Hello to everyone reading! This is my very first attempt ever to write a fanfiction, so please do be nice to me! :)

This story will take place on the 73rd annual Hunger Games, right before Katniss and Peeta become Tributes. I will be changing a lot of stuff, such as Cato and most of the Tributes from the 74th games we all know will instead be on the 73rd, along with some other events in the games from the original story. I still do hope you will like my version!

I will update this as soon as I am able to complete the next chapter. Please let me know what you think! x

*I do not own The Hunger Games and any of the characters included in it, except for my OC's

Chapter 1

The sun begins to rise as its rays of light slowly touch the pristine waters of the ocean, little by little turning the reflection of the sea a hint of that beautiful orange hue just as the whelming darkness of the night yields before the surreal dawning saffron of the morning. Twilight. A spectacular sight to experience especially from District 4 where you only get to witness the sun and sky meet the sea. The citizens of this district are quite accustomed to this phenomenon, yet they still do not take for granted the alluring sight and the unexplainably calming effect it gives; Especially during this time of the year where children and adults alike dread the most.

Standing by the shoreline, I stare at the horizon as I watch the sun rise up into the sky completely. Strands of my long wavy hair keep on lightly touching my face due to the direction of the wind, yet I am too engrossed in my own thoughts to even bother pushing them away from my face. I continue to stare intently at the sea, calmly observing the point where the skyline meets the water. I wonder if we could get any farther away from that point? Can we reach far enough to find a place not under the reign of the Capitol? Will we even be able to survive the journey if we try?

"Cordelia!" Someone calls out to me the moment I start to get lost deeper inside my thoughts. I immediately break out from my trance state and before I am even able to turn around and address the person calling, I feel a large and very wet fishing net being dropped on top of my head, trapping my whole body underneath.

"Damn it, Zale! How many times do I have to tell you not to dump nets on my head especially the ones we have just used recently?" I yell at the boy behind me, annoyance clearly evident in my voice as I try to take off the net which is now covering me from head to toe, dripping wet with seawater. We just got back from our early morning catch; We have quite a bountiful harvest which is something I should normally be happy about, yet I cannot bring myself to be in a good mood.

"Aw, come on Cordi! There's no need to be so grumpy about it. It's not like it could ruin your already fantastic mood today." Zale responds with sarcasm while giving me a playful smirk, clearly not intimidated by the dangerous stare I am currently giving him. He crosses his arms to his broad chest while admiring his 'handiwork' as I continue to struggle getting the net off me. I sigh and turn around to face him entirely, struggling under as I do so.

There is a need to be grumpy, especially today. I thought as I continue to untangle myself.

The net is large enough to carry half a dozen grown men in it. It is already heavy enough as it is and having it wet makes it even heavier. A bunch of seaweed have been caught in it, which makes several of them stick into my hair and face. I shoot him an annoyed look while his smirk transforms into a warm smile and looks at me with understanding. He then lets out a soft chuckle and finally starts to help me.

Zale and I have known each other ever since we were kids. He is the same age as mine and our families are pretty tight-knit. For some reason, he knows me very well; Sometimes even past the usual stoic facade I tend to put up in front of people. Most of the time, I find it quite annoying whenever he seems to successfully guess what's on my mind. Occasionally however, I am thankful that he does. Especially during moments like today where I do not want to voice out my thoughts.

Today is the annual Reaping Day for the Hunger Games, which is mainly the reason for my evidently dark mood. Being considered as a Career district, we are trained to fight and prepare for the games at a young age. It is not usual for us however to volunteer for the purpose of 'honor and glory' unlike the people from Districts 1 and 2. Like how most children from any of the other districts feel, being chosen as a tribute would without a doubt be a living nightmare. How someone volunteers to kill or be killed just to possibly earn the chance to be bathed in glory and riches, I will never understand. Thinking about it makes my mood darker than it already is.

I hate the games. I hate the Capitol.

