BURNING EMBERS

Hey guys! So... This is the first chapter of my latest fanfic! My last few fanfics were epic fails, and were only like 2 chapters each, so if I forget to keep updating, please feel free to send me angry reviews and stuff! I'm gonna try really hard to finish this one! And I know there are a lot of fics just like this, but I had to give it a try! Please R&R! Oh yeah, I don't own the Hunger Games! Suzanne Collins does!

Chapter 1; The Reaping

I walked briskly across square, determined to make it to my destination, before time ran out. I didn't even know where I was going, only that I had to get there soon. I thought of Prim's smiling face, and Gale laughing in the woods. I knew they were there too. Could I save them before they were killed by whatever was there? I burst through the door of a small house that looked a lot like mine, and ran blindly through the halls. When I finally found the room I knew I was looking for, I came in just in time to see my deceased father shooting an arrow from my own bow into Prim's heart.

I woke with a start, and sat up in bed. My forehead was covered in sweat, and my legs tangled up in the thin sheets. Next to me, I heard my sister, Prim, still snoring, and my mother across the room tossing and turning. It was around six in the morning, and I knew it was time to get up. I gently got out of bed, so not to wake up Prim, and dressed in my usual outfit. I washed my face, braided my hair, and was off.

I stepped out of our small, one bedroom house, and into the streets of district 12. It was a lovely day, the sun was just rising, and I knew the one place I wanted to be. In our woods. I quickly ducked under the chain link fence, confidant that it would not be an electric current running through it, there really never is. I grabbed my bow from a hollow log, and made my way into the forest.

"Hey Catnip!" I heard my best friend, Gale, call out to me. I quickened my pace, and ran up to him. "Look what I caught!" He held up a loaf of bread, with an arrow sticking through it. "The baker was feeling generous today. He only charged one squirrel!" He told me enthusiastically. I grinned. "Wow! That looks great," I told him "Prim also left us some cheese to eat with it. I guess everyone is a little happier and more generous on reaping day." Gale snickered at my sarcastic remark, and we sat down on a wide, flat rock to eat what we consider a feast.

We ate in companionable silence, until Gale spoke. "We could do it, you know. Run away, I mean." I knew Gale was about to break into one of his famous anti-capitol rants. I quickly discarded the idea. "We could never. We have too many kids!" It came out sounding strange, but it was true, with all of our little siblings. "You know, I never want to have kids" I told him, instantly regretting putting out the awkward subject matter. But he responded, nonetheless. "I don't know, I might. If I didn't live here." When he wants to, Gale can be very reasonable. "But we do live here!" I snapped back, knowing I sounded harsh.

We continued eating, and practicing shooting, until the sun was high overhead. We knew then that we had to get back, before the reaping began.

I raced home to change into something reasonably nice, a pretty blue dress that used to be my mother's. I helped Prim into a skirt and shirt. "Tuck in your shirt, little duck!" I told her. The back of her shirttail sticking out made her look like she had a real tail. I tucked it in for her. However, I saw something flash in Prim's eyes, so I sat her down in my lap.

"Katniss, I'm scared…" Prim leaned into me for a hug. I breathed in, and noticed she smelled like her cat, Buttercup. "Don't worry Prim. Your name's only in there once, you're not gonna get picked." I comforted her, knowing she would just cry if no one was there to tell her she wouldn't get picked. In truth, I didn't know. People have gotten picked before, even if they had just one slip of paper in the big glass ball.

I hugged Prim for a few more minutes, then we left the house, and headed down to the town square. Soon we were grouped off by age. Prim shot me a frightened look, but I squeezed her hand reassuringly, and let go. After we were situated in little roped off pens, the microphone blared, and our capitol representative, Effie Trinket, began to speak.

"Welcome to the 74th Annual Hunger Games, people of district 12! I will now draw the lucky two to be chosen to compete! Let me start with the girls! Oh, and may the odds be EVER in your FAVOR!" Then, she walked up to the large glass ball that held me and my sister's names. She reached in, and pulled out a tiny slip of paper, and called the name on it. My heart was beating as fast as a hummingbird's wings, even though I knew there was only a slim chance it would be either of us.

"Primrose Everdeen!" My heart stopped. My mouth just hung open lamely as I watched peacekeepers begin to guide her to the stage. She had a look of shock, and fear on her face. Suddenly, I knew what to do.

"I VOLUNTEER!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, as I pushed through the crowd to my sister.

"My goodness!" Effie looked a bit flustered as she said this. "I do believe this is the first tribute district 12 has ever had! What spirit! Come on up, dearie! Now, what is your name?" Effie pulled me up on stage, and looked down at me from her 5-inch heels. I could smell her awful perfume a mile away. It reminded me of rotten strawberry jam. "Katniss Everdeen…" I practically whimpered. Effie seemed to have heard me fine, though. "Why, I bet you two are sisters! Wouldn't want her snatching up all that glory, would you?" I cringed at her term, and nodded. I suddenly heard Prim screaming my name, and looked down to see Gale holding her back, with an agonized look on his face. Seeing Prim kicking and screaming made me so sad, the tears threatened to all spill out then, but I miraculously held them in, and took a step back into the shadows.

"Now for the boys! Let's see…" She shuffled around the papers, and reached in. "Peeta Mellark!" Suddenly, I felt even more tears behind my eyes, as I realized who this was. Cloudy memories of hunger, rain, and a young boy tossing me burned bread from the back alley came flooding back, and all I could think was NO! NOT HIM!

All of the sudden, I heard another voice, strong and clear, from the crowd. "I, Gale Hawthorne, volunteer as tribute!"

Okay... That was really short... I promise I'll try and make the other one a lot longer! Toodles!