Prologue
Katniss Everdean, tribute, victor, and mocking jay.
Katniss Everdean saved the 12 districts of Panem and the 13th that many thought was long destroyed.
She brought an end to the Capitals tyranny and spared the children of the districts from the Hunger Games; with the war over she stayed in twelve with Peeta Mallark.
Peeta her fellow tribute and victor from the Hunger Games, and now her husband together they spend 15 years together rebuilding 12 and raising their two kids, a girl and a boy.
Her life was perfect even Peeta's oldest brother showed up, the only one to survive he had 6 kids already and it turned out he had made it too 11 and they helped him in secret.
Peeta was overjoyed his life couldn't get any better but tragedy seemed to follow Katniss, her two kids while on a simple visit to her parents as they worked on rebuilding the hob. Finnick, she named after the boy who kept Peeta alive during the games, had knocked loose a board and the building collapsed around them.
Peeta only had time to save Katniss, but not before she saw the faces of her kids as they were submerged in rubble only bringing back memories of the games and how many people she's lost along the way.
Katniss so grief stricken after her kid's burial she left District 12 without a single word of good-bye.
Katniss traveled all the Districts trying to find meaning in her life again.
Katniss never wanted to end up in District 2 knowing that Gale lived their she didn't want to see his perfect life but still she arrived not sure why, perhaps buying more time for herself but what shocked her was to find Gale alone, he only had eyes for Katniss as many girls around town told her, Gale never looked at a district 2 girl with more interest than a friend.
Katniss touched by this decided to spend extra time in two.
A Day turned to a week than to a month and to a year.
Katniss after a decade married Gale and they had one Daughter on accident but Katniss loved her though she always looked at Shaylee with a sense of concern figuring just like her before that if she let her guard down for one second they'd be gone.
Shaylee inherited the seam look which stood out among the supermodels of two. Katniss with a new family spent the rest of her life in 2, though unknowing to her when she died that the hell she went through would come back around.
The Capital had flourished in secret, President Coin had made a deal knowing that further fighting would only annihilate the rest of mankind, the Rebels get their freedom till the capital is at full strength.
Coin believing it would take decades maybe even centuries agreed to these terms, unaware the Capital only needed a few years to regain their strength and they just had to bide their time.
The day Katniss Everdean was declared dead was the day all hell broke out in the Districts of Panem starting with two and working around a fight broke out again taking only three years till the districts fell to the Capital and the Hunger Games were brought back…
This is not another Tale of survival and Freedom like my mother's no this is far from it, this is my Tale, My name is Shaylee Hawthorne and I'm not a hero like my mother, no I'm far from it.
Chapter 1-
From 2 to 12
District 2 has been known as the Capital's lap dog, a career district, and after the Rebellions succeeded we were known as paranoid. District 2 unlike 1 and 4 kept their training schools opened and kids still attended it.
The monuments of our fallen stand erected in our town square.
Life in District 2 was amazing, we went to school for a few hours, then we trained, went to work and then if you were under 18 were given free time, I spent all my time with Clove and Mace my two best friends.
Clove was named in honor of her Aunt who died in the first Hunger Games my mom won, killed by a boy from 11, Thresh if I remember right after she claimed to kill his counterpart Rue a girl only twelve years of age, still an honor but many hold it over Cloves head.
Mace is the Grandchild of Brutus, a tribute from the 75th Hunger Games and a past victor from a previous game, Mace is quite feared and admired by everyone in school, Mace had shot dark brown hair with hazel eyes and a scowl that could scare anyone one of the reasons many people avoid him, which I find funny since he is the biggest Teddy Bear you'd ever met.
My parents were always so important to District 2, it was never kept a secret from me that my mother was a huge part in us being free from the Hunger Games, a horror story taught to us and we even watch clips from previous Hunger Games.
Clove has seen her aunts death a thousand times over.
Mace since the 75th Hunger Game never fully was finished we only had footage of the Reaping's, he watched his Grandfather who looks a lot like him win the 52th Hunger Games, where he Killed every tribute he had with his bare hands even with a weapon at his disposal he went to his fist.
