The Overlooked

Prologue

Panem, a nation that rose out of the ashes of a nation once known as North America.  A brave, intelligent, caring country that's split into twelve districts. At one point in time there was thirteen but that was before the dark days when the various districts of Panem rebelled against the Capitol, primarily due to the oppressive fashion in which the Capitol government ruled over the districts. Twelve districts were defeated, and the thirteenth was obliviated.

This was the start of the hunger games. A game where twelve females and twelve males between the ages of twelve and eighteen are put into an outdoor arena where they must fight to the death, until only one person is left alive, the victor. This is the nation I live in, sounds great right?

Dream on, my president doesn't care for anyone but himself and always has the knife ready if you step out of line. And that game, the hunger games, is a cruel viscous game the capital created to show us how much at mercy we are to them.

By now you probably want to know who I am. I am Rue Pettisan, I am twelve years old and live in district 11, the agriculture district. Our peacekeepers are cruel men who don't care who you are of what your reasoning is, if you break a law, your punished. The fence surrounding the district is thirty feet high and topped with razor wire, with metal ground plates to prevent anyone digging beneath. Along with guard towers evenly spaced along it. It is always turned on so citizens cannot escape.

Yes, that's my home.

I live in a poor part of the district known to some as "The begging shacks". Really its just a place in the district with small four room houses. I live with my mother, my daddy, and my little sisters Clover, Lobelia, Laurel, Violet, and Ivy. Our house is simple; with a kitchen/living room combination, a tiny bathroom, and two bedrooms. Small as it is, its cozy and I like it.

Today is the day before the reaping, this will be my very  first one. I've watched them all my life but this year, my name will be placed in the bowl along with every other girl between twelve and eighteen in District 11. The reaping is held in the town square. You have to go, it's not an option. The only excuse not to come is if your at deaths door, otherwise, when you don't show, your arrested.

The rest of the year, everyone is given a job. I work in the fields with daddy and Clover. They work in the North Field where as I am in the East Field. I work with my neighbors Thresh and Alestria. We could be considered family. They've lived with their grandma ever since their parents died. Alestria is one of my best friends, she's one of the only people who knows the real me. Not the closed up me. I love both of them dearly.

Today will be my last day of freedom, and I plan on enjoying it. The day before the reaping we don't have to work. This is done so family's can enjoy the company of each other one last time before it all starts. I don't like to be home today, its tense on the day before the reaping. Its usually pleasant to be home and in the company of my family. But my presence there will just send them into tears. I start walking, there's a stream right on the edge of the district, I always go climb the butternut tree that's right next to it.

There's even a rope swing there. If your brave enough you could jump in and swim. Not only would you get in trouble, but not many of us know how to swim, I surly don't. Never needed to know how. I always enjoyed the company of the butternut tree. Sometimes I would go there and imagine a life without the hunger games, or of a world that was filled with magic.

As I got older I have gone there more often, escape the world, hide my emotions, rant on about something. It's my tree. I love being here, everything about it. How the breeze slowly rolls over the tree's leaves and makes cool sounds, how Clover would sometimes come with me and try to beat me to the top of the tree. She never has.

I get there in no time and climb up to my favorite spot in the tree, its a fork in the branch close to the top. I can the whole East and North Field from here. I sit here, enjoying the breeze.

"Rue?"

I snap my head to the ground to see Clover getting into the tree. Clover is nine and closest to my age. We share a special connection with each other, about the same height and the same face. She always can get me to open up.

"I figure we could talk a bit before tomorrow."

I look over and soak in this moment. Clovers face is fresh and smiling. I can only hope she won't have to mature as fast as I had to.

"I agree." she looks over as a Robin flutters next to her "You know I love you right?"

"Of course I do! You do so much for us, for me." She says

Her face switched from happy to serious much to fast for my liking

"Clover, if anything happens, please keep this family together." I tell her, with a pleading tone

She looks right at me staring into my eyes "I promise."

After this the mood lightens and we move on to more pleasant conversations, Alestria and her fiance, Ivy's big history test, cookies. Anything we can think of. We talk until almost dark. When we climb down I tell her to go on and that i'll catch her later.

I kneel by the water and look at the rocks shining in the evening sun. The maples that surround it, and the tiny fish that are swimming around in the crystal clear water.

"Goodbye"

I whisper. I don't know what will happen tomorrow, but I want to remember this place if something does. I walk silently home and walk right on in. Dinner is being served as I change from my work cloths. I walk back in and eat silently. No one talks. After the meal is done were told to go to bed. I hug them goodnight and head to our room.

As I get into my pajamas I think about the possibilities of tomorrow. My name is in that bowl twenty-seven times. Twenty-seven out of thousands, but still twenty-seven! I fall into a nervous sleep. I don't know how I will survive the night.

Hey! thank you so much for reading this story! I don't know if this chapter is too short, this is my first creation, tell me any flaws. or anything else that could be changed.

Comment, vote, and fan

~Tara