister Silver and my two younger sisters (who were twins) Glitz and Glamour. They were little devils and looked identical to each other. I could only tell them apart because I had lived with them for so long. My father turned in our direction and smiled at me. That was our understanding. When I won the games and took over from my father, sales would boom causing a huge income for my family so they didn't have to work again.
"Yes" I replied curtly. I didn't want to have this conversation with Glamour as she didn't fully understand what happened in the games. Glitz and Glamour had been training for two years but my father didn't expect them to volunteer so they didn't give 100% when training. They more saw the Hunger Games as a fun event, which gave them time off school.
The rest of the walk was silent, until we arrived at the square. I stopped and my mother turned back questioningly. I motioned for her to keep walking. She nodded. She understood that I needed a second to remove all emotions and become a different person. I had to win the 98th Hunger Games.
Opal Star POV – District 1
As I entered the square everybody was already in place and the Mayor was about to begin his speech. I slipped in the 14 year old section without anybody noticing. I zoned out as I had already heard the speech a million times before. We need to repay the capitol for the rebellion the rebels caused… blah blah blah etc. I came out of my trance when I saw a bright, neon pink figure walk across my vision. A small, fat pudgy figure, with saggy grey skin and a bright pink dress that was way too short and inappropriate for the little kids at the front. She was considered beautiful, in a sick twisted way, by the capitol and was apparently only 20, but you couldn't tell due to all the surgery. Our escort: Tilly Virtanen, the most repulsive lady ever. Last year when a young boy was picked, she started laughing and saying how he was going to die a slow and painful death. Then someone volunteered for him. Everybody in our district hated her and since she was considered the best she got to pick her district, which unfortunately was ours, District 1!
"Ladies first" she trilled in her sickly sweet Capitol accent. I poised myself to sprint to the stage. She stuck her ugly fat hand into the reaping bowl for the girls and rummaged round till she found a slip. I thought back to the slip that I had shoved in my dress pocket. They looked identical. Why was a reaping slip in my mother's jewellery box?
Finally Tilly decided to end the suspense and began to open the papery white slip that even if it didn't have my name on wouldn't matter. I was volunteering! "Crese…" Tilly began
"I volunteer" I screamed and sprinted to the stage "And who might you be" Tilly asked with a creepy smile. "My name is Opal Star" and I'm going to win the 98th Hunger Games. I wiped all the emotions off my face and placed a cold smirk there instead. I was going to be cold and mysterious which shouldn't be hard, as that's how I usually act.
Zachariah (Zach) Martin-Novata POV – District 1
Wow she was stunning. Opal star, my fellow competitor and district partner. Her platinum blonde hair seemed to flow behind her as she stood restlessly on the stage, waiting for the boy's name to be called. I'd heard her name before it seemed to ring a bell. Oh well it doesn't matter now, I can find out later. I knew I didn't even need to run, the academy had authorised that I was going to volunteer and the academy's word is law. Boy was Glaze going to be mad. Glaze was the female tribute meant to volunteer and I think it was her last year. Oh well her problem not mine!
Tilly began rummaging for the male tributes name and as she began to read it out I started my slow and steady walk up to the stage. I blew kisses to a few of the girls that I knew from training and I had a smug smile as I climbed the steps She glared at me I was meant to wait till she had read the name but what the heck. I'm going to be the next victor. "Who are you" Tilly demanded. "My name is Zachariah Martin-Novata and I'm your next victor I shouted. Cat calls echoed around the square and many cheers were heard. You probably could have guessed but I'm quite popular! Tilly smiled at me and asked for me to shake hands with Opal. I moved forward to shake hands and I directed a beaming smile in my districts direction, more cheering could be heard. Opal gave me a cold, calculated glare and I just shook it off. I grasped her hand firmly and smiled at her. She turned around and stalked off towards the justice building.
Opal Star POV – District 1
Uuuuurgh! What a jerk. I hated my district partner from the moment I heard his name. One of the snotty, rich families from Hyde Lane, the lane where I used to live. The one with the huge houses and where all the important people of the district live. With huge lawns and multiple stories, his house was identical to mine. Or used to be anyway. I'll probably have to be in an alliance with him as well, because I'm aiming to join the Careers and he probably will be as well. I'll just have to ignore him then, since there is only one winner of the Hunger Games. I slowly sat down on a blue, plush couch in a lavishly decorated room. I was just about to have a nap when I heard a crash. The door slammed open and Ky stood there, his eyes red and trembling.
"You can't go" he cried. "It's going to be too dangerous you might die and …"
"And what" I asked quietly. I'd never seen Ky like this. He was always the more caring of the two of us but I'd never seen him cry.
He shuddered and whispered "I love you"
I jumped. Why is he telling me this now? I'm just about to go away to a place where I might not return from (even if the chance of me dying was very slim) and I was just about to tell him how I felt when everything faded black.
It was two days after my family had died and I had escaped from the basement and seen the wreckage that used to be my home. It had all been too much for me and I ran off to the tiny beach in district 1. It was a tiny little cove, situated on the very edge of the district and nobody ever came here apart from me. At least that's what I though. As I curled up on the sand I saw a distant figure emerging from the tiny stretch of sea. He was tall and looked a year or two older than me. He had huge muscles and a tanned body. He was coming my way. I curled up even tighter. I didn't want to have to talk to anyone. A few seconds passed then I heard a panting and I caught a whiff of a faint salty beach smell. A feather light touch caressed my shoulder, picked me up and started running towards the huge stretch of forest closer to the district. As I glanced up I saw a chiselled face and warm brown eyes. A cute smile stretched across his face as he saw me looking up at him. "Ky" he said. "What" I said, what did he mean Ky? "My name, my name is Ky" his voice was like a gentle wind, warm and soft. "Oh, Opal. My name is Opal" He smiled and started slowing down as we came to a huge tree. He set me down and asked me what I was doing alone on a deserted beach. He asked where my family was and I broke down crying.
I told him everything. And he just nodded and smiled. The images were fading and I thought I was going to wake up when it changed to a different scene. We were back on the beach and I was lying in his arms. I loved him. I finally understood why I got so nervous when he was around. I didn't want to tell him because he probably considered our relationship more brother sister material. I sighed, if only he knew.
I remembered the scene. We were both happy and laughing and my troubles had seemed to fade away that day. I looked up at Ky and saw him smile at me. He leant down and slowly brushed his lips against mine. I gasped as the scene ended and I felt the same feeling, soft lips against mine and as I looked up I saw Ky leaning over me, brushing his lips against mine.
So did you enjoy it? Remember to review and thanks to CrazyFangirl for the amazing D1 Female tribute: Opal Star!
Next chapter up soon