To Kill or Love

[Lucii]

Story Title: To kill or love

Type of story: Long

Main Characters: Charlie, Angelo

Others: Ruby, Roman, Brax and others

BTTB rating: A

Genre: Drama, Crime, Romance

Does story include spoilers: No

Any warnings: Will mention at start of chapter if there is any

Summary: Every year two families are torn apart where a boy and a girl from the ages of 12 - 18 are forced to compete against each other and 22 more to be crowned the winner of the annual games. Except it's nothing to be proud of, especially when the only rule is kill...or be killed.

(PS. Based on the books of the Hunger games...so if anyone's planning on going to see it then this story may be spoilerish )

Chapter one

I feel my arms outstretching to bring in my little sister, almost for warmth where the harsh rays of the Australian winter sun decieve us into thinking that

it's warm. Panic overtakes me for a second when I realise she's not there. I cry out, but my cries are met only by silence and the harsh cool air that

pinches my cheeks when I dare sit up and look around the room. I see Rubes huddled in a corner wearing only a flimsy night dress. Her whimpers tell me what

I already fear, that she cried the entire night through the haunting nightmares that could very well be a reality at about one o clock this afternoon.

"Charlie, it was me, I got picked" she cried as I leapt out of bed, wincing at the coolness of the room at first. I wrapped my arms around her, stroking her

hair, soothing her cries but there was no use. I felt like crying myself. After all, it could be any one of us.

"It's your first year, and you've only been entered once, trust me there's not a chance you'll be picked" I smiled, grateful that the sun hadn't fully risen

that it would show my vulnerability.

"How many times have you been entered?" she asked, before beginning to hiccup at the rate the tears streamed down her face.

"Twenty" I gulped. "Five times because of my age, and 15 times where we had no choice but to eat"

"You should have let me get food too, then you wouldn't be entered as many times"

"No, I'd rather enter myself one hundred times than let you be entered any more than you have to be" I replied firmly. "Come on, we've got to go wake dad

before we go"

"And make ourselves look pretty. The city won't want us unless we do" Ruby gulped.

"Who says either of us will be picked?" I smiled. "I haven't been picked any other year so don't be scared. It's unlikely"

"Charlie you've been entered 20 times" Ruby shuddered. "I don't want you to go, we've already lost mum I can't lose you to"

"I'm not going anywhere" I firmly replied

"Well let the odds be ever in your favour" she eerily replied as the sun creeped through to the bare room and filled it with light. To the residents

of Summer Bay this was no ordinary day, where two families were about to be ripped apart at the likelihood of losing their loved ones forever.

-------------------------------

1 o clock finally struck. Me and Ruby in our best clothes stole glances at one another. I brushed through her curls, letting them hang loose over the plain

white dress she wore. She looked beautiful, yet her eyes proved she was scared. Time after time I told her to snap out of it for fear the governent would

bathe in her vulnerability and force her to compete for food.

"Charlie I'm hungry" Ruby says exactly what I feel. What everyone has felt for weeks after we learn to survive on whatever wild food we can find in the Bay.

Once a bustling town screaming for tourists, those days became unrecognizable as tumbleweeds passed through the town regularly. Ever since the rebellion,

everyone had struggled. The government took away our right to eat, every time we gave in, our name was wrote carefully and placed in a big glass jar already

promising a likely death. Whenever times were desperate, we could recieve food from the government, the cost was an extra vote in your favour,

"We're all hungry" I try to be sympathetic but it comes out rather harshly. Ruby bites her lip and I know I've upset her. I wrap my arms around her as a

peace offering. "There's bread that Leah's mum made, not much but leave some for dad" I smile as she rushes to the kitchen and tears off chunks of bread with

her bare hands, wolfing it down almost animal like.

