Young Writers Society

Author's Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Hunger Games or the Author's Characters. All credit goes to her. James and Lily are mine.

Lily's P.o.V.

"Nothing!" I squeak, holding up my hands in surrender. His white suit a bit too tight for him, his face hard and sunken at the cheeks. I gulp.

"What was that scream?" He asks and takes a step forward as I take a step back.

" I was just splashing my sister when she least expected it." James lies. I look over at him, but his eyes are glued to the Peace Keeper's face. I can tell he doesn't buy it.

" Well, if it is nothing. I am sure you will have no objection to me searching you both?" He asks, placing his helmet on the ground. James shrugs.

" Of course not, sir."

"Alright." He eyes me," You first." The peacekeeper points to me and gestures for me come forward. I do, but my feet drag. He places his hands on my ankles and makes his way up my thighs. I feel his hands press harder and go slower as they reach my hips. I bite my lip. I can't say anything, so I stay quiet and endured what i felt as uncomfortable. The peacekeeper stopped at my chest and lingers there before he motions for James to step forward. After a few seconds he steps back with some disappointment. "You're clean. Don't be late today and don't scream like that again." He commands sternly. I only nod and James gives him a smile and a thumbs up. He walks away and I collapse into the water, letting out a breath that I didn't know I was holding. James did the same thing.

" That was a close call. " He says, shaking the water out of his hair. I nod.

"Too close. We need to get home." I say and step out of the water, boots gushing with water. He follows me after ripping his shirt to shreds and sending it down the swifter current. We take our things and walk tiredly back to the house. I see Mom hanging James' pants and shirts on the clothes line. She turns and sees us and a flash of panic races in her eyes. We both walk in the house without a word and she comes in after us. Of course, James leaves me to do the explaining.

"Lily. What happened? And why is James shirtless!?" She asks, crossing her arms.

"Nothing happened, Mom." I lie, sitting myself on a chair. Mom smiled at me.

" Child, you were born with your father's inability to lie."

I sigh," We were almost caught by a Peacekeeper."

"Did he see the weapons?" She asked, fear becoming prevalent.

"No, Mom. We wouldn't be here if he had." I tell her, squeezing her hand. She pulls me into an embrace. I rest my head on her shoulder.

"It's okay, Mom."

"I know, Sweetheart. And don't worry about today. The Lord shall protect you both. I have prayed." She says and gestures for me to go and get ready. " You can wear my dress." She says. I smile and kiss her cheek.

"Thank you."

I walk to her room and grab the dress and run to the bathroom to shower. I look in the mirror. This was the last time... the last time that I would ever see my face. I strip and stand in the shower, letting the water run over me and +wash all the grime, blood and sweat off me. I finish and step out, placing my wet blonde hair in a high bun and slipping on the lavender long sleeve dress Mom gave me, I step out and put on my mary janes. James is sitting in the kitchen as Mom applies some sort of cream to his bruises and scrapes.

"You told me you weren't hurt!" I exclaim and kneel before him, placing a hand on his knee. He just smiles.

"Lily. It's nothing." He assures me and I stand. She also puts cream on my injuries.

"There. Like nothing even happened." She tells me. I can tell that her voice is desparately trying to sound happy, but I know with the hour closely approaching five, it will be hard. We sit in silence as we watch the old grandfather clock tick down the seconds. I turn my head to old wing back chair that Dad used to sit in. I smile. I remember crawling into his lap as he'd play his harmonica.

The clock strikes 4:50. It's time to go.

We stand and exit the house, turning towards the right where the Town building is located. We walk in a line, Mom in front, me in the middle and James in the back. We are uniform in our steps, just like the Capitol wanted us to be. The peacekeepers come and separate us from Mom, we don't struggle like some of the kids. Every year the boys and the girls are put in different roped off areas, but this year it's one big square and they place James beside me. He leans over my shoulder." Maybe we got lucky this year." He whispers. I can only nod, hoping he's right.

James' P.o.V.

I watch as Effie Trinket struts across the stage in front of the Justice Building. She's dressed in a blotchy orange with her white wig in curls. Her heels almost too tall for she stumbles twice. I hold my breath as I notice there's only one bowl on thhe platform beside her. Something wasn't right.

"Happy Hunger Games!" She sings and appluads her own anouncement. We, on the other hand, are silent. The lights around Ms. Trinket dim as the regular historic presentation video shows itself. She comes back on with a neon orange lipsticked smile and speaks into the microphone." This year President Snow has given us a very special oppurtunity for this Hunger Games!" She pauses for dramatic air," The Sibling Hunger Games!"

I feel my heart fall to my feet as a nonexistent breeze sends chills up my back. The only children sigh as there's muffled sobs from the Adult's section. Lily leans against me and I wrap an arm around her shoulders, holding her up. Effie's white powdered hand swirls around the edges of the crystal bowl that sits elegantly on the marble pedastol," Now for the Reaping!" She says, beaming. I bite the inside of my cheek until I taste blood. She undoes the the black tape that is the last barrier that keeps us safe from the Capitol's Games. Her face lights up." Lily..."

God please no, not us.

"And Jackon Samuelson!"

