"My name is Calla, and I can't be broken!"

Chapter 1

Waking up in the morning, my least favorite part of the day. Whether it's the forced up, to get where ever it is that you need to be, or the on your own. Which for me is almost as worse. When I first wake up I'm not ready. I still need more sleep. Then I repeat this 5 times or so till my feet finally hit the ground. But this morning I have work so it's the forced up.

I pull on a white tank top and some olive green tight pants with black leather boots. I brush my hair up and leave it in a ponytail. I still keep the 2 Eagle feathers and beads in my hair. I never take them out. Then I go down stairs. Sitting there is Ryuo, Ivy, and Kenigh….my sister.

They are my siblings but not really. Ryuo, my brother is actually my cousin. He is aggressive to most but easy-going around us. He's 17 years old. He is tall for his age and pretty buff. He has short, brown-blond, spikey hair, and tannish-gold skin with brown eyes. He resembles me somewhat. We have the same color skin.

Ivy, my sister is actually my god sister and closest friend. She is kind and compassionate, devoted to her work (medicine woman), sassy only when need be, and a truly wonderful person. We are tighter than glue. She is the youngest at 16. She has mahogany colored skin with short, cinnamon-colored curly hair in an afro style, and light brown eyes. Another thing she has is Leukemia. She's suffered with it for a few years. In another year I'm told she will die. This is devastating to me. She's my closest friend, my sister. It is how ever preventable. If I can get the medicine which is 2 times the amount of money we all have combined. Somehow I must find away. I won't give up on her.

Then there is Kenigh my actual older sister. She is 22 years old. She has blond, wavy, shoulder-length hair, and fairer skin which is a shade lighter than mine. She has cloudy blue eyes. She is pretty attractive. Most men have said so. But you never really know what she is thinking. Things are cold between us. She abandoned us for 5 years then just came back all of the sudden. Although I have never done anything to her, she hates me. She blames me for our mother's death.

Astra. That's our family name. My father Lance died in a work related accident before I was born. In other words take caution around a heard of unruly cattle. You never know when a stampede can break out.

My mother, Alyssum, was left with my 4 year old sister and me not born yet. She died giving birth to me. I've only ever seen pictures of her. She had my sister's hair but my eyes. Her eyes, my eyes. The thing people seemed to like about her appearance so much. One was a deep sapphire blue and the other a light, astounding, emerald green. My eyes were no exception. Two different eye colors is unusual among people. I am the only one in my district who has this genetic trait. Although I never knew my mother I was told I had her fiery temperament. Another reason Kenigh couldn't stand me. I was too much like her.

I looked like my mother but I had my father's dark black hair, which was pin straight, silky, and long going all the way down to my waist. People too thought I was beautiful. Well the men at work sure think so. Every day I deal with their in-appropriate jokes and cat calls. It's all in good fun though. There's not many girls were I work and I seem to be their overall favorite. This is fine by me I usually just joke back with them joining in their fun.

As for Ryuo and Ivy, they joined us. Well….we joined them. Ivy's mother took Kenigh and me in and we all bonded. Fuchsia my god mother became my mother but one day some desperate fool managed to get ahold of a peace keeper's gun and decided to robe a bakery. Fuchsia was in the wrong place at the wrong time. When this all happened Kenigh ran away. I became parent. I was the leader even though I was only 14 at the time, I was still the eldest. Ryuo and I worked at the cattle industry with our spears which we were all ready pretty comfortable with using, taking care of stray cattle to prevent another stampede. Ivy worked as a medicine woman and she was a really good one. She even taught me some. Although I am no were near as good as she was I knew the basics. Meanwhile Kenigh was who knows where probably hoeing it around with some random guy.

She finally came back 5 years later and was pretty much mute around us. We barely talked. Where she went? No one knows. What she did? No one knows. WHY she came back is the question I have never been able to answer no matter how much I thought about it. Yet we never asked and she never told.

I got a quick meal of 2 strips of beef and a stale bread piece and ate it faster than I probably should have. I went over to the shelf where my mother and father's picture was and grabbed the spear that lay beside it. It was my father's. It had a long, smooth, wooden shaft, and 2 handle holes worn from use. I pick it up and my hands fit the holes perfectly. It is decorated with an assortment of brightly colored beads and designs that resemble the sun, moon, and stars. The head is long, black-metallic, and incredibly sharp. Hanging from the spear are leather strings with turquoise beads and Eagle feathers at the ends. This is one of my most prized possessions. Holding it I feel safe and intimidating. I also feel a sense of dignity, an uncommon thing for a person of District 10 or any District for that manner. The spear represents my ancestors from long ago. I only hear stories and legends but my ancestors were important. They were one of the first people to walk this Earth, hunting Buffalo with spears like my own. They called themselves Lakota. Others just called them Indians. Their customs and traditions are just as dead as they are but one still lives out loud and clear. They believed that everyone had a Wakamaskan Skan or spirit animal. An animal that symbolized everything that they were. Ryuo was a bear and sometimes he can really fit the description. Ivy was an Otter and she is fun and zesty just like them. I call Kenigh the Mouse but that isn't her real spirit animal it's a Falcon but that one is more fitting. And I am no exception. The spirit animal given to me is an Eagle.