I can't eat, I feel too sick. After all my names entered twenty times this year and in a small place like Summer Bay, twenty times is practically half the

votes for the cruelty of the games. I sigh after catching a glimpse of myself in the mirror. I've lost too much weight since last year and the dress my

mother wore on so many occasions hangs off my loose frame. But I can't help but admire the beauty of it. The way the material feels on my skin and how it

still smells of my mum.

She died in childbirth, something which became common after the rebellion of local towns against the government. The hospitals were stripped of their

medicines where dad said we'd have to survive on herbs and anything we could get our hands on. But that was easier said than done, we lived in Australia,

we were constantly covered in sand and the sun meant any herbs we could find were likely to be frail and useless. One blistering hot summer day, my little

sister Ruby Buckton was born, about a year into the rebellion. My mother died soon after, in my fathers arms.

My father became house ridden after that. Too poor to numb himself with alcohol, he took it upon himself to stare into space for days on end. I cried, only

four years old yet those memories haunted me. I cried for my daddy's love but I didn't recieve it. Day by day he became stronger, but I began to resent his

love, he pushed me away when he needed me most.

I practically raised my little sister, watched her grow from a baby into a toddler, now a junior to almost a teenager. She was like my mum in most ways

although she never met her. Dad always said Ruby had mum's heart. Ruby always blushed when he said it. We recieved help from the locals around us at first

then as I grew older I began to provide. Begged my friend Leah's mum for Bread and cakes the kind of luxuries we only got once in a while and the old woman

Colleen who seemed to forever be making casseroles and selling them to the public. Only we couldn't afford these everyday, only once a month if lucky.

We made do on the things we could find, berries, nuts. We'd be ill for days but it wouldn't matter if it got rid of the groaning sounds of hunger that made

our bellies ache.

Ruby came back through to join me as we glanced in the mirror one last time. A voice came from behind us.

"You look beautiful"

We both spun round to see our dad waiting with his open arms. Ruby rushed over clinging to him although she never wanted to let go. I hesitated but I joined

them both. After all, I may never see them again

"Don't worry you will not be picked" he tried to promise us but he failed. What was he possibly going to do? Rig the votes to be sure we weren't going to be

picked. I knew Ruby had no chance, at least a very slim chance, but my chance of being picked was greater. Dad took my hands, kissed them both then kissed

the top of my head.

"I love you Charlie" he smiled, allowing the single tear to roll down his eyes. I was determined not to cry. The cameras would be on us as soon as we left

the house. I nodded, stepped back and took Ruby's hand. Together all three of us stepped out and made our way to the beach, once a place where we would go

to enjoy the beauty of the Australian day, but now a place we began to fear.

------------------------------------

"Hey Charlie" I spin round to see Roman making his way towards me. He smiles broadly but I see the pain in his eyes. He reaches for my hand and squeezes it

tightly.

"How many times have you been entered?" I asked, daring to think of the answer. Roman, one of five siblings and then had a mother to feed. He too refused to

let any sibling have their name entered for more food, and had his name entered on their behalf if it meant that they would be safe.

"Forty two times" he says this at first as if it's an achievement, then he bows his head. I squeeze his hand tightly as we gaze into each others eyes. We

let go of each other as the hand holding gesture becomes awkward for both of us. We're not boyfriend and girlfriend, but he's my only friend around here. I

lean up to give him a good luck kiss on the cheek. Instead he tilts his head and it ends up that we kiss on the lips. I'm confused but I let it last. My

knees turn to jelly as I breath in his scent. We break apart and he smiles, already walking away from my distance to join the boys line.

That could be it And it dawns on me. "That could be the last time I ever see him

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As soon as we sign in we're instructed to different rows. Girls to the left, boys to the right. 12 year olds at the front and the 18 year olds at the back.

I hold Ruby's hands tight until it's certain that we have to part ways. I cling to her for support, selfishly worrying more about me than her. Because I know

myself she's not got a chance in hell in being chosen. I kiss the top of her head as I watch her make her way to the front amongst the other frightened

twelve year old girls. But there's a slim chance in being chosen. I familiarise myself with the girls I stand next to and we exchange weak smiles. We all

attend the same school, maybe talk and chatter there but the beach is different. We desperately pray that this isn't our day to be chosen and that someone,

anyone goes in our place.

