Hi guys, my names Maddie! Thank you so much for choosing to read my story! This is my first FanFiction and is a long multi-chapter story, so I would really appreciate it if you leave review as it will really help me to improve my work and will encourage me to bring out chapters more frequently :)
The story is an AU set at the same time as The Hunger Games, however there are no games - instead, I have a plot based around an unexpected and slightly different war and the story will explore how it will affect both Peeta and Katniss in the future, instead of the Hunger Games. I have a clear plot of where I want this story to go and I'm very excited to share with you guys all my ideas. This first chapter is just getting the story started before all the action begins, and I promise that there will be plenty of Everlark coming up! Ahhhh, I can't wait!
So, without further ado, enjoy the chapter!
Disclaimer: All work, characters and plots from The Hunger Games belong to Suzanne Collins - Thank you for your amazing creation Suzanne!
A warm, soft orange glow seeps in through the windows. I stretch out lazily, exhaling a loud yawn before relaxing under the gentle heat of the sun. It must have only been around 5AM, as the sun was still peeking over the horizon line in the distance, just beyond the woods and the chirps and songs of the mockingjays were just beginning to sound.
For a couple of minutes, I simply allow myself to enjoy this moment of the day. It is the only moment that is completely silent aside from the sounds of nature; the coal miners aren't even yet awake to begin their day of work deep in the depths of the Earth. This was certainly my favourite time of day. It reminded me of my father, the quiet and peaceful sounds perfectly mimicking how he used to talk softly to me in the mornings, urging me out of bed to follow him into the woods, but only until just outside the fence. He would hold onto my hand, pulling me behind him just a little further each day, slowly building my confidence to the point where when I turned around, I could no longer see the chain-link fence through the clusters of trees. The first time we reached the small lake deep in the woods, the way my face lit up in pure excitement had brought a rare but beautiful smile to my father's own face, accentuating the tired, deep lines either side of his grey eyes. The dull pang in my chest shakes me back into reality and I find myself having to remind my stupid heart that he's no longer here; his smile is now only a distant memory.
Swiftly, I crawl out of bed, quickly braiding my hair, my nimble fingers now having memorised which way to pull and weave the strands. I tug on my hunting boots and shrug on my father's jacket, taking a moment to breathe in just the hint of his lingering scent. Ignoring that wretched cat's hisses, I grab my game bag, throw open the door and jog out into the summer air.
It takes me all of 5 minutes to reach the fence and I slow to listen for the quiet hum of electricity. When I don't find it, I slip under the fence, wiggling my thin frame underneath the metal, being careful not to catch my braid on the wire. Once inside, I jog further out into the woods until the trees engulf me, blocking out the majority of the sun and only allowing thin shafts of light between the leaves. I retrieve my bow and arrows from the hollow log, resting the quiver against my back and clutching the bow in my hand. I continue my steady jog through the woods, shooting down any game that comes into view. After an hour, I already have two squirrels and a fat rabbit - a good kill for a short amount of time. Deciding that it was enough meat to afford the necessities required back home, I make my way to the cliff and perch myself on the shelf of rock overlooking the valley. I plop strawberries I collected on my way here into my mouth, closing my eyes at the sweet, yet slightly tart taste. Lying back against the rock, I once again relax, allowing the sun's heat to pour over me and warm me from to the core.
My eyes snap open at the sound of crunching leaves and I spin around to find Gale trudging towards me, a grim expression on his face. I frown as he silently sits down next to me, resting his elbows on his knees and his chin on his fists.
"What's wrong?"
He takes a long time before he answers until, finally, he says, "I go into the mines tomorrow"
My shoulders slump in defeat. I knew this day would come. Gale turned eighteen the previous week and my mother, Prim and I celebrated with Gale's family. I had been hunting that morning and I was able to get a large kill, enough for a decent meal for both our families. Even though it was a rare luxury to have a large meal like the one we had, the mood was sombre because even though no one said it, we all knew we wouldn't see much of Gale anymore. He would be buried under tonnes of rock, hurling a pickaxe at lumps of coal, suffocating on the thick air. The mines terrified me. The explosion that killed both Gale's father and mine left me with never-ending nightmares and a permanent phobia of that place. The thought of Gale going down there cause the strawberries to almost make reappearance.
I sigh and bury my face in my hands, digging the palms into my eyes. Worse than the mines themselves, I know the consequences his job is going to have. Gale is no longer going to have enough time for hunting, as most of his week will be spent deep in the Earth. He's worried about feeding his family and even though he hasn't said so, I know it.
