"Peeta!" I hear screaming from down the hall just like every night in my life that I can remember.
"Katniss! Katniss!" I hear dad yell at her. "It's ok. It's a dream!" I can tell he finally woke her up and that she is now safely wrapped in his arms because of the silence that now fills the house. I pull my blanket over my head and hope I can stop the thoughts that the silence brings to my head. Tomorrow. Tomorrow is the reason her night nares have grown worst in the past month and tomorrow is the reason I cannot sleep tonight. Tomorrow is the 98th Hunger Games reaping and I, being her daughter, am bound to have to have a spot waiting for me in one of these fames. Since I am 17, I am running out of time for my name to be picked and tomorrow very well could be the day when my name is called and I walk up on stage to my death. I know it s not the best way to look at my name being called because I have been trained a little. Mom taught me how to shoot an arrow and about different plants while dad taught me all about snares and how to catch different animals. But I still have to facts; they want me dead so mom will suffer and if the Capitol wants it, I m probably going to die. If someone doesn t kill me, something in the area will. The area is another thing mom has talked to me about. She talks abot the girl named Rue that she partnered with the first game. She always tear up when she talks about Rue s death. I never want to listen to it mostly because I am afraid of seeing someone die like that. But I let her talk about it because I know it helps her. She talks about all the people she knew that died in the arena and little by little the nightmares of that person seem to lessen. There I only one person that she will not talk about nor is brought up in this house. The boy whose name she screams every night. Dad only told me a little about him when I asked. About mom and him being in the games together and how he died saving her life in the seconds games. Dad seemed upset when I asked about this boy so, even though I want to know more I never asked about him again. I got most of my information about what happened in those Hunger Games from the talk around town. I heard about the famous Peeta Mellark and my mom. They were the star-crossed lovers from District 12, they should up to the capitol by almost committing sucide, and how they stuck together though everything. She held him in her arms as she died. Everyone said after he died, she has never been the same. I wouldn t know I have always grown up with my mom being the hard as a rock, just trying to keep her and her family alive. She never left the house except for the reaping each year, she just tried to forget the world and forget about the tall blonde headed boy. There is a boy in my grade who shares his last name. Apparently the boy is a spitting image of Peeta Mellark, tall, blonde headed with blue eyes and very handsome. Avane Mellark is his name. I think he was that boy s nephew. I talked to him once, a few years ago, not knowing we had any sort of connection. I was picking up some bread from the bakery and he was there alone working.
"Hey.." I look up from staring at the beautiful cakes and there Avane stood. I knew his name from school but we never really talked before. "Aren't you Katninss daughter, Atheria, right?"
" Yes, I am." I said. I had learned to be discreet and to the point when I was talking because I knew the Capitol was always looking for a way to get my family back because my mom was a leader of the second rebellion.
"I've heard a lot about you." That caught my attention. I stare directly into his beautiful blue eyes. "My name is Avane Mellark." He drug out the last name and I suddenly realized who he was. I gave him a quite glance to tell me I recognized him.
"Nice to meet you. " I gave a small smile and got my stuff and left. That was the last time I talked to him. Suddenly I heard two pairs of footsteps headed towards the kitchen interrupt my thoughts. And with that I know there will be no more sleeping in this house tonight. I swing my feet over the side of the bed, deciding that I will join them, and slowly make my way down the hall to the kitchen. There my mom sits, cradled in dad s strong arms, her eyes red from lack of sleep and crying.
"Hey Ace" Dad gives a half-hearted smile. I walk over to the table, pulling out a wooden chair and sit down.
"I couldn t sleep." I say, feeling like I need an excuse for being here.
"Join the group." Mom looks at me and says. We all sit there in silence, starring at each other none of us saying what everyone has on their minds.
"Well, I should cook us something to eat." Mom says after what seems like half an hour. She gets up and walks over to the stove. Dad and I just continue starring out the window at the bright orange sunrise that is rising from behind the mountains. Here you go. She slides a bowl in front of Dad and me. I pick up my spoon and begin to stir the brown mixture in a circle taking a bite every once in a while.
"You need to eat." Mom's gray eyes seem to burn a whole in me with how intently she is staring. "You will need all the meals you can get before you go into the arena. You need to put on as much weight as possible." Dad frowns at her as he drains the last bit of soup.
"
We don't know she is going to be called." He offers weakly but you can tell even he does not believe his own words.
"Face the facts." I chime in. "We all know they want more revenge and I am the perfect tool to get what they want". The room gets dead silent again. The color drained from Mom s face, I m guessing because she knows it is her fault I am as good as dead. I instantly regret what I said. I manage to pick up my bowl and eat the rest of the soup because I can t bear to look at their depressed faces.
"Come on Atheria." Mom says seeming to have gathered herself again. "Time to get ready." I push my chair back and make my way to the restroom where a hot bath, smelling of vanilla was waiting for me. I shed my clothes and step into the tub. After soaking for a while, I got out and my mom came in holding a small gray dress.
"Here." She says and put the dress in my hands. I quickly get dressed and look in the mirror and I look like a spitting image of my mother, tall, dark skin with dark hair and gray eyes. I make my way to the town square where the reaping was being held. There on the stage was our mayor, our district 12 escort, Elliee Marriot, and our past victor which consisted of my mom. I was herded into the group of 17 year old girls while the mayor made his usually spiel about how the Hunger Games became to be.
"Atheria." I look over to my left and see Sparrow, one of my friends standing there. "Good luck." She grimaced.
"Thanks." I say weakly. It seems like everyone knew I was going to be called. The mayor continued to speak about the rebellion and the second rebellion that both failed. Finally it was time for the reaping. He recognized my mother as being the only victor from district 12 that was still alive. Finally it was time for the reaping and I knew it was coming. I hold my breath and glance at where all the boys were sectioned off into different age groups, trying to guess who will be in the arena with me. Elliee came to the stand.
"Ladies first!" She says cheerfully and reaches into the glass ball and unravels the small white paper.
"Atheria Hawthorne!" There was no hope left now; it was reality I was going to be put in an arena to fight to the death but it s not like I haven t been preparing for this for years. I walk up to the stage staying strong and wait for the boy to be called. "Congratulations, Atheria" Elliee says before she reaches into the boy's glass ball and unravels the small sheet of paper.
"Avane Mellark!." My heart stops as he slowly makes his way to the stage, his face hard as a rock. He stands next to me and I feel myself go numb. I predicted them picking me and killing me but this was much worse than watching me fight to my mom. I now realize what the Capitol is doing to inflict the worst possible revenge on my mom. My rock hard attitude was shattered. They are going to recreate, to the best of their ability, my mom s and Peeta's 74th Hunger Games.