A/N: I have a new found love of the Hunger Games series, I'm a little obsessed. I read all the books in three days. I couldn't decide whether to start from the beginning or from after Catching Fire. But I think I'm going to start from the beginning. This is The Hunger Gameswith my own personal twist. It will follow the same basic plot but with more things added, changed and twisted.
Please R&R if you like it, I promise to write faster if you do.
Disclaimer: All characters and basic plot belong to the original author, Suzanne Collins. My plot twists, add-ons and changes, belong to me :D
My name is Katniss Everdeen and I live in District 12. I live with my mother and younger sister, Primrose. My father was killed in a coal mine explosion. I hunt in the woods, which is illegal, for food with my friend Gale. It is how I provide for my family; I struggle every day to keep them alive.
This is my life in a nutshell and it comes to mind every morning when I wake-up to hunt.
"Katniss," I hear Prim whisper from the bed where I left her. My mom has her own bed while Prim and I share one.
"Good morning Little Duck, it's too early for you to be up. Go back to sleep," I whisper, pulling on my hunting boots and sitting beside her.
"Katniss, I'm scared," She whispered back, sitting up. I sighed and hugged her.
"Prim, you're only twelve. You won't be picked. You only have your name in there once, of thousands."
"But what if I am? I'll never see you or mom again. Mom might get sick again."
I sighed at the thought. Our mother got sick after my father died; she wouldn't look at us or talk to us, never mind take care of us. I was eleven when it became my job to provide for her and my sister.
"Prim, it will be okay. I promise, Little Duck, Now go back to sleep," I sighed and kissed her forehead before tucking her in.
I grab my father's hunting jacket before leaving the house quietly, but not before seeing Prim curl up with Buttercup, her cat, for comfort.
I had plans to meet with Gale in the woods; we always met there before the reaping. It became a tradition since we had met five years ago, I was almost twelve and he was fourteen.
I slid under the electric fence that was almost never on, careful to be quiet. The Peacekeepers in our district were very laid back but I'm always careful not to abuse the privilege.
I grabbed my bow; I hid it in an abandoned log, along with a sheath of arrows, in case there was any game to be hunted on my way to meet Gale. He was sitting in our special spot up on the hill already.
On the way there, the only thing I had managed to shoot was a squirrel but I know the Baker would take it. He loved squirrels but I was always careful not to come around unless his wife wasn't home.
"Catnip," Gale smiled at me. I smiled back. Gale and I were completely comfortable around each other. He was the one person who I could completely open up to. My mother was never the same after my father's death and Prim was too young and fragile.
I sat down next to him, placing my game bag on my other side. The sun was just beginning to rise.
Gale reached into his bag and pulled out fresh-picked strawberries.
"Ooh," I smiled, taking one.
"I picked some extra for you," I could hear the smile in his voice but I was entirely too engrossed in the taste of the strawberry to look up. He knew that Strawberries were my favorite and there weren't many around here so whenever they were in season, he always saved me some.
"So this is Prim's first year," He sighed, breaking the silence. I cringed at his words.
"It's Flint's first year too," I snarl, adding extra venom to my voice. Flint is Gale's youngest brother and the one that is closest to Gale.
"I know," Gale muttered, looking out at the horizon.
I looked at the sun and knew that it was time to get going. No one was allowed to be late for the Reaping.
"Let's go," I said, standing up and holding my hand out to Gale. He took it and we walked to the fence. I stashed my bow once more and slid under, game bag still in hand.
"I'll see you there," I gave a slight smile.
He nodded absently, his mind looked far away. I'm sure it was still on the comment about Flint. Gale had three younger brothers and a younger sister. He had to take care of them, along with his mother. His father was killed in the mine explosion too. His sister, Posy, wouldn't be twelve for a few years, she was only seven now.
I brought my pathetic game bag, with the one squirrel and handful of strawberries that it contained, to the Bakery.
Every time I come here, I think of the Boy with the Bread but I quickly try to push him out of my mind. I check to see if the wife is inside, she probably isn't. My guess is she's out buying soap so her boys can shower before the Reaping.
