The Broken River (The 1st Hunger Games)
written by Lentil Jay
A prequel to the Hunger Games Series. It's the first hunger games, told from the perspective of a 12 year old from District 5. (I'm not the best at writing, but it was fun to write anyway. :P)
Last Updated
05/31/21
Chapters
1
Reads
426
The Treaty of Treason
Chapter 1
Tressa woke up, feeling the rough sheets underneath her. She opened her small eyes, and stared at the sunlight streaming in through her window. She climbed out, and sat on the edge of the bed, enjoying the momentary silence. Tressa made her way into the living room, breathing in the aroma of cooking food in the kitchen. Her mom turned to face her. Tressa slid along the carpet in her socks, her black hair falling into her face.
"What's cooking?" Tressa asked
"Pancakes. You know, while we're here, why don't you go wake your brother up?" Her mother responded
Tressa walked over to her brother's room. She opened the door and slipped in. She shook her older brother's arm.
"Hey Indigo." Tressa said "Mom wants you up. She's making pancakes." Indigo sat up tiredly.
“Pancakes? I hope everything’s okay.” He jumped out of bed and followed Tressa to the kitchen. There was a pile of warm pancakes that sat on an old wood table. Tressa avoided looking out the main window, where she could see the rest of District 5, which was covered with burnt houses and people who walked the streets. She wanted to help, but she knew that there was no way that she could. Not until she was older, at least. They sat down, and their mother, Mrs. Nearbaine, began speaking.
“There has been an accident of sorts. With District 13. It has been destroyed.” Tressa was eating her pancakes, nut with the new news she felt as if the pancakes would come back up at any moment. “They were bombed by the capitol.” Indigo stood up, outrage twisting the expressions on his face.”
“How can you be so calm about it?” He asked “You’re the mayor, why didn’t you try to do something to stop it.”
“It’s not our business. That is for the Capitol and the president to deal with-”
“You could have tried! You let thousands of people die! That’s not fair!” Indigo stood up, his chair clattering to to the ground. He turned and stomped off into his room. For quite some time it was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.
“Tressa?” Her mom said “Tressa Nearbaine, please go tell your brother that there is mandatory television program issued by President Rivendell in an hour that we all have to watch whether or not he wants to.” Tressa hung her head and stalked into her brother’s room. She knocked curtly on the door. When there was no response Tressa walked in to see her brother lying face down on his bed.
“Go away.” Indigo mumbled “I need to be alone.” Tressa sat down on his bed. Indigo turned to face her, his dark blue eyes unreadable. “Tressa, tell me, what is the point of living if life can be taken so briskly from you, and nobody seems to care?” Tressa shrugged. “You’re only 12, but when you’re old enough to understand,” Indigo continued “Promise me that you’ll always care. Never forget those who have passed, even if you didn’t know who they were.”
“Indigo? Mom wants me to tell you that in well.. like half an hour now, there’s a mandatory program on.” Indigo looked at her. “I know.” Tressa said “I don’t want to watch it either, but I guess we don’t have much of a choice, do we?” Indigo shrugged.The two walked out together and silently sat down in front of the television, waiting for ten ‘o clock.
Soon, the familiar capitol song played, and President Rivendell stepped onto a stage, his green eyes staring straight into the camera. A shiver ran through Tressa’s body, and she brought her knees up and hugged them to her chest, nerves running through her. The president took a deep breath before speaking.
“ As many of you know, District 13 has fallen, and the capitol has regained control of Panem. With the help of District officials, we have written the Treaty of Treason. We will lay off on our attacks, but in penance for their uprising, each district shall offer up a male and a female between the ages of 12 and 18 at a public reaping. These tributes shall be delivered to the custody of the Capitol. And then transferred into a public arena, where they will fight to the death until a lone victor remains. Henceforth and forevermore this pageant shall be known as The Hunger Games. The first reaping will be held in each District’s main hall on the 28th of June. In the Winter there will be a victor’s parade to celebrate the victor of the games."
The television sent to static, and for the longest time the only sound was the static that came from it.
"What's cooking?" Tressa asked
"Pancakes. You know, while we're here, why don't you go wake your brother up?" Her mother responded
Tressa walked over to her brother's room. She opened the door and slipped in. She shook her older brother's arm.
"Hey Indigo." Tressa said "Mom wants you up. She's making pancakes." Indigo sat up tiredly.
“Pancakes? I hope everything’s okay.” He jumped out of bed and followed Tressa to the kitchen. There was a pile of warm pancakes that sat on an old wood table. Tressa avoided looking out the main window, where she could see the rest of District 5, which was covered with burnt houses and people who walked the streets. She wanted to help, but she knew that there was no way that she could. Not until she was older, at least. They sat down, and their mother, Mrs. Nearbaine, began speaking.
“There has been an accident of sorts. With District 13. It has been destroyed.” Tressa was eating her pancakes, nut with the new news she felt as if the pancakes would come back up at any moment. “They were bombed by the capitol.” Indigo stood up, outrage twisting the expressions on his face.”
“How can you be so calm about it?” He asked “You’re the mayor, why didn’t you try to do something to stop it.”
“It’s not our business. That is for the Capitol and the president to deal with-”
“You could have tried! You let thousands of people die! That’s not fair!” Indigo stood up, his chair clattering to to the ground. He turned and stomped off into his room. For quite some time it was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.
“Tressa?” Her mom said “Tressa Nearbaine, please go tell your brother that there is mandatory television program issued by President Rivendell in an hour that we all have to watch whether or not he wants to.” Tressa hung her head and stalked into her brother’s room. She knocked curtly on the door. When there was no response Tressa walked in to see her brother lying face down on his bed.
“Go away.” Indigo mumbled “I need to be alone.” Tressa sat down on his bed. Indigo turned to face her, his dark blue eyes unreadable. “Tressa, tell me, what is the point of living if life can be taken so briskly from you, and nobody seems to care?” Tressa shrugged. “You’re only 12, but when you’re old enough to understand,” Indigo continued “Promise me that you’ll always care. Never forget those who have passed, even if you didn’t know who they were.”
“Indigo? Mom wants me to tell you that in well.. like half an hour now, there’s a mandatory program on.” Indigo looked at her. “I know.” Tressa said “I don’t want to watch it either, but I guess we don’t have much of a choice, do we?” Indigo shrugged.The two walked out together and silently sat down in front of the television, waiting for ten ‘o clock.
Soon, the familiar capitol song played, and President Rivendell stepped onto a stage, his green eyes staring straight into the camera. A shiver ran through Tressa’s body, and she brought her knees up and hugged them to her chest, nerves running through her. The president took a deep breath before speaking.
“ As many of you know, District 13 has fallen, and the capitol has regained control of Panem. With the help of District officials, we have written the Treaty of Treason. We will lay off on our attacks, but in penance for their uprising, each district shall offer up a male and a female between the ages of 12 and 18 at a public reaping. These tributes shall be delivered to the custody of the Capitol. And then transferred into a public arena, where they will fight to the death until a lone victor remains. Henceforth and forevermore this pageant shall be known as The Hunger Games. The first reaping will be held in each District’s main hall on the 28th of June. In the Winter there will be a victor’s parade to celebrate the victor of the games."
The television sent to static, and for the longest time the only sound was the static that came from it.
