Goodbyes
54, 14, 1: 54 Tributes, 14 Districts, 1 Deadly ArenaHeeeeyyyy ok so something you guys should probably know is that Panem is no longer in North America.
What happened was that the officials that said that Panem was on the land that used to be called North America were wrong. The land lies on what used to be called South Korea. Hence the use of Korean language and the fact that all the tributes so far are Asian and all the population is Asian.
Now *drum roll* story time.
Almost forgot!!! Happy Birthday to the best bias ever!!!! Donghae Oppa happy birthday :)
also Happy late birthday to Henry Oppa too!!!!!!!!!!! <3
Donghae POV- District Four
I saw her walk up there with all the grace in the world. She didn't look scared at all; in fact she looked numb to everything that was
going on around her. I saw as her eyes meet with Suho as she stood next to him.
"Now," the elderly women's voice brought me out of my daze and reminded me that we were at the selection and I was still in danger. The women dropped her slip of paper a handful of times before she got her bearings.
"Lee Donghae."
......................What...? Was this happening? Had I heard her correctly? She did say Donghae but made it was Kim Donghae or Jung Donghae, defiantly not Lee Donghae. My prayers were not answered when everyone looked back at me. She had called my name. It felt as if a hand was wrapping around my heart and lungs, suffocating me. The crowd parted for me and those near me patted my shoulder and edged me forward. So this is what it feels like to lose hope. I'm sure both Seohae and Suho are felling the exact same thing on the inside even if they keep a steely facade. Here we stood, three dead souls, in front of our peers.
"Seohae," the elder's voice caught my attention. "You don't happen to have a sister do you...?" her eyes widened and she gave a slow nod.
It couldn't be....could it? No! That wouldn't happen.
"Our fourth tribute for the tenth annual Hunger Games is," all of us held our breath. "Jung Grace."
The entire crowd gasped in horror and Seohae let out a distressed squeal. Slowly her little sister made her way up to the podium and Seohae wrapped her in the warmth of her arms. By now they both had tears streaming down their faces.
"That concludes this ceremony," one of the elders said quickly, as to get the two weeping sister off the stage as quickly as possible.
We were all then ushered off the stage and into the town hall; the two sisters clinging to each other as they lagged behind. In the town hall the tributes have exactly one hour to say good bye to friends and loves ones before they were shipped off to the district fourteen. Since all the selections took place on the same day in each district we should all arrive in the district fourteen in a few days time. There the tribute list will be released as well as interviews the next day. By this time next week we will be put into the games; some of us will be dead very soon. Better savor all the breaths I take, they were limited.
"Lee Donghae, you’re in this room." the elder pushed open the door for me and I walked into the small room with white walls.
There was a small cream couch and wooden table. No windows though...to afraid their tributes will try to escape. I heard the door click and realized the door locks from the outside. I knew no one would come to see me so it would stay locked. My parents and sister died in a fire when I had been at school six years ago and when I got home I heard their screams and tried to run into the fire. Thus leaving me with burn scares up my legs and lower back. My Grandparents had died when my parents were young so I was living alone on the coast of the district. I fished for my own food and purified my water source and when I needed something from town I would offer my services to the merchant selling the good and work to earn it. In my Twenty years I have learned to get along on my own. The door handle gave a small jerk then and a District Four official pocked his head in my room.
"You have a visitor..." he said.
Who would visit me?
He opened to door slightly and let in my visitor.
"Hi..." Seohae said timidly.
"Se-Seohae." I stuttered with surprise. Ugh why did I stutter?! Curse you brain. Curse you.
"It took a lot of persuading to get the officials to let me see you," she laughed.
"What did they think we would try to kill each other now?" that didn't lighten to move. Donghae you idiot!!! I mentally pounded my head.
"Actually yes! But the reason I came was to say thank you Donghae," it was nice hearing my name roll off her tongue. "You left before I could say thank you." she giggled a little. "So thank you."
"Yeah sorry for being so mysterious." I really needed to leave before I said something stupid...Wait! This was my room!! Why would I leave? But I can't just kick her out....
"But you saved me so that’s all that matters to me."
"Not that it matters now," I sighed, we were both going to be dead soon anyway.
"Yeah..." she looked away from my eyes.
