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Description
I Knew What Love Was
Of course, Kasha thought. Aluma’s grip seemed to tighten on her hand. She kissed Aluma’s head and pulled herself away, making her way up to the stage. She didn’t dare look out to find Gwenith or Milo.
“Wonderful!” Cleo said. “And now for the boys!” Was the walk from the microphone to the boys bowl longer than usual? Cleo’s heels clicked against the concrete platform as she walked back to the microphone and read out the name. “Milo Woodall!”
“Great,” Kasha heard herself say. She was thankful the microphone did not pick her up. Milo wasn’t the worst person to be going with, but she was not looking forward to his constant flirting with her.
“I volunteer as tribute!” a loud voice echoed through the town center. It seemed to echo forever. Kasha thought she might faint. She knew that voice.
“Well, it’s not often we have a volunteer in District Nine! Come on up young man!” Cleo said.
Kasha refused to look at the boy walking on stage. She knew who he was, but she refused to look at him. If she saw his face, she would inevitably break down.
“What’s your name?” Cleo asked.
“Rye Hillman.”
Kasha closed her eyes but it didn’t stop the tears from running down her face.
“Well shake hands, you two!” Cleo giggled.
Kasha turned to Rye and they shook hands. She mouthed, “You idiot,” to him and turned back to the crowd.
“Your tributes from District Nine!” Cleo ushered them into the Justice Building behind them and they were pushed into different meeting rooms where their friends and families could visit them one more time before their inevitable deaths.
The first person to come in was Kasha’s mother and brothers. They exchanged loving words, but Kasha wasn’t worried about her family. They would be fine without her. Immediately after they left, she was shocked when the door opened again and Milo walked in. He pulled her into a tight hug.
“I’m so sorry,” he whispered.
“Milo, you couldn’t have done anything,” Kasha whispered. She didn’t cry when her family was with her. She would not cry when Milo was there.
“I just wish that kid wouldn’t have volunteered,” he said. “I could be going with you, I could be here to protect you-”
“Milo, first of all, I don’t need you to protect me. Second of all, I don’t want you to be here with me. I wish Rye wouldn’t have-”
“Please don’t die, Kasha,” he whispered. A Peacekeeper slammed the door open and pulled Milo out. Kasha sat down in the little chair in the center of the room and wiped her face. She put Milo out of her mind. Milo was the least of her problems right now.
Next the Hillmans walked in. Gwenith hugged Kasha tight and began soothing her as a mother would.
“You can just hide until the whole thing is over, that’s happened before. You can do it.”
“Gwen,” Kasha whispered. She couldn’t bring herself to smile. Tears poured from her eyes and she noticed Aluma crying too. “Luma.” But she had nothing to say. She and Rye couldn’t both survive.
“Hey, Kasha,” Farro said from the corner. “I’m sorry I was never nice to you…”
“It’s okay, Farro.” Kasha took a deep breath and smiled. “I’m okay. You guys are okay.” Maizie and Sunnie were not there. Kasha couldn’t decide if that was better or worse for her. “Tell the girls I love them. And remember to work extra hard in the fields.”
Aluma threw her arms around Kasha. “I love you, Kasha!”
Kasha let a few more tears slip. “I love you too, Luma.”
A Peacekeeper came to usher them out and Gwen kissed Kasha on the cheek.
The next few minutes went by in a matter of seconds it seemed. Kasha was escorted out and the next thing she knew, she was on a train, sitting next to Rye Hillman. She stared out the window of the moving train and clenched her jaw. She could feel Rye staring at her.
“Kasha, I-”
“You’re an idiot, that’s what,” Kasha turned to him. Tears were once again streaming down her face. She smacked his shoulder. “How could you?”
“I just-”
“Hey!” Omri walked in and sat across from them. “No fighting until you’re in the arena, kids.”
Something about being called a kid by someone who was only a few years older than her made Kasha frustrated.
“Omri,” she said. Omri frequented the shop.
“I’m sorry this happened to you, Kasha. I’m here to help you to the best of my abilities.” Omri’s words were nice, but Kasha could tell she didn’t mean them. Her eyes were empty and glossy. Whether one of them won or not, Omri was looking at at least one dead man. “Rye,” she turned to him. “Why did you volunteer?”
Rye blushed and looked at his lap. “I just- Kasha…”
“Oh dear lord, you want to sell the lover thing?” Omri asked.
Cleo sat on a sofa a few feet away and looked up. “Personally, I think that’s a little overdone.”
“No! I didn’t mean-” Rye blushed.
