The love I've gotten through PMs and Reviews is overwhelming.
Thank you so much for that, friends.
As for the hate reviews, I'm done acknowledging you, and I'd prefer my readers to do so as well.
With that being said, I can happily say that I'm wrapping this story up this chapter, because what I decided to do during class tonight was 10x better than what I originally had planned.
Paisley Grace, 19
Escapee of the Second Hunger Games
I sit in a big business room in the top of the tallest tower that I've ever seen. The room is all modern, and has metal surfaces everywhere. White lines the walls that makes it look almost futuristic, or like we are in a lab. It's the lifestyle that I was so used to before prison.
Now it all seems so foreign.
The first two people to walk into the meeting room is Tahan and Davantae. I haven't seen Tahan since she helped me escape, and Davantae and me never had any conversation in our times in the games. People being told they have to kill each other doesn't exactly open up the door to friendship.
Guilt shoots through me as I remember Dianna and our friendship. Yes, it was very short lived, but the friendship ran deep. I miss her everyday, and my biggest regret was running and not allowing her to help me out. I still don't know how she died to this day. I haven't been brave enough to ask.
"Hey." says Tahan they walk into the center of the room. I sit alone on a double seated couch, and she crosses the room and takes the seat next to me. "How've you been?"
I can't help but notice an awkward tension between the two of the people that just walked in the room. I don't know if they're fighting, or maybe they've broken up, but either way, something isn't right.
"I-uh, I've been fine," I say. "How about you guys?"
"We've been better." says Davantae quickly with a scowl on his face as he walks to the love seat that sits one and leans his head against the arm. "It's been an interesting trip. Some could even say eye opening." he says with a snarky tone directed at Tahan.
"You know what-" she turns to say, but then gets interrupted as the door open up and Imogen Mercay walks into the room. She is wearing a red business suit. It's powerful and really makes her more intimidating that she actually is.
"I hope I'm not interrupting anything," she says quickly as she struts to the desk that sits against a window that oversees the city. "Paisley, always a pleasure, love. Davantae and Tahan it is good to see you. I'm Imogen Mercay. I'll be your ambassador for what is about to happen today."
"Yeah, about that." says Davantae, "What exactly is about to happen?"
"Well, I was getting to that," says Imogen with an annoyed tone. "We're waiting for one more person to enter the room before we have this little meeting."
"Who?" I ask confused.
"Me." says a male voice as he walks into the room. The voice isn't very deep and when I turn around and see the boy walking into the room he can't be more than 14 years old.
"Kieran!" says Davantae. "Hey, I was-"
"Sure that Ashley was going to overtake me? Not on my watch. The psycho got a few licks in, but her kill count ended with Leila in the top 3."
"Well, welcome, Kieran." says Imogen. "Please sit down, and let's begin this conversation. There's a number of things we need to talk about, but the first and most important thing that we need to cover is this: you are all victims. This country, our country, of the United States of America has wronged you all for the last time. Right now as you sit here, plans are going into effect, and tomorrow morning we will launch a movement. We will declare war on the United States and-"
"Saudi Arabia is already at war with the United States." says Kieran.
"We aren't Saudi Arabia." says Imogen with a smirk. "Children, we've created a new era. The country of Panem. We will have new boundaries. We will make the world a better place. Pollution will go down, farming and agriculture will no longer be an issue, world peace will be here. Everything our founding fathers of America dreamed of having, we will finally have. But we needed to acknowledge something."
She pauses and clears her throat and snaps her fingers. A young woman runs into the room, and the clicking of her heels echoed throughout the room as her shoes hit the tile. She hands Imogen a bottle of water, and then runs out of the room as quickly as she came.
"You're victims. The United States has wronged you." she begins again. "And because of that we wanted to offer you a moment to change something. Almost like the make a wish foundation. You will have one wish that we will grant. Within reason of course, and with your one wish we hope it can compensate for the damage and sadness you've had to endure."
"Anything we want?" I ask slowly.
"Yes, Paisley. What is your wish? What is your deepest desire that you've always wanted?"
My head begins to flood with ideas, and all of them were initially shallow at first, but I want to really make this work. I want this to count. This is important for me to get right. People like Imogen Mercay don't offer things like this regularly.
"What's the catch?" I ask slowly.
"There's no catch."
"There is always a catch," says Tahan as she straightens herself and crosses her leg on the couch. Her presence and demeanor suddenly changed and is almost as intimidating as Imogen's.
"I just want to make sure you kids are taken care of. The thing about this new country is for the first year we will have a Hunger Games-"
"Absolutely not." says Tahan standing up. "We're done here, Davantae, let's go." she gets up to leave the room, but two men walk in with assault rifles and block the door. Tahan looks around at Imogen, and we all get a sudden burst of anxiety if this is how this meeting is being held.
"Children," says Imogen, "I'm attempting to be nice, but nice can only go so far. If you don't make this choice we will be forced to just assume you're loyal to the United States."
"What is going to happen to the country?" asks Kieran softly.
