AN. Oh my gosh I am so sorry I haven't updated in awhile! I will try to update faster! I just need a district 5 male and then I'm good for while! So sorry!
Elizabeth Boulder...
I wake up early, wanting to get out of the house to go to work, but I know that it will be closed because of the reaping. I don't want to wake my mom up because she would just yell at me, so I slowly walk into the living room, which is also the kitchen and dining room.
I warm up a fish I caught yesterday.
I look on the table and see a note from my mother. It's just going to be another one that says to clean the house. My mom only cares about her house, ever since dad was found dead she decided she doesn't care about me anymore and makes me clean her house.
The peacekeepers said that my dad's death was suicide, but I know him, he would never do that. He was a good person, and he was happy.
But mom is right; if I don't clean then they will take me away. I have to hurry though, the reaping starts in an hour. I finish warming up the fish and eat it, then start with the one room. Our house is only three rooms really; since dad died we had to move to something smaller because we don't have much money. It's just my mom's room, my room, and this room. The peacekeepers come to check on me (to see if they can kick me out really) and they never go farther than this room, so really I just have to clean in here, and it never gets dirty because mom stays in her room and I clean up after myself.
My dad's death always pops back into my head; it's been haunting me my whole life. They all think that it was suicide, but it wasn't. They didn't know him like I knew him. I start to clean up. I do the dishes, sweep the floors, put things in their places and whatnot. After a few minutes, I have finished and I get dressed. I put on a simple blue dress and put my auburn hair in a fishtail braid in favor of my district. I put a note on the table for my mom to know that I have left for the reaping. Tonight I'll deal with the peacekeepers.
I start to walk to the justice building. I see a person who works with me and I wave. They smile.
I really hate my mother sometimes. I need her today; the reapings scare me a little because if my name gets picked, then I may die!
My dad's death pops back into my head again. It always haunts me the most on reaping day. I'm afraid that whoever killed my dad is still out there, and is going to hurt me, too.
I get to the justice building and stand in the group of fifteen year old girls.
Today for some reason, it's colder than usual and a few more freckles show up on my hand. I have a lot of freckles already, and I don't need more, but I like them.
"Happy Hunger Games!" the escort says, walking on stage. "So, to get things started, our female tribute shall be..."
She walks over to the girl tribute bowl and pulls out a name.
"Elizabeth Boulder!"
My heart almost stops and my dad's death spins through my head. It's like a cruel trick! They kill my dad and now me! What's next, mom? They wouldn't even bother with mom, she won't care. My green eyes fill with tears.
The peacekeepers pull me on stage. No ones cares, no one will volunteer for me, I'm all alone.
"And for our male tribute..."
Zanther Grimms...
I wake up in the early morning. I want to get up early for the reaping and cook breakfast for my little sister, Mizuki. This is her third year, and she could get picked! Of course I'm not going to let that happen. Tonight, she is going to live with her friend because I'm volunteering. She doesn't know yet, only me and her friend know. She won't be able to last without me, she's only fourteen. Our parents are dead, so I'm the only one left. Though, if she really worked for it, maybe she could live by herself but I don't want to risk it.
I walk into the kitchen. I am sixteen years old, I could have two more years to see if my name gets picked, but if I don't volunteer now, I may not ever get in.
Now, you may think it's crazy that I want to volunteer, but I want to avenge my brother, Vorth, who was killed by district one. He was one of the last three, and he almost did win, but he was caught by surprise, and was killed.
I put cook some fish up for Mizuki. We have lots of fish (obviously, since this is district four) and Mizuki is used to it, but today I want to make a fish that we don't usually get. I put on a kettle, Mizuki likes tea. A few minutes later, she walks into the kitchen, looking extremely tired.
"Hey, sleepy head" I say.
"Hey" Mizuki says.
"You look beat" I say.
"I didn't have a good sleep last night" she says.
"Is it because of the reaping?" I ask, a little tense because I don't want her to know about my decision.
"Yeah" Mizuki says. I give her a cup of tea.
"Well, we should get dressed soon, the reaping is in an hour" I say. Mizuki nods.
I finish the fish and put half on her plate, and half on mine.
We eat in silence for a few minutes. I can see Mizuki is tense because of the reaping, but I can't blame her. When you are young, you always expect that you'll get picked. I know she won't get picked, because her name has only been in three times and there are thousands of people in the district.
I know I still could get picked, but I am less scared. Mizuki shivers as if she could read my thought.
"What if my name is picked?" Mizuki asks.
"Then I'll go in with you" I say.
Mizuki looks at me in the eye. "Not funny!"
"I'm serious!" I say.
Mizuki gives a shaky laugh. "But what if I win? Who will I go to after that?"
I don't answer, because the truth is I don't know. Hopefully her friends. Mizuki has a bunch of friends and they all love her so I think she'd be okay. But her name won't get picked; the odds are in her favor.
After Mizuki finishes, I take her plate over to the sink and wash it a little.
I give her my plate. She starts to protest when I say, "I don't mind, you need it more than I do."
Mizuki takes it happily, and inhales it in the blink of an eye. She must have been stressed before, but I can tell she just realized that she is hungry.
"Would you like anything else?" I ask.
"No, I think I'm fine" Mizuki says.
"Okay, I think we should get dressed now" I say.
Mizuki walks to her room.
I walk up to my room and put on a good pair of pants and a clean shirt. Right now, that's all I have for good clothes, because I have been using most of my money on food and more clothes for Mizuki, as she has been growing a lot.
I brush my fingers through my raven black hair and walk to the kitchen, where Mizuki is sitting, looking very tired.
"You okay?" I ask.
"Just had a bad sleep" she says.
"I'm sorry" I say.
"It's fine" she says.
We walk through the door and down to justice building. Mizuki walks to the fourteen year old girls section and I make my way for the sixteen year old boys.
The girl they pick is a pretty girl who is pale with green eyes with auburn hair and a lot o freckles. Her name is Elizabeth Boulder.
"And for our male tribute..." The escort says. She digs around in the bowl for a few minutes.
"I VOLUNTEER!" I yell.
I walk up on stage. I hear Mizuki screaming at the top of her lungs. I look down at her. She is trying to push her way through the crowd, screaming at me. I don't know what to do.
"ZANTHER!" she yells, and even from here, I can see the tears running down her face.
I shake hands with the girl.
I look down at Mizuki one more time before I have to go, but a new look is in her eye. She looks at me like I just ripped her heart out, like I had just torn her apart, but most of all, she looks like she hates me.
AN. I didn't really know what to do with this chapter...I just made it up as I went along and tried not to go out of character. I am so sorry that this took so long! I just had a lot to do today and the day before and I forgot about all of you...I am so sorry! As some have informed me, I don't put very much detail in, so I tried to put as much detail as possible. If this isn't clear to you, Zanther is trying to avenge his brother but he really loves his little sister and his parents are dead. Elizabeth's father is dead and the peacekeepers said it was suicide but she didn't believe them because she knew her dad and her mother isn't really a mother anymore. What did you think? How did I do? Did I portray them well? I need a district 5 male before I can put up the next chapter, SO SEND ME MALES! Thank you!
I don't think that I have been putting disclaimers, so I'll start now. I do not own the hunger games! They belong to Suzanne Collins.
Coffee
