Chapter 1
My name is Willow Mellark. I'm fifteen years old and I live in District 12. I have brown hair and blue eyes. My mother is Katniss Everdeen and my father is Peeta Mellark. My parents used to tell me stories about their life before President Paylor took over. When I turned nine, President Snow's granddaughter, Branch reassembled the Peacekeepers. She became President Branch. So now, life is how it was when my parents were my age. The Hunger Games were put back in to action. My family is the poorest in District Twelve since Branch hates us so much. I used to have a little brother name Max. He was killed when he was five. My mother taught me how to hunt with a bow and arrow. It's my favorite thing to do. Now it's the morning of the reapings. Each year, I think that I'm going to get picked. My mother gives me the dress that she wore the day she was reaped, it's mandatory. I hate it. I decide to keep my hair down. I walk outside, blinking my blue eyes as the sun's rays hit them. I walk out to the square and listen as the Anthem plays. My heart starts to race. What if I get picked? I'll be killed for sure. Tinka Locki steps on stage. "Hello, welcome to the reapings of the 90th Hunger Games! May luck be always on your side!" she says cheerfully. I roll my eyes. She always uses that cheap rip off of Effie Trinket's famous, "May the odds be ever in your favor". After a long, peppy speech, she draws out of the girls bowl. I close my eyes. I can hear her hand searching through the bowl of small papers….. "Willow Mellark!" Tinka announces. I had seen it coming. I prepare myself for this every year, so why am I so….surprised? Fifteen seconds. That's all it took to change my life forever. I carefully step up on stage. When Tinka asks for volunteers, the crowd falls silent. Tinka reaches in to the boys bowl…. "Jay Rune!" she announces. As I hear that name, it's like I go back in time. I was in 1st grade. A bunch of kids were being mean to me. I had lost all hope. Then, a boy with blonde hair and misty grey eyes walked up to me. "Don't listen to them. I think you're pretty," he said. He handed me a simple Lilly and walked away. He gave me hope again. My eyes search the crowd for him. Finally, I see him. He's as handsome as ever, but I don't care. He can't be in the Hunger Games. Anyone but him. He steps up on stage, and our eyes meet for a single second. Peacekeepers escort us to the justice building in separate rooms. First, my parents come in. I can see the panic in my mom's eyes. My dad however, looks calm. He wraps his arms around me silently. My mother pulls out a single gold object from her pocket. It's a mocking jay pin. She puts it on my shirt. "If you're going to win, you'll need this," she says. I look down at it and realize that it's not a Mockingjay. It's instead a canary. I stare at it, astonished. Then, the Peacekeeper takes them away from me. I don't get anymore visitors. I sit in silence for another hour. Tinka comes in and takes me to the train. As I walk in, I see Jay.