Hello. My name is Percy Jackson. I'm seventeen years old. And I thought I had seen the worst possible until I arrived to this shithole. Annabeth. I miss her more than I can say. Is the only thing that keeps me thinking right. For I would have lost my sanity long ago.

Some days ago I woke up inside this shack that I now call shithole. The worst of all was that I felt completely normal. My memories in my head, all my limbs in place, and Riptide in my pocket. I feel I must tell you I'm a demigod, son of Poseidon, Greek god of the sea, earthquakes, and stuff. Yeah, I'm that awesome bloke who a year ago banished the lord of the Titans and less than two weeks ago was fighting the greatest war in human and Olympic history, trying to defeat evil Dirt Face and her annoying sons, the Giants. Less than two weeks ago, Annabeth and I emerged, almost dead, from Tartarus. Less than two weeks ago, my life took another unpleasant turn. Less than two weeks ago, I had hope of staying alive and growing up with Annabeth. That was two weeks ago. Now, I don't know where I may end. For now, I just hope I don't get called out at the reaping.

I met her on my second morning. Being used to three delicious meals a day, natural, cooked by wood nymphs and brought by dryads, I was very, very hungry. She entered, and she had with her a sack with some berries and a squirrel.

"Who the hell are you?" She drew a bow and an arrow faster than I could have said "Zeus's pants".

"Percy Jackson." First encounters don't go well if people discover you are half Greek god. And if you have badass water superpowers. "And your name is?" I asked her.

"Katniss. Katniss Everdeen." She sort of lowered her bow. Her intense olive eyes didn't leave mine. But I felt this girl was more like me than she let see.

"Well Katniss, unless you want to share your food with me, could you please go?" I didn't mean to be rude, but I was very hungry and I wanted to see if I could kill a rabbit or a squirrel.

"For a moment I thought you were Gale." She told me.

"Who is Gale?"

"I'm Gale." Said a voice behind me. I turned around and saw this guy, about the size of Jason Grace, which is almost a head taller than me, staring at me.

"Percy." I was starting to get annoyed. Couldn't a guy be lonely, lost and desperately hungry in peace? "Now, seriously. What are you doing here?"

"We meet here. What are you doing here would be a better question." Gale was almost killing me with his eyes. I drew Riptide. I know I shouldn't have reacted that way but I was very hungry, and annoyed. The tip of the bronze sword was touching his neck.

"You know, dude, there are easier ways to make friends." Gale's tone was completely different now.

"Jackson, put that away before you poke your own eye out." She took a step towards me. "I think we can trust him." She looked at her companion. "Or at least give him some food."

"Yes, if that gun isn't just big talk." I lowered Riptide. Gun? Oh, yeah. First good news of the day. Mist, wherever we were, was still strong. I had to be more careful with my mythical stuff.

"I assure you it isn't." I turned to Katniss. "I can hunt, and I can get my own food. But, will you help me? I know nobody on this strange place, I'm a complete outsider. I'll trust you if you trust me." She looked at Gale, and I think some sort of understanding passed between them, after all, when you are alone and starving, you get some sympathy.

"Fine Jackson. You tell me. How old are you? Where are you from?"

"I'm seventeen; I'm from New York, but most of the time I live at a camp in Long Island."

"I thought we weren't going to lie to each other. From which district are you?"

"District. I don't get it. You know, New York, United States, North America, Planet Earth?"

"This is Panem. North America not longer exists. This loathsome country was what emerged after North America collapsed, and thirteen districts arose, led and ruled by the Capitol. But there was a rebellion, and Thirteen was destroyed. Now you are in Twelve, in the middle of nowhere, and less than two weeks from the reaping." She shrugged uncomfortably.

"And that's Panem's history in a nutshell." Said Gale. "Let's get going."

"I'm fifteen, by the way." Katniss told me.

