Quince Taro Hunter: Prologue

When you know you've got nothing left to live for. When you know you won't live that long anyway. When you know there won't be anyone to cry for you. Would you give your own life to save others? Even if you have never even talked to them? Even if you know they might try to kill you? I know it sounds ridiculous. But that's my plan.

Chapter 1

I awake with the screeching of the seagulls outside. Slowly, the sounds of the waves breaking on the shore and the wind rustling through the high grass of the dunes starts to make sense to me. I open my eyes and peek through the curtains outside. The sun is already shining strongly, despite the hour and all seems well. Nothing in the atmosphere gives away that today is the day that again twenty-four children across the country are chosen to be send to their most probable death. My guess is almost all of the children between the ages of twelve and eighteen have had a sleepless night. But not me. I haven't had such a good night sleep ever since… well I can't even actually remember. Ever since I made my mind up and my plan started to take shape it has felt like the weight of the world has lifted from my shoulders. Which could be considered as strange since I am basically sending myself to my grave.

But I'm at peace with the whole idea. I have been at peace with it ever since the moment the local doctor told me I would be lucky to make it to the next year. And since luck doesn't necessarily run in the family, I'd rather take destiny in my own hands.

I climb out of the hammock I slept in and put on my swimming trunks. Before I start with this suicide mission I have to say goodbye to my home and taste the salty waters of District Four that have always been such a comfort to me.

The sea is the only place in this messed up world that gives me any kind of tranquility. Here I can almost believe that the world is very different from the one I'm living in. Here, no one will try to convince me that it's 'just the way the world works and nothing can be done about it'. Here I don't have to think about the deaths of all the people I've loved and all the others too. Here I am free.

I run across the beach and dive from a rock into the water. The cold hits my chest hard, but I'm used to it, it feels like home. Like I can finally breathe again after holding my breath for centuries.

Far too soon I have to drag myself out of the water again. A thought shoots through my mind like lightning. I'm never going to see this ocean again. Ever. As the salt water is drying on my skin I can already feel the future suffocating me. I feel the waves touch my feet one last time, like a final goodbye. I close my eyes for just a second and then I turn around and walk away.

Sooooo, first chapter of a story I wrote a long time ago. As you may have noticed, English isn't my first language, but I try my best! I wrote this in Dutch first and now I'm translating so I'll see how I get on, and so will you :) The chapters are all quite short since they are written from two perspectives, but I might change that. Let me know what you think!