"Miss," the official beckoned from the door. "You have your own visitor."
"Ok. Bye Donghae, see you on the train." the official got a strong, almost painful, grip on her arm and lead her out of my room.
"Sir, you have another visitor." boy wasn't I popular today! The official opened my door and in it stood Suho, my fellow male tribute.
What in the world is he doing here?!?!?!
Seohae POV- District Four
The official lead me threw the empty hallway and to my room. They opened it for me and I expected to be wrapped in my mother’s arms but
it was a different pair arms that were around me. The arms of a man not a women.
"What am I going to do when you’re gone kitten?" my chaser that has been harassing me for the past year purred in my ear before latching onto my neck with his lips, pushing me roughly onto the couch and straddled my stomach.
Eunhyuk POV- District Twelve
"Put your backs into!!" Our over looker yelled at us and brought his whip down on one of the worker's back, earning a small cry of pain from the boy.
"Do you want to get Boris down here?!?!" his voice echoed through the caverns.
Boris was the "big man" who owned the mines in District Twelve, and was also head of discipline in this tiny district.
"Yah~ blondie you know all about Boris and what he does don't cha," Sehun sneered at me. "You spent a lot of quality time with the big man."
I made a move to go and face him but my friend Junsu stopped me.
"Eunhyuk, do you want more time with him? He's egging you on, don't do anything stupid." he punched my shoulder and chuckled. "You’re such a hot head."
"No people just make me mad that’s all." I slung the pick ax down onto the rocks and broke them off the cave wall.
Even though Junsu is younger than me he always acts older. He tells me what to do...a lot, he doesn't let me do stupid stuff like beat up Sehun and he lets me stay at his house when my mom gets mad at me for tracking dirt and mud into the house on accident.
"Hey did you want to go down to the little pub tonight after the selection? It's beef stew night,"
The selection was today at lunch time and then we had the rest of the day off, unless of course we were unlucky enough to get selected.
"Junsu-ah you know perfectly well that I don't drink plus, my father got hurt in a mine accident earlier this week so I have to help out at the store."
My family ran a little odds and ends store in town, it had clothes, herbs for medicine, dried meats, pots, pans and just about anything you would need in a small mining district. Along with that job I worked in the mines, as did every boy at the age eighteen.
"Fine. How about I come and help you and then we can go to the pub-"
A bell rang out, signaling a lunch break, and Junsu stopped talking.
"Hurry it up! We don't have all day grunts,"
Grunts was a term used amongst us miners. It meant you were new to the mining from the age of eighteen to about twenty six, and me being twenty-one means I fit that category perfectly. Grunts got the heaviest work load and were put in the deepest tunnels of the caves. If one of them ever collapsed on us we would be left for dead. It happened a few years ago, there was an explosion in one of the mines and it caused a cave in. About twenty grunts were down in that cave but no effort was put to rescue them.
"They were just grunts, replaceable, there're plenty of more were they came from." big man said.
After lunch we had about a half hour to get cleaned up and down to the square for the selection.
"Eunhyuk!" Junsu yelled to catch up to me. "You sure about tonight? He elbowed my side a few times.
"I said no and that was my final answer. Now I need to go get ready for the selection." he stopped and I continued to walk without him.
"You know I was kidding right?" he jogged to catch up.
"You honestly thought I thought you were serious?"
Ever since Junsu and I were little we always said we wouldn't ever drink alcohol. Not once. Then one time when we were about sixteen, right around our first selection, Junsu snuck a bottle of liquor from his parents and took a small sip. He got....strange. That whole night he acted not like himself. It was that night I spent the following day with Mr. Boris for his rash actions while he stayed home nursing his hangover. Our friendship has been...different ever since then.
"Eunhyuk-ah, go take a shower!" my mom yelled at me when I walked in the house.
"Arachi Umma,"
The only bathroom in my house was a small shower head in a tight room; if we needed to "go" we had to go into town. I striped off my work clothes and stepped under the head. There was only one temperature. Cold. If we wanted hot water we had to boil it over the heater and take a bath.
"Eunhyuk, I'm going to get your little brothers ready and you can meet us down in the square."
"Arasseo" I put some soap in my hair and massaged my scalp.
