Chapter Two:

The Wolves

"Stay. Stay. There you go little guy. Don't move. And - " SPLASH. "HA! Gotcha!" I pulled up my spear from the water and removed the beautiful bass and set it on the ground. "You're going to make a perfect dinner for us tonight." I said.

Fishing was one of the only things I enjoyed in my life. It erased all the bad memories and made me feel at least a little bit happy for a while. When you live in a country that enjoys killing off kids for entertainment, you take all the joy you can get.

I sat down on the ground and picked up the fish I had just caught.

"So what's your story?" I said. "How was your life? Did you have parents? Kids? I bet you had a better life than me. Sorry I had to end it so fast."

"Not talking to the fish again, are you?" My best friend, Boyd, came and sat down next to me.

"Sometimes it's good to have a little company." I said.

"Great, but I'm here now, so let's stop talking to the dinner."

Boyd and I had been friends for quite sometime. We seemed to understand each other better than anyone else, and we were a lot alike. We both had dark brown hair, blue eyes, and fishing was our passion. We also both lost a best friend to the Hunger Games three years ago.

"So how are you?" Boyd asks me.

"Fine." I say.

"Darcy, don't give me that. I know your not fine."

"Of course I'm not fine, Boyd! How can I be fine when I know what tomorrow is? How can I be fine when I know four years ago my best friend died because of what is happening tomorrow? How can I be fine when I know you could be next? How can I be fine?"

"Don't worry. Everything will be okay." Boyd said, but I knew they were just empty words. Neither of us believed them.

Boyd and I finished catching our fish and headed home as the sun was just starting to set.

"See you tomorrow." said Boyd as we parted ways to our own houses.

"Ya, see you tomorrow." I say as I turn around and head towards my house before any more bad thoughts can enter my mind. When I got to my house, I saw my sister, Amberly, except we call her Amber, through the window. I opened the door and saw she was watching the television and it looked like the mayor was speaking.

"What's he saying, Am?"

"Just the annual announcement about the Reaping tomorrow. Nothing new."

"Right. So where's Gram?"

"I think she's in the kitchen making some cookies and biscuits."

I go into the kitchen to where my grandmother, Gram, is. Amber was right, she is cooking some cookies and biscuits, all fish shaped of course."

"Hey, Gram."

"Hello, Darcy. Caught any good fish today?" she asks.

"A few bass and trout."

"Thats good. I'll get them started for dinner."

I gave Gram the fish I caught and went into my room. Gram is great and I love her, but sometimes I feel like I need someone else here with me. It's been so different since mom and dad died. They went off on a journey over seas five years ago and they never came back. We all thought they were shipwrecked until they washed up on the shore of District 3. No one knows exactly what happened, but we all think the boat sunk and they, of course, drowned. There's not much else that could of happen out at sea except getting eaten by a shark. Amber and I really miss them, but Gram takes good care of us. At least, she does what she can.

Gram, Amber, and I finish up our dinner, eat some of the cookies Gram had made, and then all got ready to go to bed. Tomorrow is a big day – the Reaping. One unlucky family will have to give up one of their loved ones to the wolves. The wolves that control the country of Panem. The wolves, more commonly known as The Capitol.