Hello! This is my first Hunger Games fanfic, so please be nice. :)

Summary: The story of Lily Palomar's experiences in the sixteenth Hunger Games. A boy named Ayden from District Seven makes her time in the arena memorable - for both the right and wrong reasons.

Disclaimer: The Hunger Games belong to Suzanne Collins, who is such an amazing writer!


It started with a smile; a handshake; a glance into his dark brown eyes, as deep as an abyss. The rules state that no one can roam past their district fence, breaking this law meant certain execution, but that day was an exception for a number of workers in District Seven. They arrived in the train station on the last day of July, and didn't leave until the beginning of September. They came with supplies to build new houses, wood from their own district. They were instructed to manufacture fifty houses in District Four.

That is how I saw him for the first time, chopping wood with an axe, the sun pouring down on his shirtless back, his brown hair becoming bleached by the rays. I watched him work nearly everyday until one day he looked up and saw me. The workers from Seven weren't supposed to interact with the residents of District Four, but he set down his tool and walked over to me, the sun lighting up his eyes.

That was the beginnings of our friendship. But all things have to end. He left with his co-workers one morning, and I never saw him again. He never even said goodbye.


~Chapter One~

District Four: fishing, seafood and knot making. That is the industry of the district I live in. Surrounded by sandy beaches and deep oceans, we provide the Capitol with all the shellfish, seaweed and fish you can eat. I count myself lucky that I was born into one of the wealthier districts. I don't know what I'd become if I had grown up in Eleven or Twelve where the biggest cause of death is starvation.

North America had been divided into thirteen districts and the Capitol. The districts have to manufacture and provide for the Capitol, and they don't give us any freedom at all. We are not allowed to travel, not allowed to leave the electrified fence that spans out around the borders of the districts. Peacekeepers punish anyone who breaks the rules, and when I say punish, I mean whippings, isolation and if the crime is considered bad enough, death.

I live with my parents and older brother, Zale. He was the victor of the eleventh Hunger Games. His name is no longer entered into the lottery, and like all the other victors, he mentors tributes from Four. He still wakes up sweating from nightmares.

Sixteen years ago, the districts of Panem rebelled against the Capitol, fed up with the way they controlled us, how we were providing them with goods and they weren't giving anything back. It was known as the Dark Days, and afterwards District Thirteen was eliminated. The Capitol won, and as punishment they host an annual game called the Hunger Games. Each year two tributes between the ages of twelve and eighteen from each district, one boy and one girl, are chosen by a lottery to take part. Doesn't sound so bad? Well, these tributes are thrown into an arena and forced to fight to the death until there is only one left. The games are televised and it's mandatory to watch.

Zale was fifteen when he won, just a kid. Now he's scarred for life. He told me he can't look at anyone the same way again, can't trust anyone. He's become withdrawn since he escaped the arena, and all I want is my playful, loveable, idiotic big brother back.

It was the morning of the reaping, this afternoon Panem will know who the tributes of the sixteenth Hunger Games will be. Because I'm seventeen, my name is in the lottery. I hate the waiting, the suspense, not knowing. I have one more year after today left of this, and then I can relax. I won't be entered into the lottery as I'll be older than eighteen.

I was sat on the steps of my house making a net for my father. His had recently ripped on his last fishing trip so I offered to weave a new one for him. It was a sunny day, the heat was pouring on my back, but the weather was like this nearly every day in Four.

Through my handiwork I could see two cats stalking towards me. The male was a ginger tabby who I named Red, the female I think is a Calico who my brother named Cal. They both come here every morning begging for food, a sliver of fish that we could afford to spare. I smiled when I saw them, and I got up and walked into the house. I turned around to find they had followed me like they always do. I stroked Cal under her chin and took a couple of Mackerel from the basket that my father had brought in last night. The two felines gulped them down as I laughed.

"You two will get stomach ache if you're not careful." I said, scratching each one behind the ear whilst they purred. They had been coming here now for three years, ever since Cal woke me up on a cold rainy night, mewing, trying to encourage a starving Red to stand. Both of them were soaking wet through and so thin I could see their ribs and hip bones. I brought them out a large fish each and they gobbled it down. From then on every morning without fail they would be here. However, after today I couldn't promise them that I would be.

"Lily, I've laid you out an outfit for later." My mother called, waddling into the kitchen with a pile of washing in her arms. The two cats scuttled off out the back door. I straightened up, not wanting to think about later. "I hope it's alright."

"I'm sure it will be fine, Mum." I said. She was always worrying about something, whether it is if people have got enough food, my father out at sea, or, on a day like today, the reaping. When Zale was reaped, it tore her apart. She cried for the first few days, but when he went into the arena she went silent. Her body was just a shell. It wasn't nice watching the games, with kids slaughtering each other, but for the families of the tributes, it can destroy you. You want to reach out to them through the screen and help them, but you're completely useless.

At the back of the house is where mine and Zale's bedrooms are. My parent's room is in the attic. I walked into my room and laid on my bed was a simple mint green dress. My hands flew up to my mouth when I realised it's the dress my mother wore to her reaping when she was my age. Luckily she was never chosen, nor my father.

I went out the back door and made my way to the beach. I knew Zale would be there, most likely sat on the sand flashbacking to the arena. He goes there at least once a week, and you can guarantee he'll be there on reaping day, remembering the time that he was picked out of the lottery.