“Kasha, what do you think? It may get you sponsors. I assume you two know how important it is to be a likable character.” Omri smiled.
“Character,” Kasha whispered. Of course, she thought. She was only a character in a game. “He can sell the lover thing.” She shrugged. “He’s been in love with me since we were little.”
“Is that true?” Omri’s eyes widened. “Nevermind! It’s true now. Even if we have to embellish it a bit… Kasha, how about you? What’s your story?”
“I have no story.” Kasha stared out the window.
“Kasha,” Rye said. “Barric.”
“Barric?” Omri whispered. “Barric Ayres? From last year? Hm… He wasn’t the most popular, but I can work with that. What was it? Lovers?”
“Yes,” Kasha said harshly. Omri and Rye stared at her.
“Well, I think we should all pause our strategy for today!” Cleo said cheerfully. “We’ll be in the Capitol by tomorrow at around eleven! Dinner is at six sharp.” She ushered Kasha up. “I’ll show you to your room.”
“I’ll show you yours, Rye,” Omri said, still eyeing Kasha, who stood and followed Cleo.
“You shouldn’t take Omri’s planning lightly,” Cleo said. Her tone had gone down. She seemed suddenly more human than before. “She’s trying to save your life.” She gave Kasha a sympathetic look and then returned to her peppy personality. “Dinner’s at six sharp!”
Kasha looked around her room. It was larger than her room back home, and doubtless more comfortable. Her eyes landed on a stack of tapes on the table at the end of her bed. A note on top simply stated, “To study -Omri.” Kasha put the first one in and sighed. It was a compilation of one of the Hunger Games past’s kills. Kasha turned it off. Perhaps she should watch it, but not right now.
An hour passed, and Kasha has done nothing but sit on her bed and stare at her knees. A knock sounded on her door and she flinched, breaking from her stare. She opened the door and it was Rye.
“Oh,” she said, disappointment evident in her tone, “it’s you.”
Rye looked a little hurt. “Uhm, Omri wants us to watch the Reapings in the lounge together.”
Kasha sighed and followed him into the lounge. Omri and Cleo were sitting on opposite sides of the couch, leaving two seats in the middle for Kasha and Rye. They sat down just as the Panem anthem played on the television.
Kasha took note of the tributes that seemed the most dangerous. The boy from Two, the girl from Four, both from Five, although the boy seemed to be rather upset at the prospect of the girl being picked. It seemed someone had already claimed the lovers plot line. None of the others seemed threatening. Kasha wondered what people thought when they saw her on screen.
“Guess I’m the crybaby,” said Kasha.
“I didn’t notice you crying,” Omri said with a curious look on her face.
“Did you cry?” Rye asked. “Why?”
Kasha huffed and turned away. “It doesn’t matter,” she mumbled.
“Well, anyways, the little girl from three cried like a baby and had to be dragged onstage,” Cleo said, examining her nails.
Omri turned off the television and stood up in front of Kasha and Rye. “Can you tell me what was significant about your Reaping?”
Kasha furrowed her brow and looked from Omri to Rye. She couldn’t think of anything.
“I guess,” Rye mumbled, “my volunteering.”
“Not exactly,” Omri said. “Rye, your eyes were locked on Kasha from the moment she walked on stage. You volunteered and never took your eyes off her. In your eyes there was a look of pain and sorrow and-”
“And stupidity,” Kasha added.
“Kasha, may I speak to you in private please?” Omri asked sharply.
Kasha rolled her eyes and walked to her room, motioning for Omri to follow.
“What is your deal, Kasha?” Omri asked.
“What do you mean?” Kasha sat down on the bed and crossed her arms.
“You know what I mean. Why are you so angry at Rye?”
“Why am I-” Kasha laughed. “Why am I angry at my best friends little brother for volunteering to ‘save me’? Why am I mad that a kid I’ve known all my life is risking his life because he thinks I can’t handle myself in-”
“He doesn’t think you can’t handle yourself!” Omri interrupted. Kasha closed her mouth and stared at her with silent permission to go on. “Kasha,” Omri sat next to her, “he volunteered because he doesn’t want to live in a world without you.”
Kasha swallowed hard and turned away. “Selfish,” she whispered.
“Selfish?” Omri asked.
“He is the oldest boy in his family. His only brother is only twelve. His mother is dead. He has four sisters and he left them all behind because-”
“Because he loves you, Kasha.”
“More than his own family?”
“I don’t know, Kasha!” Omri stood up and rubbed her temples. “Look, you saw the boy from District 5. He did the same thing for that girl. People make really rash, really crazy decisions when they’re in love-”
“Why does he have to be in love with me?!” Kasha yelled.
