-From up here you can see the whole world...or so it seems. Everything is untouched forest and sky, a perfect sight for anybody who admires true beauty. The trees carry with them whispered stories of horror and agony. Sometimes, if you listen hard enough, you can hear the voices, once so clear, screaming at you, begging for some kind of escape. You can only sit and listen to their sorrow-filled stories with a heavy heart, because there's nothing you can do for the dead once their gone.-

The chill of that spring morning was worse then usual. Anna stopped to watch her breath swirl around her like a ghost set free from its prison. The tiniest of smiles consumed her once blank features as the small wisp of breath danced in the wind, only to disappear after a few seconds of freedom. She inhaled deeply, loving the taste of early morning air. It was the sweetest way to awaken her senses, she thought.

Her eyes wandered around the familiar surroundings. The pasture, now crowded with horses, the farm, now with a vibrant shade of new red paint, and the flower garden, currently nursing baby buds to adulthood. Anna gave a dazzling smile to nothing in particular. "This is how things should always be. Peaceful and…"

"Anna! Anna!"

Her calm train of thought was cut off by her mother's shrill scream of panic.

"Come inside!" She screamed, waving her arms around frantically from her perch on the front porch. "Quickly! Run!"

Anna, her body now tense and running on a high she knew all to well, began to sprint towards the house. As she got closer to where her mother was standing, she could see black tears running down her doll-like face. Panic pushed Anna to move faster. If there was one thing her mother never did, it was cry.

Her breathing was heavy as she skipped the steps and landed on the porch. Her mother rushed her inside, pushing her towards the television room.

"Mom? What's…"

She was cut off by her mother's shaky voice. "Just…watch…"

"Watch what?"

She watched as her mother pointed frantically towards the television screen. Standing in front of a giant American flag was a man dressed head-to-toe in black. His face was framed by a pair of cheap sunglasses, no doubt used to make his horror-filled eyes seem softer. His lips were pulled down in what seemed like a permanent frown as he stood within range of flashing lights and screams of anger.

"What's this?" Anna asked, eyeing her mother warily. "Why did you force me in here for this?"

"Just watch." Her mother snapped, wiping furiously at her eyes. "You have to watch."

Anna's eyes returned to the screen, fear settling somewhere deep within her. Was something wrong with her mother? Why was she doing this?

The man's lips quivered as if he were afraid to speak. He stood weak against the adrenaline pumped journalists waiting for his chance to speak. "Fellow citizens, I am pleased to be here." Camera flashes multiplied as the words fell from his lips. "I am here to address the Hunger Games…" He was cut off by screams of anger erupting from the crowd. He kept speaking, though, knowing that this was a job he could not abandon. "From each of the twelve districts, two people, one male and one female, will be chosen at random for a chance to participate in our first Hunger Games." More screams, this time of anguish, shook the crowd. "They will fight to the death in order to determine a winner…"

Anna's mother let out a shriek of sorrow as she reached forward to shut of the television.

"Mom?" Anna asked, her voice uneven with shock. "What does this…what does this mean?"

"That good people are going to die."

So…did you like it? It's my first spin on an actual Hunger Games fan-fic, so keep the reviews as sweet as possible…And just so you know, the Districts are all modern day!