On the way there I saw Molly and Coral, my classmates and two best friends. They were both the same age as me, so they have the same chance of being reaped as me. There were so many people in my position right now all across Panem that it doesn't seem likely that my name would be drawn out of the glass bowl. I mean, all those hundreds of pieces of paper with candidates names typed on them, the chance that your name would be picked is very slim. But we all worry - someone has got to be chosen. As long as your name is written on even one of those slips, there's still a chance.

May the odds be ever in your favour.

Molly, the smaller of the two, waved at me, calling me over. They were stood by the Mayor's house. Molly seemed so fragile and tiny, if she ever got picked for the games I doubt she'd make it back out. Coral looked like a nervous wreck; she was fiddling with the hem of her skirt, her hands shaking.

"I hate this time of year." Coral said as I reached them. One more reaping after this one, then we'll be free. As free as we'll ever be with the Capitol in command. Since I was twelve and was entered into my first reaping I've been counting down the years.

"Don't we all?" I replied.

"After the reaping do you want to go down by the pier?" Molly asked us. It's a little optimistic arranging plans for after the reaping, but there are about two hundred girls' names in District Four's glass bowl, what's the chance of any of us three being picked?

We all agreed, and I went on my way to meet my brother. It was getting closer and closer to one o' clock when the whole of the district have to congregate at the Justice Building.

Just as I predicted, Zale was sat down on the beach watching the waves roll across the sand. I didn't say anything, but sat down next to him, watching the white froth of the sea and the late morning sun reflecting off his blonde hair. Everyone says we look like twins: same hair and eye colour, same skin tone, but there was three years difference between us.

"Hey Sis." He greeted. "I wish I didn't have to go back there." By 'there' I presumed he meant the Capitol to mentor the two new tributes. It must be horrible, watching the two kids you've taught die by the hands of another. Kids that you've gotten to know before they are forced into the arena.

"They wouldn't have a chance without you." I say, which is true. Zale's experiences in the arena five years ago could be the life or death of a tribute. His knowledge of how to survive the games is precious. Victors can only mentor until another tribute from their district wins one of the games, and then they'll take over. However, no one from Four has won the games since Zale, so he has no choice but to stick at it. "Come on, we've got to get ready."

I got up, and he followed suit walking back to the house. We used to live in another house, kind of like a large shack, but since Zale won the games they moved us to the victor's village where we were never short of food, money or comfort. Only two other houses out of the twelve were occupied by previous victors and their families. I only knew one of them. His name was Dylan. He won the games two years before Zale and had been my brother's mentor. The two had been classmates together.

I put on my mother's dress and decided to wear my white sandals. The dress feels amazing on my body; it's light and allows my skin to breathe in the hot and humid weather. When the foghorn sounded, I walked over to the square with my parents and Zale and I recognised a few faces, people who I go to school with. We all have a day off for the reaping.

"Whatever happens, Lily, know that we are always behind you." My father said. His words brought tears to my eyes. Because I'm seventeen my name is entered twenty four times. I was grateful that I didn't have to apply for tesserae. I hugged my family and got in line with the other candidates, watching my family stand at the edges of the square where everyone who isn't entered waits and watches. When I am at the front of the queue a female Peacekeeper pricks my finger and lets a spot of blood drip onto a screen. It comes up with my name, age, and how many times I've been entered. Afterwards I take my place with the other seventeen year olds. I find Molly and Coral in the crowd and stand with them. We grip onto each others hands, refusing to let go.

A woman walks onto the stage in front of the Justice Building, the whole square goes quiet. Daphnie Pearl is wearing the fashion of the Capitol, which I think looks ridiculous. Her hair is dyed dark blue in colour. Because she is so proud to be the escort of District Four she decided to colour her hair the shades of the sea. She wears a shirt and skirt the same colour with killer heels, and her eyelashes are obviously fake, being about as long is my little finger with a diamond on the end of each lash. Her skin is deathly pale and she thinks she looks fabulous. Little does she know that everyone in this vicinity is silently laughing at her right now.

"Welcome, District Four, to the sixteenth Hunger Games! I have a film that I want you all to watch and then we'll get to the exciting part!" She squeals. I hate it when she refers to the reaping as the 'exciting part'. The part where a boy and girl find out they are most likely not going to live past next week. It's sickening. The Capitol think that the Hunger Games are entertaining, a must watch reality TV show. Maybe we should put their kids into the reaping and see how they like it.

'War, terrible war…' The exact same film plays every year. It's about how the Hunger Games started, and it shows the districts who's in power, and how much control the Capitol have over us. Them words aren't said exactly, but you get the jist.

"Now let's start the reaping. Ladies first!" she grins when the film finishes. I can see the Mayor looking at Daphnie in disgust. She walks over to the glass bowl with the girls names in and dips her hand in, shuffling the papers around until she picks one right at the bottom. My heart hammers in my chest as she unfolds the piece of paper that holds the fate of one girl in this square. She takes a deep breath and shouts the girl's name into the microphone.

"Lily Palomar!"


Thank you for reading! I haven't written in first person for a while ^.^ District Four has always been my favourite district, I just love the beach and the ocean and I was born in a seaside town so it just feels like home to me. :) This chapter was a bit predicatable - I apologise. I hope it will get more interesting later on. More chapters to come!

To see full tribute list please visit my profile. :)

Please review, I really appreciate it and it encourages me to write!