AN- Thanks so much for reading my first fanfic and I really hope you like it, but I would love to hear how I can make it better, so all constructive comments are welcome. I will try to update as often as I can for you guys! Thank you so much again for reading and I hope you enjoy - Amelia
Note- All characters or things you recognise belong to the amazing Suzanne Collins
As I walk along the near deserted streets of District 12, it is almost unrecognisable. The houses that were destroyed by firebombs have not been rebuilt, not even fixed. The charred remains of the whipping post where I was punished all those months ago remain. The faint smell of dying embers and metallic blood is still noticeable, but we have gotten used to it. Only a few of the shops of the high street till stand, as well as a few of the houses owned by the town folk. Not many of them came back though. The rest were too scared to return, or too dead.
The rebellion against the Capitol failed, and now we live not as citizens, but as little tiny ants, trapped under a glass. If we step even an inch out of line, we are dead. You can be punished in 12 for the slightest offence: being caught out of the house after curfew, paying rent a day late. And for poaching off the Capitols land, for which I was only whipped.. execution. They have become commonplace here in the districts. Dolled out as though they are nothing more than a small fine.
People greet me as I approach Victor's Village. I have unwittingly become a sort of celebrity to them, although I feel nothing of the sort. They see me as a hero, a savoir. I see myself as a man that had a chance to save people, and took it. The attention I have been receiving because of my actions annoys me slightly, but since it provides small gifts of food that help feed the poor people of the Seam, where I grew up, I choose not to discourage it.
I climb the steps of a large, brick house. One of the ones originally reserved for victors, but now are used to house important or wealthy people in the district - if you could even say they exist. I open the wooden door and, as usual, am struck by how out of place our basic furniture looks in this impressive and vast house.
"Hey Ma, Im back!" I shout up the stairs, she shouts back a reply and seconds later I hear her heavy footfalls coming down the stairs. She enters the living room and I envelope her in a warm hug. I can tell that she worries about me going out in the District, but I assure her that I will be perfectly fine. An unsure promise, but one that she needs to hear.
"How is it out there?" She asks me worriedly. She used to be so happy in the seam, walking around to collect the laundry from her clients. But now she is scared to even leave the house without either me or Rory with her for protection. "The same as always I guess" I say, wanting to keep any conversation of the troubles as short as possible. "A few more people have moved back, some of the townies have started rebuilding their houses, there was barely any people in the Seam, as usual."
We used to call the Seam home, before the rebellion. Ma, Pa, Me, Rory, Vick and little Posy used to share a small wooden house, just big enough for us to all live in without too many problems. But after we returned from District 13, we were compensated for our time there by the leaders of the district. We ended up buying one of the homes in Victor's Village, so now our small list of neighbours comprises of only Katniss and Peeta Mellark, who got married shortly after arriving home from 13, Haymitch Abernathy, the first and only individual winner of the Hunger Games for District 12, and Madge Undersee, the daughter of the late mayor, and my best friend.
Ma gives no comment to my description of the situation in the district, simply a sad and regretful smile, before turning and walking into the kitchen. Something about her is off. I stand for a moment, trying to work what could be troubling her but then think, if something is wrong, she will tell me when she is ready. I make my way up the stairs, at my habitual fast pace, and walk into my room. I think about calling Madge, to see how she is, but decide against it, it has been too long a day and I am tired.
As I am about to collapse into bed, I hear a knock at my door, a small voice says, "Gale? Ma says that there is gonna be an announcement tomorrow, from the Capitol, she says you should go and watch it with Madge, because she might want some company." Posy finishes relaying what Ma told her to and the whispers, "Goodnight Gale, love you." I say it back and hear her soft, sleepy footsteps as she walks to her room. I am so caught up in thinking about how I will get to spend time alone with Madge tomorrow, whom I have had unrequited feelings for since we came back from 13, that I dont even think about what this announcement could mean.
I do later though. I try to sleep but I am kept up by worries of what this could be about. The last time the Capitol made an announcement like this, that people knew about beforehand, they interviewed Peeta Mellark, shortly before they dropped firebombs on 12, destroying our homes and killing our people. I try to tell myself that this won't happen again. That it is probably just something to do with the next Hunger Games, which is coming up soon, but I am not convinced. Eventually, I drift off into a deep sleep, thoughts of this announcement lingering in the back of my mind...