Concequences of Rebelling

Chapter 1

I woke up to the other side of my bed cold and empty. I look over and see my little sister, Natasha, sleeping with our older brother, Nick. I sigh as I look at them, today was Natasha's first Calling, that means today there will be keepers all around our 'city'. Keepers are people and soldiers from The Capital, they come here once a year to call a boy and a girl between the ages of 12 and 19, this is to participate in what they call, a game.

This 'Game' is when a boy and a girl from all the Cities 1-13, to go to the Capital and train to compete in a 'Game' to the death. There will be 26 kids and of those 26 kids, only 1 will survive and win. The Capital calls it a 'Game' while everyone else calls it Indecisive Torture. We don't get to choose who will be in it, a person from the capital comes and picks a name, one for a girl and one for a boy.

In City 12, we haven't in 15 years, his name is Mike, and he isn't the best to be around. Nick is 20 years old, so this is his first year out of being called. When you are 12 yours name automatically goes in, then at 13, two times, 14 three times, 15 four times and so on until the age of 19. But you can put in your name more then once for one loaf of bread, its an exchange, one loaf of bread, and you put your name in.

I put my name in 2 times every month, so my name will be in there 29 times. I wouldn't let Nat put her name in at all though, so her name is in just once. I sit up in my warn out, and old mattress and slowly get out of bed. I was going hunting today, like I do almost every day when we don't have school. Today was a Wednesday, but today is considered a 'Holiday'.

I put on my hunting boots, I've had these boots since I was 14 when I stopped growing. They have molded to my feet, like a snug little hug, it keeps my feet warm so that is a plus. I go to the mirror and run my fingers through my hair, then I put in my hair in it's signature side braid. I then walk out into the small living room that connected to my kitchen.

I saw a note on a small bowl, it was some of Nat's goats' cheese. I put it on my pocket and walked out quietly after grabbing my jacket. I saw Keepers all over the place, when they weren't around I quickly went under a whole in the gate that was the exit out of City 12. It was supposed to be electrified 24'7 but it hasn't been on at all, maybe we would get lucky if it was on for only 4 hours a day and when it is me and James just wait till it turns off.

I jog into the woods and grab one of my stashes of a bow and arrow along with a few throwing knives. I was good at throwing knives but a bow and arrow were my best weapons. I through the woods, me and James have this one place we always go to, it is a meadow overlooking the city. I wouldn't really call it a city it is more like a town.

On my way I see 3 rabbits so I shoot them through the eyes and take them with me. When I get there I see James sitting on the ledge, he hears me coming and smiles as he turns around and sees me. He gets up and I put the rabbits down and hug him. I met him when I was 13 he was 15 at the time. "Look what I got." He pulled out a loaf of bread.

It was the good kind too, it was real bread. I gasp, "Really?!" There was a whole in it and I smelt it, "Oh my god!" My mouth watered at the smell. "The Baker only took one squirrel for it." I shake my head, that was insane usually we have to pay 3. "I also got an apple and some berries." I smile, it was a real one, not a fake one.

"I got cheese." I pulled out the glob of cheese, he chuckled and grabbed it. We sat down and ate some bread, then we spread some cheese on the apple and ate it. I moaned at the amazing taste of it, James was right behind me on that too. Then once that was done we ate a few berries. "How many times is your name in this year?" I asked looking out into the wild.

"40." I nod sadly, he has a big family, his father was in the mine with mine, his father lost an arm and a lag with severe burns like my dad. And on top of that his mother just had a little boy maybe a little over the age of 2. And then on top of that he has 4 other brothers. His mom helps mine, my mom and Nat run a small little doctor thing.