Disclaimer: Suzanne Collins owns everything relating to the Hunger Games!
Ok, so first ever Hunger Games fan fiction. This is all from Rue's point of view, from the day before the reaping until the day she dies. Hope you like it!
I crouch down and examine the lilies. They look so beautiful and perfect, the sun rays dancing on and off its petals. I pick one and smell it, the sweet fragrance filling my nostrils. I pick some more, until it fills the tattered old basket to the brim. Happily, I stand up again and cover the basket with a ragged cloth.
I begin to whistle a small tune as I walk home. Once I pause, the music fills the air again. Looking around, I smile and watch it is spreads around. A black and white bird lands on a branch, lifts its head high and begins to whistle also. My smile turns into a wide grin and I turn around, walking back home.
My grin soon disappears. When I turn right to enter the small, cobbled alley way that holds my home, the sight of many Peacekeepers comes into view. They turn but don't see me, for I whisked around and left before they could catch me.
I have to take another, long way home. I sigh and set off into direction, being careful to avoid any more Peacekeepers. They couldn't find me or the lilies. I would be in big trouble if they did. You weren't allowed to eat the crops or forage around in the Meadow for food. Crops were far too risky. But Meadow is less risky, so I get a lot of my food there. There are eggs and an occasional bird to catch when I climb up trees. And there are lots of flowers and roots to eat from.
I generally spend any free time for food. I had eight people in the family, me being the eldest of six kids. My father works for hours, all his time in the crops, earning little money. My mother does little jobs to try and help families, earning a bit of food and water here and there.
I do my best to earn food and feed the young ones. I couldn't let anything happen to them. We could all be taken away to a community home, but because both our parents work, the Peacekeepers thankfully leave us alone. Nevertheless, I make sure that they are as full and protected as they can get.
I reach home safely and close the old door quietly behind me. Instantly I had five younger ones jumping on me, nearly knocking me flat and sending the basket flying. My mother quickly got it and set it safely on the table as I tried calming the young one's down.
'Ok, ok! Guys, calm down, look what I got!' I say. The young one's get off me and I slowly lift the cloth and the young's begin to scream.
'Lilies!' they yelled.
'Shoosh!' I whisper loudly, and peek out of the window. No one has heard, thank fully. 'Yes, they are lilies. I thought we could have a nice salad tonight.'
'Thanks so much, Rue. Your father might bring home some meat tonight…rabbit maybe?' my mother says to me.
Before the young's begin to dance and shout again and the idea of delicious meat, I wave them off into an old room that contained homemade and aged toys and tell them to play. They settle down nicely and I help my mother.
Nearing dinner, the door opens and my father walks in. the young's begin their jumping and hugging routine. I calm them down again and hug my father also. He kisses my hair.
'Hello, sweet Rue,' He says.
'Hi daddy,' I reply.
Then my father turns to my mother and gives her a long kiss. Some of us sigh and smile, while the youngest turn immature and pretends to vomit.
'Right, got a special treat for you!' my father lifts up a parcel he was holding. 'Deer!'
We all squeal, because this is a treat. We've never had deer. It comes under the expensive category, along with beef, chicken and horse. Never have we been able to afford it, and my father must have worked very hard to earn enough for deer meat.
My mother takes the parcel off my father's hand, giving him a small peck in the cheek. As my father plays with the young's, I help my mother to prepare a meal with the deer. Once the meal is ready, we set it on the table. The steam off the roast deer hits my nostrils and I almost drool. We take our seats and dig in. for a while we are quiet, and then when our growling stomachs and satisfied slightly, we begin to talk. Every happy thing is talked, nothing else. Especially the reaping that is held tomorrow.
'Who got these lilies?' my father asks.
'Rue,' my mother replies. My father smiles at me.
And on it goes for a while. When everything is scraped clean, we all help to clean it away, before it is bed time. But when we do hit the bed, we all have one thing on our minds and none of us can switch it off.
The reaping.
I'm the one in danger in the family. I'm twelve, so this is my first year entering my name. I have entered it nine times, because despite what my father told me, I still took out tesserae. So having taken it out for eight people, I had my name eight times in the pool. Then you add one because I had to, that's nine.
I tired telling myself that there are still thousands more slips. I tried being sorry for Sarah next door. She got whipped the other day for taking the tiniest amount of food from the crops. He has ten people in his family and he has had his name in the pool 77 times. It is more likely her name is drawn out than mine.
Still…what if…what if…? I couldn't switch my brain off entirely. With millions of thoughts in my mind, about hating the Captiol, the Hunger Games, the reaping, what if I'm chosen… Somehow, I drift off into an uneasy sleep.
Ok, guys, that was the first chapter. I hope that was ok! I know, not much action. But we still have a bit to go before the actual Games! I hope it's not too boring. Also please ignore any mathematical errors that I may have made. But please review!
This is also on Wattpad :D