Whispering Fire

I couldn't resist, like Twilight it's time for The Hunger Games, with a twist. So you know this will be different for example Gale and Katniss are cousins in this story, Prim's name was never called, Peeta never got reaped. But the hunger games remain but with a slight twist.

Siobhan Underwood was reaped while Gale Hawthorne has volunteered to save his younger brother Rory. The two now each other since kids; can they figure out to stay alive or will the Hunger Games shattered their minds?

Chapter one: Tea Leaves

Tea leaves

I sneezed hard and loud, practically banging my head on the cabinet door. It was hard not to sneeze when grinding herbs to make tea for costumers. Especially when it comes to mints. Quickly I stepped back covering my nose to sneeze once more. A Burning sensation tickling upward as it grows stronger that I had no choice but run out side and gulp down some fresh if not smoky air.

Sometimes it's great to live between the Seams and the town, between what's clean and true. It wasn't long for the burning stopped that I could breathe. Giving a sigh, stretching my muscles till a pop was heard, follow by a chuckled. I turned around to see two of my friends from school: Katniss Everdeen and Gale Hawthorne. We usually talk before school or do our weekend scavenging in the forest. Sure the forest was forbidden, being the Capitol's property. Yet it doesn't stop the poacher or any relation of the forest to be against the law. For them it was game, for me on the other hand it was herbs and plants. Unlike them I'm trying to learn how to be a healer. Learning from Mrs. Everdeen and my Uncle Mark on remedies.

"What are you rift-rats laughing about?" I yelled.

"Easy Siobhan," Gale chuckled raising his arms up in defense. "Just came to make a bargain deal, didn't see ya in the woods."

I sighed scratching my head before examining their today profit before they go to the Hob. I was supposed to go hunting with them in search for plants, but Mark wanted me to make today's teas. Today is the Reaping, the day to collect a tribute in a lottery fashion. It was custom in the Underwood family to make sleep drought to help ease for a dreamless sleep. A condolence, which is appreciated in district twelve for the families who children got reaped. Analyzing the herbs, noting some Goldenseal, lousewort, bloodroots, and Betsy toadshade: Medical herbs, not tea herbs, but they'll do fine for Uncle Mark. I gestured them to follow me as I got the scale out follow by a small metal black box, full with some cash. This was black market money, use for the Hob and scavengers for the seams. Even though my uncle's business 'Tranquility tea' is a popular store, we do what we can to help the miners and their families.

"Money or remedies?" I asked.

"Both." Katniss said, placing her bag on the table and picked up the bowl that was filled with crush mints. She took a whiff and sigh. "Wish my mom can make the house smell like this."

"If you like, I can give you a job and you can mash some paprika and chili peppers."

Katniss paused setting the bowl done, pale from last year's summer. It was hilarious, my uncle offered Katniss a job to help me on collecting herbs and grinding them. We got a shipment of chili peppers and let me say, don't let Katniss have the grinding job. For she grinded the peppers to dust that burn our lungs for weeks. Couldn't stop coughing and crying from the peppers heated sensation that we drown ourselves with water. So Katniss forever job is to collect herbs when I couldn't.

Gale laughed, "Who would've thought Catnip has little patience?"

I raised my hand, in result made us both laugh while Katniss pouted till it gotten serious. So placing the herbs on the scale we went back to business. The amount was equal to twenty or so dollar, but the plants specialties triple the amount. Then minus a quarter of the price for the medicine they desire. So going through the cabinets in full of vials filled with potions you could say.

"So what would it be," I started, "Fever, sore throat, summer cold, sniffles, or the usual tracker jacker paste?"

"Sore throat and tracker jacker paste," Katniss said. "Lot of the kids are getting stung by them."

"Yeah, Rory got stung last week." Gale added.

"Poor kid," I sighed, getting everything together for their trip to the Hob, including some extra medicine to give to some of our customers. I handed Gale the bag, "Mind giving these to our customers? They have been pay for."

"Sure," Gale said till examining my dress. "Pretty dress."

I could tell he was being sarcastic instead of being a gentlemen and complimenting a woman's attire. I wore an ivory color dress along with wearing the common grey apron. I shot him a glare, "Thanks, want to look my best on my last reaping."

Gale gave a confused look, lifting a brow. "You won't be going to the Capitol."

The air got stiff as he stood in front of me arms crossed. As usual we got into our political debates. Funny how we can be two conservatives at times, though Gale can have a liberal moment. But it's true, my name is like seven times in; however Katniss and Gale's names are in there more than twenty times. It was unfair in the eligibility starting at age twelve. Adding your name more than once in any raffle, except if you are poor and become tesserae . . . then your fate to live before reaching nineteen gets slim, in exchange for grain and oil. One topic we don't like to talk about, especially when I live close to middle class and they in the seams. That's why our store prices are cheap on remedies and tea… more importantly medicine.

Fortunately, I snuck an extra twenty in the bag before they saw it a moment ago. They tell me countless times to not give charity. However their parents were friends with mine before the mining accident and influence epidemic. Still are to Uncle Mark, and friends and family must stick together. When they figured it out I was over paying them, they get furious and won't talk to me for days. Luckily they gave in and spending the extra coins on clothes, fruit, or anything for their siblings.

Katniss sighs placing a hand on her cousin's shoulder. "Easy Gale and she's right. It's your last reaping."

Gale let out a breath, "Sorry, just the way it is."

"Good luck Catnip and you too Juvenile," I said.

"Bye Siobhan," Katniss said. "And you too."

"Bye," Gale said, collecting their stuff and headed out for the Black market.

When the door closed, I took a deep breath heading back to the table and place the plants in a jar so they can dry some. I sneezed once again knocking off a tea cup that was half empty with raw, wet, mashed tea leaves. Great, I muttered in thought picking it up to examine the patterns inside. A shock of horror shot through my body in what plastered the cup. The shock caused the cup to drop once more as it shattered on the wooden floor. What I saw wasn't a good sign. A mark of the Grim rested in the leaves in form of the wolf.

The Grim has shown it's self on the day of The Hunger Games.

A coincidences or fate?

''''''''

Reediting the story so some changes.