“I don’t know, Kasha, but take advantage of it! People love a good love story!”
“I don’t want to be a character!”
“It’s better than them knowing every detail about the real you!”
It was then that Kasha realized… Omri had done this all before. She’d done it, she’d helped other kids through it. She knew exactly how Kasha felt. Omri was not like Cleo or any other Capitol citizen. She stared at Omri for a minute.
“I’m sorry,” Kasha whispered. “I’m sorry, you’re right.”
“Does that mean you’ll go along with this love story, or at least come up with something to counter it?”
“I guess so… I need to talk to Rye.”
“You can talk to him at dinner.” Omri picked up the tapes at the end of Kasha’s bed and picked out three. “I suggest watching these if you want to sell the love story.” She began walking out and turned back. “Oh! And don’t forget. Dinner is at 6 o’clock sharp! Don’t be late!” With that, she winked and left the room.
Kasha laid down and shoved a pillow over her face. Whether she was trying to suffocate herself or just sink into the body-forming mattress, she didn’t know. All she remembered was closing her eyes for a moment and waking up in a dark forest.
She sat up and looked around her. The trees overhead were so densely packed, she couldn’t even tell whether it was night or day. Around her was a mob of people. She recognized them, but barely, as the other Tributes whose faces and names she had only just seen for the first time. Each had a different weapon trained on her. She had no way to defend herself. They mob was slowly walking closer to her, surrounding her on all sides. She had no escape and no defense. She was going to die.
Suddenly, just as they were releasing their weapons, she was knocked flat on the ground by someone. Their body absorbed all the damage from all sides and when she finally was able to look up, she was confused. The mob was gone. There was only the body of the person who had saved her life. She wanted to jump back, but she was paralyzed on the spot. There laid the mutilated body of Rye. He was dead, but he had saved her.
She stared at him and tears began pouring down her face. “No…” she whispered. “No!” she screamed. She reached forward to touch him.
But instead she shot up in her bed and saw that she was not in a dense wood. She was not surrounded by enemies. And Rye was not dead. She realized immediately that her worst fear was not going home to Gwenith without Rye, or dying in the Games, but it was watching Rye give himself for her. She swore to herself then that she wouldn’t be going home. She would do everything in her power to get him home safe.
She couldn’t live without him.

Description
I Knew What Love Was
Of course, Kasha thought. Aluma’s grip seemed to tighten on her hand. She kissed Aluma’s head and pulled herself away, making her way up to the stage. She didn’t dare look out to find Gwenith or Milo.
“Wonderful!” Cleo said. “And now for the boys!” Was the walk from the microphone to the boys bowl longer than usual? Cleo’s heels clicked against the concrete platform as she walked back to the microphone and read out the name. “Milo Woodall!”
“Great,” Kasha heard herself say. She was thankful the microphone did not pick her up. Milo wasn’t the worst person to be going with, but she was not looking forward to his constant flirting with her.
“I volunteer as tribute!” a loud voice echoed through the town center. It seemed to echo forever. Kasha thought she might faint. She knew that voice.
“Well, it’s not often we have a volunteer in District Nine! Come on up young man!” Cleo said.
Kasha refused to look at the boy walking on stage. She knew who he was, but she refused to look at him. If she saw his face, she would inevitably break down.
“What’s your name?” Cleo asked.
“Rye Hillman.”
Kasha closed her eyes but it didn’t stop the tears from running down her face.
“Well shake hands, you two!” Cleo giggled.
Kasha turned to Rye and they shook hands. She mouthed, “You idiot,” to him and turned back to the crowd.
“Your tributes from District Nine!” Cleo ushered them into the Justice Building behind them and they were pushed into different meeting rooms where their friends and families could visit them one more time before their inevitable deaths.
The first person to come in was Kasha’s mother and brothers. They exchanged loving words, but Kasha wasn’t worried about her family. They would be fine without her. Immediately after they left, she was shocked when the door opened again and Milo walked in. He pulled her into a tight hug.
“I’m so sorry,” he whispered.
“Milo, you couldn’t have done anything,” Kasha whispered. She didn’t cry when her family was with her. She would not cry when Milo was there.
“I just wish that kid wouldn’t have volunteered,” he said. “I could be going with you, I could be here to protect you-”
“Milo, first of all, I don’t need you to protect me. Second of all, I don’t want you to be here with me. I wish Rye wouldn’t have-”
“Please don’t die, Kasha,” he whispered. A Peacekeeper slammed the door open and pulled Milo out. Kasha sat down in the little chair in the center of the room and wiped her face. She put Milo out of her mind. Milo was the least of her problems right now.
