It was sunny say, the clouds had opened up and poured friendly rays down onto District 12. It was very beautiful, especially after having days of rain.

"Emerald, could you run to the bakery and get me a loaf of bread? I want to cook a special dinner for your brother Crescendo," my mother said to me as he patted my baby brother Noalo on the back.

Crescendo had been working all the way on the other side of the District so that he could buy a house of his own and get married. He was coming home that night, and we hadn't seen him for months.

I nodded at my mother and set down my eleven year old brother's jacket, I had been mending a rip in it. My little brother was a troublemaker whenever someone wasn't looking, but I loved him to death. Almost as much as I had loved my little sister Annabelle before she was reaped for the Hunger Games.

"This should be enough for one loaf of bread... make sure to be back before dark, I want your chores done," my mother handed me three worn out coins, they each had an imprint of President Snow on them.

"Afterward can I go over to Mally's house?" I asked.

Malraux had been my beau, we had met in school when I was seven and he was nine, ever since he and I had been close friends.

Then on one crisp night, when I was fourteen, Malraux had been walking me home from school. He has suddenly stopped under the willow tree that sat near the front of my house.

"What's wrong, Mally?" I had asked him.

"I have something to tell you," his voice cracked when he said "you".

"What?"

He hesitated, "I – ever since we became friends seven years ago I always... I always thought of you as more than a friend."

I stared at him in disbelief, but before I could say anything he continued, "I have always kept this inside, because... I have been afraid of what you would think of me if I told you... but – Emerald Ruse I – I love you more than you will ever know."

Malraux looked at me pleadingly, hoping that I would say something. I smiled, wrapped my arms around his neck, and quickly pecked his cheek with my lips. Then I hugged him as tightly as I could.

"I feel the same way," as I said those words he had relaxed and wrapped his arms around me.

"Yes, you may, "My mother said as she set down Noala on the ground.

Noala started to whimper and reached for the edges of my mothers dress as she walked to the kitchen. When she was out of sight, tears streamed down Noala's cheeks. I walked over to him and gently picked up his shaking body just as he burst out crying. I rested Noala's head on my shoulder and slowly rocked back and forth.

"I think I'll take you to the bakery with me," I said as he buried his head into my neck and sniffled.

I pocketed the three coins that my mother had given me and walked out the door. A brisk wind hit my face as I stepped out, Noala curled closer to me as I walked towards town. Within a few minutes I was standing in front of the bakery. I took in the smell of bread baking in an oven, even Noala noticed the change in smell and looked up.

As I walked into the bakery I heard someone chuckle behind me, I quickly turned around just as the person said, "Why hello there stranger."

I ran into his arms, Malraux laughed and gave me a gently squeeze. Noala sneezed, he was squished in between us and was staring at me with his big brown eyes. I slowly stood back and took in Malraux before me.

"What are you doing here? I thought you'd be working in the mines," I smiled.

"It's my lunch break, I just thought that I'd get a little bit of bread," Malraux tucked a strand of my red hair behind my ear.

I laughed and dusted some soot off of his clothes, "I guess I'll go buy some bread with you."

Malraux took my hand and we walked in together. Sitting at a table, rolling some dough, was a blonde haired boy. He looked up at us, and quickly got into a standing position.

"Hi, I'm Peeta, how may I help you?"

I recognized the boy as the bakers son, he was about sixteen years old, "Just a loaf of bread, my brother is coming home tonight from the other side of the District."

Peeta nodded and disappeared into a back room. A few seconds later, he came out holding a loaf of warm bread. He quickly wrapped it up in a cloth and put it in a bag. He handed it to me as I set the three coins on the counter.

"A biscuit please," Malraux asked.

Peeta went to the back room again and came out with a biscuit. He handed it to Malraux who put one coin on the counter.

"Thank you," I told Peeta.

Peeta smiled and then walked back to the table to roll the dough.

"Shall I walk you home?" Malraux asked as he took Noala from my arms.

"What about your job? Shouldn't you be getting back soon? You should eat the rest of your lunch and get back to work, Mally," I said as I took Noala back so that Malraux could eat.

"*I have a little bit of time, I can walk you home, Ema," Malraux wrapped his arm around me.

"My mother will kill me if you come inside," I leaned my head against his.

I smiled at Malraux as I opened the door to my house, what I saw made me almost drop Noala and the loaf of bread.

"Mom!" I set down the baby and threw the loaf of bread on the table.

My mother was sitting on the floor clutching something to her chest. At first I thought she was having another meltdown about loosing Annabelle the year before. She usually held one of Annabelle's favorite dolls and she would say the word 'sorry' over and over again. But this time was different. She wasn't holding a doll, she was holding a shirt, and she wasn't saying sorry. She was saying, "he's gone'.

"Mom... what's – what's wrong?" I asked.

