Disclaimer: I have absolutely no rights to the hunger games, I am just a big fan of the books.
Chapter One~ A Knife to the Heart
"Ishi," A voice tickles my ear. "Wake up now,"
"Leave me alone," I mumble, rolling onto my stomach and pulling my white comforter up over my light hair. My sister shakes her head, a slight smile playing on her coral lips.
"Ishi-tree, if you are late again for your practice session, then Papa will take away your allowance rights," Sora says. She uses my old nickname to soften me up. I was named after the Ishi tree, a rare plant that grows only in District 2, where we live. It resembles something closer to a flower than a tree, but this became my name none-the-less.
"I don't want to go Sora. Don't make me go. We can tell Papa that I am sick, so I cannot go to practice. Besides, why does it matter if I miss one day? I will probably not need these skills for a few more years at least, if ever. No one under fifteen ever really is chosen for the Games. I have plenty of time to perfect my skills." My argument does not sway my sister. She is the lucky one, because 11 years my elder, she just missed the cutoff for the first Hunger Games, and has never had to train like I have.
Finally, my sister gets me up and dressed in a t-shirt, pair of leggings, and good leather boots. Tossing me a sweater, she sends me on my way. Usually, Sora will drive me places. Living in District 2, we have luxuries that many other districts do not, because we are better than many other districts. However, the training center is just down the street from the house I share with my sister and father, so I walk there. It was previously a dance studio- when I was very young, I took lessons there. 5 years ago, just after the second Games ended, it was converted into a place where young boys and girls could learn the skills they would need to survive if they were reaped. Technically, this is not allowed. However, if you consider it, it really is completely fair, because look at it like this- the children from 7 have been swinging around little axes from birth. So why shouldn't I learn to throw a knife?
"Viden!" I yell as I enter the training center. "I'm here! And I am not late!"
His voice startles me out of nowhere. "Yes you are Ishi! It is 6:06! That is six precious minutes in which you could have been practicing. Get started, I want to see you kill that dummy over there." I head over to where there is an array of knives set up, and choose one with a slim, long blade. I am about to throw my knife when a voice startles me.
"Are you any good at that?" A young man is standing over my shoulder. He looks vaguely familiar. I am sure that I have seen him somewhere, seen him more than once, probably, but I just can not put my finger on it.
"I guess you will see," I say, and I am about to throw it again, when again, he interrupts.
"I bet that you can not pin the left hand's thumb to the wall," The young man says. He has a smirk on his face. I wonder why Viden let him in here, seeing as usually, my trainer hates for people to distract me.
I shrug at the challenge, study my target for a moment, and then let my knife fly. The man stares in disbelief at the left thumb, which has been pinned by my blade, exactly where the nail would be, were it a real finger.
"That is pretty impressive. Are you any good with anything else?" He asks carefully, studying me with interest.
"Well, I'm as good as anyone with archery. Sword fighting I'm all right with. Hand to hand combat… Well, I'm a thirteen year old girl. I think that one is sort of self explanatory."
"I see…" He looks at me curiously for another moment. "Well, it was a pleasure meeting you miss. I can see that Viden was not exaggerating when he spoke of your skills." He turns to leave, and as he is walking away, I realize where I recognize him from. He was the winner of the third hunger games. I still can't conjure up his name, but remembering this, I am upset with myself for not recognizing him sooner.
I am wondering why he would have been there to watch me, when I am scolded for procrastinating.
"Come on, girl, back to work. Put a knife through his heart, Ishi!" Viden's voice rings out, and smiling, I let my knife hit its target.
Later, when all of the other children who come to train have all ready gone home, I think about what the man asked me. Am I good with other weapons? I head over to the archery range. I choose a bow, at random for the most part, and string it. Then, aiming carefully, I send an arrow flying. Ha, I think to myself, as the arrow hits a bulls-eye. I would win the games even now, and after a few more years of training, then any competitors can forget about it.
"Good shot," Says Viden, having been standing in the doorway as my arrow hit. My trainer is short and muscular, with black hair that is shot with gray hear and there. His eyes are a dark brown, so deep that his face becomes very hard to read, even for me, a girl who has been trained half of her life to watch for things like peoples emotions. "Ishi, you had better run home. Wouldn't want your sister to be worried about you, with your dad working so late these days, and all the excitement about tomorrow. Oh, good luck." I shrug in thanks, because I don't need his luck.
I head down the street. It is getting late, and everything is getting darker. Being mid-summer, the sun does not set until fairly late in to the evening, so I must truly have my sister worried. But as I open the front door, I see her in our kitchen. She is sitting on a stool talking to one of her best friends, Enily. Enily Golighle. They have been friends since before I was born, which, when you consider the age difference between Sora and I, doesn't mean all that much (to me at least,) but to them, it means the world. They spend every moment together. Enily is at our house so much, that she is practically like family. She is a year younger than Sora, only 23, but that does not change their friendship at all.
Enily is pretty, very pretty. She has dark hair and amber colored eyes that sparkle on her tan skin. She and Sora are nearly opposites. Sora is also pretty- but in a very different way. Sora and I share our light hair. Enily calls it gold, but in reality, it is much closer to yellow. We also share our pale skin- and when I say pale, I mean truly, paper white, and our clover green eyes. Many people say that aside from our difference in age, we could be twins.
