7Hopefully you are liking my story!
I DO NOT OWN THE HUNGER GAMES! SUZANNE COLLINS DOES!
The walk to the square is extremely unpleasant, or well, at least for me. The wispy layers of the tulle rub against my legs in a manner that I am sure will leave an irritated red rash later. I actually sigh in relief every time there is a small breeze that lifts the skirt from my legs. Oh how I wish I was Aden, who is being carried by mother.
We reach the square after fifteen minutes of walking, where a group of people all stand together in a tight cluster. Everybody looks at as when we arrive, and when we get closer, I can see Posy and her siblings, Vick and Rory. Hazelle, their aged mother stands next to them, smiling as we approach.
"Katniss, do you know what's happening?" Hazelle asks my mother, who shakes her head and tells her she has no idea. In this movement, Aden looks up from my mother's shoulder, where he must have fallen asleep on the walk here.
"But mother, what about-" I am cut off as my father slaps his hand over my mouth and looks at me with a disapproving look while shaking his head slightly.
"Peeta, there is no use silencing the girl, and Katniss, there is no reason to lie. We all know about that visit that you had from Galilee." My mother's mouth opens and shock and my father removes his hand from my mouth.
"What do you know?" Is all my mother asks.
"Only that you had a visit. But I am not the only person who knows about it, most of the District does. You could hear and smell that car from miles away. So, Katniss, what do you know?" Hazelle responds mischievously.
My mother snaps her mouth shut, "That it none of your concern, at least not yet. You will find out soon enough," she says. Then she turns on her heels and walks away, Aden who looks half asleep in her arms. My father presses his hand to my back and I follow her into the slowly growing crowd.
«««
Thirty minutes later, everyone has gathered in the square, and the big screen has flickered on the reveal the Capitol seal while the anthem plays. Suddenly, a live view of President Galilee is projected onto the screen. She is being shown to all of Panem right now.
"Hello, citizens of Panem. I have a new law that has just been created and voted on by the residents of the Capitol." Already I can see that this "new law" won't be fair at all if just the Capitol voted on it. They seem to have messed up heads and believe different than everyone in the Districts.
"It has been many years since our last Hunger Games, and the tributes, Peeta Mellark and Katniss Everdeen emerged victorious and changed from tributes of the Games to victors of the 74th Hunger Games. I have a different viewpoint than your previous President, and I feel as though I need to prevent unruly behavior that has been shown in the Districts before, and I have a wonderful idea of how to enforce this discipline.
"A new and majorly improved version of The Hunger games will be played every year." She pauses, and during the silence, choruses of gasps ripple through the throng. I see one mother pull her three young children close to her. It seems as if everyone's eyes are focused on my family now. While I stare right back at the wandering eyes, my mother and father look straight forward at the screen.
"The rules of these Hunger Games have been decided by the mayors of Panem and myself that we will have a "District Hunger Games," as we like to call it. Individuals will be selected as before and will face their own district partner, and the winner of that round will play against the two chosen children of a district whose strength added together is equal to or closest to the first winner." The President keeps explaining the new version of the Games. My mother apparently can't take listening to her, because she hand my father Aden and disappears into the crowd somewhere.
"Where does she think she can go?" I ask my father, in a voice that's barely audible. I look for my mother and spot her easily although the heads behind me. She didn't even make it to the middle of the square before a Peacekeeper grabs her arm. My mother is now arguing the Peacekeeper, whose crisp white uniform is freshly washed and ironed. Now another Peacekeeper has multiplied by on my mother's side. My father follows my gaze and I hear him sigh faintly.
"I'll be back. Stay right here," he says, giving me Aden and heading in the direction of my mother. President Galilee is still droning on about the rules and conditions of the new Games, and frankly, she is boring me to death. I would rather watch what's happening with my mother, so I turn around and trail after my father with Aden resting on my hip.
I have only taken a couple of steps when someone pulls me back. It's Posy, and flanking her are Vick and Rory.
"What on Earth are you doing, Calarose? Are you mad? You don't want to be included in that situation!" Her expression is a mixture of disbelief in my actions and question.
"Yes, I do," I say, forcing Aden into her hands as I recoil farther into the sea of people.
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Happy writing and may the odds be ever in your favor!
~luvkatnisseverdeen