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Chapter 1: On The Seaside
District 4 will never lose its beautiful looks. The bright seaside brings about nostalgia from my childhood days. I would spend countless hours on the beach swimming and walking around on the sand. I love the feeling of the wet sand against my hot feet.
I will hold onto those feelings and memories until after the Reaping is over. For then, I will stand on the seashore again with my hot toes in the sand, watching the waves roll in from the sea. I might even go fishing. There's no chance I will be reaped today. I'm not a full-blown Career like the ones I see who train endlessly in the water and on the beach. They say our Careers can run faster and swim better since they train on the beach, but if that was the case, District 4 would have more winners than what we did now.
In the last games, our female had a good score and a great chance of winning, but she was taken out by a little girl from District 6. The girl from 6 stumbled upon her camp, tied her down, and cut her arms and legs so she would bleed to death. It was an act of revenge from the girl from 6, for our tribute had beheaded her partner right in front of her. The girl from 6 ended up killing herself the next day by running into the Career camp. She couldn't handle what she did.
Our boy tribute, Patrick, he made it much further. He teamed up with the Careers and killed the pair from 8 and 12. He died in fourth place, the night before the games ended. The boy from 1 slit his throat in the middle of the night. That boy won the games the next morning by killing the pair from 2. Gloss Silverston stands as Panem's newest Victor.
Now, it's time for a new one.
I start my day like how I usually do, taking a bath and eating something small. While in the bath this morning, I notice that my muscles look more toned, and yesterday my father told me I was beginning to look like a man. The girls at school blush sometimes when I pass them, but I ignore them. I don't need their attention.
I finish my bath and dress in some loose pants and a black t-shirt. For breakfast, I have some bread with butter on it. I also take two crab legs from our leftovers from last night's dinner. From what I've seen from Reapings in other districts, this breakfast would be a luxury.
I set my food down on the table, send my thoughts to some being above, and then eat my meal in silence. I think about what's ahead of me today. Of who might be going in this year, and if there are any real winners among our crowd this year.
From what I've heard, the girl tribute this year will be Galatea Ryan, a fierce girl who even scares some adults. She has the best odds of winning. The boy tribute is more disputed, for there are many candidates this year, but everyone knows that Galatea will kill them. Maybe in the same way as one girl a few years back who ripped the throats of tributes out. Galatea sure can use any part of her body as a weapon.
I finish my breakfast then head out to the street alone. My father has been out fishing since early this morning, and my mom is probably at the tack shop. Though hunting is outlawed, private fishing is allowed since the ocean expands beyond Panem.
I walk until I reach the seaside, wanting to take it in one more time just in case. I place my feet in the sound and feel the soft grains against my feet. I keep walking until I reach a little patch of shrubbery that is decorated by a few logs and long flowing bushes. One of the logs has been hollowed out, and the glint of metal reaches my eyes. I bend down and pick it up.
The trident feels familiar in my hands. Just because I'm young doesn't mean I'm not prepared to fight for my life.
I take the trident and walk towards a cove which is less than a quarter of a mile from the shrubbery.
The cove is surrounded by high rocks and cliffs. It's not regularly used by the fishermen, so it remains mostly clear of pollution from the old boats. The water is clear, and there is plenty of sea life inhabiting the space. The cove is about fifty feet around, and the clear waves glide against the sand this morning. It's a perfect day for practice.
I carefully climb down the rocks until I'm on the beach. I close my eyes and take a deep breath, listening to the nature around me. The waves make a calming sound as they lap smoothly over the sand, and every now and then, I can hear a bird land on the water.
I inhale again, opening my eyes. I ready my trident and throw it forcefully into the shallow water. I hear a cracking sound and see the crystal blue water quickly turn into a bright blue. The sand fades away to reveal the brown shell of a horseshoe crab. I feel awful
I pull my trident out of the crab, then pick it up. Usually, I don't mind taking out a crab, but I hate killing these ones. They're important for the Capitol for medicine, but these creatures have always held my imagination captive, and they remind me of my childhood days on the beach.
Holding the crab up closer to my face, I sigh, then bury it in the sand. I know a bird or two will come for it later, but I don't want to look at the corpse now. I have other things to do.
I tread deeper into the water and spear at different fish I see. What I kill, I throw to shore for the birds or other animals. Soon, I throw my trident back on to shore, and I swim around the cove for a bit. Today, I swim a little more intensely than I usually do. I have time to kill, and I admit, I'm a bit anxious about today.
After about an hour of swimming, I float on my back to rest a bit before getting out.
I look at the sky before me, its blue like the water I'm in, but its shade is a bit more intense. Birds fly around freely in the sky, chirping and singing to one another. The birdsong is quite beautiful and like nothing I've heard before.
I shoot up immediately to try and catch a glimpse. Can it really be? I look over to a cliff that has a whistle coming from it, and I see them sitting there, belting to their little hearts' content. Mockingjays.
I swim closer to them to get a look. Mockingjays rarely come into District 4, and the few that do never come to the beach.
Intently, I watch them. Listening to them and getting carried away by their song. It's much more pleasant than that of the seagull or pelican. They sing freely and purely, making me get lost in their song.
I'm about to fall asleep when the song suddenly stops. I look back to the cliff and see that the birds are flying away, and they remind me that it's time to go.
Soon, I find myself back at my house, putting on my nicest shirt and dress slacks, and rubbing a bit of product through my bronze hair. I look in the mirror and see my reflection in it.
My father's right, my childhood face has faded away, and my stature looks more like a man. I guess I am what others would consider handsome. In the slim chance I get reaped, it may help me.
A little bit before 11, my father arrives home, looking tired. My mother comes in a few minutes later, already in her nice clothes. My father bathes quickly then prepares himself for the day.
We make our way out and towards the Town Square, which is already filled with teens and adults. Most of the teens are Careers. Some of them are really built and look ready to compete, while others look desolate and are only there for the sake of their reputation.
District 4 is a larger district, so the Reaping Bowl mainly contains Career names. The Capitol claims that the bowls are not rigged and that everyone is entered, but everyone knows that the Career's names are in that bowl. Careers and the poor kids who took out tesserae. I don't fit in any of those categories.
I approach the Peacekeeper and reach out my hand to have them prick my finger to sign me in. Once he is done I go and stand with the other fourteen-year-olds near the front of the square. My parents go towards the back.
I wait for half an hour, then the clock tower strikes noon. It's time for the Reaping to begin.
A/N: I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of this story! I will be uploading when I get the time and I hope that it will tie into my ultimate master plan. Stay tuned for me. Please leave a review!