"He's gone! They killed him," Tears streamed down my mothers cheeks.

"Who?" I felt myself start to shake.

"Crescendo... my poor baby – they killed him... the letter told me they killed him!"

My blood turned to ice, "What -"

"They said he did something wrong... they killed him..." My mother held the shirt tighter to her chest.

"Who – who killed him?" I asked.

My mother opened her eyes, "The Capitol."

Tears formed in my eyes, I realized that the shirt my mother had been holding was my brother's. I crumpled to the ground. I felt warm arms wrap around me, and Malraux murmured that everything would be okay.

"Mrs. Ruse, what did he do that was wrong?" Malraux asked softly.

My mother whimpered, "Cresendo was very smart... when he showed how smart he was they thought that he was from District three. They made up this whole story in their heads that he was from Three and that he ran here to Twelve... they killed him."

"They will probably come for us soon too..." Malraux whispered.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"If they think your brother is from Three, they will think the same of your family."

I swallowed, Malraux looked me in the eye, "We have to leave."

"But – they wont come after you - " I protested.

"I'm not leaving you," Malraux said as he picked up Noalo and helped my mother up.

"Rilo!" I yelled to my eleven year old brother.

His head popped out from behind his bedroom door, "Is Cresh here yet?"

I shook my head and grabbed him, "We're leaving."

"What – why?"

"Crescendo is dead, and the Capitol will be here to – to – we just have to leave."

In seconds my family and I had raced out the backdoor, we were headed towards the woods. We would have to crawl under the electric fence if we could, then we would run and try to find safety.

"Over here!" Malraux yelled, he was crouched by the fence and was pointing to a small opening.

I ran over, Noala had his small chubby arms wrapped around me, as I ran his head bobbed up and down.

"You first," Malraux said.

I handed Noalo to my mother who was standing beside me, Rilo was by her side as well. I bent down and slowly slipped under the fence, surprisingly I couldn't hear the hum of electricity going through it.

"The electricity is turned off," I told them.

Next was Rilo, he quickly slipped under and stood by my side. Then my mother handed Noalo to Malraux and she crawled under. Malraux managed to shimmy his way through while holding the baby.

I heard a faint shouting from the other side of the fence, I could just barely make out the forms of peacekeepers

"We have to split up, I'll go with Emerald, Rilo, go with your mom and Noalo, let's try to meet at the nearest water source at sun down," Malraux said as soon as he handed Noalo to my mother.

"But what if we get lost?" Rilo asked.

Malraux patted his back, "Emerald and I will come looking for you if you do."

Malraux took my hand and we started running, I glanced back to see my mother watching me run.

"Mally - " I began.

There was more shouting behind us, fear prickled through me,"They're coming!" I cried.

Malraux and I ran as fast as we could, I swore that I could hear the humming of a hovercraft above us, but I didn't dare look.

As we ran, we ducked under branches and hopped over logs. As we ducked under one particular branch, I noticed something in some bushes a few feet away. I stopped suddenly.

"Ema, what are you doing?" Malraux grabbed my arm.

"People," I said, I pointed to the bush, there hunching over were a boy and a girl. The girl had long dark brown hair braided to the side, and the boy had short dark hair.

"Help us!" I yelled. I caught the girl's eye.

She looked away, I cried out again just as the humming above us got louder.

"Ema, we have to go!" Malraux cried.

I looked up, above us was a huge flying machine. A hovercraft.

"Ema!" Malraux yelled.

I started to run again, but it was too late, I heard a cry from Malraux. I watched in horror as a spear came flying down from the hovercraft. It embedded itself in Malraux's back.

"Mally!" I screamed.
He crumpled to the ground, a terrified look in his eyes as he did. I fell on the ground and wrapped my arms around him.

"No, no, no..."

I heard something above me, the hovercraft was shooting something else towards me. I barely had time to scream when a net wrapped itself around me. I shrieked as I was slowly raised into the air towards the craft. Malraux's lifeless body getting further and further away from me. Before I knew it, I was raised into the hovercraft. It was dark, but I could see people moving around.

I cried, "We didn't do anything wrong!" and that's when I felt a sting, and everything went black.

I gasped and opened my eyes, a blinding light swung from above me. I jerked upwards, a man was putting away what looked like a needle.

"Where am I?" I shouted.

I choked, what I said sounded nothing like I thought it would. It sounded like moans, like I couldn't talk.

"Where AM I?" I tried to shout again.

That's when I noticed something. I opened by mouth and felt the emptiness. They had cut my tongue off. The realization struck me like the spear that struck Malraux...

I, Emerald Ruse, was an avox.

Sorry it was a bit short, and some stuff happened a bit fast. But other than that, I hope you liked it!

Oh and I decided to put the Disclaimer at the bottom: I do not own THG. :D

~Star