Second chapter! :3
I know there is a lot to take in in this chapter, but here are some keywords.
Jorun: main character
Askvist: Joruns brother, he runs a rebellion newspaper
Cortens: The leaders of this centuries Europe, despite the changes, the Continent kept it`s original name
Courtox: Like the European capitol. Works the same way, and the courtens have their headquarter there, lies in the vest of Russia.
Sebastian: Joruns best friend
Annie: Lives with Jorun and Sebastian
Lydia, Kevin, Thor: Askvists best friends
Monica: Jorun and Sebastinas combat trainor. Has mental problems because her brother died in the hunger games
Robins: rebellion group who tried to kill the cortens, but not all
Russia: The firts country to fall for the courtens 75 years ago, and therefore their most important weapon.
75th hunger games: The continent will be split in half, and will require two tributes from each country. (remember that some countries no longer exist)
It was the day of the reaping. I hated this day, more than anything.
The worst part was that they don`t start before twelve o clock, so we had plenty of time to think of it. My tummy kept twisting every time the tough crossed my head, so Sebastian suggested we should go for a walk to try to clear our minds. We were out the door before the sun was visible in the horizon.
We walked side by side for more than an hour without saying annything. Keeping our pace even, only looking at the ground. I could see trough the windows across the streets that people were preparing. Some mothers were standing outside their houses with their hands covering their faces.
I was glad that my mother could maintain a professional look. I knew she and my father were thinking of it, and it was probably hurting them. I didn`t really understand why they bothered having children if they might had to watch them die in the most vicious ways.
My older brother had turned 19 this year, and they were revealed that there was no way he could end up there now.
Askvist, that`s his name. People always tough it sounded weird, but I like it. He`s a big charmer, and girls seem to fall for him like flies.
My parents are wrong. Tough he is not able to be in the reaping any longer, he is still in danger of being executed by the peacekeepers.
Askvist and his friends make a rebellion newspaper. You see, he knows one of the previous tributes who lives in Bergen, and they have a lot of contact. Whenever he has a corder to spare, he uses it on the telephone booth in the middle of the town, and calls his friend, Sverre.
Because Sverre is a previous tribute/winner, he has a computer that he can use whenever he wants, and receives crypted messages from other tributes across the world. He then gives the info to Askvist, and he delivers it to his friends. Then they make a newspaper that contains all the rebellions and curious can feed their brains.
The rules for buying one is very strict. They only receive food for it, not money. If they were suddenly to have a lot of money, the peacekeepers would quickly get suspicious. They also take small gifts, like cigarettes or jewellery. (they put valuable things in a box they hide in the woods)
If you buy one, you have to burn it the same day as you got it. You can`t throw it in the trash, for your own safety most of all. If a peacekeeper stumbles across one, we are in a LOT of trouble, acording to my brother.
I jumped at the sudden move Sebastian made when he turned to stand in front of me. "You know, It is sorta unlikely that you will be drawn to the games".
The games? I was completely lost in other toughs. Was he thinking about it, or assuming that I was?
"Thanks for reminding me" I said with my childish grumpy tone, while making a face. He didn`t smile. I could see that he was way more concerned than me.
"I don`t know what to do, or what I should do if get get drawn at the reaping! There are so many concerns. If I get drawn, or my brother!"
Seeing Sebastians twin brother, Johnathan would probably not be as painful to watch, but not far from, because of their resembling looks. Sebastian had such a kind nature, if he killed someone, it would be like observing flying fish in a desert.
I somehow understood him. I never liked the tough of killing someone, it seemed worse than being killed actually. I cocked my head and made a half smile.
"It`s like you said, sorta unlikely" He smiles slightly in return, and we walked to my brothers house.
He lives with a couple of friends at edge of the city, in a small house. Him, his friend Thor, Lydia and Kevin. As we arrived, Kev and Thor were standing outside the house smoking pine needles like Sebastians father do. They were clearly discussing something very interesting, because they eyes were wide open and they were throwing their arms around.
"I`m telling you Thor, this could be a start of a rebellion. That girl, Everdeen I suppose, is causing giant rebellions in Panem! It might just spread here" Kevin was eager as he spoke with a hushed voice. Thor threw out his arms and replied as if it was the most obvious thing "But people here don`t know what`s going on, they need a reason, a front figure" "That is excactly what this girl on fire is, she is their motivation. Askvist said something about her going into a second round of the hunger games, since it`s the third quarter quell. Oh, hey Jorid, hey Sebastian!"
