Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games, as much as I love them. The only thing I do own are the character that are made up by me. I hope you enjoy and please review!
Chapter 1
I slowly open my eyes as they adjust to the sudden increase of sunlight pouring through my bedroom window. I'm not sure what time it is but I know it's later than when I usually wake up by. I rubbed my eyes and stretch out my arms before stepping on foot onto the cold floor. I hear the hustle and bustle downstairs which confirms my suspicions that I have woken up late. I quickly wash my face with cold water before placing my hair back into a side ponytail. Compared to the other kids in District 10, I stand out from the crowd. With my blonde hair and dark eyes, I look different from the others in my district who have dark hair with light eyes. I don't tan easily which makes me stand out more because many others are tanned from hard labouring out in the sun all day. I'm not particularly fussed that I look different than others, in fact, it's an added bonus.
Once I'm dressed in my usually dark trousers and checked shirt, I make my way downstairs and to my surprise, everyone is already at work. I look around the kitchen for something to eat and find my breakfast lay out in front of me. I smile slightly before sitting down and helping myself. It's not a lot but a couple slices of bacon are a delicacy in my house. District 10 is livestock which supplies the Capitol with enough meat to feed those greedy stomachs. We only get the leftovers. I finish my breakfast in no time at all and wash it down with a glass of water. I wipe my mouth before heading toward the door and starting a normal day at work.
I make my way to the field to find my family are already working. My father and two older brothers are herding the cattle out of the barn and into the field for grazing. I scan the field for my mother and my sister Lyra and spot their dark hair in the barn too. They're probably tending to the lambs. Since it's that time of year, the Ewes have been giving birth to lambs and they're not old enough to be in the field yet so they stay with their mothers until they're a couple months old. Lyra spots me standing at the gate and waves me over. I open the gate, shut it behind me and make my way over to the barn. My father and brothers look at me and laugh. "Decided to wake up then?" Kynan shoots. I flash him a fake smile before sticking my tongue out playfully.
I ignore Kynan's remark and join my mother and Lyra in the pen. A few of the lambs are up and about, jumping about playfully with their mothers watching carefully. One lamb skips over and greets me. "Hello little one." I say and I bend down on one knee to pet it. The lamb's coat is soft and thick against my fingers and the lamb seems to like it because it nudges my hand; asking for more. My mother says I'm a real natural with animals but I'm not so sure. I love animals and taking care of them is my whole life but I take part in slaughter of these small animals. Any day now, one of these lambs will be carried away to be skinned and its joints will be sold to wealthy customers.
"Clover!" Lyra shots and jumps on me from behind. The lamb manages to run off before my face hits the floor and my sister sits on my back. I roll over and manage to tickle her off me. She begs for me to stop and I do. "That's what you get for jumping on me, my little lamb." I reply and we're sat on the floor, in the dirt, with my arms wrapped around her little body. "What are you two doing on the floor?" My mother questions, as she stand in the barn doorway with her hands on her hips. My sister and I look at each other before looking at our mother and start laughing. I see a smirk creeping up on my mother's lips and it makes me laugh even more. Before I know it, Lyra and I are lying on the floor in stitches.
"What's going on here then?" my father's deep voice bellow through the barn. I stopped laughing not because I'm scared of my father but because my stomach hurts. "Nothing really, just lying on the floor because we feel like it." I reply standing and brushing the dirt off my trousers. My father gives me a concerned look which I know he's joking. "Well if you're finished, someone's here to see you." The last part lingers on his lips and a smile creeps onto his face. I turn to look at the doorway to see a familiar face and a smile spreads across my face. It's Iain, my best friend in the whole of Panem. "Hey Clover." He says and his aqua green eyes shine with enthusiasm. "Hey Iain," I reply and look expectantly at my mother and father. They mentally confer with each other before my father nods his head. I know now that I'm allowed the rest of the day off. I hug Lyra, my mother and father and thank my parents before nudging Iain with my elbow. "C'mon Iain, race you to the maple." I say before running at top speed toward the old maple.
