Note: I do not own Frozen or Hunger Games.
Every year, one boy and girl between the ages of 12 to 18 were selected from each of the 12 Districts as tributes. 75 years ago, 13 districts went against the Capitol. The rebellion was long, countless people died in the war.
But eventually, the Capitol was victorious. In order for the people in those 12 districts to remember the rebellion and damage they caused, the Capitol created the "Reaping" also known as The Hunger Games.
"NOOOOOO! NOOOOO!"
I was awoken by the screams, the screams I heard were filled with horror and fear. Olaf. I dashed to Olaf's room and kicked his door open. "Olaf! What are you okay?!" I was worried, he has been screaming in his sleep for the past few days.
"Anna, I'm scared." He curled into a ball. "They picked me." Tears started dripping down, I knew exactly what he was referring to. But all I could do was to comfort him and be here for him as his big sister. "They aren't going to pick you, Olaf." Olaf started to sob, he laid his head on my shoulder and mumbled. "You promise?" He wiped his tears. "Pinky swear." I gave him a smile to brighten him up, in return, he gave me a warm hug.
"Can you stay?" Olaf gave me the puppy dog eyes and looked at me. "I'm sorry. I can't." I sighed and walked towards the door holding the doorknob. "At least sing me a song? Please?" I nodded and let go of the doorknob. I sat next to him and started to sing our mother's lullaby.
It was our favorite song, the only song that could calm us and comfort us. We listened to mother sing everyday until the 60th Hunger Games. She volunteered as the tribute for district 12 in order to save a little girl's life. I watched her being slaughtered in the games, it was a total blood bath. Our father didn't take it well, he used most of our money to drink away his feelings. But who am I to blame him, after all, if it weren't for him, Olaf and I would be on the streets right now.
"Where the north wind meets the sea
There's a river full of memory
Sleep my darling, safe and bound
For in this river all is found
In her water, deep and true.
Lies the answers and a path for you
Dive down deep into her sound
But not too far or you'll be drowned
Yes, she will sing to those who'll hear
And in her song, all magic flows
But can you brave what you most fear?
Can you face what the river knows?
Where the north wind meets the sea
There's a mother full of memory
Come, my darling, homeward bound
When all is lost, then all is found"
Knock Knock!
I turned around to see who was there. "Hey kiddo, don't you have somewhere to go." Father grinned as he leaned against the door, crossing his arms. I nodded and walked towards the door and turned my head to look at Olaf. I smiled and walked down the stairs which lead to the front door. "MEOW." Olaf's cat meowed at me.
"I will still cook you." I glared and hissed at the cat and it only left out a soft whimper. To be honest, I never really liked animals, I only found them as food but...for the sake of Olaf's happiness, I have to keep my paws away from the animal.
I walked out of the door and jogged to the forest, I felt eyes looking at me. Like I was an outcast, I always felt I never belonged here anyway. I would have run away a long time ago but the only reason that's holding me back was Olaf. He could never survive out in the wild, even if I tried to protect him. It will just result in death for both of us.
There were electric barriers that separated us from The Capitol, I climbed through the gap between the barriers carefully, luckily I didn't get fried right off the bat. I went deeper into the forest and looked around to check whether or not there were people or Peacekeepers around me.
I slid my hand under a rock and grabbed my bow, I jammed it a bit until I got it out of the rock. Now, where did I put my arrows? Shit! I looked around but still couldn't find them. What if the Capitol found them? Oh shit, hey Anna no need to overreact. You probably hid it somehow else. I took a deep breath and kept searching.
I felt a rock hit me by the shoulder, I turned around to find Chris leaning against a tree with my arrows. "Hey, feisty pants. Looking for these?" He gave me his iconic smirk and walked towards me. "Here." He handed me my arrows.
I held the handle and pulled the string of my bow, I held my breath and aimed at the deer in front me as I slowly hid behind a tree. I released the string and the arrow went flying and landed in the deer's left eye. "Not bad feisty pants." Chris laughed and clapped his hands. I couldn't help but giggle a bit. "So, what are you going to do with the deer?" He asked and walked towards the deer's soulless body.
"Probably selling it at the market." I replied as I took the arrow out of the deer's eye. Crack! Bloody hell, that was disgusting. As I pulled the arrow out, the deer's eye popped out. I covered my mouth and wanted to vomit. Chris just stood next to me and laughed.
"Stop moving." Chris whispered and crouched behind the grass, I hid with him and peeked from the small holes. The grass started moving and we heard footsteps. I saw white figures started moving towards the deer. "Shit, Peacekeepers." I grabbed my bow and arrows and looked at Chris. He gave me a nod and we started moving back slowly, step by step.