"Gale" I start, "let me help you. I can hunt more, I can feed both our families-"
"No" he interrupts. "I can't do that to you Catnip, you have your own family to feed and you're not responsible for mine"
"For God's sake Gale, stop being stubborn! We've been over this a thousand times already! I don't care if I'm not responsible for your family; to me they're my family as well as yours! And I'm not going to sit back and watch Posy wither to skin and bones!" I blurt it out quicker than I can think about the words I wanted to say. And by the now angry expression on Gale's face, I know I've stepped the line. But he's too prideful, too stubborn and the dilemma Gale is faced with in this moment is that I'm stubborn as well and I'm not going to back down. So instead of showing the guilt I now feel, I set my face in a scowl and refuse to look away from Gale's eyes.
He's the one to break the stare after a tense few seconds and when he does, all he says is "Let's go".
We trudge back through the trees in an apprehensive silence. We work automatically, checking the snare line, collecting the game and resetting the traps. Once both our bags are filled to the brim with fresh game, we head for the fence. After slipping under the fence, we find ourselves back in the meadow and we make our way through the hob, dropping off some of the rabbits to Greasy Sae in exchange for two of her grey soups. I collapse onto one of the stools at her counter and spoon the liquid into my mouth. Gale sits beside me, but the silence between us is so tense, even Sae notices it.
"What's happening with you two?" she says, pointing the handle of her wooden spoon between us.
Gale grunts in response and I roll my eyes "Gale's just being Gale, too stubborn for his own good" The words spill off my tongue, drenched in sarcasm and out of the corner of my eye, I see Gale's jaw set.
Sae barks a laugh "Isn't that typical for you too, girlie?" I scowl in response and turn my attention back to the swimming chunks of meat in the soup. I tip the rest of my soup down my throat, trying hard not to shiver as the slimy chunks of meat slide down into my stomach. At least it stops the hunger.
I'm finished before Gale and without a word, I divide the spoils in my bag and hand Gale the majority of the game, leaving me just two squirrels and a couple of handfuls of berries. Before he can even object, I spin on my heel and stomp out of the Hob.
Muttering under my breath, I trudge into town; ignoring the annoyed looks the townspeople give any Seam person that crosses into the area. I walk round past the front entrance of the bakery, making my way to the back door, just beside the pigpen. I skip up the wooden steps and rap on the worn door, hoping that Mrs Mellark, the witch, doesn't answer. I hold my breath as the door opens and to my great relief, Peeta Mellark, the baker's son, stands opposite me.
He smiles warmly at me "Hi, Katniss. Can I help you?"
I'm taken aback when Peeta says my name. In school, I simply get ignored, barely even given a glance, so for someone to know of me besides Gale, shocks me. It's easy to know Peeta's name. He's always surrounded by a mob of friends that all admire him, laughing and joking along with them as if he's completely forgotten of the hell we live in in District 12. And its not just the boys that adore Peeta, but I have heard several times Peeta's name whispered between giggling girls as they give him flirty smiles as he walks by in the hallways. Even I have to admit he's not bad looking, but I have more important things to worry about than Peeta Mellark.
I set my face in a scowl and open my game bag to show the two squirrels inside.
"I have something to trade"
He gives me another toothy smile and the dimples in his cheeks become pronounced.
"Of course. Let me see what we have" Peeta says.
He then disappears into the shop and I wait outside awkwardly, shuffling my feet back and forth. The smells coming from the bakery are amazing. Scents of fresh bread and sweet pastries mix together in the most intoxicating way that it causes my eyelids to droop heavily. The smell, in ways, is like the sleep syrup mother would give to me as a child when I had a fever – comforting and delicious. It almost pulls me inside, luring me in like one of Gale's snares. I can't help but feel a pang of jealousy for Peeta. He is able to eat all of this bread and sweet treats, never having to go hungry like the rest of the Seam, like Prim. So when Peeta returns, I feel my scowl deepen until my eyes rest on the brown, paper bag, spilling with spoils. From what I can see, there is a number of pastries, breads and treats, including the sugar cookies Prim would excitedly point out to me in the bakery window on our long walk home from school. I can just imagine the way her face will light up when she sees the treats. A tiny smile begins to grace my lips but I tug it down as I realise I can't accept it.
"I can't take it, that's too much" I say, pushing the bag away as Peeta tries to hand it to me.
"Of course it's not. It's trade." He replies nonchalantly, again moving to place the bag in my hands.
"I only gave you two squirrels. Your father gives me a couple loaves of bread" I say, with a bite to my voice, "I don't want your pity" I almost spit the words at him, hopefully with enough force to make him question his initial motives. So I'm satisfied when he looks taken aback, but he quickly regains his composure. Instead, he gives me another half-smirk.
"And they were two very good squirrels" and with that, Peeta leaves the bag at my feet and shuts the door, leaving me standing on the spot in shock.
I stare at the bag at my feet as if it were venomous. I look back to the door, half-expecting Peeta to return and take back the treats that were a part of a completely unfair trade, one of which I'm sure he knew. Instead, he makes no appearance, and half-in-excitement and half-in-anger, I snatch the paper bag from the floor and jog home.
