Chapter 1: The Reaping
Reading over what I originally wrote, not only did I totally mess up my character and made him seem to social, but I haven't captured Cato's tone properly so this is the rewrite of the rewrite of the Hunger Games. God try reading that last bit quickly. Oh! I don't own the series.
Stormy gray eyes open as another morning begins in the Seam of District 12. Thorne Oakfield rises out of his bed and looks over to see his mother and father cuddled together, a small smile on their faces that warms him immediately. Even in the worst of circumstances, his parents always smiled, to reassure him or just to cheer him up when he was down. Next to Katniss and Gale, they were his only friends and he wouldn't trade them in for the world.
He slips on a pair of gray trousers with a simple long-sleeved navy blue shirt and a pair of tan leather boots before heading downstairs. He grabs his half of a loaf of bread as well as his leather jacked, his sleeves rolled up so that they were just below the elbow, and then he leaves, grabbing his game bag as he goes.
Despite the fact that many people in the Seam were rather weak, they were always awake early. Wives who bid farewell to their husbands as they go to work in the mines and more grimly, those who apply for last minute Tessera. This year would be his fifth year in the Reaping and he still had yet to take out any Tessera, mainly because he could hunt and was able to provide for his family. That made him a bit more well off.
He stopped when he reached the weak point in the fence, waiting for Katniss to arrive and also to listen to see if it was active. As a precaution, he picked up a stick and threw it at the fence, although it was rather pointless. The fences were never active.
"Thorne!" he turns to see Katniss.
"Morning" he replied with a ghost of a smile on his face.
They don't speak, merely slide under the fence with grace before heading into the woods, their private sanctuary. The two friends don't need to speak, merely enjoying each others company and the sounds of the forest around them. They soon reach a hollowed out log, Katniss reaching in and pulling out two bows, handing a lighter shaded one to Thorne who put it on his back and they walked a little further on, coming across a tree where their quivers were hidden.
"We'll meet back at our usual spot in about an hour, okay?" she asked and he gave a small nod.
Despite the fact that he was a couple of inches shorter than Gale and was built with lean muscle, he was very light on his feet, barely making any sound on the forest floor. Soon, he spots it. A gray squirrel sat near the bottom of a tree feeding on a nut. He notches an arrow and takes a deep breath in, loosing it on his exhale and hitting it straight in the head. He retrieved his arrow and placed the squirrel in the bag, before heading off once more in search of more. He was planning on gathering more today.
He'd decided to fetch two more squirrels, one for Mr. Mellark who would trade him bread for it and he would trade another in the Hob for the berries that his mother had come to love. His father was quite fond of grooslings, so he would try to hunt for them if possible. Any excess and he would trade those in the Hob also. But what he really wanted, was a rabbit.
He'd found his second squirrel and wasted no time in firing another arrow at it. It was larger than the other one and he decided that this would be the one that goes to Mr. Mellark. The larger they were the more bread he could get.
"Nicely done" he heard a familiar voice and he turned to see Gale.
"Thanks" he said.
He wasn't normally social. Thorne was always wary of making friends in the Seam because you never knew when someone would drop from starvation. Gale and Katniss were the only two from the Seam that he knew who were capable of not only supporting themselves, but their families as well. However, even after been friends with them for a couple of years, he's still rather quiet and reserved, no one but his parents would ever know his emotions.
"I'm guessing you're going to trade that one to the baker?" Gale asked as he walked next to him.
"Yeah" he replied simply.
His silence was never an issue for Katniss or Gale, in fact it was quite endearing. It was the way he was and if he started talking up a storm, then they'd assume that something was wrong with him. His name was rather fitting as well. His first name because when he was given crap he was quite prickly, or he is in general when he meets someone he doesn't know and his second because he was stubborn and strong.
They continue their walk through the forest in a comfortable silence when Gale saw his trademark ghost of a smile and he looked ahead. Stood perched on a branch were two big fat grooslings. He notched one arrow and fired, taking one down, quickly pulling another arrow and taking the other one as it took off to fly.
"Getting quicker, I see" Gale said, running ahead to grab the two birds.
"You know my father, Gale" he said with a small grin.
It was very rare to get a genuine gentle smile out of him. That he often reserved for his parents but there were times when he would spare one or two for him and Katniss and that was when the Reaping came around. Usually the only other facial expression he used was his ghost of a smile, a small quirk of the lips that could convey happiness or amusement. His grin he often wore when he was around his two friends.
"Yeah, can't say I blame him" the hunter said, handing them to him and he put them with the squirrels.
"I have one more thing to get" he said.
"Rabbit?" he asked and the other nodded.
Every year when the Reaping came around, he would always go for a hunt and bring back plenty of game in the event that he was chosen. He wouldn't go overly crazy and kill whatever he saw, however. Gale pointed out to him once that he was very methodical. Usually he would go for two squirrels, three if another was near by, two grooslings and his rabbit. Then he'd forage for berries for his mother as well as herbs to replenish her stocks. His mother, along with Mrs. Everdeen were the healers of the Seam and he would regularly search for the herbs that both would need. Doing so was second nature and he would also reveal a softer side of himself. He would pick wild flowers for Prim, who had become like a younger sister to him, just as Katniss and Gale had become siblings to him.