Next the Hillmans walked in. Gwenith hugged Kasha tight and began soothing her as a mother would.
“You can just hide until the whole thing is over, that’s happened before. You can do it.”
“Gwen,” Kasha whispered. She couldn’t bring herself to smile. Tears poured from her eyes and she noticed Aluma crying too. “Luma.” But she had nothing to say. She and Rye couldn’t both survive.
“Hey, Kasha,” Farro said from the corner. “I’m sorry I was never nice to you…”
“It’s okay, Farro.” Kasha took a deep breath and smiled. “I’m okay. You guys are okay.” Maizie and Sunnie were not there. Kasha couldn’t decide if that was better or worse for her. “Tell the girls I love them. And remember to work extra hard in the fields.”
Aluma threw her arms around Kasha. “I love you, Kasha!”
Kasha let a few more tears slip. “I love you too, Luma.”
A Peacekeeper came to usher them out and Gwen kissed Kasha on the cheek.
The next few minutes went by in a matter of seconds it seemed. Kasha was escorted out and the next thing she knew, she was on a train, sitting next to Rye Hillman. She stared out the window of the moving train and clenched her jaw. She could feel Rye staring at her.
“Kasha, I-”
“You’re an idiot, that’s what,” Kasha turned to him. Tears were once again streaming down her face. She smacked his shoulder. “How could you?”
“I just-”
“Hey!” Omri walked in and sat across from them. “No fighting until you’re in the arena, kids.”
Something about being called a kid by someone who was only a few years older than her made Kasha frustrated.
“Omri,” she said. Omri frequented the shop.
“I’m sorry this happened to you, Kasha. I’m here to help you to the best of my abilities.” Omri’s words were nice, but Kasha could tell she didn’t mean them. Her eyes were empty and glossy. Whether one of them won or not, Omri was looking at at least one dead man. “Rye,” she turned to him. “Why did you volunteer?”
Rye blushed and looked at his lap. “I just- Kasha…”
“Oh dear lord, you want to sell the lover thing?” Omri asked.
Cleo sat on a sofa a few feet away and looked up. “Personally, I think that’s a little overdone.”
“No! I didn’t mean-” Rye blushed.
“Kasha, what do you think? It may get you sponsors. I assume you two know how important it is to be a likable character.” Omri smiled.
“Character,” Kasha whispered. Of course, she thought. She was only a character in a game. “He can sell the lover thing.” She shrugged. “He’s been in love with me since we were little.”
“Is that true?” Omri’s eyes widened. “Nevermind! It’s true now. Even if we have to embellish it a bit… Kasha, how about you? What’s your story?”
“I have no story.” Kasha stared out the window.
“Kasha,” Rye said. “Barric.”
“Barric?” Omri whispered. “Barric Ayres? From last year? Hm… He wasn’t the most popular, but I can work with that. What was it? Lovers?”
“Yes,” Kasha said harshly. Omri and Rye stared at her.
“Well, I think we should all pause our strategy for today!” Cleo said cheerfully. “We’ll be in the Capitol by tomorrow at around eleven! Dinner is at six sharp.” She ushered Kasha up. “I’ll show you to your room.”
“I’ll show you yours, Rye,” Omri said, still eyeing Kasha, who stood and followed Cleo.
“You shouldn’t take Omri’s planning lightly,” Cleo said. Her tone had gone down. She seemed suddenly more human than before. “She’s trying to save your life.” She gave Kasha a sympathetic look and then returned to her peppy personality. “Dinner’s at six sharp!”
Kasha looked around her room. It was larger than her room back home, and doubtless more comfortable. Her eyes landed on a stack of tapes on the table at the end of her bed. A note on top simply stated, “To study -Omri.” Kasha put the first one in and sighed. It was a compilation of one of the Hunger Games past’s kills. Kasha turned it off. Perhaps she should watch it, but not right now.
An hour passed, and Kasha has done nothing but sit on her bed and stare at her knees. A knock sounded on her door and she flinched, breaking from her stare. She opened the door and it was Rye.
“Oh,” she said, disappointment evident in her tone, “it’s you.”
Rye looked a little hurt. “Uhm, Omri wants us to watch the Reapings in the lounge together.”
Kasha sighed and followed him into the lounge. Omri and Cleo were sitting on opposite sides of the couch, leaving two seats in the middle for Kasha and Rye. They sat down just as the Panem anthem played on the television.
