Chapter 1: The Day It All Started
My name is Primrose Everdeen. I live in the country of Panem, more specifically, district 12. It is a very poor and rather undesirable place to live, however it does also carry a warm rustic feel to it as well. The people who live here are so kind, I feel as if we're all one big community, working to support each other. My life has also been filled with many hardships, if you look at the fact that I've lost my father and sister at a very young age. My father, who carried a popular name in our community for helping others, was killed in a mine explosion years ago. My sister, Katniss, one of the biggest role models in my life, had been taken by the Capitol while hunting in the woods one day. I loved her so much, and I miss her everyday. Maybe one day, we'll meet again. Luckily, we still have Gale, who was one of Katniss' best friends, who still manages to support me and my mother, as well as his own family. He was lucky to be able to conceal himself from the aircraft that spotted Katniss in the woods (as he tells us). I don't know if me and my mother could survive without him. Stepping back into reality, today is the day of the reaping. The day where innocent kids, a male and female from each district between the ages of 12 and 18, are chosen to fight to the death in the Capitol's "Hunger Games". I am 14 years old, this is my third year of the reaping. Because of Gale, and Greasy Sae at the Hob, I haven't had to take any tesserae, although it was tempting. Just as my mother adds the finishing touches on my hair, the gong rings from the town square. "We better get going." she says. The reaping for the 74th annual Hunger Games is about to begin.