And that way, we started our friendship, more from need than from anything else. Katniss's skill with the bow matched that of Apollo's kids, and that of Frank Zhang. Gale's snares could've impressed Annabeth. But I was a quicker and steadier hunter than them, and could bring down bigger game. Lucky Riptide worked on animals (sorry Grover), but I had to help. Prim and all of Gale's siblings needed the money, and pelts were sold fast. I thought I had adapted to this new lifestyle until the morning of the reaping. I woke up, and after praying to all the gods, even to those that I didn't like, and asking to see Annabeth at least once more, I saw Katniss on the door of my shithole. She had offered me a place at her own house, but I told her it would raise suspicion.

"Wakey wakey! Come on Jackson! It's reaping day!" She threw me some clothes. "These were Gale's when he was your size. Wash up and hurry, I'm waiting." I changed; the button-down shirt and beige trousers fit me well. I cleaned my head and teeth at the little pond outside the shack. When I went out I saw Katniss wearing a green skirt.

"Skirt?"

"Shut up. It's compulsory. Now hurry, Gale is waiting for us." She headed expertly out of the forest, and I followed her. We passed under the electric fence and headed for the public square. We had agreed that it would be the best for me if I attended, as if a Peacekeeper (cop) found me, I would be killed, for sure. And besides, if there was any chance my name would come out, I would be missed, for sure. And all of that was dangerous. Especially for Katniss, and Gale, and their families, all because we had been seen together.

When we arrived, the square was so packed with people no one ever looked at me twice. We saw Gale waiting for us, holding up a hand in reconnaissance.

"Hey Catnip. Hey Jackson. What a lovely morning to bet on our lives!"

"And may the odds be ever in your favor!" Katniss laughed nervously. "We have to check the names."

"What? Oh, yeah." We arrived at a very long desk where everybody was having their fingers pinched. I looked nervously at Katniss, she nodded at me. But she didn't understand my real nervousness. If that piece of shit worked on DNA, I was so dead. Demigods only have a human half of their DNA; the other part can't be seen by mortals. But before I could mention it to Gale, a guy in a white uniform grabbed my hand and pinched my finger.

"Perseus Jackson, seventeen, born and raised in Twelve, right?" The guy asked me without looking up.

"Yes." I answered. What else could I say?

"May the odds be ever in your favor, Mr. Jackson. Pray take your place with the rest of the seventeen year olds. "I headed towards Gale, he was also seventeen.

"Good luck, Hawthorne, or as they say where I'm from, let's hope the gods are in a good mood."

"Same, Jackson. See you for evening hunting." As we were saying that, the District Twelve escort (as Katniss had explained to me) walked into stage. It was occupied by the mayor, three empty chairs, two big glass balls with little papers on it, and Haymitch Abernathy, the only victor alive of District Twelve, and he was as drunk as always. The ceremony protocol started, the mayor read some major shit that I really don't remember and it was even duller than lectures at Yancy, or than Chiron's favorite music. After he finished, the woman walked to the center.

"Happy Hunger Games!" I heard Gale grunt next to me. "And may the odds be ever in your favor!"

She walked up on those things women wear that look like torture devices and got next to the right sphere.

"Ladies first!" and she dove those manticore-like talons inside the ball. She brought out a paper. "And our female tribute for the 73rd Hunger Games is…"

"Carrie Smithens." A tall girl walked up the aisle. She wasn't weeping, or crying, or looking scared. She looked as proud as an Amazon. She reminded me of my friend Clarisse. And not for the first time I wondered, were there demigods in Panem?

Carrie reached the stage and shook the escort's hand (Effie I think her name is), then she turned towards the audience, eyeing the horizon, no emotion on her face.

"Good, good! And now for the boys!" She drove her talons again inside the ball. "And the male representing District Twelve in the 73rd Hunger Games is…" And I was all like, if it is me, I swear to all the gods, I will hunt down whoever did this to me and kill them slowly and painfully…

"Perseus Jackson."