I sit on my bed upstairs. The quilt is lovely and soft, and pink – my favourite colour – with roses. I myself helped grandmamma to sew it, and I love it to bits. My little brother, Marcus, likes to play with my old toys in my room. I don't mind, as long as he doesn't break anything. My shelves are packed with shining trophies from school, and I polish them every month. I have my walls filled with painting I have done, after all, I got Dad's knack for art!

"Isabelle Rue Mellark, come downstairs, now!" mother calls from downstairs.

"Coming Mum!" I yell, before turning to Marcus, "don't touch any of the stuff on the walls and shelves, ok?" he nods in agreement, and goes back to him game. Mum and Dad liked the names Isabelle and Marcus, and our middle names – Rue and Cato – are names of people from Mum and Dad's games. Rue was an ally of Mum's, who was tragically killed by a ruthless career. And Cato was their fiercest and strongest competitor, whom they admired for his courage and bravery.

I trudge along the dimly lit hallway, dragging my heels across the soft carpet. "I need you to trace this pattern onto the fabric for the new cushion cover," she orders as I enter the brightly lit kitchen. This is the house in the Victor's Village that Mum first lived in. I sit at the ornate kitchen table, pick up the white chalk and begin to trace. After a while, I put down the chalk, dust off my fingers and push my long, brown hair out of my shining blue eyes. I got my hair from my mother and my eyes from my father. I pick up the chalk again and finish the design on the green fabric with yellow roses. This cushion will go in the living room, and it is tradition that I make them, mother just tells me when to do it.

"I'm finished Mum!" I call, holding up my handiwork for her to inspect.

"Good," she says, "Now, grab the scissors out of the cupboard and cut along those lines," she instructs. So I get out of my seat, smoothing my skirt, and fetch the scissors from the cupboard under the oven.

I return to my seat and begin cutting. It's a lot of pressure, as nice fabric is so hard to come by, if I mess up, we won't get the new cushion for another six months. About halfway through my job of cutting, there is a knock on the door. And not an ordinary knock either, it sounds very… important, and official. "I'll get it!" I call, get out of my seat And make my way to the front door.

I look through the peephole and see a man in a suit standing there. His jaw is very square, and solid looking, and he has dark brown hair, and the same coloured eyes as Mum's. I wonder if they are related. So, I open the door, "Hello, how can I help you?" I ask, in the most formal voice I can manage.

"Why, hey the Isabelle, the last time I saw you, you were a tiny little baby," he says, "I'm here to see your mother, we are very good friends, is she in?" he inquires, looking at me with his steely grey eyes, just like those of people who live in The Seam. "Um, I'll get her for you," I reply, and turn on my heel, flicking my brown hair over my shoulder.

"Mum, there's some guy at the door who says he is a friend of yours," I say bluntly to Mum.

"Alright, and watch your tone young lady!" she scolds playfully, and makes her way to the door. I follow, intrigued to see what the matter is. She approaches the door and gasps. "Hey Catnip," the guy replies. "God, is it really you Gale?" she gasps. The man nods, and they embrace. It's really weird, seeing her hug a man other than dad, but eeh, if they're friends, good for her. And Gale, I remember that name. He and Mum were friends as kids, and they used to be in love with each other, but that was before the Games changed her life. I am so glad they don't exist anymore, I would rather die than go through all that.

"My, hasn't she grown," he states, pointing at me.

"Yes, she has, hasn't she," Mum replies, looking at me with her 'go away' look. I huff and turn away. Does she really think she can keep me from listening to her conversation. Pfft. I sulk upstairs, before creeping back down, gliding gracefully down the banister. I sneak into the kitchen, and from there to my secret hiding nook inside the fireplace. I built it myself, and I can see and hear everything, without getting sooty or being seen. I personally think it's genius!

"Gale, why are you here?" Mum asks, with a very worried tone in her voice, "You never have time to visit us,"

"Yes, you see, an… incident let's call it, has occurred. The Capitol citizens have rebelled against us, and wiped out our entire government. They've taken over, and demanded that everyone listen to what they say. Their leader is unknown for the time being, but we all have to listen. It's going back to what it was before!" he cries.

"No, what have they made you do Gale?"

"I'm being forced to host their television shows, many of them from before, such as their biased news reports,"

"That's terrible!" Mum cries, and embraces him tightly.

"But, I'm afraid that's not the worst…" he trails off.

"Gale, whatever do you mean?" she asks, now almost in hysterics.

"They're bringing it back.."

"You don't mean…"

"Yes Catnip," he swallows before continuing, "Let the 77th annual Hunger Games begin!"

"No! We banned it years ago! It can't be!" she screams, and collapses into his arms, fully out of it. I have never seen her this hysterical before, which makes me worried, and I don't like the sound of this words. 'Let the 77th annual Hunger Games begin!' that seems bad. What if they're bringing them back!