To the Death
Summary: Forty-six times, The Hunger Games have been played. People have watched children fight to the death forty-six times. Now it is time for the Forty-Seventh Annual Hunger Games to begin. Twenty-Four will go in, but only one will come out. Who will be crowned the victor?
Volt Graves District Three
My hands fumble over the wires of the phone I am working on. My mind is somewhere else, since the Reaping is today. Every small noise is making me jump, especially today, and I can't take it anymore! Every year I see two kids carted away, and I can't help but think that it could be me or my sister! It has gotten so bad that I can't even focus anymore.
Suddenly there is a loud ring of the phone and I leap from my chair. As I land on the floor I realize that I have simply wired the phone incorrectly. Great, now I can't even do my job properly! Slowly I pull myself off of the ground, thankful that no one bothers to pay attention to me; they have all become accustomed to my paranoia by this point.
My boss comes out to the floor and yells, "Okay everyone, that's it! The Reaping starts in just a few minutes, so I suggest you all head out, unless you want a beating!"
Everyone rushes out of the building. My feet shuffle against the ground as I make my way to the Justice Building. I am visibly shaking, but once again no one pays me any mind. I finally reach the male sixteen year old section, and take my place.
Our escort comes on stage and gets strait to the point. Within minutes of coming on stage, her scarily bony and white hand forces a slip of paper out of the jar. She reads the name slowly, and I freeze, "Volt Graves!"
I tense up as pairs of eyes turn to me. This can't happen! It just can't! All of the sudden I feel my knees hit the ground as tears begin to stream down my face. Through my tears I see the Peacekeepers coming towards me. Two of the Peacekeepers grab my shoulders and attempt to pull me to my feet. My limbs begin to flail as I try to kick away from the Peacekeepers.
I can't go into the Hunger Games! I'll die, I know I will! I can't die! I won't let it happen! Finally the Peacekeepers manage to pull me onstage, kicky and screaming. They let me fall to the ground as the escort chooses the girl tribute.
Only one thought is going through my head as I am forced into the Justice Building; I am going to die very soon.
Katerina Petrova District Three
The man falls dead at my feet, with tears still running down his face. I feel no remorse for him, after all I was getting paid. It's his own fault for stealing from my boss, and he should've known that someone would be sent to kill him… that someone just so happened to be. Looking down at my watch I see that I need to go meet Xavier before the Reaping. Quickly I push myself off of the ground and begin to walk, leaving the man in the alley way he died in. The animals should take of him in no time.
My heart starts to beat faster as I break into a run. Finally I reach my destination and start looking for my brother. When I find him I shout, "Xavier, wait for me!"
He turns and faces me, with a smile twitching at his lips. Soon he is by my side pulling me into a hug, "There you are! I was starting to get worried. Did you finish your job?"
I nod my head, "Yes, it's finished. We better hurry if we want to be at the Reaping on time! I don't know about you, but I am not in the mood for a beating!"
Xavier laughs and agrees as we start walking towards the Justice Building. Just moments after we get to the male and female seventeen year old section the escort begins the Reaping. Things heated up as the Reaped boy cries and kicks, desperately trying to get away from the Peacekeepers. I almost feel bad for the boy, but I'm just glad that it isn't Xavier or Demitri.
As the Peacekeepers get the boy to calm down, at least enough so that the crowd will be able to hear the escort, the escort announces the female. "Katerina Petrova!"
I go numb. Me? How can it be me? I start to feel eyes staring at me, no doubt people wondering if I'll make a scene like the boy. What, do they seriously think that I'm just going to curl up and cry? Because I'm not! I am Katerina Petrova, and I guess that I will just have to be this year's victor!
I square my shoulders and make my way to the stage. While I stand next to my sniveling partner, oh God I have to call him my partner now, my eyes scan over the crowd. Finally my eyes land on Xavier and Dimitri. My brother's eyes are the only part of him showing any emotion, I know he's scared, but he knows I can do this. Dimitri on the other hand looks to be in a state of shock. What's going through his head? I can never tell with that boy!
Quickly we are lead into the building. My mind is on overload. I've killed before, many times in fact, but I can I really finish as the victor? With all of my kills I was the hunter, no one was after me! Now I'll be the one being hunted. Can I make it out of this alive? Yes, yes I can and I will! I am going to come home as a victor! My brother and best friend will not see me die. I won't let that happen!