They stopped talking as we got to close, but we allready heard enough.
"Your brother`s inside, I think he has a suprise for you" I scowled at Thor at first, but Sebastian draged me inside. When we entered the door I yanked myself free and whispered loudly "Did you hear what they just said? There is a rebellion in the districts!" Sebastian just noded quickly. "I heard them, but it`s not our business." That was weird, utually Sebastian throws himself over such news, but perhaps he thinks it`s best we hear it from my brother. This was propably not for our ears. I studied his face, and I could see that in fact, he was just as eager about it as I was.
Suddenly, the door to the tiny living room slamed open. "Hello my lovely sister, and Seb!" He grabed me by the arm. Great, I was going to have a gigantic bruise there tomorrow. "Oh you must come inside, I have something to show you!" He pushed me to the kitchen covering my eyes, and holding Sebastian by the other, making sure neither he can see anything. "I just got some really exciting news from Sverre in Bergen, and look here!" He pulled away his hand, and revealed a cake on his table.
I had only tasted cake once in my life, and that was after Sebastian and I was delivering the rebellion news for my brother three years ago, and there was a lady who gave us a piece of cake as payment. But this cake was bigger, on the size of a small pumpkin.
"I didn`t want to start eating before you got here. You see..." He looks around as if checking if there is annyone there, and then he quickly tells us. "Sverre said on the phone that there had been some riots in Panem in district 8, and he told me a lot about this girl: Katniss Everdeen and a boy names Peeta. He said he`d give me more information by mail because it was to risky talking on the phones now with the games coming up" He was waiting for a reaction from our side. "So he sent you a cake...?" Sebastian replies unsure. Askvist is obviously amused by this "Don`t you get it? The information is in the cake!" I turn my head quickly to excaminate the cake once more, and I run to look closer at it. Sverre laughs at me and calls for Kevin, Thor and Lydia and we start eating.
We carefully chew each piece in case one of us were to find something, but it`s hard. The cake is so above annything I have ver eaten before, and I have at least four pieces before I am to full to swallow another piece. I lick my fingers while waiting for the others to finnish.
Lydia is the first one to find somethig, and she pulls a small plastic paper from her mouth. She unfolds it and pull out a message written on paper as thin as grass. "Dear friends. Lately my phonecalls have been tracked, and I have some trouble with explaining the peacekeepers why I am on the phone with other tributes, so there are few news. I have the information about Katniss Everdeen going to the quarter quell with other previous tributes confirmed, and there are building up rebellions all over Panem. It also seems that Katniss and this other tribute Peeta Mellark are deeply in love, and they have confirmed for the Capitol that they are getting married. President Snow is assumed to be unpleased with this. I want you to publish it and deliver it to as manny people as possible. I am going to contact some friends when the games start to deliver more info so the news will be spread all over our country. I know that it has been talked about in Austria.
And keep your eyes and ears open, and stay prepeared, because there is something fighy about this round of hunger games. I have a feeling it is going to be the worst yet, just to scarre us.
Regards from Sverre.
Ps: With this you will find a copy of a mockingjay pin. This is the symbol of freedom among the rebells in panem. Find a way to spread the message"
She looks up, and lets her look slide from each one of us. Askvist is sitting jumping up and down on his chair, and comands us to finnish the cake. I think I am going to be sick just by looking at it now.
"Look, I found something" It is Sebastian who digs out something this time.
It is the pin. I have never seen a mockingjay before. I would supose it is some kid of Mutt. We do have some few here, like the posiounus mole with knifelong nails, and the bloodsucking butterflies, but the mockingjay looked so far from a Mutt. Only the name sounded wierd.
It was a golden pin with a bird in the middle, it was one of the prettiest things I had ever seen.
Thor took it and put it in his pocket, nodding towards me and Sebastian. Askvist only nodded. "It is time we get you two to town. Remember that today is the reaping. How manny tessares have you signed up for this year Jorid?" I had to think about that. 15, no 18! "18, but Sebastian has 23, and so does his brother, Johnathan"
Askvist stands up "Well that is excactly enough for food, and makes the chances small." "I can drive you" Kvein offeres, and we step outside. Once in a while when we are at Askvist, he would drive us home with a waggon atatched to a bike. Sebastian and I allways had to sit quite close when we were driven, but it only took fifteen minutes compared to the fifty minutes it took to walk here.
