Author's Note:

This is my first story that I have written with chapters and I would appreciate reviews and suggestions. My first story will be about the Hunger Games. I'm sort of improvising as I go, but the basic idea of my story is taking the Hunger Games and morphing it into my own story. I will be taking some idea of the books, but I will not copy. I hope you like my story, and please review. Katniss POV

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games, I just was inspired by it.

Chapter One: The Reaping

I wake up to find the other side of the bed cold. I slowly open my eyes as the sun is making it's way through the morning fog. I peer over the bed to see Prim curled up in my mother's arms, sound asleep. Seeing her so peaceful like that brings a smile to my face. My mother is asleep as well, but my smile slowly fades away as I come back to reality and it comes to me why Prim is in my mother's bed.

Today is the reaping.

Every year, two kids, a boy and a girl, are selected between the ages of twelve and eighteen to compete in the Hunger Games, a brutal battle to the death where there is one winner who is then showered with money and attention, and all of Panem is forced to watch.

I swing my legs over the side of my bed and my feet find the supple leather of my hunting boots. I slip on a red t-shirt and a pair of old jeans, and begin to leave, but I notice an overturned bowl on the counter. I pick it up and underneath is goat cheese, a present for Prim. I retrieve some of the money from yesterday's haul, and head to the bakery to buy some bread.

As always, the baker's son, Peeta takes the first shift at the bakery, so I slip in through the door and approach him. Peeta has a light dusting of flour over his face, and he is showing his dazzling smile through it. The room we are in smells of cheese buns and it makes my head spin. Peeta places my usual up on the counter and I pay him the dued amount. I turn to leave, but Peeta makes some sort of choking noise and it make me start.

"Is everything ok?" I ask. Peeta has a serious yet frightened look on his face.

"How many tesserae did you take this year?" he asks. He diverts his eyesight back to his baking. I thought for a minute. I knew I had over twenty, but I didn't know the exact amount.

"I don't know, about 22 or so?" I said.

He was hiding his face from me, but I can tell that it is pained, as it has been for the past four years, every time. I leave and make my way towards the meadow, slipping underneath the fence as the sun come up through the clouds.

I come to the edge of the woods and I retrieve my bow from the hollow log. When I meet Gale at the hill, he has already gathered berries and nuts from the nearby bushes. I set my bread and cheese down next to his findings, and we dig in. In the Seam, this is a pretty big meal, but it is a special occasion, and we always do this. When we head back, Gale gets a more and more concerned look on his face as we get closer, then turns around without a word.

I walk in my house and Prim is wearing my reaping outfit from two years ago. The back of her shirt is sticking out in a way that makes it look like a duck tail. I silently laugh and go into the bathroom to find an already warm bath waiting for me in the tub. I take of my boots and my clothes and just soak in the water for a while, until my mother knocks on the door and tells me it's almost time to go. I get out and find one of my mother's old dresses laid out for me. It is a pretty blue color.

When I get to the sitting room, my mother braids my hair back and we leave.

When we get to the town square, we are roped off into ages, and I daze off. The sharp voice of Effie Trinket snaps my attention and she announces that she will pick the girl tribute first. She walks over to the bowl containing the girls names, and she picks a slip. She slowly unfold it and reads the name aloud.

Primrose Everdeen

I feel someone catch me after I realize I fell. I can see Prim's small figure rise up and slowly walk to the stage when my brain kicks in.

"I VOLUNTEER!" I scream. "I VOLUNTEER AS TRIBUTE!"

I see Gale ahead of me carrying Prim away as tears roll down her face. I walk up to the Podium and announce my name.

"Katniss Everdeen" I say.

I zone out until I hear the familiar name of the male tribute's name. It's Peeta. I have to go into the Games with Peeta.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, our 75th Hunger Games tributes!"

Author's Note: So that was the first chapter and I hope you liked it. In the next chapter I am going to be focusing on the goodbyes. Please review and I will get the next chapter up as soon as possible!

-sadiemayk13