Chapter 1: An above average life

I woke to the sound of mockingjays singing their beautiful songs outside my home window. I'm groggy and try to pull the covers of my soft bed over my light sensitive eyes. My brain doesn't let me return the wonderful land of sleep however, and soon I kick the blankets and sheets off me. I hoist myself to the edge of the mattress and gave a large yawn, stretching out my arms. I look over to my bedside table and could see an old piece of paper, a card, with slightly smudged letters that read: My Sweet Flower. I always kept this small card near my bed at all times, especially during the reaping. My mother had gotten it for me when I was just six years old. My sister had to go to her first reaping that year and I had weeped almost all day, scared that she would be chosen. I opened the card gently and read what was inside.

Dear my sweet flower It read far into the forest you will roam, but you will always return home. My sweet flower, my dearest treasure, my you live your life in leisure. Away from danger and away from harm, may you take this as your luck charm.

I smile and look over at the other side of the tattered card which holds a rose gold and jade locket. Hardly any people in district 7 can afford gold but my family was lucky, my mother won her games back twenty three years ago when she was only fourteen, my age. My father often told me and my sister about life in the slums and even how he met my mother.

He only ever told us of when he met my mother once, before my sisters first reaping day. Aster had begged to hear the story all day, even saying that it could be the last story she would hear. After many hours, when the sun was almost gone, he had sat both of us down to tell us about my mother's victory tour. He started with the beginning, when our mother came home wearing a sparkling purple dress with her blond hair in a braided bun. He said that he was at the celebration but that he only ever met our mother when the first ration arrived. Him and his brothers had been running around the district center, waving around cans of beans, apples and even a bit of candy. He had been running with his eyes partly closed and so he couldn't see well and ran right into my mother. He said that they both fell and after a few seconds of surprise they had both started laughing and talking. He talked about the two years that they had spent together till ending the story with their wedding at a pond in the forest.

I open the locket carefully and see a small picture of my family, right after I was born. I close the locket and place it back in the card, closing the card. I would have looked at it longer but it was reaping day. Every time I looked at the picture even near reaping day I could only imagine the same photo, but with my sister or me left out. I can almost see my mother's face, wearing the same silver blue velvet gown as in the picture, with tear marks staining the garment.

I shook my head fiercely, this wasn't the time to be thinking of what if's. I got to my feet and opened the first drawer of my bedside table. My eyes scan the compartment for something to wear for the day. I find a simple brown long sleeved shirt and long soft black pants. I take off my black nightgown and slip the outfit on swiftly. I close the oak drawer and open the second one. The drawer is filled with down coats and vests, even some sweaters. I choose a dark grey sleeveless vest and slip it over my brown shirt, closing the drawer. I sigh and look over my bedside table at the window. I see lumberjacks making their way to the woods and even some carpenters shuffling to their work shops. I turn away and walk over to my door. I almost don't open it, don't walk down the maple wood steps and face my worried family, but I do.

I am about to step down the step when Aster scoops me up and gives me a huge bear hug.

"A-Aster!" I splutter "L-let me down!" My sister lets me down with a good natured spurt of laughter. I look up at her, meeting her hazel green eyes, and cross my arms with a huff.

Aster bursts into more laughter "Come on sis," she snorts "I just want to prepare you from the hunger games."

"No you don't," I respond "You just wanted to scare me."

"Stop messing around Aster," calls our mother from the dining table "You shouldn't joke about the games."

Aster rolled her eyes "She's not going to get picked," she says"She only has three entries."

"She still has a right to be scared," says our father gruffly as he enters the room, carrying a platter of eggs and flapjacks "She's still not safe." Aster huffed and walked off, joining our parents at the table. I follow quickly, taking a seat next to Aster, and wait for the eggs to fall onto my plate. They do and I take my fork, poking one of them in the middle. The yolk breaks and I begin to shovel down the meal.

I grab my plate and take it to the sink, letting water run over the dish for a few moments before returning to the table.

"It's time to get ready for the reaping," says my mother grimly. I could tell that she was thinking about what tribute she would have to mentor this year. I nodded and padded back up the stairs with Aster.

"You know your basicly safe right?" Aster asked as she got changed into a lovely red dress that came down to her knees.

"I know," I say huffely "I'm not six anymore."

"You know," Aster says "Your real name should be Foxglove, you nip at whoever comes up to you like a fox anyway."

My real name is Calla, after the calla lily, but Aster nicknamed me Foxglove since I was only three. I huffed again but sneaked her a smirk before I looked for a good reaping dress.

"How about this one?" Aster asks, holding up a flowing purple dress with a large bow at the front that just makes it to my ankles. I grab the dress, giving her a nod in thanks. It slips on easily till I get to tying the back. When I had looked at it I had not realized that the back didn't slip on, it had a small bit lace at the top that was meant to be tied into a small bow. I sighed, tying the front bow again before turning to my sibling.

"Can you help me with this?" I ask, turning around and pointing at the lace.

Aster lets out a small bit of laughter before padding over to me and tying the lace "You'll be the best dressed person there!" she chuckled.

"Thanks," I say softly "I-I mean for the dress, I mean bow!" I splutter swiftly.

Aster bursts out in a fit of giggles, falling down on my bed, holding her stomach. I cross my arms and huff for a few moments till Aster get back up from the bed and smirks.

"Let's go," Aster says "Mother still needs to do your hair and mine." I nod and follow Aster out my door. I try to calm my nerves by breathing and focusing on the creek of the maple steps under my feet. I only look up when I reach the bottom and the steps disappear.

I see my mother already finishing up Asters hair. She never had to style it much, as she kept it smooth and straight, but our mother loved to layer aster flowers in my sisters hair every reaping. To finish the look off my mother places a silver brooch with a amythest aster flower on it in her hair, pushing her black bangs aside. Aster gives me a smile as I walk up to get my hair done as well.

My styling takes much longer, as my mother always puts my hair in a crown braid. Finally I feel a calla lily slide into the right side of my braid and I get to my feet. Without saying a word Aster and my father, followed by me and mother, make our way to the door.

Just as i'm about to step out into the warm summer air my mother pulls me aside and grabs my shoulders "Calla," she says in a urgent voice "I just wanted to say, that no matter what happens i'll be here for you." She paused for a few moments as if to let me take in her odd words.

"Good luck," she added before shoving me out the door into the bustling town.

Hey! I know that I already have two stories that need to be finished but I really wanted to do a hunger games fanfic. For any readers who have read my other two fanfic's, they are going to be on hold for a while since I am taking a break from warriors and trying a different style of writing.

-Star