"Sir, I found something." One of the Peace Keepers called through the microphone and others started coming. "A dead deer huh?" The commander observed and touched the deer's eye. He observed the wound and took his microphone. "Dead deer with a wounded eye. It looks like it was shot with an arrow or a spear." Damn, the commander was good.
Crack!
Chris accidentally stepped on a tree branch and snapped in half. He put a finger on his lips and pointed at the electric barriers. I nodded and looked back. Crap, we had to make a run for it. I grabbed my bow and aimed at the beehive near the tree next to the Peacekeepers. I pulled the string and held my breath. One shot, Anna. One shot. Chris mouthed "No" and did the cross sign with his arms. I ignored him and released the string, the arrow flew past the beehive by a few inches and landed on the ground.
The Peacekeepers turned around and walked towards the sound. Chris tapped on my shoulder and mouthed "Go". I walked back slowly until I was no longer in the forest. I looked around but I couldn't see Chris anywhere. I felt my heart skip a beat as I saw Chris running out of the forest.
"Anna! Run!" Chris shouted from the distance as he was chased by a bunch of Peacekeepers.
I didn't want to leave him by himself but my legs disagreed. They ran as fast as possible until I could no longer see the shadows of the Peacekeepers. I climbed out of the gap of the electric barrier and ran back to District 12 to catch my breath. I stopped running until I felt my legs went numb. I could no longer run. I was concerned, Chris..how will I find you. I hid in a corner and cried.
3 hours later…..
I felt too tired to go anywhere but Olaf would be worried. Please, father please don't be drunk. I looked up and saw a figure standing in front of me. My vision was blurry but I could see a white-haired woman. I couldn't see much but the moonlight shone down at the woman, god she was gorgeous. She held a book and looked at me. I was too tired to move or to look at anything. I felt my body shut down but I refused to sleep. The last thing I saw was a beautiful blonde walking towards me. I drifted off to sleep.
The next day…..
"Chris!!!!" I screamed and yelled in my sleep. I rubbed my eyes and looked around me. I was on my bed, unharmed. How was that possible? I sat up and looked around me.
Knock! Knock!
"Come in." The door opened slowly and father came into my room. He sighed and sat on my bed. "It's today." He held my hand and looked at me. I was worried, not about me getting selected as the tribute but Olaf getting selected. This is his first year, he turned 12 last month. I simply nodded and went to the bathroom.
I turned on the tap and water started dripping, I washed my face with the small amount of water in my hands. I looked at the mirror and saw the reflection of Olaf. "Hey, Olaf. Ready for today?" I turned around to see him. He shook his head and sighed.
"I'm scared. What if they pick me?" He started sobbing, I walked up to him and patted his head. "They're not going to pick you, I promise." Olaf nodded and looked up to me with a warm smile. "I'll go get the clothes ready." I smiled back and watched him run away.
I turned my head back in the mirror and sighed. I won't let anything happen to you, I swear. "Anna! Come to your room now!" I heard my father command, I walked back to my room to find a green old dress on my bed. The dress was my mother's, she wore this before the reaping. I looked at my father and whispered. "Thank you." He nodded and went out of the room.
"How could you let me die!" I heard Chris's voice from my room. "I thought we were friends!" I could hear the pain in his voice, he kept screaming and shouting nonstop. I covered my ear and cried. "Stop! Please!" I turned my head to see Chris in the corner. "You're a coward!" I wasn't sure what was real anymore, at first I thought I was having hallucinations but the more I thought about it, the more real it became.
I screamed and covered my ears until I was left in the silence. I looked around but I couldn't find Chris's shadow. Snap out of it Anna. I grabbed my mother's dress and put it on. It was beautiful, it felt like for the first time in forever I was connected back with my mother. I smiled at my reflection.
I juggled the doorknob and saw Olaf and our father waiting for me at the stairs. I walked out to them, "You ready?" We nodded and went downstairs which led to our front door. We walked out of the house and saw people walking in a line. The second I saw the Peacekeepers my heart skipped a beat. Chris. I looked around but I couldn't find Chris. Chris, where are you?
We followed the line to the Reaping. As we arrived I pointed at the desks and told Olaf to go there register his name. "They're just going to take a little blood. It won't hurt much." I smiled and guided him to the registration. I was behind Olaf by a few people, out of nowhere I felt somebody grab my shoulder tightly. I turned by my right and found Chris grabbing me.
