Hey! So I had this on a different profile of mine that I never use anymore so I decided to repost it on the profile I do use. The first chapters of this were written quite a few years ago so I apologize in advance.

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games.

"Faster, Marina! Your reactions have to be faster! And put more power behind your swing!"

I growled and lunged again putting more force behind the swing of my blade. Right. Left. Slash up. Then down. Finally our blades meet in the middle with a metallic screech, both of us putting the same amount of force out.

"Come on, Marina! You have to fight harder! Do you want to get out of there alive?! You know damn well the game makers won't make it easy for you to get out of that arena! They're not just going to hand it to you!"

I grit my teeth and with a roar, pushed all my body weight into the blade knocking my opponent to the sandy ground. I quickly kicked his weapon out of his hand and pinned him down. I held my sword to his throat and he smiled at me.

"Good job little sister."

I pulled my brother up and he ruffled my hair. "Thanks, Finn."

He slung his arms around my shoulders. "Now let's go get cleaned up. We're having dinner with Annie and Mags tonight in honor of your birthday! We wouldn't want to be late for that now would we?" my brother said with a goofy smile on his face. I laughed at the dreamy faraway look on my older brother's face.

"Now my dear, Finnick. You wouldn't be in such a hurry to get to Mags' because of a certain someone who will be there is it?" I questioned with a sly smile knowing all too well why he wanted to hurry. Finn narrowed his eyes at me for a moment.

"Dear little sister now why would you think that? I'm just excited that I get to spend your eighteenth birthday with my favorite girls." Finnick proclaimed with a cheesy grin on his face.

I giggled. "Yeah, your favorite girl being the darling Miss Annie Cresta!"

Finnick shrugged his shoulders.

"Yeah, you're right."

Dinner that night was both a happy and somber affair. It was happy because it was my birthday which symbolized that I was lucky to have lived through another reaping, but it was also sad because tomorrow was reaping day. Even though it was lingering in the back of both of our minds that tomorrow I would be on my way to the Capitol Finnick and I were enjoying ourselves.

I looked to the right and saw Finnick paying all his attention to Annie. I loved seeing the two of them together. They were just so cute! They were just them when they were together. They weren't who the Capitol played them out to be. No playboy Finnick and no crazy Annie.

To be truthful Annie isn't crazy at all. She just looks a little lost sometimes. People say she hears voices but so what? If anything that just shows she has a much more pure and gentle soul than most of us do. They don't know her like we do. She's still here and trying to live her life the best she can.

"Well I am so sorry to disappoint you all but Marina and I have to leave. We've both got a big trip tomorrow." Finnick said as he stood up and walked over to me.

"Where are you going, Marina?" Annie spoke in her wispy voice.

"You know where she has to go, Annie. She's going with us. Don't worry, Finnick and I will be there to keep an eye on her." Mags explained.

Annie looked up to me with watery eyes.

"You're not going to volunteer are you?"

I placed my hand on her shoulder.

"Of course not, Annie. I would never purposely go there, but I have no choice. I'm eighteen already. They're going to call my name tomorrow, but I promise you Annie, I will do everything that I possibly can to come back okay?" I gently explained to her.

We all knew I was going into the games this year. Even though Finnick had won his games when I was only five he had known that I would end up in the Hunger Games myself. President Snow had told Finnick personally. Apparently when Finn was being crowned victor, Snow had told my brother in these exact words, "Congratulations Mr. Odair. I can't wait to see how young Marina will do in her games."

Soon after that Finnick had me training to learn how to survive. He and some of the other District 4 victors had taught me everything could. Finnick knew they would want it to be an interesting show so they wouldn't pick me early on, but every reaping since I had turned fourteen Finnick had been worried that I would get chosen. Luckily, I hadn't.

It is beyond certain that I am going in this year. I am eighteen and in the highest physical condition I have ever been in in my short eighteen years of life. It would be stupid to think that President Snow had forgotten or had decided to take mercy. He isn't that type of man. He's a monster. I was ready though, ready to give them the show they wanted so I could get out of there alive.

"You're going to win, Rina," Annie whispered.

I looked straight into her eyes.

"Thank you Annie."

As I lay in bed that night I thought of Annie. I thought of Mags. I thought of Finnick. I thought of the three most important people in my life, the people that had raised me. I thought of all the good times we've had over the years. Yes. These are the people I would fight for. These are the people I would live for.

Okay, so here's the first chapter. More of this and my other stories to come. Thanks for reading! - S.F.E.