Brutus won when he turned to his District partner as the last two left and gave them a show breaking every bone in her body before finally crushing her rip cage killing the girl who was only a 13 year-old girl after she had been begging and crying.
Brutus is a boogieman of sorts to many children here in 2 but to Mace it's just another reason why he's feared.
My Mother passed away when I was 12 and her death ended our peace.
My mother's coffin hadn't even been in the ground a day when the Peacekeepers came in boat loads, loaded and armed with weapons we've never seen before.
They locked us in our houses, some even starved to death since we weren't use to Hunger; Many fought back but we were shredded and it was pointless.
My Father was so ragged he fought back and was with almost every attempted uprising, I feared so much that they'd kill him on sight but for some reason he always returned only beaten and bruised and I had to use my knowledge of medicine, which wasn't a lot to keep him alive.
It took Three years for all the Districts to be taken back fully and then came the news that chilled everyone to the bone, The Hunger Games the horror that plagued our parents and grandparents is now back for us.
The Games were schedule 6 months from now and soon we'd all feel the pain of watching someone we care about walk across the stage, of course expect this time we weren't excited.
District 2 wasn't their lap dogs anymore at least for now.
5 months till the Games, Life in 2 has sort of returned to normal are schedules still the same except we work twice as long, Clove, Mace and I hang out after work for only an hour at a time since we have to be inside our house by 8 or risk severe punishment and we get off at 7.
"Shaylee don't go far, I want you always in eyesight." My Father warns me, "I promise, pa but please don't push yourself you're still healing from the gunshot to your shoulder." I kiss my father's forehead before slipping on my mom's old warn leather jacket and walked out.
My father sat at the window watching me since my mother's death, and the Capital coming back he's been more paranoid then usual and doesn't like me out of his sight unless it's absolutely necessary.
"Hey Shay." Clove calls with a small, Clove much like her aunt was so small but unlike her aunt she didn't look fierce at all she was downright precious no one would believe her to be a threat. "Hey Clove." I look around real quick "where's Mace?" she smirked a little at me trying not to laugh at some private joke, since I turned 12 her and my mom always laughed and joked about me hanging out with Mace like it suddenly became a problem.
"What is it now?" I ask, she just giggles still smiling at me like I know the private joke "Oh it's nothing he's down the hill waiting." "Then come on lets go." Clove races me down the hill, she maybe more agile but I was always quick on my feet when I was 6 I was out running almost everyone else in the district.
"There are my girls." Mace teases as we come to a running stop, "Hey Mace." I smile only causing Clove to giggle more, "Come on Clove I thought we weren't three anymore." Mace defends, crossing his arms across his chest making him look twice the size of both of us.
Clove just backed away hands rose "Just teasing when did you lose your funny bone Mace?" Mace's eyes narrowed at Clove "The Hunger Games are back, and were all of reaping age." The mention of the game freezes us all, The three of us known as the Victors circle to everyone here are all children, or related to someone from my mother's Hunger Game.
We were all prime targets for the Reaping, Clove 14, Mace 17 and me 15 all of us prime, ready and trained plus all tied to Katniss development. Clove who taught her to face her problems, and Brutus who gave them a person to hate in the 75th Hunger Games and no one truly knows if he did this to make sure Katniss didn't get wise to the breakout plan; then theirs me the Girl on Fire's only child and only living blood decedent.
"Did you guys hear about Blu the little 5 year-old from school?" Clove asked breaking the silence "No what happened?" I replied looking down, Blu was a recent orphan who lost her parents and brothers in a recent uprising.
Mace sighed running his hand through his hair, "The Peacekeepers shot her on sight for trying to run, gunned her down in front of almost everyone." Mace stated grimily and for the first time I see water well up in his eyes, Mace himself has one baby sister only 3 when she died I bet this is reminding him of her.
"Wow, I didn't realize things were getting that bad." I started thinking how small district 2's population was getting there were already two mass graves filled with at least 200 people in each and more people injured in the hospitals
"I guess we weren't as paranoid as the other districts thought." I add, "I don't think we're happy about being right about this." Clove replied looking up at the sky.
