Authors note: this is a prequel to my story The Runaway. This story tells of Ana's time in the arena instead of being in 13. And, P.S, our favorite Finnick Odair will be featured in this chapter, with his wife Annie Cresta.
I woke up in the early hours of dawn. My small town in District 4, nicknamed the Shell (because of the District's main industry being fishing), was quiet. You might as well sleep in as late as possible, the Reaping was at two, and you were expected to attend unless you were at deaths door.
So, I pulled on my boots and escaped to the woods. About half a mile past the fence of District 4, lays a small pond. I go there to swim, not to mention the water fowl were easy pickings. It's what my family lived on, that and katniss roots.
I dip my toes into the lake, and submerge myself. Instead of wasting water at the house on baths, I came here to wash. It was perfectly fine. The only time I bathed at home was in winter.
I'm there until 11. Then I start the trek back home. At home, I towel dry my hair.
Right now, I'm so glad I only have 2 siblings, and they aren't eligible for the reaping. Their names are Clarissa and Cristina. The two eight year olds look like a spitting image of our mother when she was younger.
On my bed, I find one of my mother's old dresses, from her days in the apothecary business. She had tried to start one up, but failed. Instead, she became a very good seafood chef, and now runs a restaurant.
The dress is a fancy red one. I slip it on and brush out my hair. It's one o'clock now. Clarissa and I eat a light grossling sandwich. Grossling is my favorite water fowl.
Cristina and my mother have already eaten. Well I'm penned up with the other 15 year olds during the Reaping, they will be in the audience, dreading every moment and possibly feeling happy that I've been spared for another year. But maybe I will be heading to the Capitol and fighting to the death with 23 other 12 to 18 year olds from the nation of Panem.
At one thirty, my family and I head out to the Justice Building, an old and decaying marble structure in the middle of town. On a regular day, I think the shops and stands make the square have a kind of holiday feel, but today with the banners stating "Happy Hunger Games" and such, and the cameras perched on rooftops of near buildings, it reminds me of nothing but dread.
Our escort is a tall, skinny woman named Artemis Delaney, is here and fresh from the Capitol. Her shock of aqua blue hair is piled up on top of her head. I roll my eyes. What's wrong with natural colored hair and a braid? I don't see why Capitol people contort themselves so.
Anyways, she trots up to the girl's glass drawing ball. Thousands of girls' names are in there. Who will be Reaped? A poor 12 year old girl? A strong 18 year old? No one can predict. "Alright," she says in her maniacally upbeat voice, "ladies first!" She spins the ball around and picks a name.
I could've never guessed who would be the girl tribute. "Ana Eden." I stiffly, tensely, walk upstage. I am so devastated, I can't talk. I don't want to talk. I refuse the handshake Artemis offers me. I won't touch any Capitol freak. That I promise.
She's onto the boys saying, "and now the gentlemen." The ball spins and she picks out a name. "Damon Nickel."
Damon's a year ahead of me in school. He fishes with his father and 2 older brothers. His mother was killed in a terrible boating accident a few years back. It was very unfortunate. Also, my father was killed in the same accident. I miss him terribly.
He joins me on stage and we shake hands. The ceremony's over and were whisked into the Justice Building and into separate rooms, to wait an hour, for our families to come and say goodbye. Escorting us to our rooms are Peacekeepers, the law enforcement of Panem.
My mom rushes in with Clarissa and Cristina. They hug me, cry, and so does my mother. I cry with them, saying "I love you, I love you," over and over, because I don't know what else to say.
"Ana—you have to—try to win," Clarissa stammers in between sobs.
"Pr—promise us!" wails Cristina.
"I promise," I say, kissing the top of each of their heads.
All too soon, the Peacekeepers are in the room and whisking my family out. I have no more visitors, and we're riding in a car to the train station where a fancy Capitol "tribute train" is waiting for us. Waiting to take us to the Capitol where the Hunger Games will be on for the next couple weeks.
The Hunger Games is a live fight to the death on TV. We are punished for this because of the Dark Days, when the Districts attacked the Capitol. 12 of the districts were defeated and the 13th destroyed.
The whole town arrives to wish us farewell. They'll probably never see us again. I have never felt worse than I did when I boarded that train. Also coming to the Capitol on the train with Artemis, Damon and I, are two victors from District 4. There are 5 victors total from this District, but only two can be mentors. One for the girl, and one for the boy.
My mentor is 20 year old Annie Cresta, who won the 70th Games. It's now the 73rd,so she won at age 17. Annie is very nice to me, and I respect her very much. Damon's mentor is Finnick Odair. He's 20, and he won at age 14, so he won the 69th Games.
They fell in love, and at age 18 they were married. A year ago, Annie gave birth to an adorable daughter who she called Florida. She is a spitting image of her father with the golden hair, and gold flecks in her eyes. She's also travelling to the Capitol with us.
I fall asleep until dinner. Annie's sitting next to Finnick and Florida. "Hello, Ana," she says.
"Hi, Annie," I reply. We eat until suppers done, and go into another room to watch the Reapings across Panem.
I can guarantee that at least half the other tributes are larger than me. I may be 15, but I'm small and slender. I feel at a disadvantage here, but if I get my hands on a bow and arrows, I think I will stand at least half a chance. The bow and arrow is my weapon of choice. It's how I help my mom get food for the restaurant.
I also help her by going out into the woods and collecting edible plants, roots, fish and berries. It's a fun job, I love being outdoor s doing something. But now I may never be able to hunt, fish and gather again. Not if I'm one of the 23 children killed. But there's a slight change I could be the victor. A very slight change.
*skip to the interviews*
And now they're calling "Ana Eden," and I walk onstage. Caesar Flickerman is waiting for me. He scoops me up into a hug and then we sit down.
"So, Ana," he says, "what has amazed you most about the Capitol since you've got here?"
How freakish you people really are, I answer in my mind, but I say, "The colors, they're so bright! Just like the candies in the little candy shop back in four!" I gush. I wish I didn't come across as perky. But I did.