Hello everyone and welcome to this new story. Some of you might already know me from my other Hayffie fanfic "Figure It Out", although I didn't update in a while, but I'll change that in a couple of weeks! This story here is set ten years before the 74th Hunger Games. It's Effie's first year as an escort and she meets Haymitch for the first time, and their story develops. The story will probably end with the end of the 64th Hunger Games, but you'll see why soon enough.

I don't own the Hunger Games saga or any character that's mentioned in Suzanne Collins's book, only those characters that I made up. Furthermore, I'm not a native English speaker. I translate all my fanfics from German so I hope that most of my grammar is correct as well as the spelling etc., but there's of course no warranty!

I hope you enjoy reading!

Era Awakens

Nervously, Effie stared at the wooden houses of District Twelve. She barely had two seconds to catch a glance at her district before Petunia detrained.

Once her feet left the carriage, they suddenly were surrounded by flashlights. Reporters and camera-teams congested the small street in front of the train and fired questions at them. It was obvious that they gently tried to push the older women aside, to get a glimpse of her replacement.

Replacement. Effie had worked hard for this moment to happen, and she could look back on a successful modeling career. She tried to be proud about it.

Petunia had given her clear instructions for their stay in Twelve, and Effie knew what to do. She smiled and waved into countless of cameras while they made their way through the reporters. Petunia was something close to her mentor. She showed her how to behave and get things done as an escort.

After having left the station behind the two were welcomed by Twelve's mayor. He was a tall baldheaded man with a frantic handshake. No smile adorned his lips how Effie noticed and she wondered if he wasn't excited concerning the reaping. She definitely was.

While a group of peacekeepers saluted and took their bags, they got into the small black car which had been provided for them.

„Remember", Petunia said and gave her a strict glance. „You wait in the justice building while I'll go and take care of Abernathy."

Effie nodded and peered out of the window. The poor little shanties had been replaced by larger, more massive concrete buildings, but not even them could have been compared with those in the Capitol. It all seemed to be dull and dark here. As if nobody had taken care of the district's conditions for a long time. Just black and white, as if those people had never seen any colors.

They hadn't told her much about District Twelve. Only the bare necessities as that it was the most expendable district, the smallest and the poorest.

Effie thoughts wandered to her parents who would, later then, sit down in front of their TV to watch her. She had to make a steady figure. She had to make them proud.

oOo

„Haymitch."

He was surrounded by darkness. Something pounded in his head, but he couldn't say if it was the alcohol or the lack of sleep. He failed to detach the darkness. It gave him safety. It deterred the demons and gave his brain no option to feed him with unnecessary thoughts.

„Haymitch!"

Haymitch startled. A dead crash was heard as the bottle, which still had been in his hand a second ago, hit the floor.

He lifted his head with a sigh. So he hadn't imagined the voice.

With every minute, the incessant knocks just grew louder and more aggressive.

Haymitch took a deep breath and raised swaying from the table. It took a moment to get rid of the memories in his head. He must have fallen asleep. His drink was spilled over the table and trickled over the edge. He would have to clean it, but not right now.

„Haymitch Abernathy, if you're not going to open this door at this very moment, I am going to make sure you won't see any liquor this season."

Great. It wasn't even half past nine and Petunia already turned up at his doorstep. Haymitch blinked through the windows in the kitchen. The morning haze had settled at the pane of the glass. A sign for a warm summer day. Another reason he abhorred the day of the reaping.

But even Haymitch Abernathy had priorities. And liquor was his first priority. Under a curse, he dragged himself to the door, just to tear it open with an air blast.

Petunia had planted herself in front of him. Her left arm was still raised in the air, but he'd opened the wooden door, so she couldn't reach it no more. Her face was disformed in anger and her green eyes flashed at him in fury.

Haymitch didn't bother to let her in, knowing too well she would invite herself in without asking.

He wasn't disappointed. It was odd to see the woman standing in his kitchen one moment later. District Twelve's escort was dressed all in green, probably she'd thought it would flatter her eyes. The dress fit tightly on her body and let her appear cheaply. But the reason Haymitch burst out laughing were the long fringes which covered the whole dress.

Petunia darted him an indignant glance. Withal, her left eye twitched. „Shame on you, Abernathy", she snapped at the former victor and threw the bottle at him, which had only just laid on the floor.

He cached it effortless and threw it in the sink. „You look ridiculous", he said and snorted.

Immediately, the woman stalked up on him. Her disgusting perfume seemed to wrap around him like an impregnable dust, and Haymitch would've liked to flail around to dispel the scent. „You haven't the faintest idea", she retorted disillusioning and her face turned a bit darker. Despite all the layers of make-up, which in Haymitchs opinion just made it worse, he could see it. „But I didn't expect anything else from a drunkard like you."