"We will take over it. It won't happen over night. We estimate a 6 month period. Texas will be the last state we take, and then after we will divide the country into 13 districts. Each of the Districts will be responsible for producing a certain good for the country. The Hunger Games will be for the politicians that okay'd what happened to you." she says shooting Tahan a look. "We will not allow them to do such a horrible thing to children."
Tahan's nerves unsettle as she takes a breath and looks around the room.
"I want to travel, and be able to see the world. I want power in this new country. I've been stepped on my whole life, and now it's time for me to have something. I want President Veyne to be taken care of, permanently, and I want to make sure that no one will ever be hurt by her again."
"The second we find her she will be placed as a prisoner of war." says Imogen calmly.
"She's in a cabin a few miles away from the white house," Tahan says. "It's not listed on GPS, but you can't miss it if you go airborne."
Davantae looks at his girlfriend with complete shock as she gives away the location of the president without giving a second thought to it. "What are you doing?" he asks annoyed.
"Doing the right thing," says Tahan sourly. "What you should be doing."
"Killing innocent people is not the right thing!" screams Davantae
"She is FAR from innocent," screams Tahan right back.
"If you two are done, I would like to continue with this." says Imogen with a eye roll. "Tahan, I can make you an ambassador of our nation. You will travel to other countries and be able to assemble relationships with them for us. You will be a member of the cabinet with this position, thus giving you everything you asked."
"And Veyne?"
"Already has a firing squad to go in and take care of her as we speak," says Imogen with a smile. "About time that bitch got what was coming to her."
"I want nothing to do with this," says Davantae. "I don't want anything from you."
"Davantae, then you will be placed into Capitol."
"What the hell is that?!"
"Our main city. It's where the 1% will live."
He rolls his eyes and sits back in his seat. His eyes suddenly go big, and he holds up his hand. "I want my mother taken care of." he says. "Where ever that is, I want never to have to worry about money. I want my mom to have the best of everything."
Imogen smiles. "I'm glad you came to your senses son."
"Uh," says the boy named Kieran. "I want to hold some office position."
"You're 14 years old."
"You said anything." says the boy sternly.
"Very well, we will train you for an office position, and from there, when you hit the age of 21, we will announce your office."
"Deal." says Kieran.
"And Ms. Grace?" ask Imogen. "What is it that you want?"
"Other than what I already asked?" I reply slowly.
"Yes," says Imogen. "Anything you'd like."
My heart is pounding out of my chest as I look around the room and at the people who are silently staring me down. I close my eyes and take a deep breath and look at Imogen dead in the face.
"I never want another child to have to go through what I've had to go through in those games." I say. "I want them abolished after we put the people responsible for ours in the them. It isn't right to continue to do it."
Imogen gives me a smirk. "Very well, Ms. Grace." Something about her tone made me think that she is lying.
Imogen gets up from the desk and stares around the room. "Thank you for all of your help contributing to this new country. Your loyalty won't be forgotten. Good luck with your future endeavors. We will fly your families out of the country today."
She walks towards the door and lowers her hands, so the guards lower the guns they had in their hands. "I can tell we will all be a great team.
Kate Felix
Year One of Panem
I haven't moved from the spot that I've been rooted in since the Peacekeepers came and raided my safe haven in this awful new country. The Hunger Games, as the President has so honestly named them, have taken flight. I can tell from the outrage that I keep hearing from the market place up above me.
"Okay, Kate," I say calmly. "You're going to have to move sooner or later."
I stand up and try to climb out of the rock cage that I nestled in, but it's been two days since I last stood up. It's amazing what your body can do when you're scared out of your mind.
I fall into the water and begin kicking my legs to wake them up. I am able to get back to the shore, and I just sit there for awhile. This wasn't how this was supposed to go. Everything was meant to be different.
I don't know what I expected writing all of that. The United States won't come back. I'll never be able to open state my beliefs again. I will never have the fundamental liberties of life, freedom, and the pursuit of happiness.
I'm a wanted criminal.
"No," I say defiantly. "This is not happening."
I get up and grab the book that I placed on the side of me. Walking up the steps of the entrance to the lagoon, I look around and see that a guard is on the side entrance but he is dozing off. I start sprinting towards the market where I see a little boy playing with his older brother. I run to the older brother and right as I get there I hear a gun sound off, and a pain shoots me in the back. The book launches forward, and the boy picks it up confused looking at me with shock.
"Hide. That." I say. "Change. The. World."
The boy picks it up quickly and hides it in his brother's backpack as the guards run towards me quickly. I smile at him as the life begins to drain from my eyes. "Good luck."
The world begins to fade, and I smile. Because I knew all along that I would die for this cause. Everything that happened was leading to this moment. This book is my redemption. My right for the world for the countless wrongs that I did in these games.
Though I'm dying, I'm finally living.
That's the end. This is lowkey the prologue to my entire series. Crash Landing will be updated more frequently starting tomorrow. So you need to get your submissions in pronto! It's due July 6th.
Big thank you to RedRoses1000 for the rights to write this story.
Keep it classy,
Caleb