I've sort of redone this story hope you like and even though Photograph got the most votes I'm going to finish this one first because I have zero inspiration or my other story's so ta da hope you like
I don't own hunger games just this story
Year: 57th Hunger games
Age: 10
Waking up to the smell of gasoline, but this morning there are no engines running or steam trains steaming, I am glad I have 2 years to my reaping, in which I hope I will never get picked, I still have to go to the reaping though, I close my eyes hoping to hold onto this feeling of peace for the rest of the day.
"Michelle" my mother's screams rouse me from my dream-like state. I climb out of bed and slide on my usual black tee and slip into my baggy black shorts. I pull my dark hair back into a pony tail, and slide into the front room.
Our house is small with 2 rooms and a living area. It's just me and my Mom, she is cruel she hits me a lot. My Father was kind he committed suicide last year saying "I can't watch" nobody knew what he mean when he said that nobody probably ever will. When I saunter into the kitchen my mother scowls, she motions me with her finger to come, then walks out the front door.
I scuffle down the street slowly. I hear something behind me I twist my head around and see two boys barreling toward me, I run then break into a full on sprint all the way to the square, when I reach the square, a peacekeeper close lines me I fall to the ground winded. A hand grabs mine and jerks me upwards, I see a small boy with shaggy blond hair, gray eyes gleaming with mischief and a scar on his cheek. He points I look and see a boy with short black hair brown eyes broad shoulders shaking from laughing so hard
"Michelle" the blond boy says
"What Talon!" I say. How do I know his name? Oh yeah he is one of my best friends.
"Whoa girl, at least I am not one going hysterical, like Shadow over there" he nods his head at the black haired boy who seems to be sobbing he's laughing so hard, oh right the black haired boy is Shadow, my other best friend.
"welcome, welcome it has come time to pick one lucky boy and girl to represent your district at the 57th hunger games" Our escort Mari Trent chirps loudly. Then she plays the video from the Capitol. "may the odds be ever in your favour" she sing songs "ladies first . . . Ingrid Bobbing" the girl who goes up to the stage looks about 12 and is really tiny with curly blond hair with an orange summer dress on. "and now for the gentlemen . . . Lincoln Asher" a stocky 18 year old with red hair and hazel eyes with a white ribbed tank top and ripped jeans I have seen him around town a lot he is really kind, though looks can be deceiving though because of the permanent scowl on his face he looks like a career, almost, you can tell he doesn't want to go in the games. They shake hands and walk into the justice building.
"race you to the train tracks" Shadow yells we all sprint out of the square I reach the tracks first I catch my reflection on one of the trains I am tall for my age and skinny my dark hair brings out my brown eyes and my pale skin makes me look like I belong here. One day I'll run far away, away from my troubles, the Hunger Games, away from the life I know and hate and I'll probably drag Shadow and Talon along with me. I look over my shoulder and see talon and shadow wheezing from running so hard, maybe they'll have more endurance then.
I hope none of us ever have to go to the games, but I guess I forgot to knock on wood.
Year: 63rd Hunger Games
Age: 16
"Will you marry me" The voice recites.
I am awestricken is he talking to me, yes I think he is, we've only been dating for two years though. Oh what do I say yes, of course, but what if one of us gets chosen for the games? What if he dies in the games? What if, No I can't think like that, I got to live today like it's the last, don't think of the future!
"Yes" I say because I can't live without him
"Yes" I say because I can't bear the thought of him marrying another girl
"Yes" I say because I love him, I love Talon I am positive of it.
Talon smiles and slides the ring onto my finger the metal seem cool on my finger it fits just above the knuckle, it's awfully plain only a dull silver with a tiny diamond on it.
There is a loud bell going in the distance so Talon grabs my hand we run, Whipping in between houses, flying through back trails and jumping onto the shaking train tracks, there are mind blurring lights coming towards us. The vibrating of the tracks becomes more violent, the train is almost upon us when we both dive to the right with spine jarring force. I feel warmth underneath me, as I look down I notice I landed on Talon, I stare into his dark gray eyes wanting nothing more but to get lost in them forever, we stand up, then he finally speaks up.
"Michelle Gaudensworth do you promise to be mine forever?" he asks
"I do promise, and in turn will you Talon Myrant do you promise to be mine forever?" I ask hoping it isn't a dream
"I do promise" he says
"Together" we whisper "forever"
Then we kiss tying the knot!
