Disclaimer: These characters are all Suzanne Collins, not mine. I can dream, can't I?

From the moment I step into my own trap, I know it's going to be a really bad day. I mean, I already knew it was going to be a bad day, as it's the reaping, but this whole incident gave me a worse feeling about it.

Ever since last year, when Madge freaking Undersee won the Hunger Games, nothing, and I mean nothing, in Panem has been the same. More mine collapses, shortages of food, the big shabang. I don't even know why we're having all of these problems, God, I don't think anyone does. Except for Undersee, most likely. Katniss told me that she's different now, acts weird around people outside of her family loop. But that's what the Games do to you. They change you. No one's ever come back the same after it.

I honestly don't know how Undersee won the Games. By pure luck maybe. And her thousands of sponsors, can't forget that. Apparently, in the Capitol, Undersee was considered the most beautiful person to ever win the Games. Yeah, I'll admit it. She is beautiful. Ever since she's come back, people left and right have been trying to hook up with her, but she'll always deny, apparently.

So while I'm stuck in this trap, that's what I'm thinking about. Not feeding my family, not the upcoming Games, but Undersee. Of all people. Of all people in the entire country I think about her.

I finally manage to get myself out of the stupid trap I decided to put right on the side of the path, and then I step in it. Typical. Once back on my feet, I check the rest of the snare line. Every year, all children under the age of 18 and above the age of twelve are in the reaping while everyone else watches. Waiting to see who gets sent off to their deaths this year.

I check the rest of the snareline and don't get much today, just a couple of rabbits. Somewhere during my work, Katniss comes and joins me. Silent as a wisp, I can't even hear her until she wishes me good luck.

"Yeah. You too." There's a very good chance that either of us could be going into the Games, I have forty-six slips, she has twenty-seven. The odds are not in our favor.

For a while now, I haven't known my feelings toward her. Sometimes, she'll drive me crazy. Other times.. I don't know. I know I love her, I just don't know about which way I do. It's confusing. Luckily, Katniss is completely oblivious to everything. A lot of guys like her, I know they do, but she's too blinded from wanting to keep Prim alive all these years to notice.

All to soon, it's time to go back home for the reaping. I remember this day last year. I even made that retarded comment to Undersee about how she wouldn't get reaped, and then, look at that, she was reaped! I felt like an ass after that.

"See you in a bit."

"Yeah." I grunt, and then continue to walk away to my house.

As soon as I'm in the door, I'm assaulted by Posy, my five year old sister. She jumps at me, laughing her head off, and I scoop her up into my arms, hanging her upside down by her feet.

"Gale, stop it!" She screeches, but she's laughing all the same. The fun ends when my mother comes into the room, a stern look on her face, her arms crossed.

"Fine, fine. I'll get ready." I grumble and deposit Posy on our withering old couch as the floorboards creek. I go and clean up in the washbin and then pull on the faded blue shirt I wore last year. It's a little to small, so it's uncomfortable. As I'm the only one in my family who is in the Reaping this year, I have to look the best. Unfortunately. Once back in the small living room, I shovel down some food and my mom comes up to me after forcing Posy into one of Prim's old dresses.

"One more year." She mumbles, rubbing a smudge of dirt off of my face.

"For him. There are like six more for me. Rory mumbles, coming into the room.

"You'll be fine, Rory." I ruffle his hair. "There are thousands of other people, it couldn't be me, or you for that matter." Trying to reassure him as well as myself.

"Mama, what's going on?" Posy comes up and tugs on my mother dress and she reaches down and picks her up.

"Nothing Posy. Just forget it, it's fine." She pulls on Posy's braid, brushing hair out her face.

And all to soon, it's time to go to the reaping. My family walks in silence, with me and Rory trailing in the back. Posy's babbling from in front of us makes me grin. The grin slides off of my face when I have to say good-bye to get in line to check in. Rory comes up behind m and then gets his finger pricked, and then it's my turn. The peacekeeper pricks my finger with that needle and makes sure it's actually me. I go to stand in my section and Thom comes up behind me.

"Well this sucks."

"Really, because I thought it was wonderful." I say, sarcasm dripping in my voice.

"Hey, I'm just joking, man. Keep your pants on." I go to give him some retort when Mayor Undersee and everyone else comes onto the stage. Effie Trinket, Haymitch Abernathy, and Undersee. Haymitch, of course is as drunk as ever and practically crawls up the stage, vomiting once he's up there. He's a disgrace. He can't even walk on his own two feet. Undersee, on the other hand, keeps her poise. I can imagine after one year with Haymitch she'd be able to handle him. Though, she looks different than last year. Has looked different. After her Victory Tour nothing was the same. She started flinching every time someone touched her and such.

Mayor Undersee begins to read the Treaty of Treason like every year, and then it's that time. Effie Trinket squeals and walks to the giant glass bowl with thousands of names in it.

"Naomi Ceren." Do I know the girl? Yeah. The entire district does. She was pregnant when she was 16. Had a miscarriage. She's my age now. The baby was Cray's. Awkward for conversation. She's been one of those girls. The one's who mess around a lot. I mean, I mess around, but never go that far. She's on the stage now. Typical Seam girl, but her eyes are browner than most of ours. Now she's smirking at everyone, like she wants to be here.

