Based on the original novels by Susanne Collins

70th Hunger Games:The Lost Year

Chapter 1

I see myself running through the meadow as fast as I can. I see the gates of the mine close as my father take his last plunge into the ground. I run faster trying to stop him but I'm to lake the gates have closed. I finally reach the gate and start pounding on the gate screaming for him. Amine official carries me away and as I turn a flash of light and fire light up my eyes.

I wake as sudden as the explosion. I feel for the warmth of my sister only greeted by the cold of the morning air. She can't be far; she never wakes before me especially when I have my constant nightmares. I slide out of bed knowing more sleep is impossible. I change out of my dad's old trousers and puffy shirt that I sleep in every night. I can't help but sleep in them, they still have his smell. The smell that comforted me for ten years while my father wore them. Now I have to settle for only the smell and not the kind word or gentle hands that followed up till two years ago.

I put on my dark brown pants that have the exact color of my hair. Then I gently pull my coffee stained top with a slight tear on the right side bottom rim, a result from a nasty fall down a hill, and my father's light brown leather jacket, that is always the right temperature no matter the conditions. My tethered old brown socks, that I wash every night so they are clean every morning, go on next. Lastly I slide into the beaten, soft leather boots that have fit for years. They are always perfectly tight to my feet every time I go to wear them, which is literally every day.

Grabbing my string of leather from the top of my dresser, and I braid my hair to the side as nicely as I can manage. I walk into the kitchen tying my piece of leather to the end of my braid to keep in place. As I look up from my braid I see my sister's silver pail upside down on the table. Lifting up the pail I see it's a nicely wrapped package I know has to be a block cheese from my sister's goat. I take my light blue backpack off the kitchen coat rack, and put the cheese in the bag. I throw my bag onto my back walking into my mom's room. I peak my head into her doorway and see my twin sister, Liea, next to my mother in the bed. I walk in to make sure Liea was asleep. Her eyes are finely closed the way they are when she is sleeping as soundly as possible. I kiss her forehead and walk over to Little A, my youngest and last sister. She is also sleeping soundly, careful not to wake her I kiss her tiny cheeks and walk out silently closing the door careful not to make a sound. Also my way of telling Liea that I'm gone for the morning is closing the door of the room that she is sleeping in.

Getting a drink of water out of the cellar I glance at the calendar and realize why Liea went into my mom's room last night. Today was the day anyone between the ages of 12 and 18 dreads all year long. Today was the reaping. This is really a fancy Capitol way of saying the choosing of who goes to the Hunger Games. All I can do is shake my head and step into the morning air.

No one is up as usual when I head out for the day. I look up at the morning sun and assume it is about six in the morning. The streets are lifeless. The only sign of life I saw was a group of Peacekeeper checking everyone's identification. Since I don't have any identification and don't feel like getting arrested I quickly hide behind a group of trash cans so they can't I.D me. Once they past I watch Mr. Mellark, the baker, and his son Peeta cross the square to the bakery. I dare not abandon my hiding place until I'm sure no eyes will follow me. I look across the square to see if I can spot my friend Gale, but his face doesn't show. As soon as everything is clear do I take off for the meadow.

Being as discrete as possible so no Peacekeepers notice me. I jog past the gates of the mine and slowly begin to walk. I gaze into the dark shaft and shiver as I remember the nightmare that woke me so violently this morning. I consider saying a prayer, then see a large group of Peacekeepers coming my way and I decide it's not worth being imprisoned.

When I finally reach the fence, I follow the fence till I come to the small sign that reads in red letters: DISTRICT BOUNDARY NO TRESPASSING. This is the weakest part of the electric fence that is supposed to keep people from escaping the district, but for those who know that the fence is never on it is a place to get free food such as game and berries. Some people who know the fence is never on but everyone won't go through for fear of Peacekeeper and rumored wild dogs and mountain lions.

Even though I know it is most likely off, I still listen for the buzz that indicates it's active. When I'm for sure that it's safe I swiftly slide through the fence and run for the safety of the forest canopy. As soon as I reach the cover of the trees I look to make sure that nobody had followed me. Today I was safe across the fence and in the sweet heaven of my trees. I take off farther into the woods and find the thick blackberry bush and push my hand deep into the center of the bush. I feel around for the large rock that is covers a hole that contains my belt of knives, both throwing and hand. After I finally find my belt and take a few minutes to buckle the latch that has a little rock wedged into the latch from the same fall that ripped my shirt.

Once my belt is secure I begin my morning hunt. My bow and arrows are stashed in a hollow tree that I know is fairly close, but I don't feel like finding it. Making a few small kills of two rabbits I spot a large white tailed deer. I slip my sharpest and largest throwing knife into my right hand and a hand knife in the other. I creep up as close to the deer that I can without spooking the deer, careful only to move with the wind so my sound blends with the rustle of the leaves. I lock onto the fatal section of the neck and put my throwing knife into position and then... "What's up La-la," sounds the loud voice of my friend Gale. I watch the deer take off. I try to make the kill but the deer was too fast and without a second past it was gone.

