AN: I don't own anything; the hunger games belongs to Suzanne Collins and her publishers.

I know a lot of people make up their own version of Hunger Games, but mine is different? I made sure the OCs weren't Mary-sue. I tried to go for characters with depth and weaknesses. I avoided the usually formula. This time I wanted to try to make something unique, by making all the other tributes form an alliance together against the Careers.

Plus I had to show some love to District 10-it's is hardly mentioned in the books. It was tons of fun researching about what life is probably like in the livestock district. Herding animals is totally cool. Yes it is.

I'm trying to update daily. The first five chapters may be a little slow, but chapter six really picks it up. Please read and review!

CHAPTER 1

The sun hasn't even risen yet, but I know it is nearly dawn from the increased frantic activity of the insects and birds. If it was any other day, I would be waking up right about now to get dressed, eat breakfast and graze the family cattle until sunset. But today was not just any other day, it was Reaping Day. That's why I have been riding hard for two hours, heading towards the center of District 10 where all eligible children has to gather for the reaping ceremony.

The ground is still hard from the early morning frost. My horse Cyclops trudges across it unhappily, his breath frosts in the cold air. He lost one eye in an encounter with a bear, but he is a good horse, and the best we can afford at the moment. I pat him on the neck and dismount, giving him some water from a container. The water is cold enough to numb my hand. When you are as far up north as district 10, the early mornings are brutally chilly.

My sister Darley is in the wagon behind me; she peers out and smiles at me, holding her swollen stomach. I relieved to see that she looks okay and is covered with many blankets. She is four month pregnant, but still eighteen. Her husband, Fresian, is steering the wagon. He is eighteen as well. By law, they still both have to attend the reaping. I think this is really senseless of the capitol. What is the point of making my sister make this trek? Even if we all have to be in the same place at the time of the reaping, there is no way they'll make Darley participate if she was reaped…right?

Fresian pulls on the reins, stopping Etobicoke and Mississauga, our two big stock horses pulling the wagon. We are taking a quick break. As the second eldest boy, I've been riding in front to find a path, but now the sun is going to come up, so we'll be okay. My two younger brothers, Shire and Morgan are giggling inside the wagon. From the annoyed voice of my younger sister Mino (her full name is Palomino, but she insists we call her Mino), they are probably playing pranks on her. I don't know how they manage to be so carefree on reaping day. I was certainly very grim. Then again, they are so young their names are entered only once or twice, so what are the chances they'll be reaped?

It is just logic, I tell myself. There is no way I'll be reaped either. Our family is very well off, despite being big. Our land and livestock are extensive. We even hire other workers to help us. I've never needed tesserae in my life. I know Fresian might have several times though, before he came to work for us.

I decide being reaped is like taking care of cattle. When I graze the cattle I'm in charge of (technically they are father's and mother's cattle), I know there are 500 of them. Once in a while, I lose one when a coyote attacks. I have some extremely good specimens of cattle of which I take special care, so I can use them as breeding stock, or sell them at market. Those are my favourites. Out of 500 cattle, the chances of a coyote attacking one of the ten or twenty favourites are extremely low.

But that's just it. What if we are picked? The children of District 10 are like cattle, presented to the salivating Capitol in neat little lines on Reaping Day. If picked, our slaughter for their enjoyment is assured. Shire and Morgan, they are so spirited, but they are only twelve. What can they do against the towering wolves of the arena? And Mino, who is only fourteen, may be cunning and strong from shepherding sheep, but she's so small.

I shake the thoughts from my head as I see Fresian motions me over with a smile.

Before he married my sister, he used to help graze horses. But now he is in charge of livestock accounts and shipments to the Capitol. He is two years older than me, but treats me like a friend and an equal. We used to play wrestle in the grass, and he taught me how to make bird calls and whistles.

"Doing okay, Roan?" Fresian ruffles my dark, brown-red hair and places a wide brimmed cowboy hat on my head. It's a good idea; I don't want to get sunburned later. In District 10, the weather loves to swing between two extremes.

"Drink some water," Darley says. Leaning over with some effort, she places a canteen in my hands and watches me so I actually drink it. All grazers know it's important to not dehydrate, but for some reason I've never needed much water. Maybe it's because I'm not that big.

"Are you doing okay?" I asked Darley. She nods happily and slings her arm around her husband, who kisses her. I think those two still going through post marital bliss, even though they got married a year ago. They are just that much in love, I guess. I hope one day I'll find someone to love just as much.

"Morgan! Stop pulling my dress!" Mino shrieks from inside the wagon. I hear a slap.

"Owww!" Morgan moans, "It was Shire! It wasn't me!"

"I've been telling you not to pull it," Mino says, "Now look what you've done! You've stretched it permanently!"