I knock at the back door quietly. But instead of the Baker answering, Peeta Mellark, the Boy with the Bread, answers. He's wearing a simple white t-shirt and stained apron.
"Oh," I say in surprise, "I was looking for your father." I look down at my feet and await his reply.
"He, um," Peeta clears his throat, "He's out with my mother getting sugar."
"Oh," I say quietly.
"Do you have a squirrel for him?" Peeta asks. I look up at him; he has a knowing look in his eyes. I nodded and took the squirrel out of my bag, handing it to him.
"Um, hold on, I think I have bread I can give you," He replied.
"No no. That's alright, take it as a gift," I sensed he knew what I meant. Take it as repayment for what you gave me. But I knew that I could never truly repay him for what he did.
He just looked at me, his eyes knowing once again. I nodded and turned and started to walk away.
"Katniss!" He called. I turned and looked at him, tilting my head in question.
"Thank you," He said, he ran out to me and pressed something into the palm of my hand before turning and going back inside, shutting the door behind him. I turned around once again and started walking home, but not before looking at what he had given me. It was a golden pin with a mocking jay in the center. Peeta and I had never spoken before. Not even in school, I've tried to catch his eye before but he always looks away as soon as he sees me looking back at him.
I head for home, knowing that I have to shower and change as well as eat breakfast before the Reaping begins.
I drop my shoes by the door and hang my coat up where it always goes.
"Good, you're home," My mother says, coming in from out back. "I have clothes laid out for you; the wash bin is full and warm. Hurry, before it cools."
I nod and head towards the back door. This is how things had been between me and my mother since things happened with my father, everything had been very nonchalant. She has made a few attempts at talking to me in the past but I shut down every time she tries. Gale is the only person I talk to now, with the occasional Prim. But I only talk to her about the lighter stuff because she shouldn't have to be burdened with the same things that I was at her age.
I washed up and went to the bed where my mother had laid out a beautiful blue dress. It was simple but much nicer than most things we had; she must have brought it with her from when she was a kid. She had been in the slightly better off section of District 12 while growing up but when she fell in love with my father, she left it all behind and moved to the Seam.
She brought little with her, only a few pieces of clothing and her knowledge of plants and medicines.
I knew that letting me wear this for the Reaping was another attempt to go back to the way things used to be.
I changed, making sure to place the pin in view and my mother came over to do my hair. Prim was still out back, tending to her goat, Lady.
My mother braided my hair in an intricate design and put it up, pulling it back from my face.
"You're beautiful," I heard from behind me. Prim had just come in, she was wearing my old clothing for the Reaping. They were still a little big but not by much as I was relatively small myself.
"Well thank you, Little Duck. But you are much prettier," I smile, tucking a stray strand of her behind her ear. She had her hair done in two braids, the same way I used to wear it.
Although she is wearing the same clothes and has her hair the same way, Prim and I look almost nothing alike. She has blonde hair that was always pin straight and beautiful blue eyes. Her features delicate, like my mothers. But she has my father's strong build. She will be taller than me soon. I have dark brown wavy hair, mostly because it is always in a side-braid. I have the typical "Seam eyes", they are flat gray. I'm built like my mother and have small frame which came in handy when hunting although I'm not very strong.
"We better get going," my mother reminded us. My name was in the Reaping 20 times this year because of the tesserae. I was a little worried but it was nothing compared to Gale, his name was in there 42 times because of the extra tesserae for all of his brothers and sisters.
We walked to the square where the Reaping was being held and Prim followed me over to the lines.
"Look Ducky, everything will be okay, I promise. You have to wait over there with the twelve year olds, I'll find you after. They are going to prick your finger but it won't hurt much."
"I love you, Katniss," She smiled slightly, hugging me. I embraced her back, sighing into her hair.
"I love you too, Prim. It'll be okay. At this point I was trying to reassure myself, not so much her.