"We better get these fish to the market before our clients complain about us being late again." Zale says while taking out the last piece of seaweed stuck in my hair. He is taller than me by several inches with an athletically built body which is most probably a result from our trainings at the Academy and the hard labor from working at the docks as well as fishing at sea. We have the same bronze skin tone and wavy locks that I assume is probably a common trait here at 4 due to our exposure to the sun and salty waters. His hair is a deep shade of chestnut brown and his eyes have that familiar sea green color just like most people from our district.

I raise an eyebrow at him. "Who do you think is at fault for making us late?" I ask.

"You are, of course!" He exclaims while starting to load the back of the mini truck with containers filled with fish we caught before the break of dawn.

"And how is it my fault?" I say, frowning at him while picking up one side of the net and attempting to fold it properly. "You're the one who threw this stupid net all over me."

He chuckles once again. "Well, if you haven't been staring out into the sea for the past several minutes like an idiot, I wouldn't have needed to give you a distraction. You won't be able to reach farther than the horizon you know." He says and then winks at me. Seriously, does this person have some kind of mind reading ability or something?

"Whatever." I say while rolling my eyes. I then turn back towards the dock, half stomping my feet as I drag the net along. I get to the medium sized fishing boat we use, store it safely inside the compartment and head back to the truck.

Zale has finished loading all the containers of fish by the time I got back. I walk up to the front of the truck and find him waiting for me, already sitting on the driver's seat while his left elbow is resting by the window. He gives me a smirk as soon as I climb into the passenger seat and I smile slightly in return.

"Let's get this over with." He says. I immediately understand what he meant and it most definitely has nothing to do with the fish we caught.

I turn to face ahead and nod slightly. "Happy Hunger Games." I say in a voice mocking the tone that people from the Capitol make.

"And may the odds be ever in your favor!" Zale answers back with that same annoying tone. It was my turn to smirk this time. He proceeds to start the engine and we both fasten our seat belts as we begin to head off towards the town proper. I look out the window to watch the glimmering sea disappear behind trees and houses as I start to get lost once again in my own thoughts.

District 4, being the only district located by the ocean, has its very own unique sense of beauty. Often overlooked, our district plays a very essential role to the Capitol, bringing Panem the bounty of the sea. Fishing is our major industry, and children are trained at a very young age for jobs entailing it which explains why us citizens are very adept with nets and tridents. The fishermen usually take their children with them often out to sea as a method of training to prepare them for when they are old enough to start working.

My father used to take me and my older brother Caspian with him when we were little. Along with Zale and his father, all of us would often set sail and observe the adults as they attempt to make their catch using large rope-like nets handwoven by our district's fellow citizens.

I was 11 when my father died at sea. I remember the night it happened. My mom was arguing with my dad to stay home during that one stormy evening but he didn't want to pass up a good opportunity. Apparently, there's a higher chance you will be able to catch more fish during the rain. Not heeding my mother's advice, he, together with Zale's dad set off to the sea. The odds however weren't unfortunately in their favor. The winds were just too strong and the waves became larger and larger that it tipped both of them off their boat. They weren't able to make it by morning.

The awful tragedy made me, my brother and Zale fatherless at that very instant. Caspian took over father's job and Zale, being the new head of his family, took over his. Our mother suffered from a heart complication after my father's death due to immense grief. Although she was able to recover, she was in no state to work at that time. So, I eventually joined my brother and together with Zale we worked daily on the boats, catching fish at sea and trading them at the market.

Work seemed harder than we expected despite our knowledge and experience when it comes to fishing. This was due to the fact that we had to juggle between working, going to school and training daily in case we receive the 'honor' of getting picked for the games. Training at the Academy in preparation for the games are optional here at 4, yet majority of the families find assurance by knowing that their children have knowledge in combat in the event that their name gets reaped. My parents agree with the idea, which is why Caspian and I were properly trained to fight.

Being prepared and properly trained doesn't however guarantee one's survival.

Caspian got reaped for the Hunger Games when I was 14. Although the training made him strong and well prepared, placing too much trust on the other Career Tributes cost him his life. My mother, who was still recovering from my father's death had another heart attack upon watching my brother's head got cleanly cut off with a sword by his fellow Careers on live television. I was in the town square with Zale when I watched the scene unfold before my eyes.

