DISCLAIMER: I don't own The Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins does. I'm just an obsessed fan.

CHAPTER 1

I wake up to the sound of seagulls honking outside our house. We live near the ocean, just like every other family here in District 4. We fish for a living. Everyday, my father goes out to sea and comes home with a boat overflowing with all kinds of sea creatures, fish, shrimps, squids and others that I can't even name. My mother and I would trade them at the market, together with the seagull eggs we gather near our house. We get clothing, meat, bread and other necessities in exchange for them.

The other day, my father got lucky and caught a small shark. Sharks trade for luxuries in the market. So the next day, my mother and I went to the market to trade it. In exchange for the shark, we got some nice bread and meat that came all the way from the Capitol and an azure dress that falls just above my knees. I force my body to move and walk towards the kitchen, where I know my mother will be.

"Good morning, mom." I say.

"Good morning, hon. happy birthday." She says with a hug.

"Thanks, mom. Where's dad?" I ask

"Oh you know where he is."

Of course, he's already out in the ocean, fishing. Probably getting something for me, since it's my birthday and all. But ever since I turned 12, I dreaded my birthday. Not only am I eligible for the reaping, the reaping happens on my birthday. Which is an awful gift, by the way. Every year on my birthday, 24 children are sentenced to death. And every year, one of them could be me. Last year, my cousin was reaped and I watched as she mounted the steps that would lead her to her death. No one volunteered for her, not one Career. I thought Careers were trained for these Games, turns out; they are just a bunch of cowards.

She doesn't stand a chance in these Games, she's not a Career. She was too skinny to be trained as one. She was killed on the bloodbath at the very first day of the games. I cried for a month over her death, we were close. Inseparable, even. She was like the little sister that I never had. I wanted to protect her, to volunteer for her. But then I remembered my parents, they only had me as their child. If I die, who knows what will happen to them. I'm just like those Careers, a coward.

I can still remember the last conversation I had with her, I was crying so hard in her arms.

"I love you, Rose. I wanted to volunteer. But I just can't leave my parents behind. I'm so sorry, Rose. Promise me you're coming back." I was able to say while gasping for air.

"I know how much you love them, Mags. Don't worry, I won't hold any grudge against you. I love you, too. I can't promise you that I'll be back, I might die out there. And if I do, promise me that you'll be strong. Promise me that you'll move on. Okay?" She said calmly. She was trying to be strong for me. That's what I admire about her, she remains calm at situations that requires crying and hyperventilating.

"I promise, Rose. I promise" I tell her, crossing the line to hysteria. She kissed me on the cheek as two peacekeepers drag me away from her. "Take care out there!" I manage to shout at her before they close the doors and shut me out from my cousin.

I promised her that I'd move on, and I'm clearly doing the opposite as I think about her and her death. So I bury my thought's about Rose at the back of my mind and finish eating my breakfast. I walk to the shore and strip down on my undershirt and shorts, then walk towards the ocean. I need to swim, I need to get relaxed. I need to forget that today's my birthday and the reaping. I'm 17 now, which mean my name would be entered 6 times in the reaping ball. I shake my head to dismiss these thoughts and start swimming.