I scan the crowd of boys for Roman, who seems to be looking anywhere except me. I blush at our kiss earlier. I'd never had a boyfriend or a first kiss before

and the tingling fuzzy feeling from it seemed to make me happier. I'd been too busy raising Ruby to see Roman was right infront of me. He was perfect. And I

loved him. I just didn't know which way I loved him.

My thoughts are interupted by the same hissing voice through a megaphone as our representative dressed in bright pink clothes, so bright I thought it safer

not to look directly at them incase I was left blinded, began to talk. She hypocritically welcomed us to the same place we stood every year, although none of

us wanted to be there. Who would? After all we knew today that somebody was going to leave the community.

We were made to sit through the same old speech about why these games existed, to punish us from the days of the rebellion. I wanted to cry out in pain. It

wasn't our fault. None of us 12 to sixteen year olds forced our parents to rebel against the city and the government to the extent that we'd be forced to

kill or be killed in brutal providing a sick entertainment for the government, who played the torture to large screens at home to symbolize the power they

really had and the price they paid for daring to rebel. At last the speech ended and the time had come. The clock struck exactly one and my heart began to

pound. I closed my eyes wishing for a miracle like the other girls were doing to.

"Ladies first" our representative announced as she laughed, although more of a cackle if anything else. I closed my eyes so tightly my head felt funny. Not

me I prayed. Please not me.

Everyone waits on edge as our representative begins to unfold the slip of paper. She takes a deep breath, before beaming as she reads out the name in a voice

as clear as the Aussie sky. It's not me.

It's Ruby Buckton.

[Inactive User]

Ohhh interesting start! More soon pleaseee xxx

[Arielxo]

Hmm... Well this is interesting.

So im presuming Angelo is Peeta as you listed him as a main character,

Roman is Gale,

So that leaves Brax as Cato(?)

I look forward to reading your twist on this story

[pembie]

Hi Lucii

This this a very interesting idea. I haven't seen or read the hunger games but I have heard what the plot is about vaguely.

Well good start.

[ScreamingQueen2006]

Interesting start. I've read the first Hunger Games book, have yet to read the others and I went to see the film a week or so ago. Look forward to see where you take this fic.

[Lucii]

Thanks for the comments

Chapter two

All I can think about is how I felt when my father told me my mother was never coming back. The tears rolled down his face and at four years old I couldn't

understand why. He handed me my baby sister. I made a promise to my four year old self that I would love and protect her and make my father happy again.

Hearing Ruby's name read out left me confused. I struggled to breath, tried to shout but my voicebox refused to let me shout and it came out as more of a

whisper. I rush out from the crowd of girls, my legs turning to jelly rapidly as I notice Ruby take small shaky steps towards our representative.

"No. NO RUBY!" I scream at last, blaming myself for refusing to believe she would be chosen. Her chances were tiny, so tiny I hadn't considered for just a

second she would be chosen. I refused to let her take the food from the governement but for what? Nothing it seems.

Ruby turns around and I see the tears shine in her eyes. She knows she has no chance. She doesn't have the guts to kill anyone. Or the heart. She'll be

dead in seconds.

I can feel Roman gripping my arm as he runs behind me and tries to hold me back as i'm close to ripping the head of our representative for forcing upon us

these annual games which seems ironic to be called games. Games define fun and fighting to the death, losing a respected member of the community isn't fun.

"I VOLUNTEER" I scream as loadly as I can, much louder than the megaphone could sound. People in the community start to whisper. Roman spins me round, taking

my face in his hands.

"Charlie...Charlie no" he begs me but I try free myself away. We're only inches apart and my mind casts back to the kiss we shared seconds before my life

changed forever. I broke away from his longing gaze, desperate not to cry at the thought of losing him, Ruby or dad. Knowing he has no control, I begin to

sprint to where Ruby is, pushing her back as she tries to hug me.