Kasha took note of the tributes that seemed the most dangerous. The boy from Two, the girl from Four, both from Five, although the boy seemed to be rather upset at the prospect of the girl being picked. It seemed someone had already claimed the lovers plot line. None of the others seemed threatening. Kasha wondered what people thought when they saw her on screen.
“Guess I’m the crybaby,” said Kasha.
“I didn’t notice you crying,” Omri said with a curious look on her face.
“Did you cry?” Rye asked. “Why?”
Kasha huffed and turned away. “It doesn’t matter,” she mumbled.
“Well, anyways, the little girl from three cried like a baby and had to be dragged onstage,” Cleo said, examining her nails.
Omri turned off the television and stood up in front of Kasha and Rye. “Can you tell me what was significant about your Reaping?”
Kasha furrowed her brow and looked from Omri to Rye. She couldn’t think of anything.
“I guess,” Rye mumbled, “my volunteering.”
“Not exactly,” Omri said. “Rye, your eyes were locked on Kasha from the moment she walked on stage. You volunteered and never took your eyes off her. In your eyes there was a look of pain and sorrow and-”
“And stupidity,” Kasha added.
“Kasha, may I speak to you in private please?” Omri asked sharply.
Kasha rolled her eyes and walked to her room, motioning for Omri to follow.
“What is your deal, Kasha?” Omri asked.
“What do you mean?” Kasha sat down on the bed and crossed her arms.
“You know what I mean. Why are you so angry at Rye?”
“Why am I-” Kasha laughed. “Why am I angry at my best friends little brother for volunteering to ‘save me’? Why am I mad that a kid I’ve known all my life is risking his life because he thinks I can’t handle myself in-”
“He doesn’t think you can’t handle yourself!” Omri interrupted. Kasha closed her mouth and stared at her with silent permission to go on. “Kasha,” Omri sat next to her, “he volunteered because he doesn’t want to live in a world without you.”
Kasha swallowed hard and turned away. “Selfish,” she whispered.
“Selfish?” Omri asked.
“He is the oldest boy in his family. His only brother is only twelve. His mother is dead. He has four sisters and he left them all behind because-”
“Because he loves you, Kasha.”
“More than his own family?”
“I don’t know, Kasha!” Omri stood up and rubbed her temples. “Look, you saw the boy from District 5. He did the same thing for that girl. People make really rash, really crazy decisions when they’re in love-”
“Why does he have to be in love with me?!” Kasha yelled.
“I don’t know, Kasha, but take advantage of it! People love a good love story!”
“I don’t want to be a character!”
“It’s better than them knowing every detail about the real you!”
It was then that Kasha realized… Omri had done this all before. She’d done it, she’d helped other kids through it. She knew exactly how Kasha felt. Omri was not like Cleo or any other Capitol citizen. She stared at Omri for a minute.
“I’m sorry,” Kasha whispered. “I’m sorry, you’re right.”
“Does that mean you’ll go along with this love story, or at least come up with something to counter it?”
“I guess so… I need to talk to Rye.”
“You can talk to him at dinner.” Omri picked up the tapes at the end of Kasha’s bed and picked out three. “I suggest watching these if you want to sell the love story.” She began walking out and turned back. “Oh! And don’t forget. Dinner is at 6 o’clock sharp! Don’t be late!” With that, she winked and left the room.
Kasha laid down and shoved a pillow over her face. Whether she was trying to suffocate herself or just sink into the body-forming mattress, she didn’t know. All she remembered was closing her eyes for a moment and waking up in a dark forest.
She sat up and looked around her. The trees overhead were so densely packed, she couldn’t even tell whether it was night or day. Around her was a mob of people. She recognized them, but barely, as the other Tributes whose faces and names she had only just seen for the first time. Each had a different weapon trained on her. She had no way to defend herself. They mob was slowly walking closer to her, surrounding her on all sides. She had no escape and no defense. She was going to die.
Suddenly, just as they were releasing their weapons, she was knocked flat on the ground by someone. Their body absorbed all the damage from all sides and when she finally was able to look up, she was confused. The mob was gone. There was only the body of the person who had saved her life. She wanted to jump back, but she was paralyzed on the spot. There laid the mutilated body of Rye. He was dead, but he had saved her.
She stared at him and tears began pouring down her face. “No…” she whispered. “No!” she screamed. She reached forward to touch him.
But instead she shot up in her bed and saw that she was not in a dense wood. She was not surrounded by enemies. And Rye was not dead. She realized immediately that her worst fear was not going home to Gwenith without Rye, or dying in the Games, but it was watching Rye give himself for her. She swore to herself then that she wouldn’t be going home. She would do everything in her power to get him home safe.
She couldn’t live without him.