Reaping Day. Prim wakes me up. Her forehead was popping with beads of sweat and her pajamas were covered in it. She had been dreaming about today. She scurried out of bed and came to my side, her eyes watering and teary. "Katniss, Katniss," She whispered. "Katniss, it was me. It was me. I was picked out of millions. Katniss, I can't go in! I can't go!" She sobbed. I shook myself awake and clutched her hand, it was sweaty and slippery. "Shh, Prim, don't cry. Don't cry, Prim. Don't cry." I whispered back to her. Tears streamed down her nose and I whispered, "Prim, prim don't worry. Don't worry. "She quietly left in tiny little footsteps. I assume she went to my mother's room. I actually get up and start getting ready to hunt. I get on my boots and hunting jacket with black jeans and a brown t-shirt. I could hear my mother hushing Prim and I slipped out the door. I ran down the road and carefully slid by the early-bird miners heading to work. The sky was very blue, but cloudy. Dreary. Like everything today. Everything was going to be dreary, until the end of the day when you were celebrating that your name wasn't picked. Peacekeepers were scattered along the grounds. The trees were swaying in the slight wind, bending over to touch me. The fence had the same signs as always, the same DANGER DISTRICT LINE, signs down the fence. The birds were chirping beyond the fence. I quickly shot a glance behind me, first to my right, then my left, and slid the bottom up and climbed under it. I jogged in the tall grass to the trees. I grabbed my bow from my hiding spot in a narrow tree. I could hear small, light footsteps coming from behind me. I shot a fierce look behind me and slowly turned around. A small, amber fox trotted behind me and I raced to grab my quiver from a fallen log nearby and drew an arrow. I shot it and it whipped through the air. Bull's-eye. No literally, right in the eye. I grabbed my game and continued on. I found Gale playing with a snare that was ruined by the weather. I gradually sat down next to him.
"Happy Hunger Games!" He said all bubbly imitating the annoying and fake Effie Trinket.
"And may the odds by ever in your favor!" I finished. He showed me a loaf of bread and strawberries. My eyes bulged and my tongue watered. I could feel the tart but sweetness of the strawberries on my tongue. I took at Prim's goat cheese and we indulged. I finally spoke.
"So how many times is your name entered today?"
"42," He answered quickly.
"Damn, Gale. You really need to stop taking tessera. We could help you. I could ask Prim to help o-"
"Katniss, there are more people in that bowl and this is my last year. Don't worry. You should be worried about Prim and yourself," Gale said quickly. "You really shouldn't be ok, we shouldn't have to worry about this. We could do it. You know that." I looked at him puzzled.
"Do what?"
"Run off, leave. Live in the woods." He said looking at the ground.
"Gale, you remember," I got quiet. "The red-head. The hovercraft. You can't forget that."
"We could make it," Gale said seriously. "You know WE could,"
"Gale? What about Posy? Or your brothers? And Prim?" I questioned.
"Well, yeah. That's the only problem," He explained. "Let's go, Catnip." Gale showed me how to la a successful snare for foxes and bunnies when we weren't hunting. He told me that it would survive for a few days until we came to get it. I shot a few birds and a large rabbit. Gale and I collected more strawberries and blueberries and were off to the Seam. Greasy Sae was grateful for the fox at the Hob, a small and secure trading shop. Even Peacekeepers slipped in here occasionally. Today, Gale sold a few strawberries to a Peacekeeper for a few coins. We then skipped to one of my only friends, Madge's house. She was lucky though. Her father was Mayor Undersee. Her name was only entered like 5 or 6 times, total. I came to her back door so her father wouldn't be suspicious; I don't think he really liked me or my family very much. I knew her father liked strawberries though, so Gale agreed to come and sell a few.
Madge opened the door in a short, white little sundress. She was getting ready for the Reaping.
"Hi, Madge, strawberries?" I asked. "Oh, I love your pin!" A gold mockingjay was pinned onto the left front of her dress.
"Here," I said sincerely.
"Happy Hunger Games," Gale said, unsure.
"To you too," She smiled weakly. My eyes focused in on her eyes, then the pin.
"Thanks, uh," I said shyly, but truthfully. Madge left to gather a few coins and Gale rolled his eyes. He gave me the what a biotch look.
"Here, the money," She extended her pale hand and dropped the coins into my hand.
"Good luck, Madge,"
"You too, Katniss, Gale." She said turning back to her house.
A/n: Please review and review my other, really bad, stories because if no one is going to read it i will just delete them both.