I wanted to scream. I wanted to cry. I wanted to throw up as the camera focused on my brother's decapitated head, eyes and mouth both open with shock still etched on his face. Instead, I just stood there, my face emotionless and continued to stare at the large screen in front of me. I did not notice the many pair of eyes who kept glancing at me, giving me looks of sadness and pity. I did not even notice when Zale pulled me away from the gathered crowd nor when one of our neighbors came running towards us, telling me that my mom has been rushed to the health center.

Normally, I would have cried a lot upon the arrival of the wooden casket containing my brother's body.

But I didn't.

I had to be strong for my mom. I had to be strong, because I hate showing weakness in front of many people. I had to be strong, because I had few more years left to possibly get reaped for the next games. I had to stand up for myself and get my act together. Because of this, I felt like an expert in hiding my true emotions most of the time. Whenever I am only sure that I am alone left to my own thoughts and nightmares, I silently cry and let it all out where no one else can see. It seems better that way.

I stretch my right arm out the window of the truck and try to feel the cool sea breeze hitting my skin. This would be mine and Zale's last reaping as possible contenders for the Hunger Games. We just have to get through this one last time and pray that none of us would get chosen.

"What are you so quiet about?" Zale says, as if seeming to know what I was thinking.

"What's wrong with being quiet?" I say. "I'm just enjoying the nice, clean air before people from the Capitol arrive and pollute it."

Zale looks at me briefly from the corner of his eyes, clearly sensing the sarcasm in my words, then returns to look at the road ahead. "If you say so."

I say nothing in return as I continue to stretch my arm and watch my fingers being lightly pushed back by the impact of the wind.

Not long after, we finally arrive at the market place and Zale parks right by the entrance. "Cordi!" A small voice calls out to me as soon as I get out of the truck. I turn around to see Meredith, Zale's little sister walking towards me. Her shoulder length hair has the same brown color just like her brother and she looks exactly like a younger, female version of Zale.

She is carrying a basket filled with freshly baked bread. "Hello, Merry!" I respond. I give her a warm smile while lightly placing a hand on top of her head. Just like Zale, Merry has always been like family to me. Even when Caspian was still alive, I treated them as if they were my real siblings. "Where are you headed to?"

Just then, Zale appears from behind me and grabs a piece of bread from Merry's basket. "Hey! Those aren't for you!" She says. Zale just shrugs and takes a bite anyway. Merry pouts at him and hands over the basket to me. "These are for you. Mom asked me to buy bread and bring some of it over to your place, then I saw you and my brother from across the street and came here instead."

I take the basket from her and place it on the truck's front seat. "Thank you. Give my thanks to your mother as well." I smile as I tell her.

Merry smiles back at me then turns towards her brother and scolds him for eating other people's food.

"You should have said so at first!" Zale shrugs again as he continues to munch away on the bread.

"How am I supposed to when you already stuffed it in your mouth even before I could say anything!" The little girl retorts.

Merry is only 13, which is five years younger than me and Zale. Today will be her second reaping. Unlike us, she doesn't go to the Academy to train. She's too innocent and soft-hearted that she cries over freshly caught fish when she sees them struggling for their last breath. Teaching her to handle a basic spear, let alone any kind of 'weapon' for the matter will not have worked out at all. Zale tried to teach her once... She ended up crying and shaken up even before they got the chance to practice with the dummies.

I lean back against the truck as I continue to watch them bicker. Looking at them makes me remember the times with me and my brother and I suddenly miss him all over again. I immediately brush the painful memories off my mind and suddenly become aware of the time. "We need to get going." I say loud enough to catch the attention of the two in front of me. I make a gesture with my head, hinting on Merry to get in the truck while Zale makes our daily delivery to the merchant stalls inside the market. "I'll make it quick." He says to both of us before he disappears inside pushing the trolley with the containers of fish.

