Chapter 1

Authors Note: After my last screw up I decided to reboot my story. I rushed it and didn't take my time thinking out my characters so here is my new story. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games.

My face was scratching against the dirt as Tornado dragged me across the ranch. I felt the grass scrape against my skin and the rocks bounce off my face as the bronco gallops across the field. I quickly lift my feet up and dig my heels into the soil in an effort to stop the wild horse.

My boots start to tear before the bronco finally decides to stop. I pull the lasso back and the horse is quickly subdued by the rest of the farm hands. I looked down and let out a shout as my good jeans were torn open on both knees. I reached down to check the damage on my knees and hiss at the lightest touch. Aside from that and a few scratches on my face I was still able to stand on my feet without any trouble.

"Rough ride?" Someone said. I turn to see my brother in-law Noah. He sees my torn attire and breaks out in a hearty laugh before slapping my shoulder. "C'mon, let's get you home." I quickly dismiss him.

"First we have to lock up." I remind him as we walk over to the barn. While we walk Noah is teasing me all the way there. "Admit it you just want to see Lilly."

My face heats up from the comment, but I just shrug it off as we walk inside to see a few of the ranch hands locking up for the night. Lilly being one of them along with older sister Abigail had just finished grooming our pony's and were just about to leave when we bumped into them.

"Hey guys." I mutter, I could never keep a straight face whenever I was in the same room with Lilly Aiyana. Noah smacked me upside the head for my gullibility and walked pass me to greet my sister, his wife.

I walked over to say hi to Lilly, but our moment wasn't so warm and tender when her face suddenly looked shocked.

"Hunter what happened to you?" She asked while kneeling down and poking at my scratched up legs. I hiss and walked back a bit and put on a false smile.

"Yeah, my legs are just a little sore." I grunted through my teeth. My legs were on fire because someone went and spooked Tornado. "Someone scared Tornado again while I was leading him to the farm."

"You should really get that looked at." She warned with sincerity in her voice. Her red hair covered her blue eyes as she looked up at me. "It could get infected."

"And we wouldn't want that." Noah quipped.

I glared at him and cursed his name as Abby giggles next to him. What she ever saw in him I'll never know. But he did take care of us when my father died. That's when these two started getting serious and after their final reaping they both decided to get married.

My sister and Noah were made for each other. They both did their jobs as ranchers well together. He would break in the horses while she groomed them and tended to them with all her love. She had that effect on people. Noah always stared at her from afar and I would always tease him about it.

He would never talk to her and always shuffle his feet whenever she talked to them. Then he finally found his courage one day and talked to her. That day was also the day I met Lilly and the tables turned on me. Now he would make fun of me and I would be the one shuffling my feet.

I can't help but smile at them though admiring their happiness. I looked back at Lilly who is now rubbing alcohol on my wounds. I didn't even realize how deep in thought I was before responding.

"We should head home, I'll walk you." I said to her.

She smiled and quickly did a last check on everything before leaving the farm. I looked over at Noah and he nodded at me in approval as he led Abby home. The sun was setting over the forest, the orange light over the dark trees made the sky look as if it were on fire. These were my favorite moments in life, walking home at sunset with the fading light over the horizon. It's the simple things in life that really matter.

"Beautiful sunset, don't you agree?" Lilly asked. I look over at her and realize that my hand was squeezing hers real time.

"Yes, a very beautiful color." I said with a shaky voice.

She giggled at my response kicking dirt as we walked.

"Why are you always so nervous around me?" She asked.

"I don't know you always act so happy and carefree." I admit. "I don't know how you do it. I just wish I could be like you."

"I like you the way you are." She says giving me a kiss on my cheek. My face turns an even dark shade of red as we walk up to her house. "And who says I'm always happy and carefree. I am always afraid of my name being called. I don't know how to survive and I can't fight. Hell no one in our district can. Ten isn't known for being anything but farmers. Then there's Star she's only fourteen and I wouldn't know what to do. If I would volunteer and leave her and Grandma alone or just let her go. She would hate me if I did volunteer for her."

She's right.

Tomorrow is our sixth reaping for the sixty eighth annual Hunger Games. Lilly also has a little sister who is on her third year while my little sister is on her first. I lay awake at nights praying to whomever to not have my sister's name called up. We already lost dad last year during the winter and our wounds have just started to close. If anything happens now it'll kill my family.

"I'm never having children." I blurt out.

"Me either." Lilly mutters.

"Great, we'll get married and be miserable together." I joked as she let out a weak laugh of her own.

"I'll hold you to that." She retorts. It's at that moment I can't tell if she's joking or being serious, but I don't question it. For now I just see her home. "We'll I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yes." I said as her hand slips out of mine. She turns towards her house and goes inside and I finally turn and head home myself.

After a short walk back home I go inside and my mother quickly notices my scrapes. She sits me down at the table and helps me remove my now useless jeans and starts to dab alcohol on both my ankles. I cringe and hiss in pain looking down at my mom and see her smiling.

"I didn't know you enjoyed this so much mother." I grunted. She shook her head and pulled out a roll of bandages and started to wrap them around my shins.

"I'm sorry, you just remind me of your father." She giggles. "He got dragged around by a wild horse on his first day as well. He dislocated his shoulder and scrapped both of his ankles."

"You were the first one there, medical supplies in hand and quickly tended to his wounds." I finished. I heard this story a hundred times. It never once annoyed me though I always enjoyed hearing about how mom and dad were happy and in love. We remained quiet for a moment before she finally speaks up.