When we reach town most people are allready there. Lining up their kids in their pleaces, making sure they looked nice. I see a mother straightening up a pink bow on top of a girls head, and gently wiping away her tears. I look at my own clothes: baggy dirty pants and a top that is onl and green. Dirty shoes and dirty hair, cut short standing out on every side. Not to mention the bruises on my arms.
I line up with the other 16 year old girls, and look around at how the town is decorated. Balloons, festoons and confetti in a dozen of collours. Posters of previous tributes, i jump at the one with the picture of my trainor`s dead brother who died thirty years ago. There are several screens randomly placed around on the city hall, and the tall unoccupied ruins. One shows the cellabration here. i can actually spot myself in the crowd, a couple of other screens show this town in other angles. Two, no, three other screens show the reaping in our other towns, the biggest one, our capitol Oslo. On their stage sits Sverre, who will be the tributes mentor.
Since our country is so big the peacekeepers decided the best thing was just to put up a stage in every town, which there are many of, and film the one where the tribute is from. The drawing will take place in the capitol of course. There was one big screen that showed the last years winner: Anzia. A fouteen year old Italian girl. She was the youngest winner I had ever seen.
It all started, the screen with the picture of Anzia played the Capitols anthem, and an person, clearly from Panem and their capitol said: "ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce to you: Male Helland!" I looked up at the screen that showed the live feed from Oslo, and a blond middle aged woman stepped on stage. Her hair was put up in some crazy spiral, and was decorated in blue diamonds, her dress with the same coullour as the stones wes blinking. She told us the story of the games: the dark times here and in Panem, and why they do this and blah blah blah! How we must be brave, and how our winning children would be prized. I hated that woman. She is a Norwegian, just like me, but on the bad guys side. A Corten! I wished I could throw a rotten tomato at her trough the screen.
She introduced a man who would be the tributes escort. A man from the place where the games will be played. The hometown of the Courtens. Coutoux, named after those horrible men and women. It is where the vest of Russia used to be, but separated from that country with fences and traps that would make Any intruder walk into certain death. The Russian people have to give tributes to the games to, but they are far from as poor as we are.
The man was called Roose Mellow, and wan in his early thirties, tall and slender, with hair that is so blond it was all most white. He was wearing black eyeshadow that made him look more or less like a vampire. He wore a dark purple tuxedo, with black and silver colored patterns that run alongside the sleeves. He keeps his back staright and chin up, keeping a nonchelant look. Seems like a pain in the as, I tough for myself. He bowed and made a short announcement of how he looked forward to be working with two tributes this year in his ghastly Courtoux English.
"Let`s start with the boys shall we" Male said, and walked with slow flying moves towards the bowl of names. I started jumping up and down because I just wanted to go home. I looked over at the row where Sebastian and Johnathan were standing, and I could see how they glare at the note Male was gracefully picking up.
She made an elegant move to pick up the note that lied the most convenient and with a careful move she unwrapped it. I could tell by her look how much she was enjoying this.
"The male tribute is..." I took a deep breath and looked over at Seb again, he was practically sweating, even tough we had been talking about this all morning. Male made sure the people in Courtox had something to watch, and almost squealed "Reyn Polar" Seb, John and I sighed in relief synchronized, and switched our attention to the big screen.
The tv that used to display the image of previous tributes now viewed a small village far north. A fifteen year old boy with brown long hair and pale skin walked up to stage with a cold look, and stopped on the middle of the stage. Male clapped, she was the only one...
As she realize this she cleared her throat and continued by reaching for the bowl of girl names.
I bounced up and down on my feet, not being able to stand still, if I stood on my tip toes I could see the whole crowd that was standing watching the drawing. I wanted to see my brother, so that he knew where I was and could take me home when this was over.
"The female tribute is..." Get it done, i want to go home. Everyone wants to.
I looked further out in the crowd, trying to see my brother, but all that there was to see were terrified adults and small children. He had to be there somewhere, I tough, he said he would come.
Suddenly I could see his face, and I tried waving at him so he could see me.
"the last tribute that will represent Norway in the 75`th hunger games is..." Oh god, please just make her spit out the words.
I truly felt sorry for the person who had to go, it was just killing me standing here, in this crowd with all these horrified people.
I met his gaze the second Male spoke the crucial last words. My fear reflected in his face.
He panicked, and tried to break his way trough the crowd to reach me, but a peacekeeper held him back. Askvist fought back, but it was useless.
My heart leaped, and I stood frozen at my spot.
The name she had spoken, was mine...