"Don't be late unless you want more time with Mr. Boris hyung!" Sungjoo yelled from outside.
"Yah~ it wasn't that fun last time was it hyung?"Sangjoo
Sometimes....no ALL the time it to have two eleven year old, twin brothers running around the house.
"Eunhyuk," my dad's voice came from behind the door.
"Ne it's me Appa,"
"How are you son? How are the mines?"
Only my father truly knew what happened that night with Junsu and Sehun. Only he knows I was innocent and didn't deserve that night with Boris. Naturally making us very close.
"There ok but we almost had another cave in down in the tenth tunnel system but we got all the grunts out in time." the cave almost came down on a bunch of sixteen year olds, that could have ended badly...
"Nice work son." his gruff voice came through the wood.
I turned the water off and wrapped a towel around my middle. Water droplets fell off my golden hair as I flipped it away from my eyes. I opened the door to see my father holding out a pair of his old dress pants and his clean white shirt.
"Wear this son. All of your clothes are dirtied with mud or would be under dressed for this occasion."
"Thank you Appa." I bowed my head, took the clothes and shut the door once again.
"Your mother is making your favorite tonight, strawberry pie." I smiled. She may favor the twins over me but she always thinks of me.
Most would be worried about the selection and getting picked for the games. This was my last year, I am twenty-one. It's highly unlikely I will be picked. My family was not worried about it and would not worry about it for the next five years when the twins will be of age to be selected.
"Chinja? Where did she get the money?" last I knew we weren't poor but we didn't get sweets such as fruits very much.
"She earned it of course. Since I have been laid up she has taken up extra hours at the shop and started a new job as the mayor's house keeper."
I buttoned the last button and came out.
"Tuck it in," he helped me tuck in my shirt and turned me around.
"Little big in places, you arm much skinnier than I was but it will have to do."
"Are you coming?" I asked him, his leg was still badly burned and crushed he really shouldn't be out of bed, but when did he ever listen to doctors?
"Of course, I am going to watch my son not get selected." he smiled, wincing slightly.
"Appa you really should be in bed." I tried to take some of his weight off his foot but he pushed me away.
"No. I'm fine. I can go it will just take me a few minutes."
I slipped my hand around his waist to support his weight and slung his arm around my shoulder. We hobbled our way to the square, stopping a few times so my father could catch his breath, but finally we made it. I helped Appa sit on a rock and made my way to the clump of nervous souls. I wasn't nervous. Last year I had been nervous. Not this year. I won't be picked. I know it.
"Welcome citizens to the tenth annual selection of District twelve." no one made the slightest sound.
"Well let’s get this over with shall we..." he pulled out the first strip of paper. "The first female tribute is, Kim Hyoyeon." everyone stayed quiet as Hyoyeon went up to the stage. She was a nice girl a year younger than me with long golden hair. She didn't deserve this fate as did anyone else.
"The first male tribute is Oh Sehun," I couldn't help but let a small chuckle escape my tight lips.
"He is finally getting what he deserves!!" I thought. "He will pay now."
"Our second female tribute is," he pulled out yet another slip of paper. "Gong Minzy!" three people now stud on that stage, soon there would be four and I could get strawberry pie. I smiled.
"Our final tribute is, Lee Hyukjae!" everyone looked around puzzled. No one knew a Lee Hyukjae in this district except five people. Four of those people are now crying and one is standing motionless, unable to make his feet work.
"Will Lee Hyukjae please come to the stage or raise his hand to let us know where he is." the mayor said impatiently.
Ever so slowly I brought my hand up and everyone gasped. I was known as Eunhyuk, but I was born Lee Hyukjae. Now was the time to embrace that name because that’s how I was going into the arena. I slowly edged my way towards the stage and climbed up the stairs. It felt more like Hell than Heaven.
"Go over there and stand young man."
Now I stood. One of the four unlucky souls that would enter the game from my district. I had only one thought though. Not that I would never see home again, not that I was going to die nor that I was going to make sure Sehun never made it home. No I was more upset that I was not getting strawberry pie tonight.
Seohae POV-
"No. No. No. No." was all I kept saying. I was a broken record.
"Shhhhhhhh my kitten," he purred in my ear and ed the first button of my shirt.