She smiled and walked over to her line and I stood in mine. I got my finger pricked year after year, again and again. This time was no different.
I stood in the crowd but I had lost Prim in the chaos of it. The crowd became silent as Effie Trinket walked up to the microphone.
She looked like The Queen of Hearts, a character in a book my father used to read me. But instead of red she was adorned in almost all pink.
"Good evening Ladies and Gentlemen!" She said loudly in her strange capital accent, her pink curls bouncing as she spoke.
Her greeting was met with silence as most people glared at her.
"Okay, well. I would like to introduce some people up here, although I'm sure you are all well aware of who they are. This is your District 12 mayor and his wife."
The mayor nodded to us in acknowledgement but you could tell he didn't want to be here either. His daughter, Madge, was in the crowd with the rest of us.
"And this is your former victor of the Quarter Quell, Haymitch Abernanthy," Haymitch just raised his eyebrows in his drunken stupor.
Again, her introductions were met with a continued silence.
"Well aren't we an enthusiastic bunch this evening?"
Silence.
"Hmm. Well. Welcome to the 74th Hunger Games! And may the odds ever be in your favor. Ladies first!"
Her hands danced inside the jar filled with names before grabbing a single card. She scuttled back over to the microphone, tottering in her heels.
"Here we go," she said opening the piece of paper.
"Primrose Everdeen!" She called out.
I immediately started looking for Prim, up ahead the crowd cleared and I saw her slowly walking out. Her face was filled with terror.
"Prim!" I called and she turned around immediately, trying to run towards me only to be stopped by Peacekeepers. I rushed towards her but came by the same fate, Peacekeepers holding me back.
"I volunteer!" I cried, before I realized what I was doing. I was basically sentencing myself to death. Prim's face turned from terror to pure horror, the same face she made when she found out that our father died.
Even Effie looked surprised at my outburst. She motioned for me to come up on stage and other peacekeepers escorted Prim back to her place in the crowd, where she quickly found my mother.
I walked towards the stage robotically. Even though I was sentencing myself to death, it was better than losing the one thing that had given me hope all these years. I loved her more than my own life, that was evident.
"Well, we haven't had a volunteer since Haymitch Abernanthy as a matter of fact! What's your name?"
"Katniss Everdeen," I say quietly, looking at my feet.
"Ooh, was that your younger sister who got called up? I'm willing to bet it was. Ah, well. Now for the gentlemen!"
She scuttled over to the other bowl on the other side of the stage and her hand danced once more, pulling out a single name.
Once back at the microphone, she called out, "Gale Hawthorn!"
I couldn't keep the shock from crossing my face, not even for the cameras. I found Gale in the crowd and he looked as surprised as I was. Now who would take care of my mother and sister for me?
A silent tear slid down my cheek as I thought about the fate of family and how my life was turned upside down by just a few words.
"I volunteer!" I heard a familiar voice call and my head snapped up to see Peeta Mellark, once again, pushing through the crowd for the stage.
"Well look at that. Another volunteer! This is a special year for District 12, I can feel it," Effie smiled as she motioned Peeta up on stage.
Why? Why would Peeta volunteer? Judging from the shock on everyone's faces, they didn't seem to know either, except Peeta's father. He was shaking his head sadly at Peeta, as if he knew his reasoning.
Gale looked almost relieved but somewhat disappointed at the same time, I'm sure he was thinking it would be easier for me if we had to go through this together. But he's wrong. I couldn't stand eventually having to kill him; it was terrible even to think about. I think of Gale like I do my family, they are very important to me.
"Well, shake hands and off we go!" Effie encouraged. I turned slowly to face Peeta. This time, his eyes weren't full of knowing, they were protective.
I shook his hand he stroked my thumb so lightly that if I hadn't been looking at our hands, I don't think I would have noticed.
"Let's go!" Effie herded us towards the Justice Building and away from our families.
A/N: What did you think? I know it's not that different yet but it will be? I am keeping some of the events but am changing a lot of them R&R. Let's see…. How about 5 reviews and I'll continue?