They tread lightly once more, an arrow already notched as he searched for it. Gale taps his shoulder and points in the direction of the very prize he seeks. A rabbit was feeding on the grasses in the forest, was been the operative term because before it knew what hit it, an arrow had pierced it's eye. He had his quarry now. All he needed was the berries and herbs for his mother and Mrs. Everdeen. He turns to Gale.
"Find Katniss and tell her I'll be a little while longer" he said and the other nods before heading off.
It doesn't take him long to find the bushes where the sweetest berries grew. He knelt down and with delicate fingers, began to pick them, placing them in a separate pouch on his game bag. He picked more than what he did on most days because it was the Reaping. He also picked some additional ones to trade in the Hob. Greasy Sae has a love for berries also, and he could get a piping hot cup of soup for a couple of handfuls of the little fruits.
He's always mindful of what he picks. Nightlock does grow in abundance within the woods, so he is sure to avoid picking any blackberries whatsoever. Gooseberries as wells as raspberries are abundant where he was now and they were his mothers favourites. The thought brings a smile to his face as he remembers her making a jam whilst he brought home bread from the bakers, the smile on her face as she smelt the sweetness of the fruit and the smell of the baked bread. Lost in his warm thoughts, he was unaware that Katniss and Gale were watching with smiles of their own.
This would be the second time they caught him with a smile on his face that wasn't directed at them at a Reaping. The two of them had come over one morning whilst his parents were still asleep and they had seen him just as he had awoken. Thorne's warm smile was directed at his parents and to see such a gentle and happy expression on his face was like one of the seven wonders from before the Dark Days.
"I know you're there" he said, his smile not leaving.
"How?" it was Katniss.
"Hunters senses" he merely supplied.
He picked four more berries and deposited them into the small compartment which was full to the brim, not only with plenty for a lovely jam but enough to trade to Greasy Sae. He then turned to them, that happy expression not leaving his face. Reapings brought out the best of his expressions and also caused him to slip into his happier thoughts and as fleeting as his smiles were, once they were on, they were difficult to get off.
"Are you ready to head to our spot?" Katniss asked.
"I need to wash these first" he said and she nodded.
The water near District 12 was clean, despite it's close proximity to the homes of the miners. They often swam during the warmer months. They found a small, clear stream and he took out a large piece of clothe and put it down on the ground. He would then take handfuls of the berries and dip them in the cold, fresh water, before putting them on the cloth.
He'd repeat this several times, before wrapping them in the cloth and placing it back in the small pocket on his back. He turned and gave a nod, meaning he was done and they headed up to their usual spot which overlooked the forests. This was the place they had met, when Thorne had stumbled across it not knowing that anyone visited it.
"You'll be happy to see what I brought" Gale said, producing something from his pocket.
"Fresh bread" Katniss said dreamily.
Gale broke it in three, handing one piece to Katniss and another Thorne who took it with a quiet thanks, before they began to eat. The freshness of the bread was something that they liked to cherish on these hunts.
"Happy Hunger Games" Gale began.
"And may the odds be ever in your favour" Katniss and Thorne finish in their put on Capitol accents.
They sit there for a few more minutes before they realize that if they wanted to get what they needed done, then they needed to leave now. Upon getting over the fence, Katniss and Thorne parted with Gale as they headed to the Hob. He wasn't trading Game today, only some of those berries.
"Thank you, boy" she said, taking the berries with a small smile and handing him his soup.
Thorne took it with a quiet thanks and he turned back to Katniss who was looking a little bit tense. His expression softened as he knew that Katniss was a lot more calmer than that. He placed a gentle hand on his shoulder and she looked at him.
"Are you okay?" he asked, concerned.
"It's Prim's first year in the Reaping" she said and he understood.
Prim brought happiness no matter where she went in the District, be it the Seam or the merchant area, she managed to put a smile on everyone's face. However, Katniss had nothing to be too concerned about. The elder Everdeen daughter had more chance of been picked than her.
"It's her first year, Kat. It's unlikely" he said softly.
"I know, but still, I'm worried. It's happened before" she said and he nodded.
"It's only natural. My parents were worried when it was my first even though there were people who had more of a chance at been picked than me" he said as they began to walk back to their homes. "I know the relations are different but the principle's the same" he said, sipping on the soup, relishing in it's warmth and nice taste that only Sae could pull off.
"Thanks, Thorne. You may not say much but when you do you know what to say" she said.
"You're my friend, Katniss. Even if I have nothing to say, I'll just listen" he said with a slight quirk of his lips. "I have to go get ready. I'll see you when the Reaping is over" he said, polishing off his soup and running the container back inside to Sae.
(The Reaping)
Tensions were running high as everyone gathered in the Square, awaiting their outrageously dressed escort, Effie Trinket. Thorne was able to spot Katniss across from him and she turned to look at him and he gave her his yearly reassuring smile for both her and for Prim. He then turned, seeing Gale just behind him and he smiled at him also. They looked up when they saw the flash of pink, and Effie stood in all her colourful glory. Pink it was this year.