Why an Eagle? To be honest I'm not even sure. I have been told a couple things but they just brushed over my head. It was probably just one of those things, or was it?

I stopped at the door and beckoned for Ryuo to come. He picked up his old, bronze spear and headed out the door. I said by to Ivy and she smiled back saying "Be careful!" Then she looked at Kenigh and then back at me giving that look. No need for explanations her message was clear. "Bye….Mouse." I said back in a mean tone. She just gave a slight smile and said "Bye." In a voice barely audible to human ears. Then before I could see the "I know you did not just do that." look on Ivy's face I excited the door with hast, catching up to Ryuo who was already a good 24 feet in front of me.

When we passed Victor's Village I found myself starring in hope that he would appear. Why! Damn it Calla, he's your best friend you shouldn't feel this way about him! Ok, I'll admit it. I have feelings for him but I'm preoccupied. I have other responsibilities. He's just your friend and your lonely, I lie to myself.

We are past Victor's Village and Coraree now. I try to think about other things. Let my mind wander. What is there to think about? Today's upcoming reaping? Ahhhh don't think about that Calla, that's worse! Other topics! Ok, what about Coraree. Yes, back to that. Wasn't I supposed to not think about that? Ughh. My head is spinning right now. I just need to get my thoughts straight. And just when they're about to, I hear a "Hey Gorgeous."

I whip around quickly to see who it is but I already know.

"Why so startled?" asks Coraree.

"I was not!" I snap back trying not to let a smile show. But this doesn't fool him he just stares at me. When I stare back at those shock blue eyes a strange feeling wells up deep inside of me. Like a million of little birds flying around. Like I can't breathe but I'm not gasping for air. A wonderful feeling. I finally realize that we've been starring at each other for about 2 minutes. Then, breaking the silence he jokes "Do you even know how to use that thing?" gesturing at my spear.

"Better than you do!" I retort adding a flirty tone to my voice.

Coraree is 18 like me. He is a bit taller than most boys his age and pretty strong. Stronger than most and bigger and fairly muscular. He has light tan skin a couple shades lighter than mine and black wavy hair that brushes his forehead but comes to his ears. Sometimes I call him Wolf because if he was Lakotan I'm pretty sure that's what his spirit animal would be. He's strong, fierce like me, funny sometimes, loyal, and protective (only of me though. Heh).

He had been different since it all happened. First his 12 year old sister Marigold was reaped for the 69th annual Hunger Games. That hurt him badly but that was only minor in comparison to what happened later. Not only was his 12 year old sister reaped, when she was in the arena a pack of carriers ganged up on her and bludgeoned her to death with maces on live T.V. while Coraree watched. That did more than hurt him that maimed him. After it was all over and her picture flashed up on the screen Coraree took his spear and threw it at the T.V. Even though he has the money now he never bought a new one (Wonder Why!). Then he trashed everything in his house, shattering dishes, smashing windows, throwing furniture, etc. Then he drank….ALOT. Which is unusual because Coraree almost never drinks. He got really drunk. Then took a picture of Marigold from the wall of which it hanged and smashed it against the floor, and when his fists came down to smash her picture one more time they stayed there. He collapsed on top of her broken picture sobbing. I walked carefully over to where he knelled and lifted him up and sat him at the table. I grabbed some of Ivy's medicine supplies and bandaged his hands that were now bleeding and red from the broken glass. After that I helped him into bed.

He was sadder after that. Marigold was the only relative he had left and she was as golden as the flower she was named after. I cried too when she died. She would sometimes hang out with Coraree and me. Marigold was enjoyable and pure sunshine. She always had a way of making people feel good even when they were deeply depressed. It was hard for me to grasp, even thinking about it now made tears well up in my eyes. How? Just how could they take something so innocent and wonderful and destroy it in such a horrible and appalling way? How could someone kill the sun? The sun that brightened the day and nurtured so many. And yet they found a way. And the sick part was it was all just to teach us a lesson. Well maybe I hadn't learned my lesson yet!