Sorry it took me so long to update, I was on holiday :) anyway here you go...finally
Chapter Two
At dawn I silently braid my hair, put on my boots and fathers hunting jacket careful not to wake Prim, then head to the fence surrounding District Twelve. On my way I pass through the meadow which is filled with dandelions and grass that comes up to my knees. The meadow is one of my favourite places, it's always so peaceful and the only area that isn't covered in coal dust. When I was little my father used to take me here and I'd hide in between the grass then jump out on him as he walked by, then he'd put on his best suprised face and chase me around. Ever since he died I started coming here more often to escape everything, it helps me to relax and sought out my thoughts. When I reach the fence I listen for the hum that tells me electricity is passing through it- being from District Twelve, one of the poorer districts we rarely have electricity supplied unless it's to watch the madatory programming on the tv's-but when I hear nothing but the birds and the leaves rustling as the wind picks up, I slide under the hole in the bottom of the fence and jog to the cover of the trees. Entering the woods is supposed to be illegal but as long I dont get caught going in or coming out I'm usually safe and seeing as the head peacekeeper is one of my best customers he wouldn't be able to tell president snow without being in an 'accident' himself.
More people would risk going into the woods and hunting if they knew about the lapse in security and even those who do still dont as they've no idea how to wield a weapon and I'm sure they'd rather not become dog chow.
When I'm deep enough into the woods to not be seen I recover a bow and some arrows I hid in the trees. Mhy father how to use them when I was younger, he would take me to the woods show all sorts of plants I could dig up and eat then one day when he was shooting some elk he spotted me admiring him shooting and since then he gave me lesson on how to use a bow and arrow and eventually made me my own one. Then we would have competions to see who could shoot the biggest rabbit and then he'd take me to the lake and give me swimming lessons.
Once after a lesson he said to me,
"When Prim's old enough, Katniss, you can bring her here and teach her to swim and then we can all share this beautiful place. But don't tell your mother she would probably try to kill me if she found out I was taking you and Prim so deep into the woods."
But after he died I could never bring myself to, I just wanted to be selfish one time and have a special place that only I knew about, bedides Prim would never make it this far she would of ran back home screaming before we'd even made it five minutes into the cover of the trees. And now the woods just for survival, their my lifeline, no more fun. You just go in, spend a few hours catching game and gathering then you leave as soon as possible unless you want to be chased by rabid animals.
It's a ten minute walk frOm the fence to mine and Gales usual meeting spot, we come here every sunday to spend the day hunting. It's a high ledge surrounded by shelfs of rock and bushes covered with blackberries, it overlooks the whole of District Twelve. Sometimes we bring a picnik and sit in the very edge and listen to animals running by and open up to each other, talking about how our week was or about Prims face when she saw I had managed to buy her, her first cookie from the bakery, it cost me two squirrels but it was worth it.
When I reach the ledge the sun is emrging frim behind a cluster of trees and Gale is perched on the Ledge with the morning sun dancing between his dark brown hair and his seam grey eyes are filled with humor when he lifts up a loaf of bread with an arrow through it.
"Hey Catnip, look what I shot!"
Real bread is something of a delicacy in the seam as it's so expensive. We can improvise and make our own out of the grain we recieve but it's not as good.
"Oh my god, Gaale! Where did you get that?"
"The baker traded it for one squirrel" Me and Gale started to hunt together in the woods after our fathers died in a minnung accident, whatever we shoot we either trade with the baker or take to the hob.
"Only one squirrel?"
"Yeah, well it is reaping day, guess he was feeling sentimental."
"How many times is your name in the bowl this year?"
Gale his adverts his eyes frim mine all the humor gone, "Does it really matter?"
"Gale!" I protest.
"Fine, fourty eight."
"Fourt eight?" I squeak.
"Yeah, look can we talk about something else please?" Then he finally decides to meet my eyes and they are begging me to drop the subject.
"Fine. Look what Prim gave us," I say holoding up the lump of goats cheese she made.