She stepped back while she spoke and waved with her hand in front of her nose, seeking help. His scent seemed to displease her too.

Haymitch glanced at the only clock in his house. „You're over-punctual, Petunia", he declared and scowled at her. „A little bit odd, don't you think? After all we both know how much you love spending your time with me." Suddenly his lips formed a wicked grin and he opened his arms in her direction. „Or did you change your mind?"

Petunia boiled with rage, Haymitch could say with certainty. When she made a face, her wrinkles always jumped in his eyes, which he knew she tried to hide. To no avail. „You're disgusting", she squeaked and her capitol-accent grew even louder. She lifted her head and tried to stand as upright as possible.

Haymitch hadn't bothered tidying for Petunia. He never bothered tidying. When he did, then only when he was looking for something. A glance at his kitchen said it all. With a grin on his lips, he leaned against the doorframe. So broad, he was sure she wouldn't walk past him.

„Take a shower, Haymitch", she ordered. „And look for something … due to wear. I am awaiting you in the justice building in ten minutes. If you don't show up, you'll be in for it." With those words she passed by, almost running. It was the opposite of what he'd been expecting her to do. Only the despicable sweet scent of her perfume was left in his room. Her antipathy towards his house seemed to be worse than the antipathy against him.

oOo

Haymitch didn't know how he made it to the justice building without an incident. The alcohol didn't leave his body yet, and with every step he took a piercing pain in his head let him wince. Instead of entering the justice building through the main door, he used the back entrance. The less people saw him the better.

Shortly afterwards, he was standing in the middle of a long hallway and asked himself where his unbearable escort might wait for him. A moment later, she was already walking down the hallway from behind.

„See? There we go", Petunia remarked and gave him a lofty look. She still wore the same ridiculous dress that she'd worn earlier, and stood at the end of the corridor. She must've come out of the rooms behind the corner. While she beckoned him over, her long earrings bobbed up and down.

The grin had already left his lips on his way to the justice building, and he felt miserable. Haymitch was tired, drunk, and ran out of steam to escort those two miserable jinxes of the upcoming reaping to the Capitol. „Can't you even read the clock no more out of sheer stupidity?" For a brief moment he thought to turn on his heels and leave.

Petunia, who in his opinion had to be much older than the official age of an escort allowed, seemed to figure him out soon enough. „Don't you dare, Abernathy." Then she suddenly stood right next to him and cut her nails in his upper arm.

She dragged him through the corridor and began to babble something, but Haymitch had already turned his head off. He didn't bother listening and just blindly lurched after her.

„Haymitch? Are you even listening?", Petunia's shrill voice droned at his ear. Haymitch jumped in a growl and freed himself from her grip at once. His nose couldn't bear this perfume any longer.

Haymitch coughed and made two long steps into the room. It wasn't a long room, but wide. Opposite the door was an empty fireplace made of stone. The floor was covered with thick carpets and a couch stood in the middle, its back showing in Haymitch's direction. The mayor was there, talking with some people on the left. He didn't know them and didn't care. Some Avoxes ran around, as some peacekeepers and a worker form Twelve did. „How can anyone surrounded by this scent concentrate at all?", he muttered louder than intended.

Mayor Undersee turned and gave him a welcome-nod. „You're an ignorant fool!" While his voice had just been heard by Undersee, Petunia made all the people turn around.

„You know, dragon, I'm really asking myself when we started to call us those pretty little names", he gave back and threw himself on the couch.

„I beg your pardon?", she snapped at Haymitch, but instead of planting herself in front of him, like he'd expected her to do, she stayed calm. „Well, like I just said, you will keep yourself together, got it? You won't make it any harder for her. Starting this job is the most exclusive honor, but very hard at the beginning. Especially when you get assigned to a district like Twelve."

Haymitch felt the urge to punch her. Normally, he didn't punch women, but for Petunia he would willingly make an exception. He needed a moment until all the rest soaked into his head. „Wait … who the fuck is she? What the hell are you talking about?"

„You're a disgusting man", Petunia hissed and stroked a single curl of her god damn wig behind her ear. „I go into retirement. Someone new will continue the business of District Twelve's escort. It was a great honor, which had nothing to do with you, but with all the priorities the Capitol offered me. And now, it's time to clear the way for our younger generation!" Her eyes sparkled and the smile on her lips looked awkward.

But the joy over her retirement was all the better. „Thank god, Snow has finally recognized that you're way too old and ugly for this job", Haymitch exclaimed and got up from the couch to stand in front of her. He wanted her to see every bit of his happiness about the news she just shared with him. „A pity that from now on I will have to make another Capitol bitch's life a living hell."

„Right on cue, I guess", a soft female voice said, before Petunia could bitch him out.

