Part One

The Hunger Games

The light reflected off the gold necklace placed around my neck and bounced onto the milky wall across the room. I gazed into it, as the sudden movements I made caused it to change course. My long brown hair was straightened and pulled behind my shoulders and placed gently against my back. I could hear my mothers footsteps approaching from behind me.

My eyes shot over to see the slender woman staring, displeased. "What is that?" She snapped. I knew exactly what she was refering to, as I looked down at my black turtleneck and pants. "We do not wear black in this house." My mother stormed over to the window, adjusting the curtains and smoothing them out. "That color is a sign of weakness, of poor." She muttered under her breath. "Both of which we are not. Go, change." She demanded.

"Oh, Clarity, leave the girl alone. You're too tough on her." My fathers voice boomed over the dead air around us. He walked over to me and kissed the top of my head. "Good morning, dear." He smiled, walking over to the dining table. I followed, seating myself to his right. I stared down at the honey glazed ham slices placed in front of me on the gold plated dishware. I didn't feel like eating. There wasn't anything in this world that could satisfy me. Not with the way our country is run. The birds outside the window behind my mother chirped and sang loudly as they bathed in sunlight. I looked past them to the sunflower field just across the pond. It was always mesmerizing.

"Jackson, wait!" A ten year old me shouted after the boy only a few feet ahead.

"You can't get me!" He screamed back as the sunflowers scraped past us. My legs sped up as I was merely inches away from him now. I felt myself lunge up into the air, and before I knew it, I was tackling him to the dirt. "Hey! Get off!" He tried pulling away. My left hand raised up, and slammed down against his cheek. "Ow!" He shouted in pain.

"Thay's what you get!" I screamed, tears forming in my eyes. "You, you- betrayer! You told your parents about what I said of the Capitol!" I stay on top of him, as he squirmed around underneath me.

"All I said was that you didn't like the games! I didn't know they'd tell your mother!" He begged, as blood began to trickle down his skin. I tried to think of something more to yell at him, but my anger and rage just took over and I couldn't spit out another word. I stood up, dusting myself off and walking away. I could hear him crying from behind me, but I stay focused on the sunset and flowers ahead.

"Arizona?" A voice broke my trans. I looked over to my mother who was staring at me, placing a piece of egg in her mouth. "Not eating?" She was annoyed.

"Oh, uh, no. Not hungry." I lied. I'd rather eat nothing, knowing people in other districts aren't eating at all. This world had gone to hell and everyone in the Capitol acted like nothing phased them, but why would it? We have everything we need. Every man for themself, in their mind. Instead of unity, it was division between the classes.

How could they be so ignorant to the blasphemy our president was inflicting on others?

"May I be excused?" I asked, waiting to stand, and glaring over at the two of them. My father nodded at me in approval, so I stood to my feet and walked out of the dining room and into the foyer, letting myself out the front door, where I found my feet leading me through those sunflowers.

It was only morning but it felt like I'd been awake for years. I took one of the petals in between my index finger and thumb, feeling the silk against my flesh. Butterflies drifted near me as I looked to the glimmering pond to my left. The beauty this land held was usually destroyed in the districts. I was lucky to have what I have, but everyone should. It was an injust system put into place. And yet, nobody realized it, and if they had, they just didn't care. And the games were approaching.

I knew what I had to do.