Hoping that Sora won't notice me, I slide off my boots at the front door, and climb up the stairs on my toes. Then, I am in my bedroom, the soft white carpet like moss under my bare feet. I collapse into my bed. In other districts, there will be people who cannot sleep tonight. But I know that I have nothing to worry about. Here in my district, there are always volunteers. I fall asleep easily, and when I wake up in the morning, I don't remember my dreams.
The next morning, I wake up early like my body is accustomed to, before remembering that there is no training. Of course, living in District 2, our reaping is fairly early in the day, starting at 8:30 in the morning.
It is around seven when I manage to get up, and my sister pokes her head into my room. She tells me to dress nicely, so I go ahead and wear my nicest t-shirt. However, this does not seem to please her, and she gives me one of her dresses. It is purple with white flowers stitched into it. I still manage to make it look less fancy by wearing green leggings and a pair of boots with it, but she finally leaves me alone, after putting my hair into two pigtail braids. This makes me look younger than I am, like an eight year old, but finally, I consent, when she threatens to wake up our father.
At nine sharp, we leave the house. We would usually drive to the main square, but today, everything is so crowded, that it is quicker just to walk. My father stands on my right side, with Sora on my left. My father is a big man, who always looks like he just woke up, all though now, he truly did. He doesn't show much emotion, today or anyday, but I know that if he truly thought I had a chance of being chosen, he would worry.
Neither my sister nor father know that I took tessarae. I would normally have only 2 slips in this year, but I have 10. This is because Jamie, a 15 year old who trains with me, told me he didn't think I was brave enough to put anymore in. He dared me to do it, so I did. No harm done that I can think. There are always volunteers anyway.
When we reach the square, I leave my sister and father. There are a group of girls that I know from training, and I approach their little circle. They welcome me in, but do not stop to explain their conversation.
"And then he said that I couldn't hit a raccoon with four broken legs with a spear!" Jade, a girl who was named for the green color in her eyes exclaims. "So anyway, I challenged him to an archery contest, and he said that-" She would have gone on forever, had I not interrupted.
"Hey guys, I think that they are getting started," I say, looking at the stage where our mayor stands. Behind him, there are three chairs. One for him, that is empty, on for the escort from the capitol, which is filled by Georgie Landon, a petite woman with a tight face and platinum hair that she piles up onto her head, and the final seat is occupied by the victor from the third Games, whom I met yesterday. He looks bored as he listens to the mayor ramble on, and I can't help feeling the same way. He is our District's only victor so far, out of the six Games that have been held. District 1 has two victors, but they are the only district with multiple winners.
Finally, the escort steps up.
"Hi everybody! It really is so nice to be here in your district, thank you so much for having me," She begins, and I groan inwardly. Like we had a choice in the matter. "So, let's get right down to it! I will start with the girls, so ladies get ready! One of you lucky kids is going to have a chance to see the Capitol in just a few days!" Yes, she would think we were lucky. In any other district, this comment would cause offense. Because in any other district, the children are about to die. However, here, we are prepared, and it has become a big honor to win the games. The entire district loves you, no matter who you were before. You win the Hunger Games, and so does your district.
Georgie reaches into the big glass orb. There are hundreds of names in there. I think about all the names, so carefully scribed. None of them really matter of course, it is whoever wants it the most that matters. They will volunteer if they really care, and then, what do the names matter anyway?
Finally, she pulls a slip of paper out.
"Ishi Solay! Come on up here!" Huh. My name. Well, like I had just been telling myself, the names don't matter anyway. So, trying to keep my leg from shaking, since I know that soon enough this will all be over, I make my way through the crowd to stand on the stage.
"Congratulations, Ishi! Now, I must ask, would anyone like to volunteer to take Ishi's place?" I look into the crowd. My eyes find Yenna, a girl who had been bragging just two days ago about how she was going to volunteer. She is eighteen, and it will make sense for her to volunteer. I wait for her, or for anyone to speak up. But Yenna bites her lips, and I realize that the silence has gone on for too long. And Georgie has begun to speak again. Something is wrong. Now, I start to panic. No one has volunteered for me. I am going to be a contestant in the Hunger Games. The panic swells around me. I cannot hear what Georgie is saying. All I hear is the shrieking of my sister. Blood pounds in my ears. They were all saying they would volunteer… but it was just talk. Just big talk to make them seem like bigger people than they are. Then she reads out the name of the male tribute.
"Champ Golighle? Is there a Champ Golighle here? You are the male tribute for your district!" And as she says this, I hear another familiar voice shriek in pain. It is Enily. At first, I think she is crying because of me. Then, I remember the name of the male tribute. Golighle. He is Enily's brother. And I am shocked as no one replaces him either. Well, at least he will be able to hold his own in the arena.
I think of all the times when Sora has been at their house, talking to him, she has known him even longer than she has known me. And while I have never personally even formally met him, Sora often talks of Enily's brother as the brother she never had. I can see through the faces in the crowd that my sisters face is full of conflict and pain. She does not know who to choose to support.
Champ is standing across from me on the stage now. He is 18, younger than his sister by five years, but older than me by five years. His jaw is set in a grim line, and he does not meet my eye as we shake hands.
I am barely conscious as we walk to the Justice building, and when shown to a comfortable looking room, I collapse on to the available couch. In my unconsciousness, I dream that the dummy I threw knives at came back to life. In my dreams, it pulled the knife out of it's thumb, and skewered me through the heart.
A/n: Well, a lot happened in this chapter I guess. I think I was just anxious to get started. In future chapters, I will take more time with things, definitely. In fact, the next chapter might even be a bit slow. But don't you worry, this story will turn out fine.