Prologue One:

"The pros and cons of truth

The rumour and the myth

The misconception

That our ignorance is bliss."

Ignorance is Bliss: Prologue, Part One

United Kingom, Year: 3,136

Jayanne Bykes, 17

Closing my eyes, I can see far into the ocean. The sun beams down onto the crystal clear ripples, leaving a glow amongst the waves. The tide tickles my toes as it travels along the golden beach. Gulls swoop down in a cry, hunting for food. I just stand there, still, silent, allowing the salty ocean air consume me. The reality is just as breathtaking as I open my eyes, but maybe for different reasons. It's dark. The waves aren't clear. The tide carries a number of lifeless creatures along the muddy, brown sand, and I no longer feel at peace.

It's like something from a horror film. Only, I've seen it about five hundred times. It no longer scares me, it just leaves a hollow sadness in my soul.

I sigh and back away from the ocean's edge, picking up my backpack as I leave. I don't know why I enjoy coming out here, beyond the wall, in the so-called 'danger zone'. Some youths come here for the risk of danger, others come here as a way to break the law, and me? Every time I come, I do the same thing. I picture the world for how it once was, I imagine its beauty. The beauty of our gated society is a mere a lie. It's fake. But from simply hearing the stories from the older generations, I know the world was once a beautiful place, no matter how much evil was in it.

"Jay-"I jump at the sound of his voice, but smile when I see his face. Before me is a beautiful excuse of a human being. With his golden hair, squared jaw, and deep brown eyes that I could stare into for hours, Hanson Myers, is enough to make any girl go weak at the knees. He smirks. "You know, one of these days another guard will find you out here, and then what will you do?"

Pulling my pack onto my shoulders, I give an innocent shrug of the shoulders and put on my best puppydog-eye impression. "Oh sir, I was just lost. A big scary man was chasing me and I didn't know where to go."

He laughs that low same low and sexy laugh. "Yeah, sure, cos that would work."

"You best believe it," I say. I give him a cheeky wink before dipping away.

"Erm..." he begins. But I am gone before he can say another word. However hot that man is, it's fun to keep him guessing.

I sneak through a gap in the wall and enter the world of legality and fake-ass grass. It is so different to the world I just left. There's no death. There's no disaster. It's all a lie, like a big old fairytale-cartoon with bright colours and plastic plants. Some countries don't have this. Some places such as South Africa, Zimbabwe and Australia have real grass and real open spaces. You see, their ancestors weren't stupid enough to get themselves blown up.

At least we're not as bad as 90% of the world. At least we're still alive.

On my hoverboard, I glide down the white-as-snow pavements, passing hundreds of people chatting away on their devices but not daring to make eye contact with anyone else, but that's just the society we live in. A society that can't look another person in the eye and smile, but can watch kids kill each other on national TV, and, as much as I hate to admit it, I'm just as bad as the rest.

As I reach the central park, I notice my arm lighting up; Jana is calling me. With a sigh, I stop and answer the call. Her large smile bursts out of my watch as she sings 'helooooo' like she always does.

I give a small smile. "Hi Jan."

She furrows her perfectly aligned brows together as she pushes a part of her dark, curly hair out of her golden face. "What's gotten you in a mood?"

I laugh. "I'm not!"

"Hmm hmmm, sure. Anyway, you still coming over tonight for the finale? We have popcorn! And bear, but we know it's all about the popcorn." She winks.

"I don't know, I'll have to see."

"Ugh, you're such a bum. Jake's going to be thereeee!"

I raise my brow. "Good for him."

"Come on Jay! He's perfect for you."

"Whatever you say."

"Just you wait missy! I'm gonna prove this! And then I'll wipe that smirk right off your face."

"Ok ok Jan. I'll see you at seven then."

Her large grin grows even wider at that, but before she can carry of wittering about something else I sing a quick goodbye before hanging up on her.

I almost immediately get a text from her. You're still definitleyyy a bum

Love you really, I respond.

Ever since hearing about the beautiful guard, Hanson, Jana has been trying to set me up with any guy that breathes. She thinks Hanson is too old for me and- well- technically he is, but only just. This time next year, everything will be perfect.

Just as I am about to leave, the notice board in front of me flashes and changes into a Hunger Games poster. They litter the streets. They are on every wall, signpost, and notice board. They are in every cafe, and on every channel. There's no escaping it. The new poster reads One Vicious Girl, One Intelligent Boy, and One Big Surprise. Only One Can Win. Who Will it Be?

I roll my eyes. Dramatic much?

My bets are on the South African girl.; the vicious one. Though, from the looks of things most people are betting on the Alaskan boy; the surprise. Heaven knows why, all he did was kill a guy with a higher training score.

The board changes again,back to some nonsense iPhoneAX20 advert. Who even has a phone anymore?

I take that as my cue to leave.

With one more look around the park, I hop on my board. Someone sends me a conversation request along the way, but I quickly ignore it. As much as I love the truth and awareness, sometimes ignorance really is bliss.

.

"The answer's circle
While the questions just revolve
We all rotate
And leave it all to lie unsolved"

True about love- Right Said Fred.

A/N: SYOT details can be found on my bio. Deadline: 10th May 2017

I really wanted to play around with the concept of The Hunger Games in a society which is somewhere between the Capitol and the Districts, where they see the games as entertainment, but also have a risk of getting reaped themselves and thus the world games. A backstory and all the information you may want to know can be found on my blog (linked in my bio and down below). Yeah, I've put quite a lot of work into this.

Basically. 18 year olds. All reaped. No Volunteers. Zimbabwe, South Africa, Argentina, Chile, Alaska, Canada, Greece, United Kingdom, Japan, India, Australia, and New Zealand. Other than that, it's your basic SYOT/ SYOC. Have fun. Make cool characters. Woo.

Till next time babes, bai.

Website: crashinginhg . weebly . com