Prologue: Part 1 – Tears and Soil

Augrillian Shire, 28, D6:

I remain expressionless as the first shots are heard. One would hope for fireworks, a tire popping, and hell, even the eruption of lightning from the glooming grey sky. However, the only colour I see is red. As a matter of fact, deep crimson seems more fitting.

The crimson liquid sprays everywhere, the front of the crowd getting covered in much of it. I shake my head as I make out a few cries from the loud gunfire. It is the norm nowadays, everyone should be desensitized to the horror that is the situation.

This matter is worse however, executions are very regular, but I still am sympathetic to the few that can't take what they have done now. I should be feeling thankful, the position that we all are in could be much more, horrific. After all, that could be our children, teens, whatever they could be classed as, lying on the stage with a bullet through their heads.

No, instead they are watching these events. They are around me, I can tell by the gaps in the crowd, obviously where a short child stands, clinging to their parents. That's unlikely, there aren't many children with parents as of now. The obvious reason many adults have been eradicated from existence, their sole memory living on in their child.

Well, that is mainly the case in District 6. Most of these orphan children, have come from the other districts. Commonly from 13, 9 and 4. Most of the country would be watching on a screen, maybe except for District 0. That would be because 5 cut them off from electricity a few months ago. They would have given them power on the screen in their Central, this is about them of course.

"Mommy, can I see?" I hear from my right. A young girl, I would presume to be about four years of age, has her eyes covered by an older woman, who appears worn and distant. Her eyes are glassy and fixated on the stage.

"Let her look, she needs to see this", I mutter to the woman. She glances at me and sighs, accepting the harsh reality of our civilisation. The girl needs to know, why this is happening. The time for innocence has come to an end.

I turn away, not wanting to have to see this. Instead of cries of horror, the girl utters confusion at the events that have occurred on the stage.

"Mommy, why are those other kids sleeping?" she asks. The mother remains silent as someone from further behind demands that she shuts the child up.

My chest tenses up as the rebels kick the bodies off the stage. I picture a ragdoll, getting thrown around aimlessly without the ability to move. Helpless, vulnerable, completely drained of life. The puddles of blood become more apparent, now becoming cloggy with portions of brain and bone.

Why do we need to go to this extent, innocent children? Who did absolutely nothing? Of course it isn't as simple as that. District 0 has of course been very defiant against us, the Rebels. They can't seem to accept the fact that we have won, beaten them, claimed Panem and sealed peace.

Perhaps the only way to get through to them, was to hit them in their weakest spot. Their own children.

The executions have been planned for this day, of course to be held in District 6, the face of this rebellion. The hostages that the Rebels have acquired, the majority being children, are our last hopeful act of ending this once and for all.

My eyes glance up from the bodies as I hear the rumble of footsteps against wood. My stomach begins to churn. That sound represents one thing, the next batch of children, ready for slaughtering. They all walk forward, around twenty of them, varying in size and gender. Their wrists are tied in front of them and each child has a bag over their head. They all stop and are forced to kneel by each rebel.

My eyes wander over to Haor Metchell, leader of the Rebels. He hasn't spoken since the start of the execution, around five hours ago. I can already presume that something big is about to happen, mainly because they are now fixating the cameras on Haor.

"District 0. You have allowed thousands of your children to die, and what for? Defiance? Superiority? All it would have taken was your surrender. This has gone on long enough, so we are going to up the ante a notch", booms Haor.

This isn't good, this isn't going to end well for District 0. Anything could happen here.

"These are the remaining children, specifically chosen for a reason. We have of course saved the best for last, and now we intend to use them", he says.

"Fellow rebels, lift the bags up", calls Haor. Each designated rebel for each child roughly pulls the scratchy looking bags off of the children.

"You know who these children are, especially this young deviant here", he says patting a terrified looking boy. This child is the only child I recognise. I assume all the others are children of officials. However, I believe that this boy is the son of the President. His face is shiny from tears, trails have been made from where grime used to be. His eyes are wide and his bottom lip trembles with fear.

"Now President Satchel, you have two options. Option 1 is surrender and get all these young souls back and unharmed. Option 2, watch every one of them die", Haor says, his lips curling into a cruel smirk.

"You have five minutes to respond, otherwise, Option 2 will be forced to carry out. Your choice, and I do hope you are wise with this decision", he says finally, and steps away from the microphone.

The five minutes are probably the most despicable I have ever experienced. The Town Square is silent, the exception being the hysteric wails and sobs from the kids on the stage, the President's son included. It is becoming unbearable to put up with this for much longer.

My thoughts are interrupted by Haor.

"Very well, you have not attempted to negotiate. So now, the consequence", he says emotionless.

All of the kids begin to cry, now realising their fate. Everyone remains expressionless, if anything, silently competing to remain calm. Haor grabs the gun off of the rebel behind the President's son and makes a show of aiming it at his head.

"You had your chance 0, you didn't take it", Haor says bitterly.

"3…2…1…FIRE!" he shouts. This time I can't take it. I cry out in sorrow, and pain, and weariness. All for the children, every single one that died, because of the nation's actions. All of these emotions that have built up in me almost rise out of my gut and all over the ground. It appears I am not the only one to have these reactions, most of the crows has now shifted in disgust, shielding themselves at the horror in front of them.

I catch a glimpse of the President's son, a tear slowly rolls down his soaked cheek, and is absorbed by the soft soil he rests on.

I just can't believe what we have become. We are acting like District 0, selfish, ruthless and merciless. It disgusts me, this world that we live in. How did people live thousands of years ago? When we need to do this to survive?

I feel the drops begin to fall rapidly on my head. The rain has now arrived, splashing off the stage, absorbing into the soil. The rain becomes louder now, and this is when I know something is wrong.

District 0 is here.

People scream and scramble around, trying to escape the Town Square. It's almost as if its slow motion, when I watch the bullet go through Haor's head. His body slumps lifelessly to the floor, as do all the rebels on stage and many more around me.

I fall to try and avoid the bullets, and stare right into the lifeless eyes of the woman and her daughter, clinging to each other in death. I don't know what to do, I don't know what to think. Everything is a blur of colours and shapes. All I can make out, is a voice. It says something that sends a chill running down my spine.

"District 6, and every other District. District 13 has fallen, the war has been won. It is now time to start a new age, and pay for your crimes and destruction. All hail the Capitol, the almighty ruler of Panem", is what I hear before I black out.

A/N: Hello, this is my SYOT of the first ever Hunger Games. The Tribute form and the rules will be on my profile, as well as a description of all the Districts, just for some inspiration. Please, just because this is my first SYOT, don't let that hold you back from submitting and judging me.