Lazuli Pyre
District 12
I'm a bird, soaring high above the smudged brown and blue of Panem. The Capitol is a small glittering dot far, far below me. I can see the train tracks curving away from the city, leading to the other Districts. I see the massive mountain of District 2, rising high above everything, casting its shadow over the snowy roads. The coastal District 5 with the seemingly never-ending ocean, the toy boats drifting along the blue infinity. The great forest that surrounds District 7, an ocean in its own right. The square fields of District 9, wheat and grain gridded out for miles. Finally I reach my goal, descending down toward the rolling mountains of the Appalachian Mountains, where District 12 resides. My home district.
I flap my wings and speed between shabby buildings, through the Hob, our semi-legal market. I ascend higher, letting District 12 disappear into the distance once more. I go faster and faster, passing over the Capitol and continuing further and further, passing through the borders of Panem into the uncharted, the unknown. I head for freedom of the oppressive press of the Capitol and borderline slavery of the Districts. I imagine a paradise, where the Hunger Games do not exist, where the people lead the people, where no one man is better than any other. As I fly, another bird appears, nudging me.
It squawks loudly, ringing through my ears. I try to fly away but I feel something pressing on me, keeping my wings from flapping. The bird squawks again, and I can make out my name. "Lazuli!" I reluctantly allow myself to be dragged into the dark abyss of the real world.
My eyes open and I find myself staring into the soft blue eyes of my sister, Onyx. She was shaking me, trying vigorously to wake me up. I was always a heavy sleeper. It's not my fault, District 12 is just so chilly and this bed is just so comfy and the covers are so warm…
"Hey!"
My hand-knitted feather duvet is snatched away, leaving me to the mercy of the cold. I roll on the bed, looking for my lost warmth. I give up, finding it gone, and glare at my sister. "I was sleeping."
"Evidently." Onyx crosses her arms with a small smile. She looks far older than her age wearing that sweater and having her hair drawn tight behind her head. "Now wake up."
I just mumble and swing my legs over the edge of the bed and let out a long yawn, stretching like a cat. I squeeze my eyes shut as I stretch and when I open them again I find my sister pointing a hairbrush at me.
"You look like you've been crawling through some bushes. Brush your hair, get dressed and come downstairs. I got a little surprise for you." She drops the brush into my lap and walks away, closing the door lightly behind her.
I have no qualms with my sister telling me what to do even though I am seventeen, a common rebellious age. My sister has been like a mother more so than a sister all my life despite being only five years older than me. She fed me, bathed me when I was young, home-schooled me, ever since my parents were taken away when I was twelve. According to the Capitol they are 'traitors'. Of course they would say that. I was old enough to know that they were taken in unfairly, trying to protect a child who had hit a peacekeeper. All three were taken away, never to be seen again.
Casting those thoughts from my mind I stand up and glance around my modest bedroom. The only real furniture in here was my bed, wardrobe, mirror and carpet. Everything other than the mirror had been hand-crafted by my father, while my mother had found the mirror lying dusty in a back-alley, forgotten to all. With a little bit of polish she made it look beautiful and unmarked. Pulling on a pale green tunic and a pair of simple black bottoms, I make my way bare-footed downstairs, pulling the knots from my bed-hair as I go. As I reach the bottom of the stairs, my sister looks up from a chair. "Up yet?"
"Just about." I sulk playfully. I'm actually glad I was waken up, no matter what dream I had been dreaming. I actually like getting up in the mornings but my body just doesn't want to. If it wasn't for my sister I'd sleep all the way into the evening.
"Good." Onyx stands up and motions to the door. "Shall we go?"
"Where to?" I ask, stifling another yawn.
"Well, that would ruin the surprise?" My sister says. "But I know you don't like surprises. We're going shopping for some clothes that you can wear to the reaping."
This surprises me. We are not a rich family by any means. Most of our possessions are hand-crafted but neither I nor my sister are very good at knitting. Our clothes are cheap ones we've brought for a few coins. We're poor enough that we haven't gotten any new shoes for me to replace the ones that broke almost a month ago. Onyx's words can't help but make me concerned and my voice echoes my feelings. "Really? We have to keep an eye on money, right?" Things like food and medicines are far more important than clothes. I mean… not to say I wouldn't want any new clothes.
