Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction Group 3 - 2017 | Page 297

Games of the Empire
Sha Tin College, Chu, Charlotte - 11
I
set out through the hole in the wall and into the woods with my bow, arrows and snares. I was back at my usual hunting
grounds and began to lay out my snares, before I returned through the hole and back home.
My name is Holly Leaf and I live with my sister Briar and our mother (our father died in a hunting accident), residing in
Town Si. My father was not only my mentor in life but also hunting, it’s our only best option for food and money.
The Empire was oblivious when it came to the sneaky passages in and out of the walls. It’s actually illegal to hunt and
whoever disobeys gets tortured but the worst thing that happens to everyone is the survival games. The survival games is
exactly what it sounds like, to fight for survival. You only get a month to survive in the games or you’ll be trapped forever,
there can be many winners in the games, usually there’s one winner each year and they’re family will be rewarded a large
sum of money.
Later that afternoon, I suddenly remembered; today is Ming day when the Empire’s men (the Imperials) raffles for who is
to participate in the survival games against their will, that goes for all the towns within the Empire’s walls. There are ten
towns in total; Yi, Ar, San, Si, Wu, Liu, Tsi, Ba, Jio and Shir. Our town is closest to the border also known as the wall.
My mother led us out the door towards the town centre and proceeded to sign in.
“How old?”
“Sixteen.” I replied.
“And the little one?”
“Twelve.” Mother replied.
The man checked a number list and wrote down our names, it was mandatory for eleven to twenty year olds to enroll in
the games. The older you are the higher the chance of being chosen, the papers were lowered into a cage and spun as the
crowd waited silently, anxiety filled the air. Soon, an Imperial entered the stage and dipping his hand into the cage, he
grabbed a name “Holly Leaf,’’ he announced. “NO!” I heard Briar’s horrified scream as I looked back to see my mother
grasping tightly onto Briar’s arm, dragging her away from my sight.
The Empire’s imperials took me aboard a train that transported us to the game’s starting point. The train soon came to a
stop some hours later when two Imperials dragged me out and took me to a group of other children, which I assumed
were the other unfortunate chosen ones. We were instructed to introduce ourselves; a boy with blue eyes spoke “My name
is Hawk.” Then another boy spoke “I’m Lion.” Then some girls “ Dove.”
“Maple .”