Now Effie's going to the bowl with my name in there fourty-six times. When she pulls out the slip, I feel like I'm going to be sick. "Gale Hawthorne." And just like that, I'm in the 74th Hunger Games.

My name echoes across the building's and I hear Posy yelling my name. I will not look weak. I refuse to look weak today, nor any of the other days that I'll be stuck in the Capitol, awaiting my death.

Slowly, I step out of line and begin the long walk to the stage. When I'm on the step, Undersee glances at me. Her eyes are empty and cold. I wonder if she'll be happy when I die, if I do. If not, I'll be stuck around her for the rest of my life, with my only neighbors are her and Haymitch. I blink twice and our gaze breaks. On the stage, Effie tells Naomi and I to shake hands, and I reach for Naomi's hand. It's cold and empty also. She gives me a seductive smile and groan inwardly. She's going to be like that, then.

How does one manage to fit a lifetime of good-byes into three minutes? How? I would love to know the answer, because I have to do that now. My hands are on the windowsill when my family comes barreling in, two of them have evidently been crying. Posy's in my arms first.

"I don't want you to go Gale!" She shrieks and my arms wrap around her.

"I have to, Pose, I don't have a choice." I manage and she starts to cry. "Oh, don't cry. I'll be back before you know it."

"Really?" Her tearful eyes look up at me.

"Yeah. I'll be back. I love you, so much." I'm making a promise I can't keep. This is bad. She peels out and Vick comes forward next. My baby brother. The youngest of the dream team. Me, Rory and Vick.

"Don't cry. Hold it together for Posy." I tell him as I hold him close to me and try to memorize him, the way that he tries to prevent crying, but does anyways.

"You have to come back, Gale."

"I'm going to. Remember that. Whatever you see on the screen, remember that I'm coming home. I love you." He wipes his face and moves away. Rory's next. My baby brother whom I hated when he was born. The youngest, but the oldest after I'm gone.

"Listen. Katniss will teach you to hunt. She'll help."

"I won't have to learn. Cause you'll be coming home. You will." I hold him to me and try to shush him. If they cry, I will cry, and if I cry, I will be targeted as weak, and if I'm targeted as weak... Well the cycle goes on and on.

"Keep believing that. I love you."

And finally, my mother. "Oh, my baby. My handsome boy. It's been a wonder watching you grow up." She cups my cheek and I pull her hand down as tears make their way into her eyes. "Your father would be so proud of you."

"Ma..." I begin but she stops me by holding me tight.

"When you come back, we'll still love you. Even if you're different, you're still you."

"You said when."

"I have no doubt that you can't do this, because you can. I know you can." My family joins in the hug and I savor this. The last embrace of my family. I memorize the way they all look and they way they all smell. Like home.

"I love you. I love you all." The peacekeepers are in now. They pull my family away from me, but Rory jumps back into my arms.

"I love you. I have to go, I love you." I won't say good-bye. I will not. Even if it is goodbye.

I hear Posy yell my name one more time and then they're gone. Just like that. Before I can even process it, Katniss and Prim are coming in. They're both in my arms, and Prim's crying. I think Katniss is even shedding some tears.

"You're going to come home. You won't die." Katniss says pulling Prim away from me. "You can get a bow, you can." Something bubbles inside my chest, something I can't describe. "You can shoot, not as well as me, but you can shoot." Typical. Katniss saying she's better than me when I'm going to die. "You're a survivor."

Prim starts crying again and Katniss attempts to comfort her but she comes to me.

"Take care of Rory for me, make sure he's okay. Okay?" She smiles a bit and I give her another hug. Katniss comes to me next. There's that feeling again.

"Don't die on me."

"I won't. Shoot some squirrels for me." Then, Katniss and Prim are gone too. Thom comes in next, actually hugging me and saying that he jinxed it and that he's sorry and all that jazz.

Then, I'm being shoved into a car next to Effie and Naomi, who bats her eyelashes at me a few times in the car. In the car, I tune out Effie and look at my district. The coal covered streets, the tops of the trees in the woods, my woods, that I'll probably never see again. I look at the old houses in the Seam and the gray mines and the houses in town. I look at the people, the people who I know, the people who I resent or like.

Before I know it, I'm stuck on a train going to my intimate death. Everything is so different here. There's these glass tables made of wood I can't describe, and so many colors. The food set out on the table makes my mouth water. There's everything; meat, fruit, vegetables, even cookies. I'll have to make sure to bring one back for Posy if I make it home. That pangs behind my eyes, making me remember how there are twenty-three others trying to get home also. They also have families, but I'm pretty damn sure that they don't love them as much as I love my family.

The first thing that's said to me on the train is, "Oh, this'll be great."

What fun.

A/N: So, I chose Gale's point of view because I thought it would be interesting. As a timeline, Madge won the 73rd Games and Gale and Naomi are in the 74th. Naomi is an... interesting character, I'll say. What do y'all think? Oh, and pieces of Madge's Games will be revealed later in the story. I would love to hear your thoughts!