Rosaline Thorne
As the train slowed, Rose woke with a start, almost jumping out of her seat but the Peacekeeper was up before her, gun focussed on her. Rose immediately lifted both her hands up in surrender, wincing away from him.
*“Stand. We’re here.” *
Rose followed the command immediately, shuffling out from her seat. The Peacekeeper nodded his head towards the door and Rose walked down the train towards it. Stepping out into the bright sunlight of the Capital, she lifted her hand to shelter her eyes. The noise was almost deafening of cheers and celebrations as she looked around the hoards of fans gathered outside of the station platforms to view the tributes arrival. The idea of there being anything to celebrate in all this was alien to her. Looking down the platform she could see a few other trains lined up and more Tributes alighting from their journeys. Some seemed quiet and reserved, as she was, but others were eating up the attention, raising their hands and waving or blowing kisses to their gathered fans. They seemed to be more in their element so were probably the bigger threat to Rose. Looking around, Rose identified the exit where people were passing by another Peacekeeper who seemed to registering their arrival via the blood test the registrars took at the reaping. Bowing her head, Rose headed to join the line, hoping she could get through and to somewhere quiet as soon as possible.
@whoiswho8642
His whole life, he looked up to the capitol’s terms. The soldiers that surrounded them in white, the men who went out to harvest the lumber from district 7. And to bring home little to share compared to the copious amounts that the soldiers take.
There were times at dinner when his father would tell them stories.
“We didn’t have to deal with this shit”
Mother “oh no not this again please, we’re eating”
Father “Centuries ago, when the United States fell. We were living in our prime. We hunted and killed for ourselves, hell we could make our own MEDICINE” he chuckled “We were once the scary people of these lands, we were the toughest sons of bitches that nobody would fuck with”
Mother “honey just eat your dinner other folks are gonna hear you”
Father “SO? SO? Why should we be scared of them huh? HUH? So what if they hear that’s who we are, that’s where our family came from. We were warriors, best of the best before the Capitol killed us again”
His parents would argue about the topic for almost the whole dinner usually. His dad wanted to talk about the glory days of their early family while his mother wanted to leave it behind and try to live in the moment with what they have.
When he was ten his father took him to their basement. And showed him all the relics of their family, the knives, the swords, the blueprints to bows and arrows, and a helmet.
“We used to be strong, this was us” said his father lighting up to show stone cave painting pictures that depicted warriors, a sabretooth tiger looking at the ocean waves, and the mountains.
“When you get drafted, that’s your chance to make things back to the way they were” every now and then his dad would secretly train him with the ways of hunting and hand to hand combat. As well as spiritual meditations.
And now Jason stood there, in the house. His name drafted, his heart beating, and his calves tighter than ever. He stood frozen as he watched the clock tick.
And after about 30 minutes his father and mother came in. His mother was weeping when she grabbed to hug him.
“Oh god please no, no not him please”
The father ran up to give them a big hug as well. And Jason couldn’t help but tear up when his mother cried. “M-mom, dad I’m…..I’m scared” he was only 19 and already he was shivering himself to death.
“Listen, you’re gonna be ok alright? Just remember what your father taught you” she didn’t like it but it was the only chance he had at staying alive.
Slowly his dad leaned in and whispered in his ear “Avenge us, avenge our ancestors, avenge our family” he said before kissing him on the cheek. Then putting their family tomohawk in his hands. And the soldiers pulled them out. Leaving Jason. To be guided to the train.
With the family relic in his hands, and his mind a daze. All he could hear were his father’s words “avenge us” he didn’t know how, he didn’t know why. But he had to figure out a way, to avenge the people that fell before him, didn’t sound so easy. He never been to the Capitol, he doesn’t know what weapons they have. And even if he did, he’s supposed to be in the hunger games. Either you live, or you die. And so far, with his ears ringing. That was the only thing for him to do, find out how to live through all this.
