A/N- This chapter is completely written as our mystery old woman explaining everything to Brooklyn, I thought I'd dedicate an entire chapter to it so I could go into lots of detail, Enjoy!
Chapter 3, the explanation (sort of)
"25 years ago Katniss Everdeen and her husband Peeta Mellark passed away, it was odd really, they both died from a sick bug that just completely wore out their old bodies. This is significant as Katniss was the symbol for freedom and rebellion." She paused. "I just recalled that you have no idea what she was rebelling about, I'll go from the very beginning I suppose, or as far back as I can recall. I wasn't alive for long when they stopped. There were games broadcast every year across the country called the hunger games. Panem, which is the name of said country, is split into 13 districts, although the 13th didn't exist at this time. Each district is just an area of Panem that does a certain job for the Capital which is where all the lucky people live, they weren't a district so they observed the hunger games but did not take part" I nodded just to show I was following so far and that she needed to keep explaining. "So once a year each district would have one girl and one boy between the ages of 11 and 18 chosen at a reaping ceremony. These 'tributes' as they are referred to were then taken away from their district to the Capital, they trained for 2 weeks and then went into an arena. These arenas were deadly for the 24 tributes and could be awfully harsh conditions, they gave up on that though when they kept dying from nature not other tributes killing them."
My mouth fell open "Oh didn't I mention, the aim of these games was to be the last one standing. 24 went in 1 came out, they would be a victor and would live in luxury for the rest of their life. Although that didn't happen all the time. So these games went on for 73 years successfully killing 23 children every year until the 74th year. What was already surprising that year was a volunteer from district 12." I didn't understand what that meant but she must've picked that up "That's where you are now dear, each district had a number and the higher the number the less friendly the Capital was with you. District 12 was a very poor district and it never had volunteers until my previously mentioned Katniss Everdeen. She volunteered to stop her younger sister having to go into the games. Names were pulled out of bowl really and it was almost always final when your name got called at least in district 12."
She stopped for a minute and started to have a hacking cough. I offered to find her a glass of water but she turned me and down and kept going. "But Katniss was never one to follow the crowd, Peeta Mellark was the chosen boy tribute from district 12 that year and basically at the end of the year they were the last 2 left in the arena and threatened to commit suicide rather than one have to kill the other, the Capital couldn't have no victor at all so they let them both win. And that was the start of the rebellion. Go forward a year Katniss and Peeta ended up back in the arena again but I'm not going into that. A rebellion started in district 13 which had apparently been there in entire time and Katniss stopped the hunger games and peace was restored to Panem. Well that's what we thought until those 25 years ago when Katniss and Peeta passed away, the rebellion was gone and the capital took control all over again. They even reinstated the Hunger Games. It's been like that for 22 years now. We're onto the 97th games this year. District 12 is running out of tributes of the right age. The hunger here is even worse than when the capital was first around and now we are here. And you are our last hope. I did it. I brought you here."
I looked at her absolutely terrified. "We need tributes every year or they will lower the age and district 12 will die out. I called you in with some technology my father saved from our golden age. Don't ask about it as I hardly understand it so you have no hope child, just know that I have called in you and another who shall be our male tribute, he's from the same time as you. He should be arriving shortly but for now you can stay here. Sadly you will almost definitely end up in the arena but you are here for the greater good. This the first time I've done this and I'm very sorry that you were the one the machine chose first but the fates decided and now we must face the consequences" She stopped and looked at me straight in the eyes "What is your name child?" I looked at her, I didn't want to tell this woman my name, and she had already done so much to me. But I blurted it out anyway "Brooklyn" I whispered, she raised her grey eyebrows at it. She stood up as if to dismiss me "Shorten it to Brook, it is what I shall tell the person who writes your name for the reaping" She left but just before she left the battered old house I raised my voice to say "What's your name?" I thought we could at least know that about each other "Taina, it's an old name for an old woman." She closed the creaky door behind her and I burst into tears from the whole horror of this situation.