Author's note:
This is a story for anyone who enjoyed reading the first novel of The Hunger Games. It is a story set in the 45th hunger games- 29 years before the time Katniss steps into the Arena. The characters are all mine, though of course, the setting, ideas, styles and themes all belong to Suzanne Collins. It is not a role play, interactive story- just a fanfiction about the 45th games.
Of course, every good story is about unusual circumstances or characters- it is not unrealistic to write about something unusual, and in this story the plot centers around a girl, Jolissa and the strained relationship between her and her twin, Adron.
I myself am a twin, and for a couple of years I felt exactly the same about my twin as Jolissa does about Adron. I felt obligated to love him, but everything he did infuriated me, and we couldn't talk for two minutes without arguing about something. The male twin's point of view is made up on my part, since I don't know what my twin actually felt like- anyway, we both met Jesus, and though him our relationship his flourished- we now very much enjoy spending time together. You'll see what happens between these guys, though!
Jolissa'a tale is one of emotional turmoil, from her complicated feelings about boys, to her unwillingness to kill in the games, to her frustration at the Captiol. I intend to complete this tale, and though it may be slightly shorter than a professional tale, I hope you will find it meeting up to the standards of a normal (if basic) novel. You may find I will have periods of un-inspiration, I am sure when the huger games movies comes out, I will write more, and probably get it done then. If not sooner. And, an enthusiastic audience always makes me want to write more, too!
I hope you guys enjoy this to the extent that you did the first Hunger games novel, and I assure you, the Games in this will not lack plots, plans, mutts, kills, wounds and stress. I try to have an average of 2,000 word per chapter, some are more and some are less.
Please, feel free to review, feedback is always appreciated!
For a picture of Adron and Jolissa (drawn by me) when they're being interviewed, copy and paste this link with out the dashes: (besides the one in between 'white-spirited')
-h-ttp-:/-/-white-s-pirited-.-de-viantart-.-co-m-/-art-/-Jolissa-and-Adron-283697569
Sincerely, Katy.
The TV fizzles on, and a voice rings out.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the 45th annual hunger games! I hope you're as excited as we are to see this year's games! Now, without futher ado, let the games….begin!"
The camera pans out, revealing 24 teenagers, varying in ages, color, district and gender. Two Tributes form each district- now battling each other to the death.
No-one moves- not any tribute, not any family watching all over Panem- every one of them waiting for the minute to be up. The camera switches to the faces on the tributes- some are tense, some are determined- some look terrified, like their lack of movement would be the same whether they were allowed to move or not.
Their faces are as different as their statures- the boy from District one unusually short, the uncharacteristic strength in the District 8 male, the weak frame of the District 6 boy. The shot of the District 10 girl, proud, but scared flashes up on the screen and the gong goes, signaling the official time for them to run, and on cue, a flurry of movement starts up. The movement is slowed, as the contestant's race- some away from the stack of goods laying there temptingly- like bait to a nasty trap- disappearing from the camera's view, but it did not chase after them.
No, the gold in this portion of the games was watching which contestants would die, which would flee, wounded and who the rules of the Cornucopia would be.
The girl from 8 is standing there, with a dazed look on her face, and the male from District 8 shouts something that wakes her up. He is making his way to the Cornucopia, but at an odd angle. The Male from two reaches the pile first, and runs further in, his eyes fixed on some weapon or other. The other, faster tributes are catching up, reaching the pile, and the slower ones are still trying valiantly. The District 8 tributes are on the screen now, for they have done something unusual- the girl -apparently recovered from her episode of confusion -is scrambling around, running as close to the pile as she dared, not touching anything until the spoils were of decent value. Her tactic, which took in no heed to the other tributes, would usually have meant certain death, but the District 8 tribute was hovering by her side, a splintery, rusty mace in his hand. His head was swiveling from side to side so quickly it looked painful. His haunches were taunt, and his stance was defensive, but he was not even glancing at the items, just busy on protecting the girl now filling her arms with backpacks and weapons.
Nothing in particular was happening with those two, so the camera switches to the small boy from District 6. He's stumbling around, unsure of what direction to go. Suddenly, he stops and collapses onto the ground, a shining blade sticking out of his back. A roar goes up in the main square of the Capitol- those who would rather watch it in public rather that their homes- as the first kill of the games is made. The boy who threw the knife straightens up, a smile on his face- a strong male from District 2. He turns and sees a ginger male from District 7 hurtling towards him, a short dagger in his hand and a scared, wild expression on his young face. The District 2 boy disarms him easily, then stabs him in the neck, and leaves him on the ground. The camera pans out again, showing the multitude of fights going on; the District 7 girl is murdered by a dark-skinned male from District 11 who is then impaled by a spear thrown by the girl from District 1. The oldest one there, a male from District 12 is quickly taken down by the District 8 male after attempting to attack the District 8 girl. The camera zooming in to the District 5 male coming up behind the pair, a triumphant look already on his face, but just then the girl from District 8 pulls a small sliver box from the pile, turns to her partner to signal to him to go. She sees the District 4 male armed now with a long, jagged dagger as well as his knives, and her eyes widen, her mouth open into a half-scream.
"Go!" Yells the District 8 boy, pushing her heavily-laden frame towards the huge, old trees that were covered in vines that surrounded the clearing- she stumbles as she runs into the swamp, her thigh-high boots showing their use as the water reaches her knees. She starts to run, and the District 8 male shoulder checks, making sure there is no threat behind them, and backs up, keeping his eyes on the threat in front of him. He's a few inches taller, and almost as strong, and he has just one major advantage- he has lost a lot of his fights.
His wariness, and cautiousness is what the other boy does not possess- the District 4 tribute is used to winning easily and quickly- and is misjudging the other boy's power. The tribute from 4 swings up; the dark-haired 8 tribute brings his mace smashing down on the opposing long dagger. The boy pulls back, but as he does, the District 8 tribute brings round his other hand- which was concealing another, smaller weapon. It was sort of like a hammer- yet instead of having a flat, pounding edge it has a 3-inch spike sticking out. The boy from 4 is taken by surprise- he had not expected this to happen and as the black-haired male stabs into his side- at the same time dropping his mace the injured combatant doubles over; the attacker grabs his dagger, twists in in his hand, brings it up and stabs the wounded teenager in the back of the head. He looks around, checking there is no more threats and then turns tail, sloshing as fast as he ca through the swampy mud after his companion, disappearing through into the mass of trees. The cameras turn back to the bloodbath, but the crowd all over Panem is stuck with the scene in their minds- a boy from District 8 beat a career tribute from 4 in the bloodbath.
Two more deaths have occurred in the time of the wrestle- a 14-year-old from District 3 lay in the water, slowly sinking as her blood poured out in the filthy water- and another young tribute from 5. The District 4 girl was just finishing off the weak boy from 7.
She turns around, face triumphant, and sees her District male dead across the cornucopia.
It's just the tributes from 1, 2 and 4 left at the Cornucopia now, the rest of the tributes either fleeing in the forest, or lying bleeding out of the floor.
The fighting was over quickly this year; probably because the ones who stayed were quite young- there was only one 18-year old- and two 16-year olds –including the tribute from District 4- but the rest were small, underfed young tributes. Most of the others who had sense- or whose mentors did- had run.
They would soon find they could not run far. The Arena was smaller than usual this year, and as the camera switched from the dead bodies, to the triumphant careers, to the running survivors, it was clear the 45th Hunger games had indeed begun.