Authors Note:
This is my first story so please go easy on me. I'm not going to get every little detail right from the books- and anyways this is my story, so I will change things. I'm not the best speller either, but I try my best. Also, if I do continue the story, my postings may not be often or constant (they may be, but, we'll see.) So, here you go, the first chapter. I may publish some more, depending on the feedback.
XOXO,
secretrisker (stupid username, forgive me)
As usual, I wake up at the break of dawn. I grab my fathers jacket, a pair of boots and jeans and I head towards the woods. I pass the miners going to work, knowing Gale is among the many. When he turned eighteen, he was matched to District Twelve and married a girl from Four. Her name is Kailry, and is perfect for Gale. She loves the outdoors and Gale is currently teaching her how to hunt. Shes been catching on easily, or so Gale says. He loves the girl so much, she could be holding the bow backwards and he would believe she was a natural.
I'm glad that she is willing to go hunting with him, because otherwise he'd be doing it by himself most of the time. Kailry, while she doesn't hate me, isn't particularly fond of myself. I don't believe it's anything personal, but, she doesn't want another female to be hanging around her husband so much- especially alone in the woods. So now I only see him on occasion, or after immense convincing that nothing will happen when we go hunting together.
The treat of Gale having the time and permission to go hunting with me is rare. Long mining hours resulted from his gairme test. The gairme test is part of the match process.
Once a year, people come from the Capital come to test every five year-old for the match process. Most kids are with their parents at the Justice Building the day they come to test. The Capitol people set up in many rooms throughout the building, taking each child into a room alone. They hook you up to a bunch of monitors, and collect data for how you react to different emotions. This testing takes at most ten minutes, which makes me believe that the overall results aren't very accurate. Within a year, they match you to another person, who's supposedly your soulmate. You do not know who you were matched with until your Futurum day.
Your Futurum day occurs when both people in the match turn eighteen. After receiving a letter a week in advance of when your Futurum day is, the younger of the two that were matched will arrive at the Justice Building a day early. The younger one will then travel to the other's district to be married. After married, the couple receives information on what district the two were assigned to and where their living unit is. A day after they move into their living unit, both will take a gairme test. When the test is completed it tells you what job you will be working the rest of your life. It puts you in an occupation that you will "benefit society the most" in. It happens to be a sexiest bastard, making most women housewives or maids. Which is one of the many reasons why I don't want to start my match process today.
I approach the fence and listen for a buzz. Nothing sounds so I wriggle through as always. Grabbing my bow and arrows from behind a bush, I start walking silently through the woods waiting for the animals. I can't help but think about the letter I got in the mail a week ago, on my eighteenth birthday.
The loud banging on the door had woke both Prim and my mother up but only startled me to death. I guessed instantly who it was and what they were here for. Knowing I was the only one who was dressed, I swung open the door to find a Peacekeeper staring right back at me.
"Katniss Everdeen?" he asked.
"That's me." I answered.
He handed me the fancy envelope and went on his way. My mother and Prim had been watching from behind the corner and I could already see the excitement on Prim's face while worry on my mothers.
"Is that it?" Prim ran over to me, nearly jumping up and down.
"Is this what?" I replied, not nearly as eager.
"Your match process letter!" she squealed.
"I don't know," I rolled my eyes and sat down on our couch.
"Well then find out! Open it!" she plopped down next to me.
I unsealed the back and pulled out the single piece of paper. Prim reads over my shoulder.
Dear Miss Everdeen,
On this day you and your match have both reached the age of eighteen. Due to this, you are required to appear at the Justice Building on the 14th of May at noon to start your Match process.
May you favor your match,
District Twelve Auheer
"Oh Katniss! You're Futurum day is only a week away!" Prim jumps up "I can't believe it! Can you believe it? Who do you think you were matched with? What if it was someone from the capitol?! Or it-" I interrupted Prim.
"Prim! You're acting like you're about to be matched, would you take it down a few notches?" I said.
"How come you're not excited? You'll finally be able to be with your true love in life and live happily ever after" she sighs as she falls back onto the couch "don't you want true love?"
"I'm not the kind of person who believes in happily ever after's" I replied.
I jump back to reality when I hear a snap come from behind me. I spin around, ready to send an arrow shooting into whatever creature crept up on me.