Maybe someday we will get married and he will propose to me for real.
It's dark, I hear murmuring, and I am breathing heavily. Then the blindfolds ripped off my face, I blink a couple of times trying to adjust my eyes to the light. I see 23 people I have never met before and my mother, my father, Talon, Shadow and me, no it can't be me I am not yellow, shriveled with sunken, tearful eyes! Everyone seems to be glowing, with magnificent angel wings.
Then a tall, skinny yellow man, who looks vaguely familiar steps out of the crowd and say with a booming voice "we all could still be alive...If it weren't for you"
(The reaping)
That dream still haunts me every Reaping day this year is the 63rd Hunger Games, I am 16 now, two more years and I'll be out of the reaping.
I hop out of bed (literally) and slide over to my dresser I put on my usual black tee shirt, black skinny jeans with gold buttons and purple hoody. I saunter out of my room, and knock on my mom's door, she has been ill lately.
"Reaping day" I say in a melodic tune, next thing I know I am skipping out the door humming a happy tune. Talon and Shadow catch up with me so I link arms with Shadow and hold Talons hand; clutching it like a lifeline, eventually they start humming with me, and I have a good feeling about today. We used to race to the square, we don't do that anymore, from a bad experience.
When we reach the square, Shadow gives me a hug and Talon gives me a kiss, we separate and walk to our assigned age group, I walk over to the girls of my age group, humming quiet but merrily.
I look at this year's mentors I see a middle aged woman with curly, blond hair with streaks of gray and dark eyes, she has dark circles under them, they almost look like bruises, I think her name is Allie, she is hunched over her thin frame shaking as if her legs can't hold her weight. The male mentor won 6 years ago, his name is Lincoln Asher, his red hair looks almost brown, his hazel eyes are puffy, and his skin hangs limply as is he's lost his muscle and is all skin and bone with big shoulders, he looks nothing like the 18 year old who won six years ago.
Now Mari Trent, our escort bounces on the stage, her pink, lizard like scales gleaming eerily in the morning sun, and her spiky yellow hair almost too bright to look at. She gives the usual speech and video, and goes over to the girl's ball. Nervousness killing me.
"Michelle Gaudensworth"
My humming stops, my stomach drops, and my heart wrenches. I must have heard that wrong, I hope I heard that wrong. It's probably not my name.
"Michelle Gaudensworth"
Crap, that's me. I look over at Shadow and Talon, their heads are looking at their feet, Thanks guys, I wipe any emotions from my face, look up at Mari, she motions me forward I look at my feet and scuffle forward, eventually a peacekeeper grabs the back of my jacket and drags me on the stage, I look at the peacekeeper and notice it is the same one from when I was ten, he smiles wickedly to me and strolls off the stage.
"Now for the gentlemen... Titus Sanders!"
The crowd roars with applause (in my head). I look at my opponent, he looks 18, and is easily 6 foot, with arms the size of my legs, his mouth is in a straight line, he has beady black eyes, and spiky black hair, I can see his muscles rippling through his shirt, when we shake hands he almost yanks me off the ground, his hands are ruff and callused, there is nothing nice about him.
Any hope I had for winning has gone down the drain with one look at my opponent.
We are then ushered in the justice building rather forcefully by those damn peacekeepers.
First my mom comes in.
"When you're dead I'll have the doctors take care of me" she blurts. She looks me up and down "I'll be lucky if your body comes home in one piece" she mumbles as she walks out the door. Leaving me standing, staring at the door a tear slips from my eye I wipe it away hastily.
Shadow scuffles in and embraces me, I hug him back "don't listen to your mama, she has a screwed up way of coping, you can come home, and when you do, you prove everyone wrong, that you were one to bet on, not him, not that freak" he murmurs softly in my ear "keep singing that jolly jig to!" I smile, he puts me at arm's length and whacks me on the side of the head "you go girl!" he smirks.
"Hey, no hitting girls you bum!" I yell while the peacekeeper comes in and as he's walking out he blows me an overly exaggerated kiss!
Talon stomps in his gray eyes red from crying. "come home please" the look of him like this and saying this makes me want to burst into tears, so that's exactly what I do, my knees buckle, and both me and him fall to the floor, bawling our eyes out, he seems to be smelling my hair I find that strange, except I seem to be doing the same thing. Until the peacekeeper comes and carries him out.
