Five Feet Of Fury (THE HUNGER GAMES)

CHAPTER ONE

Surprisingly, there was no fear within Amy-Jean as reaping day approached. She had found the overwhelming sense of dread would have certainly thrown her off her work and handling some angry stallions was far too dangerous to be done with an unfocused mind.

Besides, the odds were far too slim for her to be picked.

Amy-Jean sighed and wiped her muddied hands on the front of her trousers and grimaced at the mess she'd made, Lynn wouldn't be happy about it. At least all horses had ended up where they should be, fed and washed. Last time one had managed to break free and had galloped off into the distance, leaving her in a lot of trouble.

Tending to the horses had been her job for a little over a year now and a hell of a job at that. She reckoned she had it harder than Max or Cal who constantly pushed her around for her occasional mishap with the horses. They only dealt with some pigs and chickens.

Amy-Jean was not cut out for this job.

Standing at 4 feet and 10 inches, she was magnificently short. Her limbs were skinny from the lack of food in her district but strong from hauling unruly horses in and out of their pens. Her face was slightly rounded and she had the lightest hazel eyes that appeared yellow in the scorching summer sun. Her hair had probably been originally dirty blonde but from working outdoors all day had turned a very light blonde which darkened in the winter. She has turned sixteen a little under a month ago in mid June.

All in all, decently pretty aside from the fact she was always covered in mud and oversized clothing.

She never knew where her tiny size came from, her parents she supposed but they had died from a particularly nasty accident when she was still too young to comprehend and in all honesty, she had no interest in finding out about either of them. 

She didn't even remember them.

Reaping day was no different for Amy-Jean in terms of daily routine apart from the flocks of Peacekeepers in the district who paraded around in groups of two or three with their huge guns strapped to their backs, silently watching over the people doing their jobs. 

Their armoured vehicles were parked everywhere and created an almost comical contrast with their sleek modernity and the shabby architecture of district 10.

Amy-Jean lived in one of the district's two orphanages,  unfortunately the one furthest away from the fields of livestock so she was always tasked with picking up food from the town's square for all the kids for dinner. She didn't mind it too much but after a difficult day of school then labouring away in the fields for hours, even the most menial task seemed almost unreachable.

Nonetheless she payed a visit to the Baker then the market where she dutifully collected vegetables and cheese.

She passed the large town square as per usual on her route back to the orphanage but it was always different at this time of the year. The stage had been laid out and the big titantron was being set up as she walked by. She felt instantly uneasy looking at the plane where tomorrow two poor children would be sent to their inevitable deaths.

Ignoring the gnawing sensation in her stomach, Amy-Jean passed the square quickly, without hesitation and swiftly walked onward.

The peacekeepers standing guard didn't seem to notice her.

She arrived home quickly and knocked loudly on the door, knowing the usually busy house was probably filled with the children's arguing.

The house was medium sized and definitely in good shape compared to some of the shabbier houses in the district. It was brick and looked rather gloomy save for the flowers Lynn had placed everywhere she could find a ledge in an attempt to brighten the place slightly.