The old maple tree is located at the edge of the field and we take picnics and sit under the tree. Sometimes Iain and I make a day of it and we've even camped out in its branches. The tree itself isn't anything extra-ordinary but that tree has been part of many memories I've had growing up. Now we're racing toward it at top speed. Of course I'm in the lead but Iain isn't too far behind. He maybe tall but I have the swiftness and agility because of my tiny frame. I reach the tree before Iain and he joins me, panting. "You know, you're very fast when you want to be." He remarks between breaths. "I can't help it if you're slow." I tease and I fall onto the floor laughing. Iain joins me and we both sit on the grass in the shade of the maple tree laughing. I love days like these. In District 10, we have to be thankful for everything and my family treasure every moment they have with each other. This gives me the incentive to love my family with all my heart. This is why I'm not much of a mourner, more of an enthusiast.
We both look at each other whilst lying on our sides. His aqua eyes meet my dark brown ones and I find a smile creep across my lips. For a moment we lay in a comfortable silence which is interrupted by the occasional bird song but I want to talk to him, about anything. "I heard that the Presidents going to announce the 100th annual Hunger Games today." I say. I remember a customer telling me about how President Ryder is going to pronounce the slight twist in the Games this year. Every twenty five years, the Capitol celebrates the Games and every twenty-fifth anniversary, something different happens also known as the Quarter Quell. Every Quarter Quell, there's a special twist that can effect your chances of winning or increase them. Like last Quarter Quell, the victors from each district were in the reaping bowls and the Quell before that, twice as many tributes were entered into the Games. Apparently the twists were planned on the first Hunger Games but I think it's too coincidental but I don't complain.
"Yeah I heard about that too. What do you think it is?" Iain replies and I puzzle over this for a moment. I have no clue about what the twist will be but it'll probably be about the War and the Dark Times and how we defied the Capitol. "I don't know...Really I don't know." I add when Iain gives me that look he does when he knows I know something. But in this case he's wrong, I don't know anything. On that note, we both become silent again and we bathe in the goodness of the sun. I smile contently and close my eyes. I couldn't imagine this moment to get any better but I notice the decrease in light behind my eyelids and I open them quickly to find Iain very close to my face. Close enough that I can feel the heat on his breath. I look into those aqua eyes that shine so brightly. He laughs in my face and I roll my eyes. "Do you have to do that?" I ask but I get no reply. Instead, I watch Iain role beside me with laughter.
It's my time to attack. I jump onto him and pin his arms to the floor to stop him pushing me off. A grin appears on my face but Iain has stopped laughing and he just looks at me. The grin disappears from my face and we both look into each others eyes again. I notice that his head is getting closer to mine and I don't push him away, instead, I let his head draw nearer to mine and just as our lips are about to touch, the bell rings that tells me I'm needed at home. I quickly roll off him and compose myself. I don't know what came over me there but that bell was definitely bad timing. I brush myself off and Iain stands up next to me. "Well, I've gotta go." I say and leave Iain in my wake.
I wonder what came over me when I walk into the Farmhouse to find my family huddled around the small television we have and a few other people I recognize are here too. Iain's family is here and Eleanor's family are too. I'm about to ask where Eleanor is when I feel a pair of hands on my shoulder. I turn to find my other best friend's grey eyes greet me. "Eleanor!" I shout and embrace my best friend. "How are you?" I haven't seen her for a week or two and it's good to see her again. "It's good to see you Clover." Eleanor replies and we break away, just as Iain walks through the door. He probably knew that his family would be at the Farmhouse. I think about what just happened between us but Iain carries on as if it never happened. "Eleanor! Where have you been?" Iain asks and Eleanor just laughs. "Between us three, we've been a little busy." I give my friend a curious look and I'm just about to ask her about it, my mother interrupts us telling us to be quiet. I grin at Eleanor and Iain before pulling them toward the television to watch the President's speech.
I watch President Ryder approach the podium and a young boy and girl obviously from the Capitol, follow behind him holding a key and a small wooden box. I zone out when Ryder makes the speech about how the districts fell to the Capitol and why the Games were created. I've heard this story too many times before and I know the speech word for word. Once the speech is finished, the President approaches the little boy with the wooden box and the girl hands Ryder the key. Ryder turns the key and pulls out a little slip which was apparently planned decades before. "To show that the district didn't know what they were getting themselves into when they challenge the Capitol, the twist of the 4th Quarter Quell won't be announced until the tributes have been picked." And on that note, the screen switches to a bright haired woman who is obviously the news reporter and she begins to drone on about something boring. So that's it really, nothing more than that. I guess we find out what's the twist at the reapings; which are days away.