"Things just aren't the same in here anymore, were not even allowed to pay respect to the monuments anymore." Mace added, and both him and Clove looked down they use to always go visit them it was a way to put them at peace and now the Capital has taken it away from everyone in District 2.
The three of us sit in silence till we hear the sounds of crashing stone, a sound we all were to familiar with but this wasn't a quarry incident.
The Quarry's were all closed at the moment, "The MONUMENTS!" we heard someone yell at the top of their lungs.
Wildfire that's the best way to describe what happened next, everyone and I mean everyone in District 2 ran out of their houses and straight to the center of our town.
The Monuments of all our past tributes that had died in the Hunger Games were being torn down by Peacekeepers, Clove collapsed in tears watching the monument of her aunt crumble to the ground.
Mace stood strong they left alone his Grandfathers statue alone after we heard "Only leave the Victors up." One peacekeeper shouted which only meant Brutus would remain standing we only built the Statues of those who died in the Hunger Games, and Brutus died during the 75th Hunger Games his second game.
"Clove come on you shouldn't see this." I tried to calm her and pick her up but she wouldn't budge, and it was too late to move now everyone became so outraged that another uprising started in the middle of the streets as the entire district fought against the Peacekeepers as this just wasn't an attack on us it was an attack on our dead.
Mace pulled Clove and I from the fighting which gave me a busted lip, bruises and a gash over my right eye brow.
"Shay? You okay?" he asked checking me over again making sure I wasn't hurt too bad, "Yeah I'm fine Mace, just a little shaken."
I brush him off and turn to Clove who was so close to the ground she was covered in bruises and wouldn't say a word to me.
"Clove come on talk to me." I beg but she wouldn't budge.
Mace picks her up in his arm carrying her "Come on let's get her home." The fighting echoed through the whole district as Mace and I carried mentally unstable clove to her home which is two down from mine.
Clove's baby brother is the only one home the rest of her family probably at the fighting.
"What's going on Mace and Shaywee?" Her brother asked struggling with my name again he was 12 but he's not allowed to work in the Quarry's do to the fact he was weaker than a 3 year-old and he was slow when it came to school but everyone still loved him, he was sort of everyone's little brother.
"Clove isn't feeling well right now, can you watch her for us?" I ask, while Mace laid her down in her bed. "Yeah, you can count on me." He stood solider style and gave us a salute; we humored him giving one back then left.
"Thanks for pulling us out of there." I stated before I got a good look at Mace, he was worse off than me or Clove his right eye was swollen shut with several cuts over his entire face and it looked like his nose was broken as well and he even walked with a limp,
"Oh no, are you in pain?" I almost shout at him worried "Calm down Shay-Shay I'm fine I promise." He smiled at me, "Go on get home your dads probably going to be worse off than me." Mace added waving me off but still was smiling at me with that same smile Clove and my Mother use to give me.
I run home hoping Mace is truly okay, but when I arrive my father still wasn't back at all so I took up his seat by the window and watched waiting with sounds of fighting still echoing through my house and I could see the fires rise up in the town which only made me shiver worse maybe this time my father won't come through the door.
"SHAYLEE!" I hear my father yell running into the house, the first thing I notice is that he's beaten up worse than I've seen before with blood running down his face from his forehead and his entire face covered in bruises and cuts almost completely unrecognizable even his black hair was painted red with blood.
"DAD!" I call back hugging him tight glad to have him back, "Shhh… Shaylee I'm fine." He tried reassuring me.
"No you're not now sit down I have a lot of work to do." I force him to sit down as I go into the kitchen and pull out my mother's medical supplies and try to remember what she told me, about how certain leaves work on certain injuries and how crushing these berries could relieve pain.
I mainly draw a blank and work with what I got and try to minimize the swelling and I wrap bandages around his hands and try to stop the bleeding on his head with barely any success.
After two hours the fires are put out and once again we lost to the Peacekeepers and I did my best to take care of my Father though I feel like I failed at that part if only I had my mother's knack for healing.