"I know we do, but we can spare some for you." Onyx smiles, pushing a strand of hair from my face. "It's been a while since you got anything special, Lazuli. I want to treat you. It won't affect anything, so don't worry."
"As long as you are sure…" I can't help the allure of nice clothes. As much as I like the ones I have I can't help but feel jealous when I see other girls in their pretty dresses and ribbons.
Seeing my confliction, Onyx places her hands on my shoulders, looking into my eyes. "Lazuli, it is fine to spend money for luxury. As you grow older, so does your chances of being selected in the reaping. I just want to you look you best in case of…" My sister's smile falters.
"Don't worry, I understand. Let's go." I think this is more for my sister than me. She worries more about the reapings than I do, I fear. Perhaps she wants to treat me to feel less guilty, although she has nothing to feel guilty about.
Onyx smiles again, and we both head out of the house.
It takes a few minutes for the Hob to come into view, the main market place for District 12. The Hob used to be a black market to sell and trade illegal goods. With our head peacekeeper looking the other way, the Hob stayed strong but it was still illegal and most worried that the Capitol would want to crack down on it someday. That all changed when the only remaining living female winner of the Hunger Games for District 12, Katniss Everdeen, won the 74th Hunger Games; she has been putting money into the Hob to make it all legal and for it to strive as the main source of supplies. And strive it had. Everything you could ever need was sold here; clothes, food, fuel, ink, paper, books, and even the odd weapon - solely for hunting.
That was Katniss Everdeen. She hardly used the money she won all those years ago for herself. She wanted to support this District, but no matter what she did she couldn't get rid of the rampant poverty and the children starving on the streets. But District 12 was better for what she's done, that much was certain.
Trailing behind Onyx, I follow her to a stall full of pretty dresses and shoes. An old woman named Dee sits behind a counter, gnarled fingers pulling back and forth with a needle. Dee was the oldest woman around District 12, known for her polite manner and occasional ramblings about her 'good-for-nothing husband and his cow of a mistress'. Her grey hair falls to her shoulders and those experienced grey eyes of the Seam are constantly scanning the environment. Dee didn't miss anything.
She greets us with a nod, placing the needle and fabric down to the side and pushing herself to her feet. "Looking for a dress, hm?"
"Yes ma'am." Onyx says. "Something nice for the reapings."
Dee looks toward me and scans me heavily with her eyes. I feel naked and unprotected, but I know she doesn't mean any harm. After a few seconds she clicks her tongue and starts rustling through her racks of clothes, fingers passing through fabric and testing it. She glances at me again and pulls out something black. She walks back to us and shows it. It was a simple black dress; no sleeves, a high collar with an open back and a white ribbon tied around the waist. I was surprised that Dee knew my tastes exactly. I liked simple, not those frilly things or the dresses with giant skirts. I hated showing off any skin other than my arms, so the long, slim skirt and high collar were perfect. "Do you like it?" Dee asks, knowing the answer already.
"It's wonderful." I murmur, taking the dress from her. It's made from an unfamiliar fabric, something smooth but with an odd texture to it.
"Do you want this one or try some others?" Onyx asks.
"This one is fine… thank you." As Onyx quickly handles the transaction, I take a look around the Hob. People were milling around, buying, selling, trading, or simply just looking. Occasionally a store owner would give something to the small children - a penny, a cake, or something small like that. Everyone was chatting and would wave at each other if passing by. I loved this place so much. The way everyone knew each other was great.
"Lazuli!"
I focus my eyes on a teenager as he approached with a little girl clutched onto his arm. His name was Nathan, a tall, strong, handsome boy with fair hair. Marina, the girl, had a ponytail and a huge smile plastered across her face despite the fact this was the day of her first Reaping.
"Hi." I say, waving Nathan over. "You're not usually here this early."
"Oh, we decided to have a special dinner tonight so I need to look around for some nice meat. Ahh… if only I was good at hunting…" Nathan rubs the back of his head. "I'm horrible using a bow."
"Can we have deer?" Marina asks, tugging on Nathan's shirt. "Can we, please?"
"If there is any for sale, of course we can." Ruffling Marina's hair, Nathan looks back to me. "What's brought you here today?" Nathan is well aware that money is tight for me and Onyx, much like his own family. I'm not surprised he is curious.
I hold up the dress in reply without a word.
"That looks nice." He turns to Marina. "I dunno Marina, I think I like hers better than yours."
"No way! Mine is so much better!" Marina pouts.
