a/n: hey to those who read :) unfortanetly, no-one submitted a girl's name, or appearance in the review section. So I had to come up with the names myself. here is the tribute list:

3rd Quarter Quell: Tribute List:

D1: Beam (18)
D2: Mace (18)
D3: Camille (18)
D4: Lana (18)
D5: Suki (18)
D6: Maia (18)
D7: Nita (18)
D8: Aster (18)
D9: Calla (18)
D10: Iris (18)
D11: Ivy (18)
D12: Katniss Everdeen (17)

so yeah... I'll put this up and the end of each chapter when we get into the actual games, so everyone is clear of who dies.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games. If I did, I wouldn't be writing FAN-fiction.

CHAPTER ONE

"I am NOT helping her."
"Why not?"
"She stole my drink."
"Haymitch, it's just a drink. You can get more." I sigh. Haymitch grows angry.
"THAT WAS MY LAST DRINK! THE CAPITOL DOESN'T ALLOW ME TO DRINK!" he shouts. I sigh quietly.
"Haymitch, she was looking out for you. You can't blame her for being concerned," I answer honestly. Haymitch massages his forehead with his fingers.

"Sweetheart is a real piece of work. But I think she has lots of potential to win," Haymitch sighs. It's true. She's practically lived in the forest since Prim died a year ago. With her time in the forest, her archery skills, and her hunting skills, she's made for survival.
"Where is she?" I ask. Haymitch shrugs nonchalantly.
"Try the living room," Haymitch and I walk over to the living room to see Katniss writing quickly in a notebook and watching the other tribute's reaping and history. She sits cross legged on the couch with Effie by her side, fixing her makeup.
"Katniss?" I ask curiously.
"Hmm?" she asks, not looking up from her notebook.
"Whatcha got there, sweetheart?" Haymitch asks, plopping down on the seat beside the couch.
"Just notes on my competition," she answers nonchalantly. I raise my eyebrow at Haymitch. 'smart' he mouths. I nod back.
"That's good," I answer, sitting beside Katniss watching the screen.
"Oh, dearie! Show them the strategies you wrote down from your hunting trips!" Effie says gleefully. I've never seen Effie this excited before.
"Strategies?" I ask Effie. She nods happily.
"She's got pages and pages and pages of strategies that she could use! Katniss, dear show them!" she exclaims.
"I'm busy, Effie." She mumbles, still taking notes in her small, neat printing. Effie snatches the notebook from her hands, and wrestles it from Katniss' grip.

"Effie!" Katniss exclaims, trying to wrestle back the book.
"Oh dearie, there will be repeats of the reaping all night! Just show them!" Effie exclaims, handing me on the book. Katniss sighs and places the pen on her ear, still listening intently to the reaping. I flip through the book, and it's true. She's got pages of hunting strategies used by forest animals. Even animals that don't live close to here.
"Haymitch look," I say, handing him the book.
"Don't get liquor stains on that book. That's years of observing in your hands. Don't ruin it." She warns her eyes still locked on the screen. Haymitch takes the book, and flips through the pages, stopping at one particular page.
"what?" I ask.
"Sweetheart, lions don't live anywhere near us. Where did you get hunting strategies, anatomy and pictures of them?" he asks disbelievingly. My eyes widen.
"Lemme see that," I say, snatching the book from his hands.
"CAREFUL!" Katniss exclaims. I look at the quick sketch of the lion. It's incredible. There are sketches of the muscles, diagrams of the eyes, and precise descriptions of the fur of the thing. I've never seen a lion. It looks intimidating from the sketches. I flip through more of the book and see the same thing for animals I've never heard of. Orca Whales, Polar Bears, Cheetahs, African Wild Dog. Everything. There are even sketches of facial expressions. Did Katniss draw these?
"Katniss, did you draw these?" I ask, still looking through the book. Katniss nods.
"I had to learn how to draw if I wanted to keep up the plant book we have at home," she says, shutting the TV off.
"I don't think I can use most of the strategies myself though. Most of them require a pack of wolves, a pride of lions. They require a team." She says, taking the book away from me. She flips to the back pages where she has all sorts of sketches. I watch as the pencil slides across the paper quickly and accurately, lines starting to become ears, circles becoming eyes, meaningless shapes turning into paws. And before I know it, a long, lean big cat with a beautifully spotted pelt latching onto a deer-like animal's back appears on the page. Katniss smiles in satisfaction.
"This is a cheetah. It's the world's fastest animal. It can reach a top speed of 70 miles per hour in less than three seconds," Katniss says, starting another sketch.
"Well, wouldn't that kill the cheetah? That's like, break neck speed, and wouldn't it have trouble breathing?" Haymitch asks curiously.
"Well, no. A cheetah has a special ligament on its neck, connecting the head and neck to the spine. So her head stays straight as an arrow, it gives her optic image stabilization, and it keeps her head and neck protected." explains Katniss. "and she has a large nasal cavity, so she takes very effective breathes." She says her eyes still on the paper. I frown thoughtfully.
"Where did you learn all this?" I ask. Katniss hesitates.
"I can't tell you the entire story. But, I did have old books and old documentaries that my father found from before the Dark Days. That's where I learnt part of my knowledge," she explains, sitting back to admire her sketch. Another cheetah. A baby cheetah.
"That's a cub," she points out.
"Cute," I say, looking at the picture. It's so lifelike. I don't understand how she could get it so lifelike with just books and documentaries. Unless... did she see them?
"Katniss, how did you bring this here?" I ask curiously. She wasn't holding anything on stage. Katniss smiles mischievously.
"I hid in my shorts, under my dress. It's not a HUGE notebook, but I didn't want to leave it at home so..." she trails off.

"Well, sweetheart. What can you do?" Haymitch asks, getting into mentor mode. Katniss quirks her eyebrow at the sketch she draws. It's cute.
"Well, anything really. I know what plants to gather, I know a few basic snares, I can throw knives pretty accurately, and I'm alright with my bow," she says quietly, still sketching another animal. I raise my eyebrows. That's impressive. Haymitch nods thoughtfully.
"Well! Looks like we could have another luck streak of victors!" Effie exclaims. I almost forgot she was here.
"Sweetheart, you supply the meat of the district with your bow. You have to be top notch to sell to the butcher." Haymitch says.
"She is top notch!" I exclaim, watching Katniss glare at her unfinished sketch. "she always hits they eye! Every single time," I say cheerfully. Katniss busies herself with the sketch, and tries to look unconcerned, but the light blush gives her away.
She flips to the page with the tribute list on it, and she points out a chilling pattern.
"I'm the youngest." She says, her eyes scanning each of the girl's names. It's true. Next to her dainty writing, the number 18 is written next to all of the tributes.
"The rest are 18?" Haymitch says disbelievingly.
"Effie, turn on the TV." Haymitch says, still looking at Katniss in concern. Once the TV comes on, Caesar Flickerman's loud, booming voice echoes across the room.
"Can you believe it Claudius? The youngest contestant this year, is 17 year old Katniss Everdeen!"
"Yes, quite odd, Caesar. But it will give us some entertainment to see who she fares in the arena,"
"Yes, well, I'm sure we're speaking for the entire Capitol here, Miss Everdeen," he says, smiling broadly at the camera.
"may the odds, be ever in your favor."

Katniss, now you're DEFINITELY going to win this thing.