"Take care of dad" I whisper to her as she cries.

"Charlie don't go"

"I have to, theres no way you're going to fight" I firmly reply taking her hands in my own. "I love you so much" I smile.

"I love you too Charlie" she smiles. We stay like that for what seems like forever, until our representative seems to have had too much. She speaks into

the megaphone causing me and Ruby to jump especially when we're miles away.

"Well it seems for the first time ever we have a volunteer" she beams as her bony hand begins to outstretch. "Come on dear up up" she calls me as if I was an

animal. I shudder in disgust. I make my way to where she stands. She tries to grab my hand but I will not be decieved.

"What's your name?" she asks but all the same seems to only be vaguely interested. As if ripping apart a community isn't interesting enough for her. I can

see my father's piercing eyes begging me not to rebel, because that will only make matters worse.

"Charlie" I reply gruffly, my body remaining in a stiff position. The representative laughs.

"As in Charles?" she stupidly asks, expecting a laugh or two but she gets nothing. Just the same sorrowful look on each member's face. Ruby is being

comforted by Roman, or to be more exact they're both comforting one another. I try not to look at them because I know that I will become weak.

"No as in Charlotte. Charlotte Buckton" I say, almost too poliitely to someone who's partly responsible for my soon to be likely death.

"Well I bet any money that the little girl over there is your sister" she pats me on the shoulder. I glare at her. She quickly moves on. "Ladies and

gentlemen we have Charlotte Buckton!" she raises my hand into the air. The audience manages a weak clap, but I can't help but bask in the sorrow in their

eyes.

Deciding that there has been enough time wasted already, what with losing valuable time to travel to the city, the representative moves on. She quickly

places her hand in and fishes around for a name from the boys pile. I don't want it to be Roman but at the same time I do. I don't want to be killed by him

or even worse kill him or even see him be killed but I'd be alone in whatever area they decided to host the games. And I'd need him. More than dad or Ruby

because I was pretty sure I loved him. I just didn't know which way I loved him. I can't look at his face so instead I focus on the other boys wondering

who will be my companion, then sworn enemy as we battle for our lives.

"Angelo Rosetta" our representative announces and the crowd of boys seperates until it's clear who Angelo is. I know him vaguely seen him at school, heard

his father and mother made italian food which was desirable. I wouldn't know, I never had the money to buy their food. And we hung around with different

people at school. He had his rich friends, I had Roman and a weak friendship with Leah.

"Any volunteers for Angelo?" the representative asks. No body speaks. Not a single person. Not Angelo's eighteen year old brother Vittorio who's a hell of

a lot stronger, faster than Angelo. He slopes backwards and tries to hide his shame. But he still doesn't volunteer.

Angelo look salmost as frightened as Ruby does. He walks calmly up to the stage and has the nerve to look me straight in the eye. I glare back. His mother,

ever the drama queen, starts sobbing into Angelo's father. Understandable I suppose, but even so there's a chance of him surviving. I steal a quick look

at him. His mother's probably right to cry. Although he's well built, he looks like he couldn't even kill a spider never mind another human.

"Ladies and gentlemen I give you the contenders of Summer Bay for the games!" our representative raises both our hands up. Nobody smiles. A few people clap.

I glance around quickly trying to remember each and every single person's face but before I know it we're bundled into the backseat of a car and we're

driving out of Summer Bay for what looks likely to be forever.

[Danni02]

Ahh I was just thinking about doing a fic based on the hunger games! But now I get to read one instead! haha. Great start and I look forward to more.

[Inactive User]

Awesome chapter Update soon please xx

[Samantha1]

Ooohh, LOVE this idea! Wonder who Brax is going to be, I thought he'd either be the equivalent role of Peeta or Gale! Update soon please

[ScreamingQueen2006]

Loving this. Great update. Look forward to more