The First Annual Hunger Games

by Callidora Medea

Following the Dark Days, President Snow of Panem announces the beginning of the Hunger Games. District 4 girl, Cass, District 1 girl, Silver, and District 7 girl, Oak, are all thrown into the turmoil that is the first Hunger Games, and must choose their alliances; decisions that can mean life or death in the arena. All intend to win. But there can be only one victor.

1. Chapter 1- The Announcement of the Games

Chapter 1- Cass Oceansong

I stood, stunned, as I watched the screen, listening to the raspy voice reading the declaration: "As punishment for the uprising against the Capitol, each district will be required to offer up one male and one female between the ages of twelve and eighteen as tribute for the first Hunger Games of Panem." The Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live television. How can the president order that? My family never rebelled; we stayed out of the trouble. And yet we are being punished. I look at my family with wide eyes; they too are shocked by the news. My three sisters, two old enough to possibly be in the Games.

I get up silently and walk out the door, down to the docks. No one else is there but me, looking at the sunset twinkling in the waters of District 4. In two months the so called reaping will take place, taking two of the children of District 4. I stare out into the sunset again. "Cass!" I whip around. Tempest Heavenbloom, my best friend with the fiery red hair and sea green eyes. Those same green eyes are filled with tears. "I can't believe it Cass, that the Capitol would do this!" We fall into each other's arms. "Odds are, we won't be chosen. Don't worry, Tempest. We'll be okay." We look and survey the damage done during the uprising; houses smashed, the Peacekeepers standing guard. One of the Peacekeepers looks roughly our way. "Curfew! Get yourselves home!" he calls in his Capitol accent. Tempest looks at me and says, "I'll see you at school tomorrow." With that, she runs back to her house, and I walk back to mine.

Cressida looks up at me as I walk in the door. "Are you okay, Cass?" she asks in her sweet six year old voice. "I'll be alright, don't you worry, Cressida," I say as I pick her up and hug her tightly. Twelve year old Wave comes and takes Cressida from me. "You should go to bed, Cass. It's late." I smile at her. My mother, tired and stunned from the news tonight, agrees with Wave. "Go to bed, all of you. Calypso! Come here!" she calls. There's no need to call; there are only two rooms in my house. My father comes in through the door, holding his fishing net. "It'll be a peaceful day tomorrow, Pearl," he tells my mother.

The oil lamps are turned out by my mother, and I climb into the bed I share with my sixteen year old sister Calypso. My parents have the other bed, and Cressida and Wave sleep on a mat on the floor. I stare up at the ceiling, unable to sleep. I whisper to Calypso, "What do you think will happen at the reapings? And how will they choose us? And why is the Capitol being so cruel to us? We haven't done anything!" Calypso rolls over to face me. "Cass, the Capitol wants to punish all the districts, not just ours. And as for the reapings, I don't know any more than you do, Cass. Go to sleep, we'll worry about this in the morning." But I can't sleep, not for hours and hours.