Chapter 1

New Story, read, enjoy and review.

Waking up this morning was harder than any other day. It's always like that for me, every year, around the same period. Today is the day of the reaping. Two new tributes picked up among the kids of the district is going to participate to the new Hunger Games. The 74th annual Hunger Games. What a joke? Only something that the Capitol used to control the districts. Making them live in fear of losing their children and the worst part in that is that those Hunger Games are supposed to be an entertainment. For the Capitol, for the districts, for all of them, even ours. District Twelve.

For us the people living in those districts, it's not an entertainment. It's more of a humiliation, a threat. Something the Capitol did to remind us that they were making the rules, that they were the mightiest one. I don't know what's mighty in the fact of watching a bunch of kids kill each other in a cruel game. For me, it was low, cruel and inhuman. Sure, the winner gets showered with prizes with more food for the entire district and an easier life for the Victor. Still, inhuman.

Rubbing the sleep out of my eyes with the heels of my hands, I staggered to my bathroom. I threw some cold water on my face and stared at my reflection. My eyes travelled from my brown hair, my fair skin down to my blue eyes. Everything in my appearance reminded me that I lived in the Seam when I was younger and now life was much more different and sometimes unbearable.

My hair tied up in a ponytail, dressed in black pants and a deep blue shirt, I got out of my house, crossed the small path that led me to the house of my neighbor: Haymitch Abernathy. Middle aged and drunk half of the time, Haymitch Abernathy was one of the Victors of District Twelve. In seventy-four years of The Hunger Games, we've only had three Victors. Two were still alive, Haymitch and me; Ash Amberbreath. The Victors are supposed to be mentors to the new chosen tributes each year. Haymitch has been mine before I get to be one myself. I hate this job. Watching every year two tributes being reap and killed during the games was unbearable. Every year I feel like I've failed them and every year I promised to myself to bring one of them back. And every year, I broke this promise.

Haymitch sometimes thinks I'm stupid for hoping and sometimes I think he's stupid for giving up. We don't always see eye to eye but we, against all odds, became friends. I stepped in his house without knocking, we don't need this anymore. It's too formal. He's sleeping on his table like usual, drunk, probably hung over. His house doesn't exactly look like a house; it looks more like a giant trash can. Discarded wrappings, broken glass and bones. Let's not forget about the smell. A very loud smell. A mix of liquor, vomit, boiled cabbage, burned meat, unwashed clothes and mouse droppings. Of course, I volunteered to clean his house but he has bluntly refused on multiple occasions. If I can get him to have a bath or just to clean himself up, I won.

"Haymitch, wake up!" I nudged his shoulder. I only earned a groan as an answer. I walked up to his kitchen. "Haymitch! Wake up!" I yelled from the kitchen. Like every time I come to wake him up, I was making fresh dark coffee. I went back to where Haymitch was still sleeping. I brought my lips close to his ear and yelled one last time. "Haytmitch, get up!"

I jumped backwards as he sprang up, kicking down his chair and clutching his knife in his hand. He swung it around letting out a guttural animal sound. After some swearing and after he came back to his senses, he looked at me.

"What are you doing?" He asked me dropping in the chair.

"Today's the day, remember?" I asked as I went back to the kitchen.

"How can I forget." I heard Haymitch reply. I poured some coffee in a somehow clean cup and brought it back to Haymitch.

"Drink." I ordered him. He poured some liquor in it. "And then take a bath, please. You stink."

"It goes right to my heart, princess." Haymitch said dryly.

"Anytime." I replied in the same tone. "And wear something decent."

"Yes, mom."

"I can feel it, Haymitch." I told him completely ignoring his previous answer."This year is the year; this year we'll bring back one Victor to District Twelve."

"Oh, princess, you're delusional." Haymitch scoffed. "You know as much as I do that those tributes are going to their imminent death."

"I didn't."

"You were different. You were a fighter." He waved a finger at me.

"And you've given up."

"You should too."

"I don't want to."

"Then you're stupid."

"I'd rather be that than a drunk man who's drowning his sorrow in alcohol. A man who doesn't believe in anything." I cried. "You know what, stay here. Don't bother get ready. I don't care. I'll do it alone." I stomped away and slammed the door behind me.

I went back to my house, the clock strikes ten. I packed a few things for my journey to the Capitol. Every year, he found a way to crush my hopes and every year, I'll get them high and time proves him right, he would gloat by reminding me that I've never been able to bring one victor back home. In spite of all my efforts, of all my will to do so. I shoved any thoughts of Haymitch away. At twelve, I had some lunch and at one p.m., I headed for the Hall of Justice. Not caring or not bothering to see if Haymitch was coming or not. He probably won't anyway.

The Mayor Undersee was already with some other important people of District Twelve and let's not forget about the bubbly and colorful, Effie Trinket, District Twelve's escort. Freshly arrived from the Capitol with her slightly pink hair, her pink lips and her purple or pinkish clothes. I couldn't say what color it was really. My eyes were drawn to the big flower in her hair.

"Ash!" She greeted me with a hug. "I'm so happy to see you again, my dear."

"So am I, Effie." I smiled back, cringing at her accent. All the people in the Capitol speak with this accent. Always finishing their sentence in a high pitch as if they were asking a question.