I turn to glare at Gale and see him strolling down the hill. My glare obviously isn't affecting him because he continues to stroll towards me with his warm, irritating smile that makes me wish I had thrown the knife at him instead of losing my knife in the bushes trying to get the deer. His smile continues to prick my nerves as he gets closer. My anger at him reaches at a boiling point and I have to lash out.

"Damn you Gale, "I scream knowing that there was no game left in the area, and do to Gale's loud burst of his obnoxious nickname for me. Then another flush of anger courses as I remember that he had called me La-la. This name is a result of my mom having a cold when she introduced me and Gale when we were seven, and he has remembered it for all these years I'm yet to figure out why he bothered to remember.

"What we're going to do with that deer anyway La-la,"

"Leia! And I was going to sell it I believe your familiar with the subject?"

"You should know better than to try to sell a big kill. You couldn't miss all the Peacekeepers walking around this morning," he said with real concern in his voice.

"Yeah, but not today of all days not matter how good the kill so I did you a favor because if you had made that kill you would be caught and arrested by Peacekeepers trying to get a promotion," Gale says as I withdrawn from the bushes with my throwing knife.

"Now, you call them Peacekeepers. I call them costumers who are almost as hungry as we are," I snap trying to prove that I'm right, but obviously he is not fazed by my comment for he gives a slight chuckle as I looking in the bushes for my knife. "Please like you don't sell to Peacekeepers," I yell so he can hear me since my head is in bushes searching for my knife.

"Fine," I say placing my knife back into its proper place on my belt, "Thank you my honorable protector," I say with sarcasm because I hate how Gale always finishes these feuds that we have. I pull myself from the bush that I had in since I had went to find my knife. I get up and to dust myself off, but before I can Gale pulls me into his arms and gives me a hug. Gale gives the best hugs they're strong and warm just like my father's were.

Without a farther word between us we head toward our favorite opening in the trees where we meet every day to hunt and talk. I throw my stuff down onto the ground and snuggle into soft sweet grass. We begin to talk about what we had killed today. I only had two rabbits while he had six. He gave me two of his so both our totals four rabbits each.

We have a way of communicating without words me and Gale. We have always been like that. After sitting for a while in silence Gale suddenly bursts out "Oh my god I almost forgot," and start rummaging through his bag that I just now noticed.

"What? What did you forget," I ask as he pulls a loaf of bread, that I have only seen Peacekeepers buy, out of his bag. "Is that real?" I yell snatching the loaf from him and taking a nice smell of the golden crust.

"It better be cost me half a rabbit," he said as I hand the bread back to him remembering my manners, "I got two for a whole rabbit the other is at home for the kids." The "kids" are his three younger siblings." Happy Hunger Games," he said as he sliced the bread.

"And may the odds be ever in your favor," I say as he hands me half the loaf. This is I guess the motto of the Hunger Games. I grew up hearing because everyone eligible or not must attend the reaping. We giggle a second and I remember the cheese I have I quickly pull it out and cut it in half handing Gale his deceived half.

"Thanks," he says spreading the cheese on his bread. I also give him some blueberries which gives some sweet to our breakfast, I always pick the blueberries but normally I can't get a good sale on them and Liea I allergic to them so I share them with Gale who adores them.

Then I remember Gale has a need to take lots of tesserae, a meager of grain and oil that is enough to feed one person a whole year in exchange for another slip with your on it is entered in reaping bowl, in order to feed his mom and siblings and I have to ask "How many times is your name in today?"

"Twelve, you?"

"Only four," I say quietly not expecting him to ask.

"And Liea," he solemnly

"Once," I say. I waited for him to ask why I hadn't had her take some tesserae, but he knew the answer. If I had let Liea take a tesserae then it would be more likely for her to be picked and I can't let her get picked because she hates the outdoors and hates to fight which that is all the Hunger Games are. Twenty four tributes, two from each district, are put in an outdoor arena to fight to the death. There is only one rule survive. The only way to live is to win. If you lose you die. There can only be one winner of every game, and if Liea was picked the winner would not be her.

"It's getting late we should probably head back," Gale says breaking the silence.

"Yeah I need to trade anyway and you probably need to too." I say picking up my bag and standing up.

"See you at the reaping," he says just before taking off into the woods.

"See ya," I yell waving good-bye to him.

I find my blackberry bush and quickly stash my knives. I pull a piece of large clothe from my bag and fill it with big sweet blackberries to trade and then I make another bundle to take home I gently place the berries in my bag careful not to crush them.

Slip through the fence and take off for the square. Dodging crates and people I wind my way through the streets.