TWO MONTHS AGO

POV:Katniss

The winter has been very cold. I can feel my fingers numb every time I walk outside. I always blame it on the Snow on the ground, but in reality it is because of our President Snow of Panem.

He has been watching me ever since he visited me before the victory tour. The rebellion in the districts have not died down, but I think grew worse. Snow I know is trying to ruin my life because of his idea of thinking I am the cause of Panem's problems.

I know it is all his fault. What am I to do? I didn't create the Hunger Games or starve the country I am supposed to lead. He did that all on his own.

Later today he will announce this years special trait of the third Quarter Quell. I expect something barbaric like the other two Quarter Quells. Haymitch I can't believe won against 47 others. At least I am not as traumatized as him.

That is who I am running errands for today. He is a bit hungover from another night of drinking. He said the best way to get rid of a hangover is by making a new one. At the center of the district there is only one bar which is the only building containing liquor. He prefers beer or rum, but because it is always fun to mess with him I will get him red wine instead.

The bar is called the Barrel. Every form of liquor there are stored in barrels. Most of the customers here are Haymitch or me because most people here in twelve can't afford alcohol. The owner is named Briss and always gives me a bottle of wine for free for being one of his few customers. Today I was in and out with five bottles of wine. Four for Haymitch and one for me and my mother. She always will drink if I do with her.

My next errand for Haymitch is delivering a letter to Cinna for him at the mail center. The letter explained how I wanted my wedding dress to look. I wanted an elegant white gown, but with a sense of Cinna's style. The mail center took about a minute because all I did was walk in and give a letter to the peacekeeper who run the center.

My last stop was to get bread from the bakery. Peeta was working today. He isn't getting paid for it, but enjoys it. His parents still run it so I will try to make business with them. I have tried to avoid Peeta since the end of the Victory Tour.

The bakery smelled of warm bread and made me almost forget to not run into Peeta, but I did of course.

" Hey," Peeta said with a grin. He was in his apron and holding a loaf of bread on a tray. His hair wasn't brushed and looked as if he had been crying.

" What's wrong," I said accidentally instead of just saying hello back. I felt guilty for being rude.

" It's no..."

He was cut off by his mother entering from the back door screaming," You are a big brat Peeta. I wonder how you even got a woman like Katniss. I wouldn't spend the time of day with..."

She finally noticed it was me who was the customer. The facial expression on myself I could picture was a look of hatred on her. How dare she speak to him that way? He is what is mainly supporting this family with his winnings from winning the Hunger Games.

" Katniss... I was ...j..Just leaving." She left back out the door she came in from.

" Peeta I hope you didn't believe anything she said.."

" She is right Katniss. You won the games for me and I don't even have a great girl like everyone thinks. Just take the bread."

" No Peeta. She is wr..."

" Just go."

He turned around and left out the door her mother left to leaving me alone with a loaf of bread.

Not trying to worry about Peeta was hard at my next errand. Prim and I were out collecting snow for Gale who still has wounds from the whipping he got three days ago.

" Prim, when did you become such a great nurse?"

She smiled." From watching mom over the years I just learned how to give shots, clean wounds, and other things."

" So you will become a nurse one day?"

"Maybe, if the war is over."

War? What war?

" I don't know what you mean."

" President Snow has been angry Katniss. By making new peacekeepers and making you jumpy since he last visited you."

When did she become so smart and know everything?

" Don't worry about President Snow. Nothing happened."

" I hate it when you lie." Prim just walked away with the snow and headed towards our house to treat Gale. I hate it when I lie too.

The rest of the day I sat in the woods thinking. What is Peeta doing? When will Gale heal? Will Prim be a threat to Snow if she knows everything? All these questions I wanted answered. The blowing of the wind helped soothe me to a nap.

The nap wasnt the best idea because I woke up from a nightmare. I dreamt of Peeta and I back in the arena fighting for our lives. It ended with Peeta killing me and making him the victor. In the back of my mind I know Peeta wishes that is what happened. He has been cautious ever since I told Haymitch and him of President Snow's visit to me. I have too.

Back at home it was ten minutes until the announcement of the Quarter Quell this year. My mother and I had a glass of wine to relax. We all felt a bit stressed. Prim seemed anxious for the announcement. She usually would ignore it and play with her cat. She is grown up now.

" What do you think this year will be." My mother asked with a bit of worry in her throat.

" I have no idea. It will probably just be as barbaric as it was for the second and first Quarter Quell."

Prim still stayed in the corner pacing with her cat now in her arms. I could tell he was getting dizzy from all this movement. I was too by just looking at her.

The Panem anthem started playing on our television. It showed the crowd of the Capitol in front of President Snow behind a podium. The citizens of the Capitol dressed in all clothes designed by my designer Cinna. He has been popular ever since Peeta and I won the games.

" Welcome citizens of Panem. I welcome you on this the 75th annual Hunger Games and third Quarter Quell. When the games were created it was decreed that every 25 years the games would have a new and original alterations. This being the third Quarter Quell we have been invited to share our event with other countries."

What did Snow mean by other countries? I never knew there were other countries.

" We do have here Preffesor Dumbledore of one of the three countries joining us here to speak a few words."

An old man with a long grey beard and in a silver robe walked up to take the podium.

" Hello. I am here to personally ask if our invitation is allowed by the country of Panem. I am excited to have our countries best compete against your best. Six competitors will compete from each country. In order to show our strwinners and your strongest, your competitors to represent Panem will be reaped from previous victors of the Hunger Games."

My heart sank. There is now about a ten percent chance that I will be chosen to be in the arena again. My heart beat drowned out all sounds. President Snow will make sure Peeta or me will be back in the arena or even both of us. I could hear Prim asking me questions and my mother crying, but instead I ran out our home, out of the victors village, and into the woods.

I screamed. I will be put back in the arena. President Snow had this set up. How could three other countries want to compete in such an event? Snow had to trick this man somehow, but how? I need to know.

The next day President Snow wants all us victors that are still living to report to the Capitol. My whole team overnight came to pick me up. Peeta, Effie, Haymitch, Portia, Cinna, and I all headed back to the Capitol by train.

I slept until we arrived in the heart of the city of the Capitol. I felt a cringe go around my face as I saw people promoting which Victors should be put backin the arena. I saw some signs for someone named Gloss and another for Johanna then one for me. I saw none for Peeta which was a relief.

Outside the house of our president I saw about fifty other victors outside the gate. Snow never showed up. His assistant just came and took the names of all those who wish to automatically be put back in the arena. Two past careers volunteered. Enaboria who was a girl with fangs, and a buff man named Brutus.

Four spots remained open. One of which I was going to fill.