The Hunger Games,

Every year those were the words that everyone spoke of. Will they get in? What will it be like? Is like everyone says it is? Who knows? Only the victors do of course.

Well this year was no different. The 74th annual Huger Games was being celebrated and everyone from every district was buzzing about the upcoming event.

Katniss wasn't that in to it. Yes she watched every year and wondered who would win like any other person would watch the show.

She just wasn't very in to listening to the same thing she had heard for the seventieth year of her life.

She remembered watching it for the first time when she was five, that was her earliest memory of watching the Games. From there on out she was preparing for the Games doing everything she could to prepare.

It wasn't fair for young children to go in, they weren't ready and it didn't matter how much training they got, it didn't matter. They were too young, too inexperienced.

But this year was no different, same old same old.

"Katniss are you ready for the Hunger Games?" Madge asked her smiling. They were sitting on the porch of Madges house.

"No, well yeah, but it's not like I'm gonna get called up or anything."

"Well you never know."

"I do know cuz you need to be signed up," Katniss said standing up and walking lightly loosely around the porch, "And as I recall, this year I didn't sign up."

"No, you didn't sign up this year," Madge said, "But I signed you up."

Katniss stung round to Madge with horror in her eyes, but worst of all she was angry.

"You do what?" Katniss yelled at her.

"Calm down Katniss."

"Calm down. Calm down? Are you crazy? How am I supposed to calm down?"

"You'll be fine, like you say every year 'I'll never be in'." Madge said in a bad impersonation of Katniss.

"Okay, one, I don't sound anything like that. And two, you're dead."

Madge just laughed as she watched Katniss walk away angrily back home to get ready.

The next day everyone was getting ready to be signed in and possibly be called in for the Games.

"Katniss," Came a small voice from behind her, it was her little sister Prim.

"Oh look at you, you look so pretty." Katniss said coming over to her and tucking in the back of her shirt that always stuck out.

"I wish I looked like you," Prim winded tugging on Katniss' blue dress that their mother had picked out for her. Katniss despised it but Prim like it.

Prim hugged her tightly and Katniss hugged back confused.

"Hey what's wrong?" Katniss asked.

"I don't want to go in there. I've heard terrible rumours and everyone in my class is saying that it's my year."

"Hey, it's not your year. They're just being mean, trying to scare you like that."

"How do you know?" Prim said looking up at her and Katniss looked back down to her.

"I just know," She said smiling on the outside, but inside she wasn't so sure.

They walked over to the check in centre and stood and watched as an extravagant woman walked on stage in a large wig and heavy makeup and bold clothed begun her usual speech.

The speech dragged on and no one ever listened to it unless it was their first year. Everyone listened to the bit where she pulled out the names for who was picked to into the Games.

"As usual, ladies first," The woman said and her hand circled the bowl until she picked at random a piece of paper with a name on.

"Prim Rose Everdeen," She said smiling and everyone made way for Prim. Katniss was shocked, 'How did everyone know?' Katniss thought.

As Prim passed her she said quietly, "You said you I wouldn't be picked, help."

Prim kept walking on and Katniss starting calling back for her. Everyone knew what happened in the Games, behind the scenes. Maybe they were just rumours but Katniss didn't want her sister to be a part of it.

Next thing she knew she had volunteered, she was on stage, she was next to Peeta Malark, she was saying goodbye to her mother, sister and friends.

And that was it, she was in a car on her way to get on a train to go to the Capitol.

"Are you excited?" Effie asked sitting next to her. Effie had introduced herself when they got into the car.

Peeta said nothing so neither did Katniss.

"Come on you guys must be excitied for the Games."

"It's not really a game, more like a competition." Peeta said and I nodded.

"But aren't you excitied to see the Capitol for the first time and get trained by ex tributes?"

"No, I don't even want to be in this car." Katniss said and it was Peeta's turn to nod.

"Listen we wouldn't have chosen you if we didn't think you two were good from your auditions." Effie said trying to defend herself.

"I volunteered at the last minute," I say louder than I should, "What does that make me?"

"Well, it kind of makes you an intruder. But, luckily, your audition was great so you'll be fine in training. If you'd volunteered and you had a terrible audition, well, we'd have our work cut out for us wouldn't we?"

Katniss just glared at her, and Effie held her stare back but eventually turned away.

"Well, do any of you have any questions?"

"Yeah, I do." Katniss said.

"Oh course you do."

Katniss just glared some more, "Are the rumours true?"

"Excuse me?"

"Are the rumours true?" Peeta asked and Katniss looked at him and he looked back. She looked away first blushing and Effie must have caught on because she smiled smugly at Katniss. And yes, Katniss glared at her.

"What rumours do you mean?" Effie said playing dumb.

"Oh you know," Katniss said, "The rape, diet, relationships, lies, fake, plastic surgery rumours on tributes."

Effie was quiet for a while which was enough for them to know they were true.

"Yes, they are. But you should know that I am very good at protecting my kids in the show."

"Your kids?" Katniss questioned, "I'm not your kid, and you're not my mother."

Effie looked hurt and didn't look at Katniss but turned to her and said, "Listen you, you can either mess around and be mad at everyone and push everyone away but that's no good because you'll be lonely until you leave this competition."

"This is a singing competition, not a freeking war." Katniss said.

"You'd be surprised." Effie said and turned away from her.

They said nothing for the rest of the ride until they got onto the train, now all they had to do was meet the other tributes and mentors.

TBC…

Okay I really hope you like because I've had this idea in mind for, like, AGES now and it's finally off my shoulders. But I have so many other ideas for chapters. I'm so excited! Hope you like and please R&R, thank you's. Writing soon.