"Hahah, just kidding. Of course your dress is better." Nathan grins and spies something behind my shoulder. "Hey there Onyx."
"Hello Nathan." Onyx comes beside me, tucking her purse into her coat, "and hello to you to, Marina."
"Hello Onyx." Marina waves.
"Hey, are you two planning anything tonight?" Nathan asks. Of course none of us mentioned the possibility of the Reaping.
"Just a quiet night in." Onyx says.
"Why don't you come over our house? We can have a big, celebratory meal."
Onyx blinks, surprised. "Are you sure?"
"Definitely. I'm sure I can find enough deer to serve us all. Besides, mother has always wanted to meet you."
As Onyx and Nathan chat, I take Marina around the Hob, pointing out various things and laughing at jokes. The day goes by quickly. Nathan finds deer meat and buys some roots and herbs to mix a stew with it. Onyx buys something from a trinket stall, but refuses to tell me what it is. Finally, we parts ways back to our houses. It was nice, being with Nathan and Marina. No matter how much they've had to deal with in their lives, they are always happy.
Back at the house, Onyx and I just talk and watch the recaps of the reapings. We would watch something else but the reaping was the only thing being aired. I also watch just in case… I have to say; this year's Hunger Games has so many different attributes in the contestants than I've seen before. There are lovers, siblings, small children and scared teenagers. But as we watch, one person stands out more so than any other, even that big male from District 5.
His name is Xavier King and he is huge, built like a bear. I can't believe someone from District 10 could look so ferocious. He must wrestle the cows or something. A horrible scar runs down his left eye and I swear he is always grinning. It looks like he is going to be one of those Tributes who would happily rip a twelve-year old girl in two.
The day continues to drift past. It's peaceful, I have to say. I don't think I've been this relaxed for a long time. But then the bell breaks the peace. It is time for the reapings.
Onyx sighs lightly and for a moment I fear she'll break down but much like she always does she stays strong and stands up, smiling. "I'll come with you." As I stand up, I notice her looking at me strangely.
"What's wrong?"
"Y-you look really pretty in that dress."
I feel pretty in this dress, which is rare for me to feel. I just feel so natural. Then we start walking. It's not too long a walk to the square which is already teeming with people, young and old. Onyx sees me off and stays where she is as I make my way to a clump of seventeen year olds. With nothing else to do, I look to the stage. There are four people currently present. One is Mayor Undersee, a tall, balding man. He is the only one standing, looking over at the children and teenagers.
Sitting down next to him is the Capitol's escort for District 12, Effie Trinket. Effie is kind of a running joke in District 12. Everyone knows she wants to move up to a better district, but she is always assigned to District 12. It has been that way for 17 years. Ever since Katniss, there hasn't been another winner, but she always hopes. Today, Effie is wearing a bright green wig (at least, I hope she is) that shines out in the coming evening.
Next to Effie, swaying back and forth, is the only other surviving tribute of District 12. Haymitch Abernathy, a known drunk. He is old, wrinkles showing in his worn face and his hair was stringy and almost ready to fall out. With the way he was swaying I would not be at all surprised if he started the day with a stiff drink.
Finally, sitting next to him, her back straight and looking sightlessly at the crowd was Katniss Everdeen. At 34, Katniss looks pretty but sad. The exact same look she had on her face sixteen years ago, when she won the 74th Hunger Games. Katniss' story is simply a tragedy. 'The Girl on Fire' went into the games with Peeta Mellark, 'the Star-Crossed lovers'. Basically, Peeta admitted that he loved Katniss in the interviews, and when the games started, he teamed with the careers to get off of Katniss' trail. When the two reunited, he was terribly injured. They spent some time moving, until they were in the remaining six. They were told of a 'feast', where the thing they most needed was. Katniss managed to get what she most needed, medicine for Peeta, but when she came back to him, he had already died, a smile on his lips.
Peeta literally died a couple of seconds before Katniss got there, so the hovercraft hadn't picked him up. Katniss spent a long while with his body, until the remaining tribute, Cato, appeared. I remember from the recaps that Cato insulted Peeta, and in a fit of rage Katniss killed him before succumbing to her tears. It was a sad story, told all around the District. I hope these so called 'Star-Crossed Lovers Part Two' don't go the same way, but that is the nature of the Games. Only one can win.
