A/N: Hello, fellow Fan Fiction Writers! So this is my story and I hope you enjoy it! It would be really awesome to get some feedback on it, if you have time. Thank you so much for reading! By the way, this is before Katniss's time; the 37th Annual Hunger Games to be exact.
Disclaimer: Suzanne Collins has all the credit when it comes to the Hunger Games.
It's Only the Beginning:
Everett's stomach ached with apprehension. A quiver of uncertainty and fear unnerved him, but most in the Capital would think those emotions were unheard of. Of course, they still believed the Hunger Games were humane, too.
Breathing unevenly, he watched the tributes be called one at a time. Some had triumph in their eyes, others had stiff backs as they accepted their tragic fate. And it only got worse as the District number rose.
Everett knew there were a lot of Capitol members sitting close to their televisions, eyes glued to the screen with excitement racing through their ignorant veins. But Everett couldn't enjoy it; he wasn't even sure why he didn't approve of it. By propaganda, he should be going crazy for this sort of stuff. He should be cheering it on and making wagers on the tougher contestants instead of praying for the weaker ones.
He sighed before he could catch himself. Next to him, his mother—Ruby—looked at him strangely, her peculiarly blue eyes unsettling. "Dear, is their something wrong? I thought the contestants for District 11 seemed alright."
He shook his head and forced a grin. "No, no. I was sighing out of relief. I mean, if they were all weaklings then would the Games be any fun?"
Ruby flashed him a smile. "Of course they wouldn't be."
They both turned back to the screen, her with enthusiasm, batting her unnaturally thick lashes, him with nothing more than disgust. Next came the District Twelve tributes; the camera swept across the crowd of eligible contestants, most wearing identical fearful expressions. Everett couldn't blame them.
"Hello, District Twelve," a lady with blindingly blond dreadlocks shouted into the microphone. She waved at the crowd with so much zeal it almost sickened Everett. "Alright, let's get the ball rolling, shall we?"
The crowd made no indication of ever responding. They just stared up at the flamboyantly dressed lady as if they were zombies.
"Alright!" the woman grinned brilliantly and skipped, with her rainbow dress flying about, to one of the bowls overflowing with names. "We always do ladies first, so to switch it up… Boys, you're up!"
Another dazzling smile from her before she plucked a name from the jar almost as if she was doing an interpretive dance. "Aidan Moran!"
Very few claps came from the impassive crowd before a boy, who Everett supposed was Aidan Moran, took to the stage. At first glance, Everett thought he looked older but Aidan Moran was clearly no more than twelve years old. A knife sliced through Everett's heart as he watched the young boy shakily climb the stairs, constantly playing with his black locks. The camera zoomed into Aidan Moran's face, catching a look of pure terror in his translucent eyes.
"Any volunteers?" the woman asked the crowd. No one spoke, not even a couch could be heard. "Okay, then, let's give a big cheer for District Twelve's newest tribute, Aidan Moran!"
Again, nothing. The woman began to look a little uneasy, probably worried that she would get demoted for the lack of reaction. "Umm… Moving on! Girl's next!"
She pranced over to the other side of the stage, twirling her dress some more as if the action would somehow awaken the crowd's vivacity. With as much animation as she could muster, which was an impressive amount, she pulled a slip from the bowl containing the girls' names.
The woman trilled annoyingly, "And the girl tribute is… Lucia Cane."
For a moment, nothing happened. Then the crowd started murmuring and the woman on the stage just grinned gleefully for, at least, she had gotten some sort of response. But a tribute still hadn't taken to the stage.
The disturbance continued for what seemed like eternity, and suddenly a tapping noise became evident. Everett leaned in, trying to discern what and where the noise was coming from, but it appeared to be coming from nowhere.
Then the camera found the source.
From stage right, a limping girl with a cane in her left hand ascended the stairs with difficulty. She had sandy blond hair that covered her face and her clothes were wrinkled but clean and not too shabby. Everett knew this was Lucia Cane.
The camera cut to the woman, and for a split second, she looked absolutely dumbfounded and sad as if she really didn't want Lucia Cane to play in the Games. As if she cared. This was the last straw, Everett gritted his teeth, nearly sawing of his own tongue in the process, but caring less and less. How could they do this? How could the Gamemakers justifiably allow a limping girl take part in the Hunger Games? Honestly, how could they allow any child to take part in the slaughter?
"Well, this is a twist!" beside him, Ruby squealed eagerly. She twirled one of her ruby red sausage curls between her unnaturally tanned skin as bile rose in Everett's throat. A twist? How could his mother take the death of a girl so lightly? But like everyone else in Panem, she was brainwashed to believe this was acceptable.
"Oh, I know!" he cried just as excitedly only falsely so. After all these years—a little more than seventeen—he was quite a capable actor.
Turning back to the television, Everett watched as the woman sputtered on stage, "W-w-well, um… any volunteers?"
The angle changed and caught Lucia Cane's face. Sure her limp was surprising but the expression on her face even more so. It wasn't fear or trepidation or anything remotely similar to those; it was ferocity and bravery and challenging as if she was daring someone to take her place. Her pale green eyes glared down on all of them, and if eyes could speak, Everett was certain they would be saying, "It's better me than you."
No one volunteered, creating a deadly silence as Lucia Cane gazed at them all with her fiery eyes.
"Um… Alright! Let's give a big welcome to our last tribute, Lucia Cane!"
Silence. Then the show began to end and Everett couldn't stop thinking about the girl, her eyes and her limp and the silent words she spoke.
Who was this Lucia Cane?
Only time would tell, Everett thought, and this was only the beginning.
A/N: Thanks for reading! Please, reviews would be cool! :)