CHAPTER ONE
~One week before reaping when Katniss is 16 and Gale is 18~
My name is Katniss Everdeen... I am 16 years old... My best friend is Gale Hawthorne... I live in District 12... My father died in a mine explosion three days ago... I do not believe he is dead...
I wake up to an almost vacant house. My mother is depressed because of my fathers' disappearance. She stares hollowly at nothing. She hears nothing. She feels nothing. And she notices nothing. I feel bad for Prim; she is trying so hard to tend to our dead-to-the-world mother. Prim either spends most of her time in her room, or trying to bring our mother back from the dead. And then there's me. I am sad, but I could be more sad. I honestly don't believe he is dead. I don't feel the hole of emptiness in my chest that I normally would. But then again, as he gets older they use him in the mines more, which means I don't get to see him as much. We have grown farther apart, but only a little.
I slowly get out of bed, trying to make sure that I don't disturb Prim. I grab a dark green shirt and chestnut brown pants, my fathers hunting jacket, and my hunting boots, and tiptoe downstairs. There is a small piece of cheese that Prim left for me. I wrap it up, and then slide out the door. My feet lead me to the forest before my mind knows where I'm going. Before I know it, I'm in the meadow by the fence. I slink under it, and see a tall, manly, solemn figure, standing by our rock. Gale. His beautiful face lights up when he sees me.
I run over to him, and he hugs me. It is a well-needed embrace, for both of us. We go and sit down on our rock. I sigh, "What do you want to do? Hunt, fish, or gather?"
"Why don't we go on a walk to the small hill? C'mon! We have all day to gather food! No need to rush!" I laugh at his reply. I agree, and we start our hike to the hill. It's a quiet walk, but I know Gale has something he needs to say. He has that look in his eye that tells me he needs to say something. I need to ask him something as well.
"Gale?" I ask.
"Hmm?" he grumbles.
"Do you believe they're dead?"
"No, not really. I mean," he pauses, a loss at words. "I-I don't feel like he is dead, but I'm sure he is. The men in the accident- you couldn't even tell who was who." I nod. "Why Catnip? What's wrong?" he asks when he sees the disappointment on my face.
"Nothing. I just don't believe they're dead. I don't feel that hole of emptiness I probably would. I seriously don't think they are dead." he nods, understanding what I'm talking about. Then we keep walking in silence.
By the time we reach there, the sun is not quite in the sky, but not quite sunrise either. The sky is a light baby blue with an orange tint to it. Beautiful. We sit down at the top of the hill, slightly tired from the forty-five minute walk. I sigh at the breathtaking view. The trees, the sky, everything is perfect. Suddenly, I am snapped into focus when Gale speaks.
"We could do it you know."
"What?" I ask.
"Take off. Live in the woods. You and I, we could make it."
"Yeah, but what about the kids? You have Posy and your brothers, and I have Prim." I reply.
"They know how to survive. I could teach Rory to hunt, and Prim is good at baking and all the homemaking things. Nothing really bad could happen. They're strong." I can tell he is trying really hard to convince me to go with him.
I think long and hard about this. It is true. Prim is good at all the cooking and motherly things. Gale could teach Rory how to hunt. Greasy Sae might be able to help out with Posy and make sure that all their stomachs stay away from a starving point. Many people adore Prim, so I'm sure they will keep them safe enough.
I turn to face Gale. I am looking into the beautiful, silvery, Seam eyes of my best friend. "I really think we could do it. If we take one week and gather everything they will need, like all the food, I think this really might work. I'm game." he smiles.
"Really? You are willing to go?" he asks hopefully.
"Yes, now let's change the subject before I change my mind!" I say, chuckling.
"Haha, alright. Wanna go hunting? Start gathering?"
"Sure," I shrug. We take off, leaving the conversation behind us.
By the end of the day, we had collected a good amount of game; four rabbits, two pheasants, and a squirrel. About enough to last the two families for about a couple of days. Gale and I traded a few extra squirrels for some bread and a small bag of potatoes, which added to the families food stock. We ended up dividing the game, bread, and potatoes evenly and began to walk back to our homes.
" So same time tomorrow?" I asked as we stopped in front of my house.
"Yep."
I smiled at him, and he smiled back. He pulls me in a tight embrace and whispers, "Thanks for coming with me, Catnip."
"I'm glad I could," I said with a smile.
Then, Gale did something I never would expect him to do. He grabbed my face in his hands, and pressed his lips against mine.