Full summary:
Nicole Blight is the Victor of the 72nd Hunger Games. She, together with the rest of Panem, saw how two children from District 12 won the 74th Hunger Games. It was the start of a Rebellion. This Quarter Quell, tributes will be selected from the remaining pool of Victors. Unfortunately, just like Katniss Everdeen, Nicole is the last remaining female Victor of District 5. With a Mockingjay to watch over, a Baker Boy to protect and a flirty Victor who has a crush on her, these Games will be different. She will go in, but she will go in her way.
A/N: Hey there! This is my first fanfiction here with my own Original Character thrown in the mix. I hope you all enjoy this prologue and leave a review with your thoughts and comments on this; constructive criticism is appreciated, flames will be removed. This will be a shorter chapter, but future chapters should be much longer. Without any further ado:
Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games, this is just a piece of my imagination thrown into the already exciting world created by Suzanne Collins.
Prologue
"…so to show Panem that even the strongest can't defeat the Capitol, all tributes are to be selected from the existing pool of Victors. Enjoy this year's Hunger Games and may the odds be ever in your favor."
It took a while to sink in, but when it finally did my eyes widened and my nostrils flared with the force of breaths that I was taking.
"Well, this is a nice turn of events huh?"
I forced my gaze away from the screen that showed a smirking President Snow waving at the crowd and glared at the man seated next to me. His bushy eyebrows were raised mockingly and a smirk marred his features. Brown eyes locked with my green ones and I could see the hidden anger in them, together with the fake humor that he tried to show me. I wasn't falling for it though; he had never been a good actor.
"Especially because I am the last remaining female Victor of our district." I sneered, scoffing when he chuckled at me. "How dare they force us in these Games again? As if we haven't been through enough already!"
"You have Katniss Everdeen to thank for that, Blight," Chris Rodgers said in his raspy voice."She's the one who started all of this."
I scoffed and turned my head back to the screen. Picking up my glass of water from the table, I gave a scream before I threw the glass at the hologram, breathing deeply when it shattered to pieces against the wall.
"I was wondering when you would finally lose it."
"Oh shut up Rogers!" I sighed, burying my head in my hands and taking deep breaths to try and calm myself down. I looked back up when I had finally regained my senses and saw Chris looking at me with masked concern. "I'm fine."
"No you're not, you're just good at pretending to be." Chris said. "One of the reasons why you won the Games 2 years ago."
"Yeah," I chuckled without any humor, "and now I can start all over again. The acting, the fake smiles, the prepping, the training, everything! Just when you think it's all over, some idiot girl has to ruin it for me." I mumbled, willing myself to keep my tears at bay. I hadn't cried for 3 years and I wasn't about to start now.
"Well," Chris sighed while looking sideways at me, "it's a good thing that you're intelligent, else I would bash you on the head."
"And why is that?" I scoffed, giving him an unimpressed look. "You know that it would be the last thing you'd do."
He snorted but decided to ignore my jab at him and answered my question. "Katniss Everdeen volunteered for her little sister. The only way to save herself and get sponsors was by pretending to be in love with her fellow Tribute. Unfortunately," Chris shrugged, "she isn't that good of an actress and Snow doesn't believe that she is madly in love with that boy."
I mulled his words over for a few seconds. I could understand and respect the reason why she decided to pretend. It's simple: she wanted to go back to her little sister. But I couldn't help but be pissed all the same. If she had acted better, or had at least been convincing enough, none of this would have happened. Because of one 16 year old girl, people who have already entered the Games are forced to compete again. As if the nightmares that most of us have aren't enough.
"I still think that she should have been more careful." I stubbornly said.
"What, like you should have been?"
I whipped my head in his direction and glared viciously. "Don't you dare bring that up Rogers." I growled, not even feeling satisfied when I saw the nerves in his eyes. "Not if you know what's good for you."
He hesitated slightly before he gave me a nod. Shooting him one last glare, I stood up and made my way to the door.
"Where are you going?" I heard Chris shout behind me.
"Don't worry, I'll be careful." I sarcastically yelled, ignoring the sigh that I heard after my harsh statement. Closing the door behind me, I rubbed my arms when I felt the cold biting through my thin sweater.
It was time for me to call the only fellow Victor that I didn't irritate me constantly, except for Chris. Although sometimes he did stretch my patience a bit too much. Fishing my phone out of my pocket, I dialed the now familiar number and waited impatiently.
"I'm guessing you saw the Reaping, sweetheart?" The voice of Haymitch Abernathy sounded just as it always did; sarcastic and drunk.
"Damn it all to hell, Haymitch."
"Couldn't have said it any better myself."
"Your Girl on Fire," I said in a sarcastic tone, "has doomed us all. Just when I think that it's over, a 16-year-old girl has to ruin everything."
"We were all thrown into this, Nic, and not just because Katniss can't act to save her life." I could hear his slight anger over the phone, but didn't bother to pay attention to it. "This is just as much of a punishment for her as it is for everybody."
I knew that he was right. Hell, even Chris was right. In that moment though, the only thing I could think of was being in that Arena again, reliving the same memories and nightmares over and over again.
"No Abernathy," I particularly growled, "I had my punishment 2 years ago. You had yours a long time ago. Others have had it even longer ago. Do you really think that this is a punishment for us as well?"
Silence was my answer.
With a sigh, I decided to let that subject rest for now. "You know you're not going to go in there, right? Baker Boy is going to Volunteer for sure."
"I know," he grumbled, "he's a softy."
"He's in love, the idiot."
"That too."
"It's going to get him killed, Haymitch."
"He knows that. He doesn't care. Besides," I could hear glasses clinging and was sure that he was pouring himself a drink, "if Katniss has to say anything about it, I wouldn't call him dead just yet, sweetheart. He's probably going to be here soon."
"Yeah," I smirked, "and you're probably going to be very drunk, very soon."
He snorted. "Aren't I always?" I heard him sigh and was surprised when I heard his most sober voice. "I was going to call you, Nic."
"I know," I told him. "I was just faster."
"You're going to be fine."
"We both know how it's going to be, Haymitch. Things are changing, and they're changing fast."
"What are you saying?" he asked me in a shushed voice.
"I think we both know what's going to happen soon."
"So you're in?"
"You bet your boozed ass I'm in," I snorted. Hearing a door open and an unfamiliar voice calling Haymitch's name, I sighed quietly. "I'll see you at the party."
"Don't do anything stupid, sweetheart." The warning in his voice was as clear as day, but I could also hear the humor hidden in there; it was obvious that he didn't expect me to listen to him.
"Watch my reaping, Abernathy. I'm going in, but I'm going in my way."
A/N: That was the prologue for my story: Protector. I hope you enjoyed and don't forget to leave a review pretty please!
Much love xx