A bit stunned, Haymitch turned to the voice, which came right from the door. A young woman stood at the door. At least he believed she could've been young under all that crap covering her face. And however, he could still catch sight of her facial features. She wore less make-up than Petunia, which made her look more natural, although Haymitch wasn't sure this term could be used on any woman from the Capitol. She also wore a wig, light pink, but without any accessories. The dress was definitely not as flamboyant as the cleaning rag Petunia wore. Rose silk falling along her hips in gently levels. Some black details on top. Nothing more.

The woman approached them with a big smile and somehow Petunia seemed to relax a bit. But she managed to give him a last warning glance. This had to be his new escort then.

She came to a stand in front of Haymitch and hold out her hand. Even with high heels, she had to be at least half a head smaller than him. „Good morning, my name is Effie Trinket. I'm going to be District Twelve's new escort from this year on", she said calmly and with a little too much enthusiasm. Her blue eyes beamed at him and for a moment, he couldn't do else than staring at her.

When Haymitch didn't take her hand, but kept staring, Effie slowly got nervous. She had no idea how to behave towards people from the districts, and she had been thinking this gesture would've made it. A bit unsure, she darted him a glance.

Haymitch, who finally noticed he was staring, made short work with his manners and shook her hand briefly. Her hand was surprisingly soft, completely different than he had expected it to be. He cleared his throat. „Haymitch Abernathy", he grumbled.

A small smile played around her lips. „I'm looking forward to a good collaboration."

He had to laugh at her hopeful words. „Don't imagine too much, sweetheart", he said quickly to set things right from the beginning. „I'm only here because your damn Capitol forces me. I can neither help you nor the kids. As long as you mind your business, I won't make you any trouble. End of story."

Effie looked at him in disbelieve. Her eyes briefly went to Petunia, who made no move to say anything. Then her shoulders tightened, and she arranged herself totally upright and in full size. „Don't worry, we will arrange things just perfect. We have some days at last to discuss our strategy", she sweet-talked him and nodded with a bright smile.

Now it was Haymitch who examined her, taken by surprise. She might be a tender person, slim and petite, but he noticed at once this was just the calm before the storm. Her voice was friendly but left no room for arguments. He teared his hair, sighing.

While Petunia and Effie perused the schedule again and again, Haymitch wandered through the rooms and watched the Avoxes, who were busy working. The Capitol's methods to silence people were best-known. They didn't need the Avoxes as example, but they needed people to manage the hardest and most unbearable work.

„Don't you prepare for the reaping?", a soft voice brought him back to reality. He had been spaced out and hadn't noticed Petunia and Effie finishing their work. Haymitch needed a moment to realize that Effie was serious about her question. How the hell do you prepare for a fucking reaping?

„No", he retorted harshly and turned his head back to the Avoxes, who threw him irritated glances. What the hell did this woman think? Only because the citizens from the damned Capitol watched out for every trifle, they didn't do so in the districts as well. People from the Capitol just had too much time because they didn't have to accomplish anything to the system.

Effie didn't seem to notice his bad temper, or she was just very good at hiding it. She gave him a bright smile and squeezed the clipboard to her chest. „I have some questions relating to the search for sponsors", she began to talk and Haymitch wanted to turn off his head because her talking drove him crazy already. „How did you and Petunia proceed until now? She just informed me to discuss that matter with you because it belongs to your responsibilities."

Haymitch couldn't believe that Petunia hadn't told her anything about their proceeding. Although, it would have of course been very embarrassing, having to admit that they had never been proceeding at all. „Sweetheart, I understand it's your first year. You think you can change everything into better, but hold on a second and give my words a serious consideration." He paused briefly, reassuring to have her full attention, because he wouldn't repeat himself twice. Her wide blue eyes riveted on him, and for a moment he felt pity for her. „This is District Twelve. We had one victor and that's me, but there won't ever be any other victor because the people here sooner starve than willingly win the games. It wouldn't be an honor to come back as a victor. It's just a disgrace, okay? Go and make the bare necessities, don't care about it because you'll be the only one to care." He went poker-face, turned on his heels and strutted to the couch. From the other side of the room, Petunia gave him a murderous look.

„But you can't just abandon all hope", Effie almost called after him. „That'd be incredibly regardless and selfish. We're here to help the tributes not to leave them to their fate."

Why wouldn't she get that? You couldn't help the jinxes who had to go into the arena anyway. Their fate had already been sealed. But those from the Capitol thought otherwise about it. They didn't know better. She didn't know better. She was clueless. The Capitol had brainwashed her. For her, the whole world was carefree and happy.

Haymitch shrugged his shoulders. Let her fall flat on her face when she thought she could handle it all. „I'm sure you don't mind to care about it all on yourself then", he said bluntly and faked a smile. A bad imitation of hers. It looked more like a sad grimace.

What do you think about the first chapter?