The Death Games
(based on The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins)
This story's inspiration came after I read the Hunger Games and became addicted with the ; comments; anything you have to offer to this fanfic is appreciated. I'll update at least once a week.
Introduction
important!
Every two years, the rich and wealthy city of Dome holds a deadly game for its many citizens to enjoy. One guy and one girl twelve and up are automatically entered into the drawing for the Death Games from Provinces 1 to 12. (the Elderly and those who are parents are spared) All 24 tributes are put into a large stadium to obtain the main goal - kill each other until only one is standing alive. And there's only one rule - to stay alive.
As the sun's small flaming rays peep through the shades of the curtain, I know dawn is arriving soon and it rouses me from my deep slumber. It's just about time I get up and start my early rounds of hunting.
As I head out of my small, cramped room with a thin black jacket to cover me from the cold, I realize that Kibum's probably already out - setting up his traps and sitting on a tree branch waiting for me. I take one last glance at my mother and father whom both make their beds in the main room while Olivette is in my room, probably curled up in a ball with that stray, orange flamed tabby which she named Fross. Then I head out the doors with my bow and arrow and make my way towards the border of Province 12 (also known as my home) and climb over the already weakening metal fence that separates me from the wonders of the Forest and Province 12 that can only bring bad memories.
It is the year 2200 and almost all of the lands of once they called the "United States" is covered with ice with only the small northern east portion still existing by itself. There are no what we call "states"; there is only 12 provinces - us being the 12th province and one of the poorest out of all of them. Dome is where all the riches and wealth end up; it controls all the provinces and occasionally provides us with food when we lack it. The conclusion? We, yes - we as in everybody except the citizens of the Dome, hate them. We hate them for looking down on us and leaving us to rot while they spoil in their riches. Hundreds of people from all the provinces are dying because of starvation while few others barely make through each day. Welcome to the year of 2200.
When I reach the place where Kibum and I usually meet, I take a seat in one of the crevices of a young tree's roots and rest my head on it. The colors of green are starting to turn into one of many yellow, reds, or oranges. Fall is approaching, and that could only mean lack of prey. We have survived every other year, but by and by, every year is getting colder and colder and who knows what will happen this year. Will we be able to survive this time? If we do, I am almost 100% positive that someone else will won't.
"Felix." This is Kibum's distinctive voice. I snap my head around the corner to see him approaching me with wide eyes and an apologetic smile. "Sorry I'm late," he says as I pick myself off the ground. He has traps in his hands.
"Did something hold you up?"
"Will you accept sleep as an answer?" he asks playfully, reaching out to ruffle my hair.
When I look back up at him, a smile that could go on for ages appears on my face. Kibum is one of my closest friends; he is few that I can trust and could borrow his shoulders to cry on - even though I rarely cry. I give him all my secrets. He has never told any of them; he is a treasure that I would never trade in for anything. "Lets hunt," I say smiling and then we divide.
Kibum is best with traps while he fails bad at any other kind of hunting (besides fishing) while I work well with my bow and arrow. I try to mask out the sounds of my foot steps as I slowly catch a glimpse of a thrush on the branch of a tree. Smirking, I move in close towards my prey and stop probably a yard away from it. Pulling the arrows on the string of my bow tightly back, I aim in for the eyes of it, and when I feel no wind on my the fingertips, I let go. It flies through the air as if wings were carrying it to the desired spot. It shoots the thrush in the eye and in seconds, I see it fall from the tree, its nerves still sending it wacko spasms across the body. When I pull the arrow out of its eye from the ground, it stops and is left motionless. Success.
I hunt for a little longer - managing to catch a rabbit and a small turkey and then begin to head back to where Kibum is. When I see him, he turns to me with a winning smile. He's holding two rabbits. When he notices the three I've caught, his face lightens up.
"Come on, lets get something for these," he says and then we begin to head back out of the Forest, hoping that no one has seen us. It is illegal to go anywhere beyond the metal fence and if we were found out, they would put us in prison or even worse - kill us, but rarely any people come here and if they did, they are too busy to care.
We make our way to the back of the Mayor's house and give it a light knock. In just seconds, Cadee appears at out service in her white, much fancier sleeping gown. In her hands, she holds something in a white cloth draped around it. "Goodmorning," she says pleasantly.
"Goodmorning Cadee," I reply with a grin. "Anything here in today's catch that pleases you?"
She thinks for a while before saying, "Yes. I think Father has been dreading for some turkey. He claims he hasn't eaten one for a while," and then she laughs softly to herself.
I hand her over the turkey I caught, and in return, she hands me whatever is inside the cloak of white.
"It's potato bread," she says. "Alright, well, I'll see you two on Monday. Enjoy your weekend! And thank you!" Her hazel eyes glimmer with bliss before she waves us off and we're left going to the market stalls to see if we can trade our rabbits for something more.
"A thrush, two rabbits, and a loaf of bread," Kibum says sighing. "Sometimes, I wish we could just leave this and go deep into the Forest wonders and we could eat rabbit, turkey, and anything we come across."
"You know we can't do that. We have our families to fill," I reply sternly. "I probably will never marry or have children - it's puts a lot of weights down on my shoulders."
I see a side of his lips frown for just a second before he regains himself. "Just you and me - to that forest - I want that life."
There's a small thought that suddenly hits me, but I kick it back into the shadows of my heart. No, we're best friends. Nothing more than that, but for some reason, it hurts, and I have no idea why.
When we arrive at the market stalls, it is as dread seems to be. No one is awake yet and preparing their stalls. It would mean that we would have to stop today and split up what we had. Throwing the food on a deserted table, Kibum decides to take a half of the bread and the rabbit. I end up with the thrush, one half of the bread, and the rabbit. He is always saying, "You have more family to feed than me. Just take it."
But I'm always regretting it, and everyday I end up going home wondering if he'll live for another day. We part just like any other days, and as I make my way back home, I catch a flying white monorail.
Strange. These monorails only come once or twice a year, and usually they are filled with food or something that is of new technology from the Dome. I continue to drive myself to home and it's only when I arrive back at my house's door step that the thought suddenly strikes me.
When I enter through the door, my family awaits me in the main room. Their faces are grim and I sense tension. I drop the food on a wooden table and make my way towards them.
"I knew it. The Death Games are approaching, aren't they?" And that's when I see my Father's face turn towards me.
"Yes...in two days."