Happiness is Just a Memory

This is for KatnissThaliaMaxZoey who created Sadie, Dragan and Emily.

Sadie was now the proud owner of a new kitten.

"I'm going to call you Mipsy and you're going to be mine," Sadie said as she touched noses with the grey tabby.

Mipsy meowed and Sadie was instantly in love.

Sadie cradled the small kitten to her chest and hurried down the stone pathway that led to her house in the Victor's Village.

The Victor's Village was crowded, of course it was, many winners came from the Career Districts, and Two had the most winners out of any of the other Districts. There was actually two sections in the Victor's Village, the new and the old. Sadie lived in the old section with her mother and sister, who were both victors.

Winning ran in the Cross family. Losing did not.

From an early age, Sadie was being molded into a tribute. But Sadie didn't want to have that life, she didn't want to go into the Games.

She was only eleven, she still had time to come up with an excuse for not wanting to volunteer.

"Ew, what's that?" An older boy asked as he came up to Sadie and poked at Mipsy. "Is that a rat?"

"No," Sadie said cheerfully, she had never met this boy before, and she was still of the mind set that everyone was good. She would soon learn that hardly anyone was good. Herself included. But until then, she was fine living in her naïve world. "Her name is Mipsy."

"That's a stupid name," the boy sneered at her, "for a stupid looking rat, but that's to be expected from a stupid girl such as yourself."

Sadie was too shocked to reply. No one had ever been outright rude to her like that.

He forced the kitten out of her arms and gave her an evil smirk. "Hmm, do you know what you do with rats? You kill him."

Sadie called out, she tried to get her kitten back. But the boy was too fast for her.

Mipsy's broken body was tossed to the ground and the boy laughed manically as Sadie cried.

She vowed revenge.

XXX

"I got a call from Mrs. Cross today Dragan, her daughter Sadie claims that you killed her kitten," Mrs. Halberd said as she took a sip from her glass of wine. The Halberd family was gathered in the sitting room to have 'family time.' Mr. Halberd was nappin, Mrs. Halberd was getting intoxicated, Emily was lying on her stomach and reading a book while Dragan was snapping the heads off of Emily's old dolls.

"And?" Dragan said as he grabbed another doll. Snap.

"And you should probably apologize," she simpered from the couch.

"Halberd's don't apologize," Mr. Halberd said, not even bothering to open an eye. He was soon snoring again, back asleep.

"Hey, I liked that one," Emily protested as she finally realized what her brother was doing and grabbed the dolls from him. "Why are you doing that?"

"I'm pretending this is Dexter's head, and I'm tearing it off."

Emily looked at her big brother in awe. "Really? That's awesome, I hate Dexter."

"I know you do, that's why I'm ripping his head off, he deserves to die."

"Emily, hate is a strong word and Dragan, you should watch your tongue as well," Mrs. Halberd scolded, but her heart really wasn't in it, she had never been a fan of raising children. And she had two of them. In her opinion, that's why nanny's had been invented. But at fifteen and fourteen, her children were too old for nannies. At least, that's what the agency said.

"It's not strong enough," Emily muttered back as she grabbed a doll and helped her brother.

"And he does deserve to die mother, Dexter pushed Emily around at the playground today."

"I skinned my palms and elbows," Emily showed her hands which were still raw and red.

"Well did you do anything to deserve it?" Mrs. Halberd asked Emily as she finished her drink and got up to refill it.

"Of course she didn't, Emily's an angel," Dragan said, Emily smiled at her brother, and Mr. Halberd made a snorting noise from his chair where he was still pretending to sleep.

There was a rap on the door, Dragan was closest so he got up and opened the door, only to come face to face with Sadie.

Before he could react, a flying fist connected with his nose.

She was feisty for an eleven year old. Dragan had never been taught that it was rude to hit a girl. And even if he had been taught that, he probably wouldn't care. Dragan had never been one for following rules.

Sadie fell to her rump, her face rumpled up and she began to wail. There was already a red welt on her face from where he had struck her.

"You probably shouldn't mess with my son," Mrs. Halberd said as she saw the scene.

"Just you wait Dragan Halberd, I'll get you back," Sadie said as she fled back to the safety of her house.

Dragan just laughed. Oh he couldn't wait to show her.

Xxx

Emily was running late. She had overslept and now she was going to be late for the reapings. Just because the Peace Keepers came from District 2, didn't make them any less strict. In fact, she was almost certain that no District had it as bad when it came to discipline, if possible, the Peace Keepers were even meaner.

She was usually right on time, if not early, when it came to reapings and school events. She hated being late, because then everyone would stare at her and whisper as she tried to find somewhere to fit in. Which was usually nowhere.

She found her brother in the eighteen year old section. It was his last year of being eligible. He had volunteered last year, against all of Emily's urgings not too, but luckily the Mayor had not chosen him to represent Two last year.

Emily had spent all of last night trying to convince him that it was not his life's goal to go into the Games.

"You just don't have any confidence in me Emily," Dragan had sneered last night as they talked downstairs while their parents were sleeping.

"I do brother, and you know that, but I don't want you to risk your life, people DIE Dragan, they go and they never come back. I have faith in you and I think it's possible that you MIGHT win, but I also have this feeling that if you go, then I'll never see you again."

"You're such a worry wart," Dragan had said, his tone getting softer, he only used that tone with his sister, he had a soft spot for her. She was such a sweet girl, he had often wondered if he was the screw-up or if she was adopted. For having two very uncaring parents, Emily had turned out just fine.

"Who will take care of me if something happens to you Dragan?" Emily said, looking at her brother with adoration and complete trust.

All of his anger melted away when he saw his innocent sister.

"It will be okay," he tried to soothe her, but he never promised her that he wouldn't volunteer.

And now Emily was running late to the Reapings. She couldn't believe that she had overslept, and that Dragan hadn't woken her up.

The girl's name had already been called, Sadie emerged from the fourteen year old section and sat down.

Emily slipped into the seventeen year old section and waited for the boy's name to be called.

It wasn't Dragan.

But when volunteers were called for, Dragan spoke up. Emily tried to catch his eye, tried to tell him to redact it, but he was avoiding looking over at the girl's side for a reason. She would deffinitely let him have it when she said good bye to him.

XXX

Dragan had promised Emily that he would come home to her, that he would always protect her from the bullies at school. That promise was now buried in the ground with the broken body of her brother.

He had come home in a wooden casket.

It was up to her to stick up for herself now, she didn't think that she could do it without him.

She vowed revenge.

I need an idea for next chapter.

Review please!

~*Misty*~