Title: SAFE & SOUND

Written by: FANTASYFREAK133

Universe: THE HUNGER GAMES

Rated: MATURE (for violence, reference to sex, some language, abuse, drinking, rape, and disturbing scenes)

Genre: ROMANCE/DRAMA/ACTION/HORROR

Sound script: SAFE & SOUND by Taylor Swift, WHISPERS IN THE DARK by Skillet, DRUMMING SONG by Florence + the Machine, THE CAVE by James Newton Howard, THE HANGING TREE by James Newton Howard (ft. Jennifer Lawrence)

DISCLAIMER: This will be the one and only disclaimer for this story because I will continue to believe in it even when I'm half way done or finished. I DO NOT OWN THE HUNGER GAMES. Besides my main OC and a few minor ones, Suzanne Collins owns the fascinating world and I have merely been privileged to dabble in it.

Whispers in the Dark

I was running. Running for my life. I crashed through the darkness like a blind animal, branches tore at my hair and clothing and thorns scratched me as I darted past. I was covered in blood, weakened by fighting and running. My breath came out short and fast, painful excursion on my lungs as I struggled to get enough air. My heart hammered in my chest like a war drum in my ears, as if chanting my death. The darkness seemed to close in around me as I ran, like a cage who's bars I couldn't see. There was no moon, no stars, no breeze, no calls from night animals... only the whispers. The whispers in the dark. They laughed at me, called me by name, but I knew they meant my death. They were like light hearted devils, but the bloodlust was still heard in their silky voices nonetheless. I couldn't help the cry that tore from my lips as I fell, dirt crept into my mouth but I spat it out as I scrambled to my feet again.

"Terra! Come on baby, we won't hurt you... we just want to play!"

I whimpered as I ran in pain and terror. I was going to die. The voices chanted my death. I had told myself once that I wasn't afraid to die. That my life wasn't worth carrying on. I would welcome death in fact, I had said. But now that death was upon me, I knew that I truly did not want to die. The faces of the orphans at home, of my best friend standing in the window of the baker's shop, of the man I had grown to love, all those beloved faces flashed through my head as I realized that I was wrong before. I did care if I died. And I cared that I was going to go out this way. Speared on a pike? Lassoed by spiked chains? Cut into tiny pieces and left as raven food on the grass? Those were just a few guesses, I refused to think of more.

"Come to us, we will send you to eternal peace!" the voices laughed. "To a place where there is no more pain... no more suffering... no more torments..."

I would be tempted to listen to them if I didn't already know my fate. A special corner in hell was reserved for my kind. I had done too many things in my life to not deserve it. But deep in the corner of my heart, I knew lay a hope that I would indeed get past those pearly gates.

"Terra..."

The voices were still speaking, whispering things at me that made my blood turn to ice. I kept running, even though it pained me to breath and my legs felt like lead. I had to keep running.

So I kept running, the black cage continued to press in on me, I bled, I cried, I made a wish on a star that I couldn't see.

And the voices continued to whisper at me through the dark.

A/N: I hope you enjoyed that introduction to this story. I originally had something else in terms of beginning but I decided to cut things down a bit and also give the 15 chapters I had a fresh edit for grammar and nonsense like that. I also decided to revise my rather long author's note which took up an entire chapter. So, on with the new version…

First off, I want to explain a little bit about my stance regarding The Hunger Games… I didn't like the books. I know! Don't kill me, just let me explain. Honestly, I could barely get through the books because I can't stand Suzanne Collins' writing style, it's just really bland and blunt and just, ugh. However, I LOVE the world of THG and find it just fascinating. Because of this, I started to wonder how I would have written THG… and Safe & Sound was born. I'm keeping toward the same main plot as Collins and even some of the early scenes, but writing it my way and with my own characters, and also putting special emphasis on characters that I feel were just not justified in the slightest (Gale, Cinna, and little Rue). Anyway, this story was born from the fascination that the world of THG brings me and also my dislike of Collins and my love for writing. In fact, I have quite a few ideas for even more HG stories but, in the meantime, I hope you enjoy this very first one…

~fantasyfreak133