"Why is everybody so damn stubborn?" I mutter under my breath.
I round the corner of the dirt road and trudge up to our small home in the Seam. I swing open the door, untie my boots and shrug off my jacket. I make an effort of making the table looks presentable, by wiping it with a cloth and removing any knick-knacks and medicinal supplies my mother uses. I then lay out the bakery items, being careful to arrange them neatly and cautiously, as if they were made of glass. Just as I finish laying out the plates, Prim trudges down the stairs, letting out a loud yawn and rubbing her eyes tiredly. But once she sees the delicacies laid out in front of her, she stops dead in her tracks. Her jaw falls slack and her eyes grow as wide as saucers as she takes in the delicious smells and sights, wafting towards her.
She gives me the largest grin I have ever seen and bounds up to me, crashing into my body and crushing my thin frame with her surprisingly strong arms. I can't help the smile I give as I wrap my arms around Prim, all thoughts of stubbornness and owing people gone from my mind.
"How did you get all this?" Prim shrieks excitedly once she pulls out of my grasp.
I don't mention Peeta's pity, so instead I simply say "I got a good haul today".
Prim knows I'm not exactly telling the truth, but it doesn't matter. There's food on the table and that's all I care about, ensuring that Prim is fed.
We spend the rest of the morning in content silence, devouring our goods, but I'm careful to ensure there is enough left to last the rest of the week. Prim hides her disappointment when I tell her to stop eating them or she'll make herself sick, but she smiles none-the-less and thanks me again.
After breakfast, Prim heads out to find Rory and I'm left alone in the house, apart from my mother, who had a few mouthfuls of pastries, then went back to her room. I tried to hide my anger, but I'm almost certain the stupid cat heard my mutters. I'm not interested in talking to Gale; he annoyed me enough this morning and I was not prepared for another argument. So, I decided to occupy myself by cleaning the house. I organised the kitchen, the living room and ensured that everything was in place. I went over our food stores, mapping and planning out the meals I would provide for the rest of the week. Once the house was clean and everything organised, it was only noon. So, I decided to spend the afternoon in the meadow, enjoying the sun and the rare amount of free time I had.
I walked out into the meadow, away from the black dusted streets and houses and into the fields. Once I was far enough from the Seam, I lay down in the grass, closed my eyes and exhaled. I allowed my clogged up thoughts to finally catch up with me, and they rolled through my mind over and over again.
As much as Gale protested, I knew that I would still provide for his family. I refused to watch Gale's siblings and his mother, Hazel, struggle through another winter without the support of his hunting. So, I made a promise to myself to hunt more frequently, and if that meant losing some time at school, so be it.
Then there was Peeta, a fresh issue in my mind. For some reason, even though I knew I shouldn't, I couldn't shake the feeling of anger at Peeta. I kept repeating to myself that he was only acting out of pity, but for some reason, I felt that maybe it was something more. I mean, his father was overly generous, but never that generous.
In the end, the thoughts running through my mind began to give me a headache, so, frustratingly; I let out a sigh and emptied my mind. I listened intently to the sounds of nature all around me. The wind rustled the leaves on the trees and the mockingjays sang beautiful melodies. I lay there for what felt like hours, until suddenly, the mockingjays began to screech and the peaceful air was replaced with the sounds of roaring engines. I peeked open my eyes in curiosity, and came face to face with five hovercrafts, speeding towards the center of District 12, directly over my head. Panic sat in, and I shot upright, but then I realised, these hovercrafts weren't from the Capitol.
The Seal of Panem wasn't branded on the side but instead; a flag with blue, red and white stripes was in place. Confusion replaced my panic, and I watched intently as they continued to fly towards the town center. I was just about to turn away as I expected them to fly right over the District, but then I heard the first scream, followed by another, and soon there were at least 50 people screaming in terror simultaneously. My heart leapt into my throat, but it wasn't until I saw the first fire-bomb drop from the sky and explode right by the town square, that my body finally caught up to my mind.
And I ran.
Oh Katniss, she really has no idea about Peeta, does she ;) Don't worry, she'll figure it out soon enough! And I am promising a pretty action packed scene next chapter too, so make sure you keep checking back to see when I've updated the story! Also, I know this was a pretty short chapter, so for the next ones, I am going to be aiming between 4000 and 5000 words :)
Thank you guys so much for reading the first chapter of Lifeline! Please leave a review, follow and favourite this story as it will help me to write better chapters for you guys, but it will also encourage me to write chapters more frequently for all you guys too - I am aiming to bring out a new chapter of Lifeline once every week at least, so make sure you follow the story to be notified when I release a new chapter!
Thank you all so much! Maddie xx