Beyond The Pale

by Sleepstar of Shadowclan

"Future Generations will name them Tributes 69-92, but I'll never forget them" Long before The Hunger Games became the spectacle in Katniss' era, 17-year-old farmhand Horsa Georges would expect to live out his life on the family ranch. But when he is Reaped to represent District 10 in the 4th Hunger Games, he isn't sure of his chances. Can he return home or will he end up in a box?

10. The Ranch

Beyond The Pale Chapter 10

Bessie Georges, 12, resident of District 10, 15th July A:D:D 4

Sitting in the living room of the ranch, I watched as the Games was about to start. My brother was standing beside a red-haired girl from District 6 and a tiny girl from District 8. Horsa turned towards the left, spotting the boy from District 12, who nodded back. Barbara was between the boy from District 6 and the boy from District 9 as the Countdown started. The boy from 12 pulled out a silver locket from underneath his white shirt and was staring at it. As the alarm rang to mark the start of the Fourth Hunger Games I saw that the Tributes from Districts 1 and 2 had made it to the Weapon Pile, along with my brother and the boy from 12. The boy from 12 picked up a knife with a strong inward bend of the blade, and placed it to his belt. "Horsa!" the boy yelled as a spear impaled the small girl from District 3, narrowly missing my brother. I saw Barbara running up the bleachers with the pair from District 11, as a boy from District 8 is slashed in the stomach by a sword; the girl from District 2 fired arrows at a number of Tributes while the girl from District 1 speared a boy from District 5. The arrows struck at a trio of girls fleeing from the carnage as the boy from 2 grabbed a sword and started attacking two fleeing Tributes; the red-haired girl fell onto the ground, and as she tried to get back up the boy from 2 cut her lower right leg off, leaving her to bleed to death. Minutes later the sound of the fighting ceased as I saw on the screen, Horsa and the boy from 12 join Barbara and the District 11 Tributes. "Swift, where's Claire?" I heard the District 12 boy ask the boy from District 11, his face etched with worry at fear his District Partner might be dead. "I'll go and look for her" The boy replied once the other Tributes with him confirmed where they were standing on the podiums prior to the Melee at the Weapons Pile. At least Horsa made it out of the melee alive, I thought.

"Riko, Taliesin, Set, Alicia, Billy, Deborah, Danae and Emily. All dead in a flash. Districts 3 and 8 gone already. This isn't right" The boy from 12 muttered to himself as he searched for his District Partner; I noticed that he had shoulder-length dark hair and grey eyes, a look I had seen on the District 12 Tributes in the past three years of the Games. Unlike the Tributes from District 12 in previous games, he looked strong, standing at least an inch taller than Horsa, and at least the same age as well. Even his District Partner is around my age. Talking about Claire, I saw on the screen the District 12 girl running in the opposite direction to where her District Partner was, but the blond boy from 1 spotted her, and in a flash he threw his javelin into the girl's chest.

"I found Claire but she was killed" The boy muttered to Horsa when he returned, and I watched as Horsa turned to the boy. "It's not your fault, Harold. None of us asked to be put in here and made to slaughter each other." He made his way to the District 12 boy. "Claire's not really gone. She's here, Harold, in your head" Horsa placed his hand on Harold's forehead, letting it sink in for a moment, before moving his hand towards his chest, talking as he did so "and in your heart"; as he said the last word Horsa placed his hand on the District 12 boy's chest, directly over his heart. I have never been more prouder of my brother, I thought. "You've got something to fight for now, Harold." Horsa muttered. Taking a deep breath Harold whispered "But it's cruel to make 12 and 13 year olds fight against 17 and 18 year olds. Claire was only thirteen, and for what? So a bunch of rich people can cheer as twenty four of us poverty stricken kids slaughter each other so they can satisfy their lust for blood? That's horrible, and it shows how callous the Capitol treat the Districts. They treat us like pieces in their Games, never seeing the person behind the pawn. Guess that's it, Horsa, just pawns for the stone hearted Capitol to play with. Toyed with, even. I know I will certainly die in the Arena, but I want my death to have meaning, that I am more than a pawn." I have to admit, the boy from 12 does have a point on how cruel the Games are.

As I sat in class the next day, the schoolteacher kept us updated with Horsa and Barbara's activities, and so far it's been quiet in terms of activity. Day 3 of the Games was also another quiet day in terms of Arena updates, and as I returned home to the ranch, I looked out of the bedroom window, little knowing that excitement was just around the corner.

So yeah, a look at the ranch where Horsa and his family live, on a day when the parents are working the ranch. Horsa and Bessie tend to work on weekends and national holidays, which includes Reaping Day.