Okay, I took a few reviews into consideration and reedited this chapter. I'm still typing the next chapter.

Peeta

Chapter 1

I wake up to sounds of crying. "It's your turn," Katniss murmurs. Groggily, I get out of bed and walk to the crib. Prim Rue lays there, bawling her eyes out. It's amazing how Cinna Finnick just lays there sleeping like…well a baby. I pick Prim Rue up and change her diaper. I'm done in a jiffy and she goes back to sleep. I yawn and go back into bed. Then, I fall into a horrid dream.

I'm in a crowd. We are all gathered in front of a stage. An overly dressed woman walks to a podium. Effie. "Welcome, welcome." she says in her Capitol voice. I glance around. We're all dressed in Sunday clothes. Peacekeepers are surrounding the area. This is the day of the reaping.

"Oh no," I mutter. "It's another flashback."

The Capitol's seal appears and the anthem is played. When that's over with, Effie starts talking. "Ladies first!" she says a little to enthusiastically. She reaches her long, gloved hand into a glass bowl. Prim's name is called out and she starts walking to the stage. Then, Katniss starts running and shouting, "I volunteer as tribute!"

She takes her place on stage and Effie walks to the bowl with the men's names. "Peeta Mellark!" she says crisp and clear. I start screaming and the whole scene starts dissolving. I snap out of my flashback and find myself gripping a wooden chair tightly. Effie, Haymitch, and Katniss are watching me. All of them are dressed up, although saying that for Effie was an understatement. She was stripped of her usual Capitol ridicule, and wore a simple blue dress with flowing blonde hair. Almost as if…no, that's stupid. Why would there be another Reaping?

I let go of the chair, embarrassed to find little cracks in it. Effie gasps. "That is mahogany!"

"Sorry," I murmur. Then, I wonder why they're here. "What are you doing here?"

"They're back," says Katniss.

"Who's back?"

"The government." says Haymitch. "We thought we defeated them a while back ago, but we were wrong. They've been building up ever since. They're finally powerful enough. They're starting the Hunger Games all over again."

"You're kidding me, right?"

"We're not," says Haymitch. He's serious. This is one of the few times he's ever been serious. "We can't explain that much. We barely know what's happening. We'll talk later. Hurry. The peacekeepers will punish us if we don't go to the Reaping soon."

I take a while to process this. What were they saying? We killed off the government a while back. "No," I mutter to myself. "It's not true."

"Peacekeepers are surrounding our house." says Katniss.

"No," I repeat.

"It'll be okay," says Effie, "We have a plan. You and Katniss won't go back into the ar-"

"No!" I scream out before she can finish the word.

Before anybody can say anything else, the door opens and a peacemaker walks in. "It's time." he says. None of us have to ask what he meant by that.

Katniss walks over to the crib and picks up the babies. They're both dressed up in reaping clothes. I had a horrible vision of their names being called out. An escort shouting, "Prim Rue Mellark!" and "Cinna Finnick Mellark!" They couldn't have been called out. They're not even 12. But what if the government makes "special" exceptions? They'd still probably try to get revenge. Katniss and I would volunteer for them. But then one of us would have to kill each other. I couldn't bear that thought. We walk out of our house. The primroses I planted are wilted. It's the government's work.

We turn towards the outskirts of Victor's Village. Only then did I realize that I was in Reaping clothes too. "Can't you explain any more?" I ask Haymitch. He opens his mouth to reply, but the peacekeeper harshly shouts, "No talking!" I fall silent. We leave Victor's Village and make our way to the Seam. It's been a while since we've been here.

We keep walking through and look at the cemetery, where Buttercup was buried. Katniss sighs sadly. She hated that cat, but it reminded her of Prim, who's body burned completely before they could save it. All the black markets and illegal stores we used to have are shut down. Large groups of people make their way to the Reaping area. White peacekeeper uniforms flood my vision. They're everywhere. How'd they get that many so soon?

We make our way out of the Seam and towards the Reaping area. There's a table where two ladies in white uniforms are. The peacemakers prick our fingers to identify us. Even the babies. I see their names appear on the scanner. This is not good.

Another peacemaker says the genders separate here. I grab Cinna Finnick and walk to where the boys are gathered. Haymitch stands next to me, his breath reeking of alcohol. "Don't worry, Effie and I thought you and Katniss deserve a little break. We've been planning it since they kicked us out of our houses this morning."

I spot Gale and start walking away from him. I don't think we're exactly on good terms. A lady in high heels walks onstage. She has a boisterous orange (soft, like the sunset) wig and glittering clothes. I hear Effie shout, "Imposter!" Katniss immediately shushes her before any peacemaker can punish her.

The Capitol's seal appears on the wall and the anthem plays. I cringe as I imagine a cannon booming somewhere in the distance. "Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the 77th Hunger Games!"

"When was the 76th?" I ask Haymitch.

"When that rebellion happened."

I wonder why people don't rebel now. Then, I took a look at the peacemakers surrounding the grounds. Cinna Finnick starts bawling in my hands, but I calm him down immediately. I started breathing deeply. This was all a bad dream. I was going to end up gripping another wooden chair. Katniss would be there calming me down.

I was wrong. It wasn't even a jacked-up memory that I was flashing back to. "Ladies first!" says the lady. She overdramatically reaches her gloved hand inside the glass bowl and pulls out a strip of paper. The name she reads it is the one I did not want to hear. "Prim Rue Mellark!"

Katniss starts screaming as the peacemakers try to pull the baby away. I wait for her to say, "I volunteer as tribute!" but the peacemakers hold her down and cover her mouth. I watch in horror as they carry the baby towards the stage. Why wouldn't somebody do anything?

Then, out of nowhere, Effie shouts, "I volunteer as tribute!"

An uproar of gasps and murmurs echo throughout the crowd. "What?" I ask Haymitch.

"All part of the plan, kid. Just don't try to volunteer this time and let me do the work."

Effie walks up to the stage in her simple, black shoes. What torture this must be for her. "How brave of you! You must be the first volunteer!"

"Second," Effie growls through the microphone.

"Oh, feisty aren't we? No matter, on to the gents!"

Out of the corner of my eye, I see peacemakers make their way to me. Their hands had thick gloves to cover my shouting.

The lady reaches in deeply for another strip of paper. She ruffles around and to no surprise, she calls out, "Cinna Finnick!"

I start to yell, "I volun-" but the peacekeepers hold me down and I'm stuck eating my own words.

Haymitch, however, shouts out, "I volunteer as tribute!"

Shouting does not help keep his alcohol breath contained.

"Another volunteer!" the lady says in fake excitement as he walks to the stage.

"Oh, I know! I'm the greatest person in the world!" Haymitch says mockingly.

The lady's smile fades and she looks back to the microphone. "Well, there you have it! Those are our tributes! Let the 77th Hunger Games begin! And may the odds be ever in your favor!"