I let out the loudest scream I could muster this time and everyone came running. The guards pulled the chaser off of me and Donghae and Sohu came bursting into the room. My mom and Gracie came in not two seconds later and wrapped their arms around me. My whole body was trembling now as I buried my crimson face in my mother's shoulder. She smoothed out my hair and rocked me back and forth.
"Your ok, it's ok now baby."
But it wasn't ok. Sure the catcher is going to be put in jail for assaulting a tribute but. I. Am. A. Tribute. I am going to die very soon if it means saving my sister.
"Are you ok?" Suho and Donghae said at the same time.
"Yes, thank you coming." I bowed my head slightly at them.
"Both of you out!! You too little girl!" guards came and grabbed Suho, Donghae and Gracie roughly by the arm and started dragging them out.
"No! Please leave my sister with me; it will be the last time we can all be together." I pleaded to the guard and gave him my best sad eyes. It worked all the time with my dad when I was little so why not now? I was still cute right?
"Let her, it's not like she'll try to kill her own blood. Let them be a family one last time." he then handed my mother Daegi, when did he get him?
"Seo," he managed to say and wrapped his chubby arms around my neck. I hugged him close almost to the point he couldn't breathe. I just wanted this moment to last. Me, Daegi, Gracie and my mother all together. All happy. We all sat there in silence, holding each other.
"Ma'am, you really do need to leave now." the guard said gently to my mom.
"Mom," Gracie chocked and wrapped her arms around her waist. "I don't wanna go," she burst into tears. I quickly kissed Daegi and handed him back to my mom and took Gracie in my grasp. She clung onto my shoulders as our mom and Daegi left.
"Now you two, have about five minutes before we bored the train and leave for district fourteen. It's a one way trip for most so I would savor these last moments in your district." this guard was nice, kind and understanding. He knew this was hard and tried to make it as easy as possible. I automatically liked him for that, that’s one person I can trust at this point. Soon I will be in a sea of strangers and capital citizens.
"Seohae," Gracie said in a quiet voice. "I don't wanna leave."
"I know Gracie-ah but there is nothing we can do about it. This is our destiny and we have to go with it. Whatever is planned for us is what we get and this is what we have. Think of the positives. We get to each like queens for the next few days," I tried to cheer her up.
"And then risk starvation in the games."
"I bet we could see a dog," I tried.
In the districts it was rare to see any animals besides birds, fish or the occasional squirrel. All the animals were wiped out after Shin took over. Everywhere except district fourteen.
"I wanna see one of those." her eyes lit up.
"I'll personally show you my dog Gracie." the guard said.
"Chinja? Can you do that?" I asked, a little skeptical.
"Yeah he works with me so he will be around soon, he's a security dog just like me." he looked into Gracie's eyes and I watched her smile widen. This man made my sister happy and smiley, he's ok in my book.
"What's your name?" my sister asked, already trusting.
"Shin Soohyun."
"Nice to meet you uncle Soohyun." Gracie gave a little bow.
"I'm not an uncle I'm an Oppa. I am only twenty-two."
"Oh....... Soohyun uncle" she gave a bright smile.
"Well we must be off ladies, long drive to District Fourteen."
That made her smile fall. She took a hold of my hand and dug her feet into the floor.
"Come on now," Soohyun said. "The train ride won't scary I promise. It will be like a new adventure,"
"One that I don't want to happen." she pouted.
"Are you guys hungry?" Soohyun asked as he lead us down the hallway.
"Yeah, we didn't eat lunch." I said, dragging Gracie along behind me.
"We can all eat together on the train. You, me Donghae, Soho and Miss Eunbi."
"Who's miss Eunbi?" Gracie piped up.
"Well I am your guy's guard and Miss Eunbi is the boy's. She will show them everything they need while I show you yours." he smiled
"Will there be anyone else on the train?"
"Besides the servants no and this train will also be a straight shot trip. No stops at all." he pushed open a door and out into the world we went.
"Say goodbye to District Four girls. This might be the last time you see it." I would guess this was Eunbi. She had long auburn hair with sharp facial features.
I turned around and looked over my district one last time. Goodbye beaches and fish, goodbye people I’ve come to know as family, goodbye tree Gracie and I fell out of and broke my arm. Goodbye Daegi-ah and Umma, I love you.
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