A/N: I'm sorry Cloves last name is the same as Gales, I couldn't find a better sounding one. Also, this is not the Clove from the books, She just happens to have the same name. I do not own the Hunger Games, or any other things from the book.
Chapter one:
I wake suddenly, pulled from the nightmares I'd been having about the upcoming Hunger Games. I look out my window at the familiar landscape. I was one of the lucky one who got to stay in district 2. I know only one other person, Mitchell Howell, who got to stay. Why couldn't one of my friends, like Ella, have stayed? I remember playing kickball in the streets of the district with her as a little girl, but this is no more. I realize that I have to go and get ready, so I pull myself out of my bed and step into our shower. I let the water run over me, shivering a little. Today is one of the days were no hot water will run. After I can stand it no more, I jump out and put on some old clothes of mine. I walk downstairs and start the fire, getting ready the ingredients for my infamous breakfast stew, when I am startled by my mother, who is walking down the stairs. She stares at me for a second.
"You have to wear this!" She suddenly blurts at me. I see she is holding one of her most prized possessions, her old prom dress. I am puzzled for a second, wondering what she means, when I remember, you have to wear something mildly formal for the reaping. I am touched, and I am about to tell her so when my annoying brother, Garret, comes in. He is my age, with sandy blonde hair that refuses to stay in place, the oppisite of my rich brown locks.
"Why isn't breakfast ready?" He demands, sounding more grumpy than I've heard in ages. He normally isn't like this unless he doesn't get enough sleep. It doesn't take a genius to figure out why he couldn't sleep.
"It will be ready in a minute!" I tell him, sounding equally as mean.
W eat in silence, and me and Garret go and change to get ready for the reaping. I come out and notice that he is wearing an old suit of my dad's. Dad. The word almost brings tears to my eyes. Ever since the dark days, he's been off in some random district, 7 or 8, maybe, as a peacekeeper. I sigh and we walk off together to the center of the district, were we have to separate to sign in. I then wander off and wait for the ceremony to start.
After about a half hour of waiting, our tribute guide, Freya Montoya, Comes out to address the population.
"Welcome future tributes of Panem!" She says in the annoying Capitol drawl. "And may the odds be ever in your favor!" She has a bright pink wig, almost too bright to look at. She introduces our mayor, and he drones on and tells the story of the dark days, and how this is the punishment for the districts rebellion. He reintroduces Freya, and she beams and says, "Ladies first!" She walks over and reaches in a glass ball for the slip of paper that has the name of district 2's first female tribute. I look around and feel bad for the sucker that gets picked. Then I hear Freya shout with verve, "And our tribute is, Clove Hawthorne!" I numbly realize, that sucker is me!
I watch as there's a path that clears as I make my way numbly to the stage. I just stand by Freya as she goes to boys glass ball to pull out the slip, I'm glad that I can make my face void of emotion. I am just barley paying attention to her, looking out over the crowd, when her words jolt me back to reality quite harshly. She calls out the name "Mitchell Howell!" And I'm frozen. It seems the odds aren't really in my favor today at all. How is it that of all the boys, the one that I happen to know is called. I watch Mitchell come up, I see how tall he is, a good 3-4 inches on me. I also notice how much larger he is, he has to have at least 50 pounds on my small 98 pound frame, and I'm mostly skin and bone, and he's pure muscle. He comes to stand on the other side of Freya, and she smiles and shouts out, "District 2, your tributes, Clove Hawthorne and Mitchell Howell!"
We are then dragged by the peacekeepers into the Justice building.
We enter the Justice building, and are both escorted down different halls. I am led to a lavish room, complete with silk blankets on top of a rich plush chair. I sit and wait, not knowing what will happen now. I am startled by the entrance of my brother, and he rushes in and sits on the chair next to mine.
"You can't go!" He tearfully shouts at me, "You just can't!"
"I don't think I have a choice," I say reluctantly. "If I didn't have to, I wouldn't."
"Then you have to win," Garret is looking at me, deadly serious.
"I'll try,"
He goes to tell me something else, but there are peacekeepers dragging him out, and the door slams shut. I then sit there for what feels like hours, then a peacekeeper comes and escorts me to the train. I am bombarded with reporters the second I'm outside, but I keep my face an unreadable mask until I am on the train.