"Woah, Catnip! It's just me," Gale says after he put his hands up in defense. I lower my weapon.
"Your lack of practice is showing," I say, referring to the snap his normally silent feet made.
"I know, I know. You don't have to tell me," Gale replies stepping closer to me.
"Why aren't you at the mines?" I question.
"A guy can take a day off can't he?" he smiles back at me.
"You can't afford a day off." Kailry was assigned to be a housewife, so their only income was from Gale.
"Well, we can manage to get by half a day." Gale's smile disappears.
"Take the meat we catch and keep the profit." I offer.
"Hell no! You're going to keep the profit. Your mother and Prim will need it once you're gone." I can't argue with that. I wasn't sure how my mother and Prim were going to get by after I get matched. I hope that I stay in District Twelve so I can still feed them.
"Promise me you'll look after them when I leave," I beg Gale.
"I'll make sure they have food." he promises.
Then we both hear moving from about twenty yards away. A deer pokes its head from behind a tree as I grab my bow. Gale throws a rock to the left of it and it dashes right. I aim and send an arrow spiraling into its eye. It drops and me and Gale grin widely at each other.
"That should be enough for today," he says and we start walking towards the catch.
"That should be enough for a week!" I say.
"You're right." he approaches the deer.
We can barely fit it into the sack it's so huge.
When we finally get it all in I say "Ready to head back?"
"No… lets just stay here a little while longer," he stares at me, "I want savor all the time I have left with you."
We end up dragging the deer with us to a better spot to sit, which took fifteen minutes alone.
"So, what do you think you're dream guy will be like?" he asks me once we are settled.
"I doubt he will be my dream guy," I scoff.
"Why not? Kailry is great for me," he looks over to me.
I think for a moment. "You take a test that lasts a few minutes when you're five and you're supposed to believe this is accurate enough to find your soulmate? And what if your real soulmate is two or three years older than you? Then what? You're stuck with the person you're forced to marry, and so are they. It's just ridiculous."
"Who have you heard of that found somebody more perfect for them than their match?" he asks.
I remain silent for a moment. "I'm sure there is someone out there."
"I don't believe you Catnip," he gives me a playful shove. "I'm not for a lot of things the Capitol does, hell, all things but this I despise about the Capitol. But, the Match process always works."
"Have you not seen the people who get matched together and just argue the entire time?"
"Then a few months later you can't get them off each other." he points out. I roll my eyes. "You still haven't answered my question," he says.
"What question?" I ask.
"What do you think he'll be like?" he asks.
"I'm not sure," I look over to him. His eyes are telling me to continue. "He'll probably be a lot like you."
"Oh really? Why do you say that?" Gale questions.
"We get along well with each other." I answer.
"That's it? That's your reasoning?"
"Well what do you expect me to say?" I ask, a little angered.
"I hope he's tall and handsome like you Gale. You're so funny, and charming. Also, you aren't half bad in the hunting department. He better be so much like your amazing self or I don't know how I could ever go on?!" he does a terrible imitation of me in a high pitched voice.
I laugh at him.
"I really am going to miss you Catnip," he shoves me playfully.
"I'm going to miss you too Gale," I look over to him.
A rush of sadness consumes me when I realize this might be one of the last times I'd get to look at him. We had been friends for years, and he was there for me when my father died. It had been him and I, struggling to put food on each of our tables. Now I might never get to be with him again.
He looks like he's thinking the exact same thing.
"We better get back," Gale looks away.
"Yeah, it's going to take a while to drag this thing along with us." I motion to the deer.
We somehow manage to get the deer to and under the fence in under an hour, but, it took a lot of effort.
"Where should we take it?" I ask him and before I know it his arms are wrapped around me tightly. I hug him back, resting my head against his chest.
"I love you Catnip," Gale whispers.
"I love you too Gale."
This love I knew wasn't a romantic love whatsoever. He was more of a brother to me than anything, and it would always be that way.
He kisses me on the forehead as we let go.
"I'll go and try to sell this. It's getting late, and you need to start getting ready." he tells me. I look at where the sun is positioned in the sky, and guess it's around ten.
I take him in again for another short hug and we say goodbye one last time.