FicWad

I woke up to a gun shot outside my bedroom window. When I first arrived here I’d run to my window, look out and see who’d dropped dead and why. Mainly because I was so alarmed by it. But now I simply grunted and pulled my sheets over my head. Just another person who broke one of the many rules of Better Living Industries. One of the unlucky ones.

If this was any other Saturday morning I’d have had a long lie in until the afternoon. But today wasn’t like any other Saturday morning. It was the day of the reaping.

For a moment I just laid there in the silence, accepting what was about to happen. Then suddenly there was a knock at my bedroom door “Who is it?” I asked. As if I had to ask.

“Your little sister.” The timid voice replied.

I yawned and sat up “I’m getting up now. I’ll see you in the kitchen in a second.”

I heard her retreating footsteps and got out of bed. My little sister Honey was really scared. It was her first reaping, the first year she could possibly be picked. I’d reminded her often enough that she had nothing to worry about. After all, her name had only been in there once. Mine had been in there five times this year because I was sixteen years old. Honey was only twelve.

You add your name in once when you’re twelve, twice when you’re thirteen, three times when you’re fourteen and so on until you’re nineteen and too old to compete in what Better Living Industries calls The Danger Games.

I quickly got dressed in comfort clothes. The Reaping wasn’t until this afternoon. I didn’t need to dress up fancy until then. Once I was dressed, I went into the kitchen and found my little sister Honey had made us both breakfast “You didn’t have to do that.” I told her, taking a seat and eating the slice of toast in front of me.

Honey sat opposite me “I wanted to. It took my mind off things.”

“Honey, you don’t need to be scared. They’re not going to pick you.”

“But what if they did? And anyway, even if they don’t, what if they pick you?”

She was right but I didn’t want to make her even more worried than she already was. So I simply smiled encouragingly and said “There are hundreds of kids in this district. And my name’s only in there five times. No need to worry about me. Or you.”

Honey nodded, looked down at her dinner then looked back up at me “But that’s what you said before and look what happened to Lily.”

I feel a pang when she mentions Lily’s name. Lily was my identical twin sister. We did everything together, we went everywhere together, and nobody could tell us apart. We were best friends. My eyes filled with tears as I remembered.

Two years ago me and Lily stood in the square holding each other’s hand tightly like we’d never let go. We’d suffered through this two times already; another wasn’t going to make a difference. Well that was what we’d re-assured each other. When I’m asleep I can still feel Lily’s warm palm in my mind, her fingers clasped around mine.

The president Korse himself always showed up to draw the names out of the bowl. The girls always went first. Korse had walked up to the bowl, smiled and pulled out a name. The name was Cherry Iero. Me.

For one sickening moment I’d just stood there in shock before finally realising what I had to do. I let go of my sister’s hand and began walking to the stage when suddenly someone’s arms were wrapped tightly around me. It was Lily “I’m not going to let you do this.” She whispered before yelling “I volunteer as tribute!”

I’d begged and pleaded her to just go back home, back to Mom and Dad and Honey. I told her I didn’t want her to volunteer for me, that I’d do it by myself. It hadn’t made a difference. Lily was pulled up on stage then taken away.

We were allowed five minutes with her before she left. I’d cried again and told her that she had to try and win, try and win for us. She’d promised.

I can still remember standing in the square watching The Danger Games on a huge screen with the rest of our district. Lily kept her promise. She tried as hard as she possibly could. She made it through the blood bath at the beginning, survived everything Better Living Industries threw at her until it was just her and another tribute. His name was Gerard and he was brutal. He was the one who killed my sister.

I’m not sure whether I’m truly mad at Gerard for killing my sister. After all, he was fighting for his life and if he hadn’t killed Lily, she’d have had to kill him. I suppose I am mad at him though I know deep in my heart it wasn’t his fault. I’m furious with Better Living Industries for taking my sister away from me so selfishly.

Honey was staring at me so I coughed and said “Yeah, I know what happened to Lily. But it doesn’t matter because it’s not going to happen to us, okay?”

At that moment Dad walked into the kitchen. I often disliked our Dad as well.

Years ago, just about ten years before I was born, there were lots of people that called themselves killjoys. They were a large group of rebels against Better Living Industries who stood up for creativity and the right to emotions. However the group of rebels were soon captured and made to live in twelve separate districts under twenty-four hour surveillance. Once a year to remind the killjoys that Better Living Industries were in control, they made two children from each district participate in what they like to call The Danger Games.

I dislike my Dad sometimes because he was one of the main killjoys leading up to his massive uprising. Him and three other killjoys were the leaders and soon grew a large army.

If he had just accepted Better Living Industries we could be living up there now. The only place safe of the reaping, starvation and random slaughter. There are fewer rules at Better Living Industries. Though that’s only what Ray told me.

I finished my breakfast quickly and put the plate in the sink. Dad sank down into a chair at the table “Would you like me to make you a cup of coffee?” Honey asked him.

He nodded his head then asked me to fetch him the newspaper. I glared at him but fetched it anyway.

I might’ve been able to forgive him, even after Lily died. But after Mom died I didn’t have it in me.

[A/N] – It’s like a killjoy version of The Hunger Games? I dunno, what do you think?