The mayor starts to speak the speech as he always does. After this, Effie makes her way up to the stage, adjusting her bright hair-do. She walks over to the microphone, smiling, her eyes glittering.
"Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favour!" This is Effie's signature phrase that she says every Hunger Games. Effie talks about the honour of being here before finally stopping for breath. "So, as in tradition, let us announces the ladies first!"
Effie plunges her hand deep into the glass bowl on her left, before pulling a slip of paper out. She scans the words before speaking them out loud. "Lazuli Pyre!"
The effect happens immediately. It feels as if I've been plunged into a vat of cold water, my skin crawling. Me? But… so many other people had Tesserae, the chances that… no… I can't…. I lost my train of thought, everything blurring around me. I barely register being pushed but then I'm making my way to the stage. Katniss stands up and places her hand on my shoulder, regret showing in her eyes. I look out over the crowd and see my sister. Onyx is shaking, her eyes wide, her lips quivering. She mouths something I can't make out before slumping to the floor. The people behind rush to catch her as she faints.
The cold does not disappear, my blurred senses in turmoil. I just about hear the male tribute announced. "Zebediah Ware!" I can't even remember what he looks like and I feel myself gently guided towards the Justice building.
I'm pushed into a chair and left alone. I stare to the floor, trying to think, trying to get my brain to work. I'm in the Games. I'm in the Games. You can't change this. Don't blank out. You can't blank out. Think, think, think! Mentally slapping myself, I'm out of my shock. Trying hard to remain calm and sensible I put my hands on my lap, waiting.
The door opens and Marina rushes in, hugging my leg, crying and sniffling. I've known Marina ever since she was a baby and I had watched her grow up. "Shh." I say, patting her on the head, feeling like I've been hit by a truck. "Marina, shh…"
"L-Lazuli."
Now Nathan is here, standing awkwardly. He's pale and looks almost sickly, that happiness wiped away in an instant. I slowly prise Marina off of me, stand up, and embrace him in a wordless hug. Nathan has always been there for me, my best friend other than Onyx ever since my parents were taken away.
No words need to be said. No goodbyes. He picks up Marina and looks at me, his eyes wet. He just nods and leaves. I feel like I'm about to cry but I refuse to. That won't help anything. The door opens again and now Onyx is here. She's even paler than Nathan and seems woozy still from when she fainted. She tries to say a word but just falls into my arms, hugging me tightly. She sobs heavily, her tears staining my shoulder. Her whole body is shaking. This isn't right. I should be the one crying into my older sister's shoulder, not the other way around. "Onyx… please don't cry."
"S-Sorry… I'm… I-I'm…" Onyx grits her teeth and stands back up, taking a deep breath to try and gather herself.
Her voice drives a stake into my heart. It has always been me and Onyx, since I was 12 when my parents were taken. With me gone, she'll be alone. I know my chances of winning are near to none, but nevertheless, I try to comfort her. "H-Hey, don't worry, I'll be back before you know it."
"I know… I-I know…" Onyx shakes her head before pulling something from her pocket. It's the trinket she brought earlier in the day that she hid from me. I see it clearly now. A small sphere made of something blue. Seeing it I can't contain my tears. The stone is made from my namesake. Lapis Lazuli.
I thank her wordlessly, embracing her in a hug again. The hug lasts until a peacekeeper pulls us apart. "I'll be fine." I sniff, holding the Lapis Lazuli tight in my hard. "Watch me. I'll be fine." I wipe away the tears and watch as Onyx disappears through the door. I can't cry, I can't show weakness. I need to look good, need to look confident, need to think.
Yes. That's what I need to do. Think.
A/N:- Okay, just a little bit of a month long break… :D Anywho, I'm back and still going with this rewrite.
Here's a list of ALL tributes just for references. The ones in Italics are 'Lead Characters':-
District 1:- Amber Waverly / Jasper Waverly
District 2:- Sina Terra / Aron Nethers
District 3:- Poppy Yussa / Tobias Joker
District 4:- Lacy Neem / Jacob Dareet
District 5:- Tilly / Ryder
District 6:- Olive Holiday / Lewis Gem
District 7:- Sabrina Brooks / Dan Miller
District 8:- Sapphire Iot / Cole Roberts
District 9:- Lotta Obi / Timothy Vent
District 10:- Bonny Cutter / Xavier King
District 11:- Vera Knight / James Total
District 12:- Lazuli Pyre / Zebediah Ware