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?

15. Childhood Memories

Beyond The Pale Chapter 15

Author's Note: I do not own The Hunger Games. I do not own The Secret of Platform 13.

Martha Giedoric, 29, resident of District 12, July 22nd A:D:D 4

Making my way to the lake with Graph, the young nephew of my husband who the two of us adopted after his parents died in the War, I thought to my own brothers. Lachlan would be watching the Games on the television, hoping Harold would survive the experience. My little brother has done well so far. As I neared the lake I heard a shout of "Oh no". Running back home, I quickly switched on the television. Harold was wrestling with a boy from District 2, while the boy from District 10 skewered the boy from District 1's throat. Harold knocked the knife from the boy from 2's hand, and still pinning the boy in place, grabbed the weapon before stabbing him in the chest. As my brother stood up, I noticed he had a look of shock on his face. "I'm sorry Oliver" Harold whispered to the fallen District 2 boy, as he and the District 10 boy left. Five left, and my brother is one of them.

"Lachlan!" I yelled as my mum and I fled to the shelters. Grabbing Lachlan in my arms, I managed to make it to the shelter in time. Placing Lachlan beside his twin, I saw how calm Harold was during the evacuation. "Martha, when will all this be over?" Lachlan sobbed, still holding tightly to Harold. "I don't know Lachlan." I said, telling the truth.

"Westwood of District 5 has jammed our signal" The voice of a Peacekeeper yelled outside, his hovercraft having crashed outside the District. Going out of the shelter, I saw burned-out homes, corpses of the dead who didn't get to a shelter in time. Tiny children wailing in the rubble. Ahead, I saw the corpses of a man and a woman on the road, a child crying. "Graph" I asked the child, and the boy looked up. "My mama and papa are dead" the boy muttered in a low voice. Picking up the child I carried him to Landon, my husband. The roar of gunfire echoed in the distance as we ran back into the shelter.

"Martha?" Graph asked as I looked around The Seam. Ahead was Lachlan chatting with Faith Dolman, the Merchant girl who is dating my brother. "I'm confident Harold is going to win" Faith muttered, as Lachlan smiled at her. Landon is down the mines, I remembered, as I prepared a sandwich for Graph. Since Oliver died, there has been a lull in action; the corpse of the District 2 boy had been taken to the morgue by my brother. Harold has always been the bold one. Ever since he was a child, Harold has been fearless. On some nights I found him comforting Lachlan whenever a thunderstorm hit. My dad was like that. He died in a mine collapse sixteen years ago, when Mum was expecting Lachlan and Harold. Lachlan is the oldest, with Harold born ten minutes later. Although we didn't have much money, I was close to my brothers. When Harold was fourteen, he announced he was going to grow his hair out, and I must say, having shoulder length hair suits him a lot. He and Lachlan consider Graph their adopted younger brother. Tidying up Graph's room, I found a book, a very old book with two children and a ghostly porter. Picking it up, I saw the title was called The Secret of Platform 13. A very old book, written long before The Dark Days and set in a country that was across the sea from Panem. I remember that Lachlan loved this book. On the beside table was another book, a massive hardback bound in cloth. Picking up the book, I read the title, Bramble Clough. Like The Secret of Platform 13, this book also takes place in a country across the sea and written long before The Dark Days. Looking inside, I saw it was a First Edition; the cloth was oxblood red. Leaving the copy of Bramble Clough on the bedside table, I left Graph's room in order to prepare dinner.

Yes, there is a little "Easter Egg" in this chapter to an ongoing project of mine. I had to include a mention of The Secret of Platform 13 as well. There's a reason for the "Easter Egg"; it's because the original project of mine is also affected by WordPad's discontinuation, mainly as I got seven incomplete original stories to finish off. So I'm going to try and get as much WordPad stories finished and posted as I can before the end.