THE ORGIN OF THE HUNGER GAMES BY: L. S. HACKETT
Disclaimer: I do NOT own the hunger games although I do own all of the characters and plots in this story that weren't in the Hunger Games
I am scared. I want to run away from the horrible scene that is attacking my eyes but I know I can't. If I move an enemy is sure to see me and I will die. Nite will die. I will not let that happen. If someone has to parish, it will be a beastly capitol person.
I am sitting awkwardly in an evergreen tree. In my view through some branches is District Thirteen's square. In the square are the remains of our district's population. Slowly this population will decline until it meets zero. This is our punishment.
My mind tries to block out what is meeting my eyes, and my thoughts wander. I think about what caused this mayhem. It started before I was born, but I was 13 when the real chaos broke loose. Our district, along with the other twelve instigated a rebellion against the Capitol---- the city that rules us. We have every right to be angry with them, to hate them for their actions and thoughts. I now recall what happened at the beginning of the rebellion.
FLASHBACK
I am sitting in my classroom. We are learning about the history of Panem (my country). I have probably missed all of the notes I was supposed to be taking but this doesn't bother me. All I can think about is the family "meeting" my mother told me she plans to have after school today. What is it she seems so worried about? My mother has jumped at even the sound of a pin drop for the last week. Is there something wrong?
A sharp, loud, bell pulls me from my endless ponderings. School is over. As I do every day I swing my bag over my shoulder and head for the door.
Waiting for me just outside the school doors is mother. What is she doing here? Is the family "meeting" that urgent?
"Ceeda." She whispers loudly to me. Mother pulls me by my arm gripping rather tightly. I am frightened. What is happening?!
"Mother! Let go, you are hurting me!" I say. Mother's hand lets go of my arms as if it were a scalding pan, and words rush from her mouth like a stream.
"Oh my, Ceeda! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to.. But you have to listen to me now. You need to leave district 13 right now!"
"But, why?" I say. "Mother you must tell me what the trouble is right now. I need to know." I let these words fall in place rather sternly. I am never rude to mother but right now she is keeping things from me she ought not to.
"Come with me." I think she says in a rushed whisper. She takes my hand, and this time she seems to take great care not to grip too tightly. We run stealthily into the nearby forest. I haven't been in here before. I have never been allowed. The trees, shrubs, and animals seem to close in on me. I feel claustrophobic. Without warning Mother pulls me down behind a towering bush.
"Sit Ceeda, and do not interrupt me. I will tell you the entire story, and when I finish you will do as I say." I nod my head, already following her instructions not to speak. "Alright." She says, and I can tell this is going to be a long and sad story for she grips my hand more firmly now, she is trying to comfort me.
Mother tells me of how all of the districts, number one to thirteen were all tired and deceitful of the Capitol. She tells me of how the capitol takes the districts' earnings and consumes them theirselves.
The districts decided to take action. The rebellion had been on peoples' minds for many years. Last week district three took the first step. They are in charge of all electrical objects in Panem. District three made many faulty weapons for the Capitol and made many stronger weapons for themselves. After a month of planning the district gathered in the square one night and attacked the justice building in their district.
Apparently their uprising did not go unnoticed to the other districts. Since Three acted, uprisings have been popping up everywhere. Even in thirteen. How did I not know? Mother says she was trying to protect me. Well she can't protect me any longer.
"Ceeda. Our district has decided to go into full blown rebellion now. I would know because," she pauses, "I am part of the group who is planning it. Your father and I both are part of this group."
"Why didn't you tell me?" I accuse her. "I am not a child Mother." I finish.
"I know you aren't Ceeda. I have watched you struggle through our family's poverty in a way only a woman can, but you aren't meant to be in this fight." Mother says to me.
"What do you plan to have me do then? If Thirteen goes into full scale rebellion, how am I supposed to not be a part of it?" I say this barely holding my frustration to myself.
"I plan to have you run. Run into the woods Ceeda. You can look after youself, and you can take anything you need from District Twelve."
"You want me to run? Will Fern come with me? What about Ignite?" Fern is my older sister, she is sixteen, and I know my mother will let her stay and fight. But what about Ignite? Ignite is my smaller brother, I call him Nite for short. He is only five and I love him more than my own life.
"Fern will stay and fight." Mother barely makes out before I snap.
"I knew it! You always let her do things!" Mother puts her hand on my shoulders. It feels like she is trying to tether me to earth.
"Fern is much older than you Ceeda! Please you know she can handle a war, but you aren't ready yet. As for Ignite. I want you to take him with you to the woods. Take him to District Twelve and ask a family to take him in. He is still small enough to infiltrate into another district."
"Okay." I say, with no hope in changing her plans. When Mother makes up her mind she rarely wavers.
"You will take him? You will give him to a family in Twelve?" She asks me. Did she actually think I would give away my baby? I mean my brother.
"Of course not. I will look after him in the woods. He will stay with me."
"No Ceeda! That is too dangerous for him! The Capitol will have put traps in the woods. It is already dangerous enough for you!"
"But Twelve is having uprisings in their district too! He could die there as well! He is more likely to be safe with me. I will watch over him, train him, make him strong, so that he can fend for himself as he gets older." I say to her at a normal speaking volume, which compared to our past whispers is loud.
"Shhhhh! Ceeda, please be quiet."
"Let me keep Nite?" I say as if we are bargaining.
"Yes." Mother gives into me.
"Okay then what do we do now?" I ask her. I have a feeling in my heart that tells me that what mother has told me is very present and I will be taking action immediately.
"We go home and tell Ignite."
"He doesn't need to know this stuff!" I throw at her. What is mother thinking! Telling a baby about the danger we are in?!
"We have to tell him something. Like what will happen to him now. I won't explain to him everything."
"Good. When do Nite and I leave?"
"As soon as you are prepared"
The memory fades abruptly when I hear I quiet sob from higher up in the tree.
Slowly I tilt my head to see Ignite. He is so frightened, but obviously doesn't want me to see. My poor Nite has tried very hard the last two years to react as coldly as I to all of the suffering we have seen.
I follow his gaze to the middle of the square, where peacekeepers and other Capitol officials are shooting the people of District Thirteen. That is when I see who the next two victims are.
It's Mother and Fern!
My breath is knocked out of me in a gust of sorrow. My loved ones are kneeling on the ground, being held in place by suit clad men. Mother is not crying, she looks emotionless. Her face is entirely blank. However Fern is the opposite. She looks directly at me, or at least at the tree she knows I am camoflauged in.
Fern had been at the back of the line about a half hour ago and I'd dropped a twig on her head so she would know we are with her. I had wanted so badly to rescue her, but Capitol people were swarming the premises and still are. Instead, I gave her a sad look and mouthed the words,
"I love you."
After that I looked back at Ignite and he gazed right into my eyes. When we looked back at her we bother pressed three fingers to our lips and reached them out to her.
Now Fern gazes at me and I wish with my whole soul that I could have resued her. I may feel maternal towards Nite, but my relationship with Fern is evenly as strong, just in a different way. She was the one who watched over me when I was little, and I was always so grateful for her. I adore my big sister.
I gun shot echoes throughout the vacinty. It seems to sound much louder than any of the others. Mother slumps to the ground. Ferns cries out and Nite sobs harder than ever, the people of Thirteens' sounds of remorse blocking out his sound. Everybody always adored my mother and her never failing wisdom.
The gunman holds the barrel to Fern's skull. He is about to release the trigger when someone yells,
"Stop!"
And the gunman pulls the instrument of execution away from dear Fern's head.