Gale grows a grin as he calls out "Thankyou Prim!" In a sing song voice.
When we've each got a slice of bread topped with cheese and some basil leaves I found we hold them in the air and I put on my best Capitol accent and say, "Happy Hunger Games..." And then Gale finishes, "And may the odds be ever in your favour!" Of course the odds have never really been in my favour. Two more slices of bread later and with a full game bag we head baack to District twelve in silence, listen to the grass rustle beneath our feet and the birds flying from tree to tree. When we reach the fence I'm suddenlt wrapped in Gales arms as he burries his head in my hair. Not in a romantic way though just...a friendly gesture, he knows my views on marriage and kids. I refuse to bring a innocent child into a world where it could end up being reaped or watching a friend die in the games and I'm never going to marry because that would lead to the inevitable; kids.
"Good luck Catnip. Wear something pretty." And with that he disapears into the seam. When I get home Prim is wearing a white hand me down dress, the same one I wore in my first reaping. She has her blonde hair in two plaits on either side of her face and is playing wioth her finger nervously.
"I filled the tub with some water for you," My mother calls from the other room.
"Thanks," I reply flatly because I still haven't forgiven her for leaving me and Prim. When my father died my mother went into a deep depression, she wouldn't respond to anyone, she wouldnt move from her chair by the fireplace. No amount of pleas from Prim made her return, and we were starving because my mother would not work. So at the age of eleven I took over as head of the family, thats when I met Gale who was in the same sort of postion as me becasue his father died in the same explosion. Together we would hunt in the woods for food to supply our families with. It took a year for my mother to awake from her stupor and I've forgiven her because she watched as Prim and me starved adn refused to anything about it.
The water is lukewarm because none of the houses are supplied with hot water so we heat it above the fire. Once I've scrubbed all the dirt from my body and braided my hair I find that my mopther has laid out a blue dress for me with a tie around the waist and small white buttons going up the front. She must be trying hard to revive our relationship but I refuse to let her. I put it on anyway because it's either this or my hunting clothes.
"You look pretty," Prim says as I walk into the living room.
"Not as pretty as you, Prim" I say with a smile, she flushes red at my compliment.
"Come on, lets go," I take her hand and lead her to the town centre where the reaping will take place. The square is surrounded with big whit lights and bunting hanging from the buildings and right in the centre is a stage with two large glass bowls hokding the destiny of two kids within. It's not untill we line up to have our names taken that I notice Prims sobs. I kneal down in front of her and pull her chin up forcing her to look at me. The emotion in her eyes almost breaks my heart but I cant let her know that I need to stay strong.
" Hey, shhh, it's gonna be okay," She still continues to cry, "Prim, you have to be strong, for me."
"What if I get picked?" Her voice is barely audible.
"Prim, your names only in there once, their not going to pick you," This seems to calm her a bit.
"But what about you?"
"I'll be fine, dont worry about me."
"Bu-"
"Prim, it'll be fine. And once it's done we'll go see Lady and you can make some of your lovely cheese," I say poking her stomach.
She smiles at this "Okay."
"Look theres Esme, go and stand with her, I'll come and get you afterwards."
Once we're all stood in age ggroups and then gender Effie Trinket walks up to the stage. "Welcome to the seventy fourth annual reaping for the Hunger Games!" Why is she always so cheerful, she seems oblivioous to the fact that she picking the kids to be murdered. She then gives us a speach about the dark days and shoes us a video telling us why it shoulkd never be repeating therefor creating the hunger games. When it finishes she carries a smile that looks as if it might break her face in two. "Happy Hunger Games and may the odds be ever in your favour! Ladies first!" She says as she dips her hand into the reaping bowl, everyone is silent and holding their breaths as she pulls out the slip holding the name of unlucky kid, I just hope it's not a twelve year old again. Not Prim, Please not Prim, I repeat over and over in my head.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present to you, your newest tribute...Katniss Everdeen."