"How's Lilly?" She asks out of the blue.

"She's fine." I muttered. I really hated it when my mother asked me these kinds of questions.

"Just fine?" She asked unconvinced.

"She's nervous about tomorrow but who isn't?" I asked. "It's the sixty eighth reaping."

"I know." She sighs. "I had to give Amber some sleeping syrup to calm her down."

"She is sleeping though?" I asked.

"Yes, she'll be out till tomorrow." My mom sighed as she finished wrapping my leg. "There you go child. All patched up."

"Thanks mom." I smiled and kissed her forehead.

She got to her feet and helped me to bed. It's funny I'm a seventeen year old boy and I'm still being tucked in by my mother. I take off my clothes and slip under the covers and slowly drift asleep.

I awake to the sound of birds singing as they always do early in the morning. I stretch my arms out while yawning when I felt something wrapped around my waist. I lift up my covers to see little Amber holding me for dear life.

My lips curl into a smile while I pull her towards me. My arms wrapped around her tightly as I rest my chin on her head. I should wake her. We only have an hour to eat and get dressed before we head off to church.

So we just laid there listening to the birds. I feel a great burden as I hold her in my arms. She's only twelve and it's her first reaping. If her name gets called later in life I'll be helpless to protect her. It's moments like this I wish dad were still here.

He always knew what to say and what to do to make us feel better. I had to slap myself for thinking about that. He's gone and I am the man of the house now. I need to just get through today and keep everyone happy.

My door opened and my mom walked in her pajamas and looked down at us. She smiled down on us and reached her hand down to wake amber up. Amber groaned in her sleep and nuzzled her cheek against my chest.

"It's time to wake up honey." Mom whispers. Amber stands her ground and continues to sleep. I let out a chuckle and kiss her head. I wiggle my hands underneath her chest and manage to pry her off of me.

"C'mon kiddo." I chuckle. "You have to eat and take a bath."

"Okay." She mutters as she pulls her feet out of the covers and onto the cool floor. Mom places a hand on her shoulder and leads her out of my room. I do one last stretch before climbing out of bed myself and get ready for the day.

After Amber was done with her bath I took a quick shower and was lucky enough to have some hot water left over. Afterwards I sat down at the kitchen table and had a small breakfast of milk and toast. Amber was dressed in a light blue dress and I dressed in a white shirt and black pants.

Noah and Abby along with Noah's little brother Ash, who was also on his first year, were waiting for us in the living room dressed and ready. I took Amber's hand and gave her a reassuring smile and nodded towards the door.

"Okay, time for church." I said as we headed out the door.

The chapel was crowded with children and young teens as they all squeezed next to each other. I was standing by the doorway holding Amber against my chest. Maybe she thought if I held her tight enough she wouldn't go anywhere. Hey if it keeps her from breaking down then hold on as tight as you can.

Father Slate went on with the ceremony for an hour before he finally finished his speech by blessing the children.

"And we ask that you watch over our children that are called for the reaping and that you guide them to your home with open arms. We as this in your name. Amen."

"Amen." Everyone says.

"Now, if you will all step outside so we can walk to the town square." He announced.

Everyone slowly got up and walked down the dirt hill towards the justice building. The morning had started off cold and dark, but now it was warm and sunny. I looked around at the other children to see a lot of them holding hands and silently weeping. This was defiantly going to be a long day.

When Amber and I finally made it there I had no choice but to let her be escorted by the peacekeepers to the other twelve year old girls. I walked over to the group where the seventeen year old boys were placed and awaited our mayor and his speech.

After the brief history of Panem the uprising and the games they are finally ready to start calling our names. Our districts representative Jeremiah Blackwater stepped out onto the stage dressed in a shimmering teal suit. His hair was orange and sleeked back as he played with edges of his mustache. He took his place in front of the microphone and two glass bowls and smiled wide.

"Hello everyone, and welcome to this year's sixty eight reaping." He announced. "Very exciting to be here and may the odds be forever in your favor. Now, let's get this started shall we?"

He flexed his fingers out and dug his hand inside of the bowl. After shuffling around the slips for a minute he finally pulls out a name and I pray that it isn't Lilly or Star. I beg that it's not my sister I would drop dead in my spot if her name is called. Why is he taking so long?

"Ria Aves." He announced.

At that moment a great weight is lifted off of my shoulders. I clenched my fist to prevent myself from smiling. Ria Aves wasn't the most popular of the girls in district ten. She was actually quite the opposite of a lady, she was a brute.

She always pushed people away and acted out against men. She was rude, sloppy and a terrible human being. I remember when I first met her she insulted my father and mother for giving birth to me and my sisters. That was the first time in my life I've ever hit a woman.

I almost feel bad that when she is gone no one will miss her.

Almost.

I looked up at her as she stood up on the stage and declined Blackwater's hand. Our eyes met and her face broke out in a scowl when she noticed me. Probably because of the large grin that spread across my face. Call me an ass I don't care.

"Whew, I think it just got a little colder up here." Jeremiah joked as he walked over to the male tributes bowl. "Onto the next one."

I let out another shaky breath in relief loving how my sister survived her first reaping. I can't help the smug look spread across my face. When this is over I am going to pick my sister up and we're going to run all the way home. I am so lost in thought that I missed Jeremiah calling out the male tributes name.

In just one moment every one of the boys steps away from me as if I have the plague. My little sister screams in agony and the scowl on Ria's face is replaced with a menacing grin of her own. It was at that moment I realize that it was my name that was called.

I was the male tribute of district ten.