Dark Future

Chapter One

I woke up seeking the warmth of summer. Wait this is District 3 a place once known as Northern Nevada, in North America. Why do I leave my windows open? Last year it snowed a foot and a half on reaping day. This year it looks like it might be cooler but not freezing. I sit up still in my bed and look outside at the storm clouds, and think, ‘Great it’s gonna rain this year.’ I get out of bed and get my favorite tee shirt from when my dad died two years ago in an accident on his way to fight a fire. My mom died too. I don’t like to think about their deaths. I put on some jeans and go check on my little brother. I knock on his door. No answer. I open the door. He’s not in his bed or his closet or in the bathroom. I hear my step mom walk down the hall. I walk out he probably slept with her because it’s reaping day. My sister is fifteen. I’m thirteen. Our step-brother is six. Our house has four bedrooms and three and a half bathrooms I walk into my bathroom and brush my teeth, gel down my dirty blonde hair, put my glasses on, and put on some deodorant. I look in the mirror and take my glasses off and put in my grey colored contacts over my green/ hazel eyes. I walk into the kitchen. I grab some bread and toast it in the oven. I sit down at the table and eat my food quickly so I can go see my friends. I finish and ask my step mom if I can go see my friends. She says yes. I go grab a sweet shirt and leave a note on my desk for my step brother that says ‘Out with friends see you at lunch.’ I walk out of the house and run to the park to meet my friends. We meet at the park after school and mess around. The one thing I never expected to see there was my girlfriend, Zoey. She’s there with my friends. Zoey has perfect blonde hair, Glacier Blue eyes, and tan skin. She has a sturdy build not overly muscular, but just right. I slow my run to a sudden stop, dead in my tracks. It’s just setting in that Zoey’s there. The last time Zoey was at the park with my friends my parents died. I think, ’Oh no, no, this isn’t happening Zoey’s not here none of us are going to the Hunger Games today.’ I stood there 5 feet away from where they were sitting. They all look at me like I’m a weirdo. Which doesn’t surprise me. Zoey says, “Justin, Justin, JUSTIN!”
I stop zoning out, “Wait, what?” I say.
“You were zoning out.” She says
“Oh. What’s up?” I say
“The sky.” Jake says.
“Ha ha. Very original, Jake.” I say sarcastically
Everyone starts laughing. Jake is thirteen he has black hair, brown eyes and dark skin. Connor my best friend since we were two. He has dark brown hair, brown eyes, pale skin, and athletic build, he’s thirteen. He was born six days after I was. We all sit on a play ground talking about the Games last year. I try to hide how nervous I am. We talk about our family for the next few hours until we all go home for lunch and to get ready for the reaping.

I walk in the house, and have some chicken for lunch. I walk in to my bathroom and take a shower. I gel my hair up in spikes, then I put in to a Mohawk with the tops curled back. I walk out and in to my room to grab my favorite sweat shirt. I put it on over my tee shirt. I walk in to the main room with my family. “Everyone ready?” ask my step mom. “Yeah.” We all reply. We walk to the town square together.
I walk to the thirteen year old guys’ area and find my friends. Tonight everything will change.

Chapter Two

The anthem plays and everyone stops and looks at the stage. The mayor gives the usual speech about our country and the Dark Days. We all stand around the lady from the Capital gets up to the podium and says in the shrill Capital accent, and says,
“Lady’s first!” She pulls a name from the ball and walks back to the podium and says, “Roxy Silver!” Roxy is fourteen, she’s a year ahead of me in school. She mounts the stage. The Capital lady asks, “Any volunteers?” There’s a silence. No one dares the move.
The male victor goes over to the ball with the guys name in it. He grabs a slip, and walks to the podium and says, “Justin Lopez.” I freeze, not because it’s cold but it’s shock. Worse than when my parents died. Connor and Jake are shaking me to death. After a minute of shaking I come back to reality. I walk up to the stage. “Any volunteers?” Again silence. I shake hands with Roxy. The mayor says, “Good luck in the sixtieth Hunger Games, and may the odds be ever in your favor.” The anthem plays again. The Peacekeepers escort us to the Justice Building. I get to the room where I’m to say my goodbyes to my family and friends. I sit there, thinking, ‘This is a dream. Not real life.’ I punch my leg as hard as I can. My leg hurts like hell. ‘Not dreaming. Okay. I’m going to die in the next month or so. Yay.’ I wait there for what feels like hours. Then my step mom, sister, and step brother walk in. “Hey, guys. Fun day, huh?”
Everyone in the room laughs softly. My step brother sits next to me. My step mom says,”Well, good luck.”
“Thanks.” I say.
My sister says, “You had too slips, and still got chosen. Not good luck.”
“I know right.” I say
My step brother finally asks the question everyone wants to asks, “You’ll really try to win, Justin, right?”
“I promise I will win.” I say.
The Peacekeepers come to get them. .I wait again. My friends come in not including Zoey, but she must be coming next. Connor says, “Wow, the odds were in your favor. But you lost, against the odds.”
“Thanks for the emotional boost, Connor.” I say. Everyone just busts out laughing except me. We sit there talking about a plan for the games. After thirty minutes of that the Peacekeepers escort them out. Why do I have to wait so long? Zoey get escorted in. I stand up and run over to her. I give her a giant hug, not quite a bear hug but close. We both start crying, still hugging. I look at her, and she’s looking at me. Our eyes meet, and we kiss for at least five seconds. We stop crying momentarily. Then we stop kissing at sit on the couch. Zoey cries more. I say, “Zoey please stop you gonna make me start crying.”
She asks, “You’ll win, right? District Three will have another male victor?”
“Yes, I will win.” I promise, “District Three will have another male victor.”
She keeps crying. I start crying again. Thinking, ‘Why me?’ After about ten minutes the Peacekeepers come to escort her out. We kiss again and she’s gone. I cry harder now that she’s gone. After another five the Peacekeepers come to escort me to the car to take me to the train station. I’m still crying after the fifteen minute ride to the station. When I get out of the car I’m still crying and I’m flooded with reporters and camera flashes. I’m escorted to the train I sand in the door way trying to get a last look at my home. I look, still crying, at the mountains, the rain, the clouds, the wind, then I take one last breath of District Three air and walk to my compartment on the train. The train pulls away from District Three, and I cry harder until I pass out.