"Go off to bed Shaylee I'm fine." My father reassured me I was going to protest but it would have been arguing to a brick wall so I do as he says.
I get woken up by a siren blaring and someone shouting over an intercom "ALL RESIDENTS OF DISTRICT 2 REPORT TO TOWN SQUARE IMMEDIATELY, FAILURE TO APPEAR WILL RESULT IN SEVERE PUNISHMENT!"
I change quickly and run out of my room against my joints protest, to find my father just waiting.
"Dad, could they have pushed up the Hunger Games because of last night." I shout panicky not wanting it to be so soon,
"No Shay they can't push it up we were the only one District that did it, this is probably just a punishment for yesterday we killed a good amount of peacekeepers." He looked me dead in the eyes "I won't let them hurt you I promise, you understand that right I won't let anything happen to you."
I nod "Yes Dad I know." I hug him "Now come on no need to give them more of a reason to hurt us." MY father leads me outside to be met by Mace and Clove, Clove still not looking fully their but she seemed better.
"Good morning Mace, Clove." My Father greets as if it was just another day as we walk toward town square in a group.
The three of us sighed in relief when we weren't being sorted like animals but just crowded in front of the Justice building, Town square was still in shambles from the uprising yesterday and the rumble from the statues in clear view all surrounding the statue of Brutus.
Clove tensed and wanted to run but Mace and I grab her hands to hold her in place, a man emerged from the Justice building his hair a neon pink with bright blue eyes, and a suit with every color I've ever seen and his skin was a bright purple.
"Is it a boy?" I joke to my friends trying to lighten the mood causing both of them to laugh, "Maybe he's some sort of hybrid." Mace jokes back, "Or maybe he's just an overgrown bird." Clove added like her normal self. The three of us erupt in laughter causing everyone to shush us worried for our lives and we do as instructed.
"Hello Residents of District 2, I bring news from the Capital." The Rainbow man spoke with a sense of joy in his voice, "It's been 50 years since we last had the joy of announcing the Hunger Games, but as everyone knows you must be reaped from your home district and it has been brought to our attention many people relocated during our absence so I bring the news that unless your family is originally from District 2 you will be relocated to your home district."
Silence falls the crowd as Mace is the first to hug me; it was no secret to me or anyone in district 2 I was from district 12.
hug Mace back trying not to cry as Clove joins in I hear them both mumbling "Sorry, please don't go." "I don't want you to go." "Goodbye." And I almost lost the battle with tears when the two of them were pulled back from me and were being held back by four guys as a boy and girl walk up Echo and Clay.
Clay looks me up and down "Looks like the Mutt from 12s pedigree is being revoked." Echo smirked "About time too." "But you must remember that your blood may be 12 you belong to 2." Echo pins me as Clay pulls out a knife cutting a 2 in my hand.
I kick Echo off with a sharp scream; when I looked up Mace was punching Clay's lights out.
My Father pulled Mace back "Calm down boy." And pulled both Clay and Echo to the side with their parents, Mace walked up to me and examined my hand "I'm so sorry Shay I should have broken free earlier."
He ripped the hem of his shirt and bound it to my hand as Clove hugged me "I'm sorry to Shay, we should have been prepared for that." I wipe my face and just nod "it's not your fault guys please calm down don't let my last memory of your guys be us all crying." At my request they all stop crying and just hug me.
"You'll always be our best friend." They say in unison, "And I'll never forget you guys." We all look at each putting one hand in the center raise them high, clove and I share a hip bump, while Mace and I fist bump then we all make a two "we work from the earth and build to the sky." Clove starts,
"its strength is ours and no matter how far we stray." I add, Mace smiles "We still stand strong since we are District 2 and we are friends." I smile the old chant we were taught by Mace's mom that sort have become are secret handshake. "I love you guys." I add before my dad walks back up
"Come on Shaylee, we have a lot of packing to do and the peacekeepers aren't the most patient." I nod but want to cry when I walk away from my friends who are taken by their families.
My life in 2 was over and now I'm going somewhere I've never been, I don't know and to a whole area that could possibly hate me for who my mom is and how she abandoned District 12.