Prologue
District seven's forest was alight with a dark red from the setting sun. It was past working hours, past curfew, but a young boy couldn't care less. The peacekeepers were blundering and loud while they walked through the woods. John Watson was quiet and light on his feet. He had to be this fine evening. Though John knew how to outsmart them it did not mean the peacekeepers were harmless. Sure enough a white clad man was patrolling the forest and John had to duck under some juniper berry bushes to avoid him. He could see a great black boot pass by him as he held his breath. John never wanted to grow up. He found being little had its advantages and felt being nine forever was best. This way he would never have to be reaped for the Hunger Games and he could just hide from the world instead of actually facing it. When the peace keeper was out of sight he leapt silently from the bush and found the tree he was looking for. This wasn't the first time John rebelled from curfew. He found it was the only way he could escape the pain and poverty at home. John finally found it. In his mind it was the tallest tree in the entire district, though his perception of the endless forest was small. The farthest John ever explored the forest was to see the dam but he only made it halfway. He grinned and jumped lightly to a long hanging branch. He used upper body strength to pull himself up. For a young boy he was already very strong and proven to be an effective lumberjack when the time came.
John was so light that the weakest branches could hold him for the seconds he needed to latch on to another. The red light pouring through the thick branches gave him a fierce look and it contrasted with his dark blue eyes. The light darkened as he climbed higher and the red on his skin turned pink, purplish, and dark blue. Only a little red light remained and it dotted him through the leaves like an abstract painting. John settled on one large knobby branch at the top of the old oak. His hands shaking in anticipation he spread the leaves and leaned out to observe the view. He first blinked a couple of times to train his eyes for the sun. The mist hung around the center of the trees. It made him feel as though he conquered the clouds for the night. The trees stretched on for miles and miles anyone could get lost. Then he saw the dam. It was a great foundation of concrete that separated the forest from the walls of water beyond. Gulls surrounded it in a hazy cloud fighting over a small fish. John imagined how great it would be to be a gull. He wouldn't be hungry, wouldn't be reaped into the games, and he could fly. John leaned forward far too much. There was an ominous snap. Then a massive plunge.