The following chapter is not my best work, but a significant improvement from You Can't Be Too Careful. Yes I did change Hannah Morris to Melody Atkinson. The name fit better with the description and just the way I imagined the protagonist to be. I hope you enjoy and yes I know there is a lot of background detail and a lot about Melody. Bear with me that this is only chapter one.

I do not own anything except Melody, Cory, Carrie, and Jeremy.

When I was a young girl of the mere age of nine, I was playing by the fence. That's what all the children in our district do, play by the fence, but never to touch it. No, it was an electric fence, but I knew better than to touch it. Well I do now.

I saw the most beautiful bird in the entire world limp on the ground just on the other side of the fence. I wanted to bring it home to mother and father. They needed a bit of happiness in their life, something bright and colorful. It was perfect.

I just didn't realize a peacekeeper was around at that time. They're never around. If I knew he was there, I would have never climbed the fence and broken my wrist. I would have never been whipped nine times on my stomach.

So I went home and I cried to my mother and my father and it broke their aching hearts to see me all bloodied up and bruised, but I said I was a big girl and could take care of myself. I drew a bath and wiped all the blood off with an old rag and when I finished, it looked like nothing had ever happened.

There were no scars and there were no bruises. All that was there was my porcelain skin, unmarred.

They never believed me after that. Not even when I told them how Augustus, our head peacekeeper, liked to caress my nine year old thighs and move his hand all the way down my back in a way that mother and father never did.

I stopped telling them things that made them sad that day.

That was last year and I am no longer that naive nine year old that I once was. I am ten now. My mother pulled me out of school because she said it was a waste of my time if I wasn't going to pay attention and only goof off. I obliged with a smile on my face, but I didn't know the alternative was hard labor and a lack of free time. I missed school and I missed all my friends. It's been a year since I last spoke to them and have not smiled since.

I stopped smiling that day.

Now I'm eleven and am no longer that over dramatic child I was a year ago. I'm back at school and I'm happier than I have ever been! I joined the dance team and am starting to teach myself how to throw knives with the help of my neighbor, Tyler.

Both our fathers are blacksmiths so the knives are easy to get hold of. Tyler said that we should learn just in case we ever get reaped. He was only two years senior.

I think it's funny how he never got suspicious when he accidentally plunged my ribs and never asked why there was no blood and why I didn't hurt.

Maybe it wasn't an accident after all.

I stopped practicing with him that day.

I turned twelve the other day and while I blew out my candles, I wished to never be reaped. I don't care about my little secret, I don't want the Capitol to keep me as one of their crash test dummies I'm not a damn mutation and I sure as hell refused to be treated like one.

When Tyler plunged me in the ribs with a knife, that was an accident, but when he gagged me and tied me the oak tree a mile and a half stripped and bare.

It was not an accident when he brought his buddies along with them and put themselves inside of my even when I squirmed and yelped.

I stopped looking at him that day.

But that was back when I was twelve and have aged 365 days since. Twelve was the age I started looking at my mother differently. I noticed how she had green eyes when everyone else had blue and grey eyes. I noticed how her strawberry blonde colored hair looked redder during the day than at night. I noticed how her freckles scattered her nose and cheeks, but not her forehead or her chin. I also starting looking at my father differently. I noticed how he never smiled anymore. I noticed how dull his grey eyes looked whenever I talked to him. I noticed his hair loss every time a big event had occurred.

I looked at my older brother, Jeremy differently who has blue eyes and mouse brown hair and was almost five foot seven whereas I was just an inch shorter.

I looked at my younger sister and brother who were fraternal twins.

Carrie had chocolate brown eyes with hair to match and a permanent tan from staying outside all day. Cory had the same dark eyes and dark hair that was only two shade lighter than Carrie's. He had the alabaster skin that I also inherited, and freckles from mother.

I started looking differently at myself that day.

Now I am thirteen and look more and more different everyday. My almond shaped eyes were a piercing green just like my mother's. My skin was milky white and my hair strawberry blonde. I took after my mother and I loved all the attention I was getting. I was always popular in school, I was friendly and funny, but I was never the pretty girl.

But that was when I was thirteen. It's been a year since and I have matured significantly for a child of only fourteen years.

Two years has passed since I haven't been reaped.

Two hours ago another year was added, but that didn't stop me from standing next to Effie Trinket. Not after a twelve year old was called. Especially not after it was revealed to be Primrose Everdeen.

Carrie and Prim were both in the same class and were partnered for everything. They were best friends in a way.

That was the day I realized mother's worry lines ceased and father only talked to me about his work. I was only nine back then when all of this had started and yet I felt as if I had lost my childhood in a heartbeat.

I guess the moment I finally realized it was gone was when I volunteered to board the train all the way to the Capitol.

My name is Melody Christine Atkinson and I am a lot of things. I am stubborn, reckless, manipulative, and kind, but I am not and have never once been in my life afraid.

Favorite line from this chapter: I am stubborn, reckless, manipulative, and kind, but I am not and have never once been in my life afraid.