Author's Note: I would like to clarify a couple of things that I didn't when I rushed to publish this story. First off that little girl and her father was Katniss and Mr. Everdeen. They weren't officially introduced because Alabastor doesn't see it as important. Two this story is over 90% of the time going to be from his point of view. If it feels like things are being left out it's because he personally doesn't view it as important or doesn't notice it. Three I am not trying for some saint of a character. Alabastor is loosely based off of me and so he has a lot of my personality traits. He is going to have a lot of flaws as a character because he supposed to and also my character portrayal of Haymitch and Effie will start to change after a while because it makes sense since he will know them for the next nine years. Next Cashmere and Gloss will play important roles in this story to as they are both just a couple of years older than my character as the won the 63rd and 64th games and Alabastor is going to compete in the 66th games. I could have chosen Finnick as he would be the same age as my character but Cashmere and Gloss aren't used as much and I am curious to take what I know about their characters and explore it. Also Albastor doesn't have a complete knowledge of the story as he read the first book and three fourths of the second one and saw the first movie but any more than that and he is clueless.

Silence is all that was heard on the train as it started to leave the rundown station in district twelve aside from the sniffling of the seam girl next to me. Everything looked as I remembered it in the first movie. We both were seated at the dinner table waiting as Effie told us too while she went to track down Haymitch. Apparently in the Capital it is bad manners to start eating without everyone there. I'd imagine that Orchid listened because she was afraid as she hasn't stopped crying since her name was called.

Pathetic. I doubt she will even last past the bloodbath though I suppose she could be faking but I doubt that because her typical grey seam eyes are turning dull and empty as she seemed to accept her death slowly.

"Found him." Effie's cheery voice came through the train car as we both turned and looked as she came in with a man who could only be Haymitch. He looked somewhat like the actor who played him with the blond hair and blue eyes but most of the similarities ended there. He looked younger though as I'd imagine he'd be in his early 30s now. "Eat eat." Effie said after they had both sat down. Orchid immediately began to rummage through her food eating it all with her hands as I doubt she had ever been taught table manners or seen this much food before.

I had.

Just not in this life. I calmly with the table manners I learned in me last life began to eat but not too much as I didn't want all this rich food to make my sick.

Effie made a disgusted noise and said aloud, "That is gross. At least Alabastor seems to have manners." I rolled my eyes as both Orchid and Haymitch looked at her. Haymitch just quietly went back to his food and liquor while Orchid started to squirm self-consious and she finally said, "It is just I've never seen so much food before and table manners don't exist when your starving to death." Effie was taken aback and chose to ignore her in favor of her meal while I was also taken aback but for different reasons.

So she does have some sort of backbone I thought. Doesn't matter much as while I am not going to underestimate anyone but rather overestimate everyone, I am going to be coming back while all 23 others chosen this year will be dead and I will be alive.

My fascination with death still existed as I remember I watched someone die down in the seam because I was intrigued by it. Not enough to be a psychopath or sociopath. But enough to watch it when it was inevitable. I couldn't afford to do that in the arena though when I saw someone die or killed someone.

After I finished me light meal and took the cup of hot chocolate to sit on the couch I contemplated my strategy. I want to be underestimated by the careers and I don't want anyone to know me skills. I was so deep into me thoughts that I flinched when Effie touched my arm.

"Let's watch the recaps dears to see your competition."

The district one reaping came on and a twelve year old girl was chosen before a normal girl from district 1 volunteered. If she won she definitely would be forced into prostitution. Then a fourteen year old boy was chosen before a man of a boy volunteered. He was huge in muscles and undoubtedly over six feet tall which made my feel a flare of jealousy. I would never be a tall man in this life but thanks to malnutrition I was only 5'3 when I should probably be 5'7 by this point. He was extremely handsome but more in a pretty kind of way. DIstrict 2 had two volunteers like usual. The boy was tall and lean while the girl was tall lean as well. District 3 was normal except the thirteen year old boy chosen started to cry while the girl was looking confident. She would be one to look out for. District 4 had a male volunteer who was very good looking. Caesar even commented that he looked like the next Finnick Odair who won last year.

No Caesar he won't I thought. Because he will be dead soon. The girl reaped wasn't anything special

District 5-9 are nothing special except a boy from 6 looking really clever. District 10 had a 12 year old girl picked and a 16 year old boy. The boy looked like he will go far because he looked strong which the commentators agreed with. In district 11 the girl chosen from the 18 year old section is tall, full of lean muscles, and beautiful. The boy is nothing special. They show our district next and when Orchid's name is called she looks weak as she instantly starts to cry. Then the boy is called and I see myself volunteer. I look calm, confident, and ready.

"Ooh a volunteer from district 12." Claudius Templesmith exclaimed.

"A handsome one and confident too," Caesar added. "This is going to be an interesting year. I can't wait."

The reapings shut off and the room filled with silence until finally I looked over at Haymitch and said quietly and calmly, "So are you going to help us stay alive?"

He said nothing at first. He then grabbed his liquor bottle and took a drink. "Why'd you volunteer," His voice had a slight slur in it. Great he was tipsy.

"I wanted to have fun." I deadpanned. "Just kidding. It doesn't matter why does it? I can just say that I didn't want that little boy to die."

"I guess you're right. Either of you have any skills?", He asked.

"I am a fast runner," Orchid surprised us both by answering first. I honestly forgot she was there.

"That's good but running will only get you so far. On the training days learn how to wield a knife so you are at least familiar with a weapon. What about you?", He turned to me.

"I know how to throw a knife with about 80% accuracy, I can climb trees, run fast, and I'm pretty flexible for a guy," I responded. He looked surprised which was expected considering year after year he has been getting hopeless tributes. I thought I saw a glimpse of hope in his eyes before it quickly disappeared back to the drunken haze. What happened next would be funny for the next nine years. He stood up and fell straight down passing out. I bursted out laughing which got me a glare from Effie. We helped her drag him to his room and then she led us to our rooms for the night and left.

The room was simple. Well simple for the capital. It was luxurious for me though. I hadn't seen such luxury since my last life. I can only imagine how Orchid is feeling right now considering she had never seen anything like this before. The bed was softer than anything I had slept on for the last fifteen years. Least if I die I had experienced luxury like this right? Not really. I didn't much care for district 12 but it has been my home for the last fifteen years, so to see something like this that a capital citizen would take for granted, It filled me with pangs of anger. Not to mention the starvation issue in the districts while those in the capital most likely all had enough food on their plates and have never gone hungry. It was then in that moment I realized something.

I cared.

About the people in district 12. Even though I tried to not get attached to anyone and I wasn't close to anyone I still didn't want the people of my district to starve and die every year in the hunger games. I sighed and threw myself on the bed with a groan that was muffled by the pillows.

I just want to get all this over with.

Author's Note:Please Review with constructive criticism please. I want to improve my writing. Just please don't be rude about it.