This is Johanna's Hunger Games. She's one of my favorite characters so I'm writing her Games. I hope you enjoy! :D I haven't written in a bit, so this is my comeback, kid. ;) (50 Cent reference- if you don't get it, it's good.) Thanks!
My hands twisted behind my back worriedly, eyes darting around. It was my first reaping, and I was thoroughly terrified. Beside me, my friend Melanie trembled.
"It's okay, Lanie," I told her, reaching out and grabbing her hand. Her large blue eyes flickered to me and her eyes were watery.
Lanie's eyes flicked upward again to Katerina, the escort, who's last name escaped my mind at that moment.
"Hello, everyone! Welcome! Today we get to learn who will represent District 7 for the 66th Hunger Games! As you know, I'm Katerina Destone." She announced in her preppy Capital voice.
Destone. That was it. Right. Her grandmother had been Romella Destone, who's tribute Kayta had won the 25th Games.
I had liked Kayta. She was genuine, kind, and true. She was still fierce though, without a doubt. She was my role model, and I tried compare myself to her. Could I survive the Games at twelve, like her?
She died seventeen years later, about a week before the 42nd Games occured, from unknown circumstances. Her body was never discovered. She and her tiny daughter had simply disappeared, never to be heard from again.
I was shooken out of my thoughts by Lanie's shaking.
Katerina was shuffling inside the girls bowl.
She pulled the slip out and grinned. "What an interesting name! This sounds like a capable tribute! Melanie-"
Lanie tensed beside me, a tear falling down her cheek.
"-Hags."
Melanie relaxed. So close. Her last name was Regs.
"Wait!" Katerina chirped. "I'm afraid I've pronounced the last name wrong. It's Regs. Melanie Regs."
It's not me, but I find myself paralyzed. I can't move. Lanie was ripped away from me after a moment and shoved onto the stage.
"Volunteers?"
Lanie's eyes are huge and pleading, but I can't move.
"Okay then. That's settled." She chose a male, and then it was over.
Lanie and I stared at each other the entire time, her's hurt and terrified and mine dazed and uncomprehending.
I went straight to her after, for the farewell section. She obviously didn't want to see me.
"You just sat there," she murmered, turning her back on me.
"I was frozen, Lanie! I couldn't move!"
"You didn't even try to help me."
"You have more a chance then me!"
"But you know I won't last more than five days."
"Less," I whispered. My eyes fell to the ground. Then I went up to her, lay a hand on her shoulder, and when she turned, I hugged her. "I'm so sorry, Mel."
"I don't want to die," she wept onto my bare shoulder.
"No one does. Just try, Mel, and try to win. Make powerful alliances. Learn to be brilliant and show you already are. You can do it. Or just get a bunch of powerful weaklings. Strength comes in numbers, Lanie."
"I know. But I'm scared."
"Everyone who goes in is."
"Fear's a weakness. I have to much to possibly be strong."
"You're so much more than you say, Mel," I whispered. Without words, I handed her my lucky bracelet. I'd crafted it from objects in the forest and given it to my sister. She'd taken a bath and forgot to put it back on, and that day she'd been killed by a fallen tree. "Don't take it off no matter what. It'll keep you safe."
She didn't say anything. And with just a moment more of hugging, the Peacekeepers came and ripped me away. For the last time, our hands brushed, and we never saw each other again.
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Two years later, I was standing in the fourteen-year-old section, waiting for 68th Games' tributes to be announced. Only this time, my best friend wasn't beside me this time.
Melanie Regs had died 24th in the 66th Games. She'd recieved a spear in the head when trying to run.
She was twelve years old.
I bet she would've lived it she hadn't lost the bracelet. In the first few seconds of the Games, she wrestled with a young girl with a knife. She tried to cut Mel, but only cut off my bracelet.
It had a weird habbit of being a lucky bracelet, but always being forgotten and the wearer being killed.
I had it on now. It was kind of more unlucky than lucky by now, but worth a shot.
Just my luck. When stupid Katerina called out, my bracelet didn't work too well. "The female tribute for the 68th Hunger Games is Johanna Mason."
"No," I whimpered. And suddenly a plan formed in my hand. I have a short and skinny structure and a bit of a baby face, so this should work perfectly.
Louder, I wailed, "No!"