"Where's Haymitch?" The Mayor asked me.

"I'm afraid he won't be coming." I answered.

"It's probably better this way." Effie commented.

"It's time." The Mayor said snapping his watch shut. "Ladies." He opened his arms to let Effie and I to step first on the podium.

The square was already crowded. On one side there was the girls and on the other side there was the boys. All of them aged between twelve and eighteen years old. I was once one of them. An eighteen-year-old girl who used to steal for a living, having no other mean to get by. It was obviously condemned by everyone in the district since I wasn't the only one to starve to death and I was stealing from people who were also starving like me. Not really fair I know and I wasn't very proud of myself for this. Like everyone in the district I applied for Tesserae. It supplies us with a year of grain and oil. I signed up for those tesserae after I got caught by the peacekeepers and receiving a good beating. It didn't stop me from stealing but I was doing it less. By the age of eighteen I got my name on those list, forty or fifty times. Of course, there was a big chance that my name would be chosen and I was. But see? I've always got misplaced hope. It's like a disease of me. Maybe Haymitch was right, I am stupid.

At two o'clock, Effie stepped forward, tapped on the mic twice and the reaping officially started.

"Welcome! Welcome, welcome." Effie started. "Happy Hunger Games. And may the odds be ever in your favor. Now, before we begin, we have a very special film. Brought to you all the way from the Capitol."

It's the same film, every year, about the same thing. The pictures appeared on the screen but I didn't look at them or even listen to the voice of the President Snow. I already know what it was about. The film was only there to remind us that thirteen districts of Panem has rebelled against the government that fed them and protected them. It reminded us of the war that destroyed everything and how the traitors have been defeated. And so in order to prevent any rebellions, the game was created. One girl and one boy are chosen to fight to the death in this pageant that they called a "pageant of honor, courage and sacrifice." Please! This so called pageant had nothing honorable, no, the Capitol clearly asked us to sacrifice our kids for their entertainment.

"Now, the time has come for us to select one courageous young man and woman for the honor of representing District 12 in the 74th annual Hunger Games." Effie announced as soon as the spot was over. "As usual, ladies first." She went to the reaping bowl on her left, dived her arm in it and drew out a name. She opened the small paper. "Primrose Everdeen."

In unison, the group of twelve years old turned around. They were all looking at a small blonde girl. She looked horrified, terrified as she slowly walked to the central alley. Effie was encouraging her to walk up on stage. And then something happened. A brunette girl called her name.

"Prim! Prim!" The peacekeeper held her back. "No. No! I VOLUNTEER! I VOLUNTEER!" She screamed shoving the peacekeeper away from her. "I volunteer as Tribute." That was something new. No one has ever volunteered in District 12. That was left for the careers of District 1 and 2.

"I believe we have a volunteer, Mr. Mayor." Effie stated as I slowly stood up. The brunette ran to the young girl and took her in her arms.

This new turn of event was interesting and intriguing. The little girl screamed, not willing to leave the brunette. One of the young man got out of his row and took her away from the brunette. She was still screaming as the peacekeepers brought the brunette up on stage.

"A dramatic turn of events here in district 12." Effie commented. "Yes, well. District 12's very first volunteer. Bring her up. Come on, dear." I remained near my seat but didn't sit back down. I was curious to know why would she volunteer for this little girl. "What's your name?"

"Katniss Everdeen." She replied. So that's why she's done it.

"Well, I bet my hat that was your sister, wasn't it?"

"Yes." Something akin to pride and admiration swelled in my chest for this young woman.

"Let's have a big hand for our very first volunteer, Katniss Everdeen."

But there was no applause. They remained silent. It was a form of dissent in itself. Their silence was full of meaning. A loud and clear message against the games and probably against the Capitol but I don't think they knew or were aware of it. Their message was "Katniss,we're with you. We don't agree. Thank you for doing this." And then as if they were all sharing one mind, they kissed their three middle fingers of their left hand and held them out for Katniss. We used this sing mostly in funerals, it means thank you, it means admiration, it means good-bye to someone we love. I can tell you that I've never been prouder to be part of this district than I am today.

"And now for the boys." Effie said upset by what just took place. She repeated the process with the reaping ball on her right and drew out another piece of paper. "Peeta Mellark." This time a young blond man was led up to the stage. Unlike Primrose, no one volunteered for him. Terrified and horrified he walked up to the stage. "Here we are. Our tributes for District 12. Well, go on, you two, shake hands." Peeta and Katniss executed themselves. "Happy Hunger Games. And may the odds be ever in your favor."

After they were taken away. They were going to be held in custody so they could say their goodbyes. I, on the other hand, went directly to the train that was taking us to the Capitol. It was luxurious, it didn't look anything like the houses in District 12. Full of riches, plenty of food and comfortable. It's sure gonna be a change for those two kids. I directly went to my room and dropped my things there. Katniss seemed to be a fighter and she inspired to the people of District 12 enough courage for them to show their disagreement with the games. I don't know enough about Peeta yet, but maybe there was a real chance that one of them will come back from this. If only I could get Haymitch to believe it too. Well, if he comes.