"No, please, no, I love you" I scream.
"I love you too" I hear Talon respond. A sob escapes my lips so I roll into a ball and cry, I don't care if tears make me look weak, I am strong and tears make me stronger.
Mari comes and takes me outside. Titus and I get packed into a car, I've never been in a car I've only been on trains, and cars seem to find every curve and crevice, whereas trains zoom through as if there's nothing there. When we arrive at the train station I see dozens of cameras, I put on the hood I forgot I had, and walk with my head down onto the train. When I take off my hood my jaw drops, there is a glass see through table, a crystal chandelier, many delicious looking delicacies and a massive plush couch in front of a gigantic TV.
I sit in a very plush sofa chair and cross my legs, Titus lays down on the couch, Mari takes a seat on an identical chair as mine next to me, Lincoln and Allie stroll in and plop down in a "love seat".
"So" Lincoln starts "do you have any skills?"
"Duh" Titus states "I am good with a sword, I am strong. . . . ."he names a list of everything he can do, I AM nothing in comparison!
"What about you?" Lincoln looks at me expectantly.
"I well, I don't have any" his eyes widen.
"Sure you do" he looks me over "I mean look at your legs, can you run?"
"Yes! Yes! I can run! Faster than the fastest 18 year old!" I say excitedly "oh I can wrestle to!" Titus smirks, Lincoln nods his head approvingly, the TV hums churns to life and we all turn attention to the reaping's.
First is district 1 the girl is a volunteer named Emerald loop looks about 18, she has blond hair gold eyes, definitely a threat. Her partner Argus Solyid has all the same features he looks 17, a threat as well.
District 2 doesn't have the same luck there male is massive but the girl is scrawny, both threats though because there is something about her I don't like.
District 3 has a volunteer named Robyn Zapps who is singing loudly and dancing clumsily her way on the stage her brown hair following her like a curtain. The boy Dion Donovan clings to her, after his name is pulled, soon they both start to bawl their eyes out, they look about 17, and hold hands into the justice building. All the other tributes are unnoticeable. Until district 12 the boy is tiny but when he gets called he starts cheering as soon as he shakes his district partners hand, he collapses and cry's his eyes out realizing what is happening.
"Eek these years games are going to be amazing" says Mari Trent that's the very moment Lincoln stands up.
"Stand in front of me you two, let me see what I have to work with" I stand up straighten my back and try to be big. "You" he points a finger at me "are my tribute" I hear a grunt from Titus. "You" he points at Titus "are working with Allie" Titus takes a step forward, he's at least a foot taller than Lincoln, and is looking quite scary, Lincoln doesn't seem to be fazed. Titus looks down.
"I don't need a mentor" then he walks away.
"I think that went rather well" Lincoln says like he's been just given a big hug. I smile.
"Titus, Titus darling don't you want dinner" Lincoln sings as he skips out of the cart.
"Come dear let's go to dinner" says Mari, I nod and follow her out of the cart, with Allie trailing a few feet behind us. When we arrive at the dining I notice only Lincoln's there.
"I am afraid Titus won't be joining us for dinner" Lincoln says and pretends to wipe away a tear, I didn't notice it in the dim TV room we were in before but Lincoln seems to have a yellow tint to his skin.
It's not Mari who talks through dinner, but me. I'm in the middle of a story when Allie goes hysterical, Lincoln tells me to go to bed, and I obey. That night I fall into a dreamy sleep.
Laughter rings through the corridor; I climb out of bed, walk into the halls and notice its coming from Titus's room. I then hear a shrill scream. Lincoln comes pounding down the hall.
"You okay?" he asks
"I'm fine..."
"Allie, Allie" he yells as he smashes open the door. Allie why is he screaming her name? My questions answered when I see a beat-up and bloody Allie lying on the floor, with Titus laughing manically over top of her, he looks over at us then looks at the crumpled figure on the ground.
"I thought victors are 'posed to be tough" Lincoln throws something it hits Titus in the arm and he collapses, I realize it's a needle with a sedative. Lincoln picks up the sobbing Allie and rushes out of the room, so I shuffle into my room and lock the door.
When I go for breakfast neither Allie nor Titus are there and I realize it wasn't a dream.
REVIEW for the next chapter ~CAC