I started shaking violently- I'm such a great actor- and tears run freely down my face. I turned and tried to run, but a Peacekeeper grabbed me and hauled me up to the stage.
"No! No! No!" I bet I'm marked as the first to die. Just as I want.
"Hello, Johanna," Katrina said, smiling at me. "You look farmilar. Do I know you?"
"No," I murmered. It was the only sound I'd murmered for the last ten minutes.
"Oh, okay." She looked shuffled, so after a moment she put a smile on her face and dug in the boy's bowl. "Kane Rogue."
A young boy, maybe seventeen, with a competent build and face. He mounted the stage and smiled at me sweetly, probably thinking, Pour little girl. She doesn't stand a chance.
I was so tempted to blow up on him. How dare he regard me like that? But then again, I wanted him to forget about me, so I guess this worked.
We shook hands, me sniffing all the way, and then were shoved into the Justice Building.
As soon as my family, just my mother and my eleven-year-old brother, came in, I launced into instruction; "Mother, you'll work extra hard to support Tommy, alright? Tommy, you'll stay in school and do not take tesserae, and I'll see, if anyone else shows up, if I can get people to support you guys, okay?"
My mother was numb, and Tommy launched into my arms. "I'm scared."
"Me too, kid, but it'll be good. My angle will cause them to overlook me. When there's, like, five tributes left, I'll kill 'em all and come back. Easy as pie, right, munchkin?"
Tommy nodded slowly. "Just like chopping trees down. They're alive, too, right?"
"Yes. Same exact thing." I pulled Mother and Tommy close to me and hugged them, and when the Peacekeepers came, I called, to maintain my angle. "No! Don't go! No!"
I screamed and had a fit, and then was pushed onto the train.
I ate in silence beside Kane. I didn't speak at all, but occasionally sniffled. Our mentors, Blight and Gen, as she prefered to be called, paid little attention to me and mainly spoke with Kane. They were counting me out already.
Fine by me.
When we watched the reapings, I only picked out the threats and the ones that stood out. A black haired snot from One named Rogue, a blonde beauty named Sparkle, another blonde, cocky boy from Two named Tahoe, and a red headed candletop named Tigerlily. For some reason, the pair from Three stood out. Blaze, who's hair matched his name, had a constant scowl and looked just a bit mentally unstable. Fallon had pure black hair and patronizing blue eyes that I was instantly entranced in.
Orb from Four had slick black hair and a huge build, and Rain had shiny golden locks and a cocky quirked eyebrow. The pair from five were nothing special, and neither was the male from 6, but the female, twelve-year-old Avielle, instantly drew me towards her; she was something special, somehow. I would be her ally.
When Kane and I were reaped, I turned away; it hurt to watch. The 8, 9, and 10 pair would die in the bloodbath, but the eleven pair were a strong pair of siblings that both volunteered named Hester and Lester. They looked very angry and just a bit insane. The twelve pair were weaklings.
Avielle and Fallon. They would be my allys. I would tell them my secret- my lie- and we would win together. We would be the perfect, unstopable team. Avielle had some secret power, Fallon was obviously brilliant, and I was incredibly strong.
"Kane, what's your plan for the arena?" Blight's voice took me out of my thoughts.
"I'm going to go in, but not far, grab some stuff and a spear- 'cause, as you know, I used to hurl sticks when I was younger for fun, and I think I could manage a spear- and then run far away. When there's, like, two tributes left I'm going to try and surprise them."
"Good idea," Blight said, and flashed a glance at me before looking back at Kane.
"What's your plan?" Gen asked tenderly, looking at me.
"I don't know," I said, sniffling.
My plan was working. Gen nodded. "We get that a lot. Well, sweetie, you're small but strong, which is an advantage. Can you climb trees?"
"Yeah."
"I would climb a tree and hang out up there, if I were you. When there's a few tributes left, attack 'em silently, like Kane said."
Kane nodded. "That's how lots of tributes have one. It's a great plan."
I nodded, a tear drifting down my face. I was so very brilliant.
I would do exactly that, with Avielle and Fallon- if they agreed- and when it was just me and, say, five others, I would launch down and kill them in seconds.
I just would have to maintain the image of a snivling little wimp. Which I was the exact opposite of.
This was going to be fun.