Everyone except for Fresian and I are in their Reaping outfits. Oddly enough, they are the fanciest and best looking clothes in our wardrobe. We are like lambs dressed for the roast.

"Stop fighting," Darley lightly scolds our siblings. She is dressed in a lovely pearl dress that floats like a cloud. It reminds me eerily of her wedding dress. Maybe the material was recycled.

"I'm hungry," Shire grumbles. And that causes us to stop and set up camp just as the sun comes up. I collect firewood while the twins collect rocks for Fresian to start a fire. I'm terrible at starting fires. Once I caused a forest fire on one of father's mountains. Luckily a heavy rain fell not five minutes after, so there was minimal damage to plants or livestock. After that though, no one has trusted me with flint. My mother said she couldn't believe how someone as clever and level-headed as me could have been so destructive accidentally.

We set up a proper cooking pan on the fire, and Fresian makes District 10 bread. It is unique because unlike the bread from other districts, it is made from batter, not dough. It cooks in only three minutes to accommodate the D10's roaming lifestyle. In the end, the bread ends up golden brown, flat, and circular. It tastes semi sweet, but the flavour can be improved by adding some concentrated tree sap from the plentiful maple trees available in District 10.

We cook some corn and beans as well, and Mino thoughtfully peels some apples for us. I estimate the time to be nearly 7:00 when we set off again. The Reaping is in four hours.

When we reach some shallow water that was once known as the 'Great Lakes', I slow down. The Market District, where the reaping occurs in 10, is only an hour's ride away if I follow the train tracks. We have plenty of time.

Fresian stops and let the horses drink from the lake. I play some stick game with Shire, and then all of us try to make some bird noises. Fresian is the best at it, while Morgan's loon sounds good, but his sparrow sounds like a screeching dying madwoman. Mino can whistle a good chickadee, and we all laugh in glee with a distant bird responds to her call. For a short moment, all the tension of the Hunger Games is forgotten.

When we get to the market district, it is already crowded; despite the fact we are two hours early. Anyone person of eligible age who is not in the town square at 11:00 is publicly executed, so I guess that's the reason. The reaping happens at different times in each district, so the Capitol citizens can watch it live. Usually they make all the District's adults attend the reaping too, but it is different in District 10, where the livestock don't graze themselves. Goodness forbids the Capitol's precious meat all starve to death right? Instead the adults will have to watch a replay tonight. If their TV doesn't tune in on time, they will get into big trouble.

After Fresian and I change into our reaping clothes, we leave our horses and wagons in a holding room, which is already crammed with travelling gears from other families trekking into market district. The room is guarded from thieves by Peacekeepers in white uniform, holding guns. There is a rule in District 10 that only allows 1 gun for each family. Guns are extremely expensive and heavily regulated too. This is spectacularly annoying. If we had more guns, we would be able to defend our livestock way better. The Capitol rule makers in their cushy seats have no idea how dangerous it is in some areas of 10. We get all sorts of starving, nasty wild animals. Sometimes there are stray mutts too. Then again I can understand why the rule exists without anyone telling me. The Capitol doesn't want District 10 to be too well equipped, do they? We might just try to rebel or something.

We eat some leftover fruit and then file towards the crowded, humid Town Square. It is noisy as a huge screen is set up to broadcast the reaping to us live. There are ropes to separate us by age. Fresian and Darley kiss one last time and separates, Darley with her hands protection her swollen stomach. As eighteen year olds, they'll be standing in the front.

"Listen, you two," I hiss to Shire and Morgan over the nervous chatter. It is their first trip here, so they are bewildered and excited. I worry that they might think it is all an adventure and cause some trouble, "Don't ever let go of each other's hands, okay? Don't get lost in the crowds. Stay quiet and it will be okay. If you can't find us after the reaping, go to the holding room and sit in our wagon."

Shire and Morgan nods up at me and clasps each other's hands tightly. They've seen the pointless slaughter from the Hunger Games on television before, so they are getting scared as it all starts to sink in. I watch them as they get into place.

I look at my sister Mino, whose milky brown hair is in pigtails. She slaps my back; her face which is empty of emotion is a mask of my own. Placing her hands on her hips, Mino leaves to joins some of her friends in the fourteen years old section. She'll be okay.

I take a deep breath and head to my place. There are peacekeepers everywhere and the square is packed. Despite the sun bearing down on us, we are made to remove our hats, so the cameras can get good shots of our faces. I think about Darley and hope she'll be okay in the heat. I stand straight up; the breeze ruffles my dark hair. I catch a glimpse of myself on screen as they test out the cameras. There are rows and rows of District 10 children standing anxiously in the heat.

Cattle lining for slaughter, I think.

Then it starts.

Thanks for reading! Please leave a comment about what you think. I'd really appreciate it!

Do you guys have any other ideas about life in District 10? I would love to hear your suggestions.

The action with pick up soon, I promise.