Lily falls against me with a sigh and I hold her close," It's okay...it's okay." I whisper in her ear. She nods, her face moist with tears. There's a screaming and I see a blur of red hair and a girl being dragged down the aisle. Her brother follows behind slowly and stoicly. He's in shock, I've seen it before. Either he's going to remain strong or he'll pass out before he reaches the steps. I close my eyes as the girl's screams echo through the stone floors, walls and pillars. I can't handle it. What if it had been my sister? I know Lily is watching, I can feel her holding her breath, she's shaking. I know she's wishing it was her. She hates seeing people hurt.

Lily's P.o.V.

 The PeaceKeepers drag the girl by her hair. The brother is growing enraged, but he knows better than to fight. He's torn. My eyes carry along with them as the other Lily thrashes about and I cringe when a PeaceKeeper raises a stick to hit her. Jackon can't hold it back and flies at him with a shout. Their father can be heard screaming and telling them to obey but they are both in too deep. I let go of James and turn to him," I'm sorry." I whisper and start walking. The boy's fists fly at the Peacekeeper's face. I hear fists colliding with bone, the cuss words, the cries for help.

"No!" He hisses and brings me back to him, restraining me. I try and struggle but his arms are too strong. One of the Peacekeepers pull out a gun and there's a blast of gun powder and the boy falls down the stairs, lying still at the base. The girl screams and cries out his name in a bloodcurdling howl. I would have fallen if James had not been holding me. Blood runs cold down into the cobblestone cracks as the two Peace keepers tear the girl away and bring her onto the stage. The Captain takes the microphone from Effie and bellows:" This is what happens when you defy the Capitol, defy the Games and defy President Snow!" He takes out his pistol and aim at the girl's head. There's a moan and she falls backwards. I let out a scream that is quickly quieted by James' calloused hand. We are all quiet and in shock as the Peacekeepers call Dead Men to pick up the bodies. We cannot object or else we will be the next ones in line to die. Effie tilts her head in disgust.

"Well, that's just annoying and disgusting." She says and flicks a pretend dust bunny from her jacket. "Now for the second pair!" Her hand swirls again and the whole District holds their breath. I grit my teeth when I notice that she has no sentiment towards the two we just lost. She treats us like dogs. Everyone from the Capitol does. She pulls two out and I pray that it's not us, we are so close to the end. She throws the one in her right hand down back into the bowl and opens the paper. Effie shows off her award winning smile and claps. " This year's tributes are: Lily and James Gayle!"

James' P.o.V.

 This time I am weak in the knees, I want to sink into the ground," G-go. It's okay." I choke, keeping my hands on Lily's shoulders. I'd like to think I'm pushing her foward, but in truth she's keeping me upright and brings me to the front. I can faintly here Mom's cries. We reach the stage and the PeaceKeepers part, allowing us onto the platform. We walk in unison to Ms. Trinket and she holds out her hands to us. I look into the crowd and see a sea of faces, some that I know and some that I don't even recognize. I see the men I worked with... dad worked with. I see my gradeschool teachers, classmates. They're all looking at us, each with the same expression as the next: relief. I want to scream at them and say that we are about to go to our deaths! Can't they have some pity on our doomed lives?! But I check myself. I can't, I felt relived too when the other two went up before being executed. Maybe it was my relieved and smug attitude that got us into this forsaken game.

" The 25th annual Hunger Games tributes!" She exclaims into the microphone and gives us a round of appluase. I look only into the crowd and rest eyes on my mother. I could tell she was telling us it would be okay. I feel a small hand creep into mine and squeeze, it's Lily. I take her fingers and squeeze back as we are led into the Justice building by Effie. It'll be okay Sis. I promise. I look over my shoulder and that's when I realize that this will be the last time I will ever be in Disctrit 12 again... alive.

I hold to Lily's hand as they put us into a small room that overlooks the square of the District. I look out the window and see the sun shining and birds flying, but underneath that are parents on their knees praising God for protecting their children. Girls fainting and falling on the ground, dresses in a tangle. Boys walking out still in shock that their name hadn't been called. But in some faces I see regret. One boy catches my attention, it is Pam Heaterlee's son. He is small for his 17 years, wirey, but one brave boy. He sees me looking at him through the wired glass pane and looks away. I can see that he wishes he could have done something to save our necks, but he walks away never returning my genuine-yet sad- smile.

"James?"

I turn and Lily is sitting in a plush chair, rubbing her knees in order to get her heart under control.

" I don't want to die."

When she says that, I am at her side and on my knees. " Lily," I say, " you will not die. You have my word that you will be safe and you will come home to Mom. You won't die, do you hear me?" She nods, jerking up as the door opens and Mom is pushes in.

" James! Lily!" She cries out and beckons us to her. I run to her and bury my head in her arm like I did when I was a toddler. Yes, I am sixteen, but I am not too old or too manly to find comfort in my mother's hold. Lily is sobbing into Mom's chest, it makes me want to cry too. No, James. You can't, you have to be the strong one. I sigh, resolved to becoming a mountain for the both of them. I feel Mom push me up, cupping my face in her hands. " You take care of her, do you understand?" She asks, I nod, unable to say anything unless they see me cry. She turns to Lily. I quickly wipe the corners of my eyes so they can't see that I have any fear.