It's half past noon by the time I get home, with about an hour and a half left for me to get ready for the Reaping. I proceed to take a shower, and by the time I get back to my room I find a dress laid out on my bed as expected. This pale blue dress however, is not the usual one that I have been wearing during Reaping day for the past year or so. It is simple yet elegant and in pristine condition, almost like it was never used but the smell of fabric being stored for a long time in the closet is evident enough to tell me that it isn't newly bought. I put it on anyway and go downstairs to find my mom setting up food on the dining table. As soon as she sees me, she takes a look at my dress and a soft smile forms on her lips.

"That was a gift to me by your father when I was your age." She says as she comes closer to smoothen out the sleeves. "I wore it during the last year of my Reaping."

Just like me wearing it today, I thought. I smile back in return and give her a look as if to say 'thank you'. "It looks lovely." I say.

I face towards the mirror across the dining table as she silently begins to comb my hair. Just like my mom, we have the same light ivory colored locks. Although hers are silky straight, mine inherited the loose waves from my dad. I look at my reflection as she continues to fix my hair and find myself staring at my odd pair of eyes- my right with a shade of cerulean blue while my left has a tone of sea green.

My peculiar appearance doesn't look bad in my opinion, yet when I was younger it was because of my 'uniqueness' that some of the children my age fear me... thinking that I was some sort of a mermaid or a siren who will become friends with them at first then will drown them at sea later on. I find it stupid, but I couldn't care less. There were much more bigger things to worry about, like trying to not get picked to fight on a game of life or death.

"Done and ready." Says my mom as soon as she was done twisting some sections of my front hair and clipping them all the way to the back. I turn around and look into her cerulean blue eyes, those whose exact same color I inherited on my right one. I can still see in them the grief from the deaths of my father and brother, now mixed with fear for the uncertainty I am about to face during my last Reaping with my name entered.

We move to eat the lunch she prepared in silence. After helping her wash the dishes, she walks me towards the door and we share one last hug before I set off towards the town square.

I meet up with Zale and Merry and along with other children we make our way towards the Hall of Justice. The sound of the warning siren is deafening as we approach the registration table. Zale and I exchange meaningful glances and I give Merry whose hand I have been holding a light squeeze and the three of us go separate ways to stand by our respective age groups.

Soon after everyone is settled, our district escort steps in front of the microphone. "Welcome, welcome!" She chirps. I resist the urge to roll my eyes at her enthusiasm. Capitol people always act oblivious to the feelings us people from the districts have towards the games, and her excited demeanor every Reaping Day is the perfect example for it. I observe her overly colorful and exaggerated appearance to entertain myself as she continues to give the usual boring introductions following the Capitol video. As soon as the video ends on the large screen in front, I immediately take away my focus on her make-up and brace myself for what comes next. It's time to pick the district 4 tributes for the 73rd annual Hunger Games.

"Ladies first!" She says excitedly. This is it. I just need to get past this, and I'm free to grow old in peace. Please not me, please not me, please not me... I chant in my mind as I watch her pick a slip from the huge glass bowl. She takes her time unfolding the paper in her hands and I hold my breath as I feel my heartbeat starting to quicken its pace. Just read the damn name already! I mentally shout at her. She finally manages to straighten out the piece of paper on her hands and reads the name of the female tribute out loud.

"Meredith Wisteria!"

As much as I want to breathe a sigh of relief because it wasn't my name who was called out, I'm not able to.

Merry. Sweet and innocent Merry, Zale's little sister who cries on dead fish and cannot handle a spear, is the chosen female Tribute for district 4. As soon as her name registers on me and I begin to realize it, my sweat instantly turns cold. I look behind me over to the twelve and thirteen year old section and find Merry among the crowd. The color on her face is almost gone and all the children next to her watch as her frail body steps out from the crowd. My mind instantly starts to flash horrifying images of Merry in the arena: The little girl dying, just like Caspian. The same little girl getting her head chopped off, just like Caspian. Zale and his Mom being broken and devastated upon her death, just like me and my mom.

There's no way in hell I can stand here and let another person close to me die like Caspian did. Never again. Before I can even process what I'm about to do, I step forward and speak out as loud and as calm as I could. "I volunteer as Tribute!"