"Welcome, welcome, welcome" she says with a smile. "Happy Hunger Games. And may the odds be ever in your favour" she said and he sighed. Typical Captiol Citizen. "Now, before we begin, we have a special surprise for you. A video brought to you all the way from the Capitol" she said and he rolled his eyes.
It was the same video. It briefly touched upon the war that had the country in the state that it was now and then it gave a brief history on the Games and how it is meant to remember their past and how it would safeguard their future.
"I just love that" Effie said after reciting the last lines of the film. "Now, the time has come for us to select one courageous young man and woman for the honour of representing District 12 in the 74th Annual Hunger Games. As usual, ladies first" ahh, ever the woman for manners. Effie walks over to the glass ball that contains the names of all the girls in District 12 and dips her hand in. She searches around for a few seconds and then pulls up the slip. She walks back up to the microphone and opens it up, reading the name. "Primrose Everdeen!" she calls.
No. Not little Prim. It was only a couple of hours ago that Thorne had comforted Katniss on how she was unlikely to be picked and yet here she was. Her name had been called and with fear in her baby blue eyes, Prim walks up, tucking in her shirt as she did, and then he see's Katniss surge forward.
"Prim! Prim!" the Peacekeepers move to restrain her. "I volunteer! I volunteer" she said and he can't hold the sadness in his eyes when he hears her say two words that could best correspond with the words 'death sentence'. "I volunteer as Tribute" she said.
"Uh, I believe we have a volunteer" Effie sounds shocked. The first volunteer in District 12 history.
Thorne watched as Prim clung to her sister, screaming for her sister as Gale heads out to carry her away from Katniss and back to her mother. Her cries are heart wrenching to hear as Katniss walks up to the stage with an emotionless mask on her face. She introduces herself and when Effie asks if that was her sister she replies that it was.
"Let's have a big hand for our very first volunteer, Katniss Everdeen" Effie is the only one to applaud.
Thorne, along with everyone else raise their three middle fingers to their lips and hold them out toward her as a sign of respect. Used in funerals as a farewell for loved ones as well as showing respect to someone who had done something so valiant.
"And now, for the boys" Effie announces.
Thorne's breath hitches ever so slightly as she walks over to the bowl containing all the male Tribute names. She's quick to put her hand in and quickly draws a slip out. She opens it quickly and reads the name.
"Thorne Oakfield!"
His heart drops. This was it. He could hear his mothers sobs behind him, however he gives himself a moment to compose himself before stepping out of the gathered boys. He was not going to give the audience watching in the Capitol the satisfaction of seeing his closely guarded emotions. He steps onto the stage and stands to Effie's right.
"And here are your Tributes!" she announces. "Happy Hunger Games. And may the odds be ever in your favour" she says before they are ushered into the Justice Building.
He waits by the window, leaning against the wall with his arms folded across his broad chest when the doors open and he turns to see who it is. He's immediately wrapped in a tight embrace from his mother and he wraps his arms around her shaking frame. Thorne allows a few tears to escape as he just holds her for a few moments.
"My boy" she whispers when she pulls away to look at his face.
"Mother" he whispers back.
"You make sure you try to come back" she said and he nodded. He would try to come back for his parents. His father then steps up and holds him close. His father very rarely displayed his emotions unless it was with his wife and his soon. He pulls away and smiles, gray eyes sad.
"This is yours now" he said, pulling something out of his pocket.
It's a simple silver chain with a wolf pendant. It's been in the family since his father was little and now it was been passed down to him as his Token. His father attaches it to his neck and then looks at it on him.
"The perfect person to wear it" he whispered.
"I'm going to come home. For the both of you" he said resolutely, grabbing them both in a tight hug,
They had to leave soon and he allowed more tears to fall as he gently stroked the pendant that rested on his chest. He was about to turn back to the window when the doors opened once more and he was enveloped in strong arms that could only belong to Gale. He pulled away and noticed the tear streaks in the normally stoic hunters gray eyes and he wipes them away.
"Katniss, is she-?" he was cut off.
"She's holding together" he reassured, cupping his hands in his cheeks.
"Oh Gale, how am I going to do this? What if it came down to me and her?" he asked.
"I can't really answer that for you" he said. "Make sure that either one of you comes back, you got it?" he asked and the other nodded resolutely. "You're so much like a brother to me" he said and the other smiled.
"You're the brother I never had" he said, voice barely level.
Gale places a gentle kiss on his forehead and holds him close once more before the Peacekeeper tells him that his time is up. Gale makes the promise that he would bring game for his family so they didn't starve and he was left alone with his thoughts.
Soon his last hour in District 12 is up and he's ushered out of the Justice Building by Peacekeepers who escort him and Katniss to a car with Effie. They make it to the train station in silence and after making it through the reporters they board the luxurious train that would transport them to the site of their death: the Capitol.
Up next:
The train ride.
Meeting Haymitch.
The Capitol.
Remake Centre.
Tribute Parade.