"Chris?" I couldn't believe my very eyes, I thought I was hallucinating again. "It's me." He took a few moments to catch his breath. "How did you-?" I got cut off by the Peacekeepers. "Next!" I began to walk towards the desk, I turned my head and Chris looked worried.
I could no longer feel the warmth in his brown eyes, I could only see through those empty eyes and feel fear. Lots of fear. How did he escape? I thought to myself. I was interrupted by one of the Peacekeepers. "I said next!" The Peacekeeper shouted at me.
I swallowed hard and took a deep breath. I stood in front of the desk and extended my finger. The Peacekeeper took a small device and I felt a sharp razor pitch through my skin. I gasped softly in pain.
I got into the line and stood in the middle with others. We all waited for The Hunger Games selection. I looked around and saw Chris staring at me. He mouthed "It's okay" at me. I nodded and looked in front of me.
"Welcome, welcome, welcome. Happy Hunger Games. And may the odds be ever in your favor. Now, before we begin, we have a very special film. Brought to you all the way from The Capitol." Effie Trinket said through the microphone cheerfully. I looked at Chris and he mouthed "War, terrible war." I chuckled and looked back.
*Video starts playing*
War.
Terrible war. Widows, orphans, a motherless child.
This was the uprising that rocked our land. Thirteen districts rebelled against the country that fed them, loved them, protected them.
Brother turned on brother until nothing remained.
And then came the peace, hard-fought, sorely won. A people rose up from the ashes, and a new era was born.
But freedom has a cost. And the traitors were defeated. We swore as a nation we would never know this treason again.
And so it was decreed that each year, the various districts of Panem would offer up in tribute, one young man and woman to fight to the death, in a pageant of honor, courage and sacrifice.
The lone victor, bathed in riches, would serve as a reminder of our generosity and our forgiveness. This is how we remember our past. This is how we safeguard our future.
*Video ends*
"I just love that. " Effie said joyfully. "Now, the time has come for us to select one courageous young man and woman for the honor of representing District 12 in the 74th Annual Hunger Games. As usual, ladies first." Effie walked over to a bowl of paper notes. The notes were written with everybody's names.
She put her hand into the bowl slowly and grabbed a piece of paper. I took a deep breath and looked at Chris. He nodded and smiled at me. His smile always finds a way to cheer me up. Effie took the paper and walked back to the microphone, she unflipped the paper and called out the female's name.
"Elsa Arendelle."
I sighed in relief. The blonde was left in shock as the crowd turned their heads to see her. "Come on darling. Come here." Effie smiled and extended her arms. Elsa walked up to the stage slowly. Conceal don't feel. Elsa thought to herself.
She stood next to Effie, I could see she was still in shock. To be honest, I would be too. "And now, for the boys." Effie walked over to another bowl filled with the names of the boys. She put her hand into the bowl slowly and picked a paper, she walked back to the microphone and unflipped the paper.
"Olaf Andersen"
No..NO! I was shocked. This couldn't be happening, there's no way. Olaf stared at the ground and said nothing, not even a whimper. I was too shocked to figure out what I should do, I jumped out of the crowd and shouted "OLAF! OLAF!" Peacekeepers started blocking my way to Olaf, I screamed and yelled but it was no use.
"I volunteer! I volunteer! I volunteer as tribute!"
The Peacekeepers backed away. "I'm sorry darling but you're not a boy." A guard walked up to Effie and whispered something to her ear. "Well lucky you, President Snow agreed to let you volunteer."
"Olaf, you need to get out of here. Go find dad now!" I told her as the Peacekeepers dragged me towards the stage. Chris jumped out of the crowd and carried Olaf away. "Anna! No! Anna!" He screamed. "District 12's second volunteer!" I walked next to Effie. "What's your name dear?" I felt eyes staring at me, I never wanted attention and now everybody's staring.
"A-Anna Andersen." I said nervously. "I will bet on my hat that little boy was your brother isn't it?" Effie asked with her usual joyful tone. The voice of Effie selecting Olaf kept replaying in my mind. "Y-yes." I stuttered.
"Tributes of District 12. Go on, shake hands." I smiled at Elsa and extended my hand. We both shook hands and nodded at each other. The others down at the stage rose their hands and did the Three Finger Salute. "May the odds be ever in your favor." Effie clapped her hand quickly. I swallowed hard and walked into the building's entrance behind us with the other two. Elsa gave me a cold icy glare one that sent chills down my spine, as we stepped foot into the building. I hear the doors closing behind me, tears starting dripping.
There's no turning back now.
A/N: Reviews are appreciated.
