Today at the start of dawn it is just as dreary as always in district 12, but the weather is perfect for hunting not much wind and lots of cloud. Let's hope the game is good today. I grab my old fur lined jacket and thick soled boots before leaving the little hut we live in. I was astonished when we arrived that this is the thing people lived in, but soon that feeling went away when I realised I was one of them now. I walk up to the fence and wait to listen for the hum of the electricity but nothing comes. I knew that steps away but better be safe than sorry, my father had my hearing and eyesight strengthened when I was younger, as he was worried something like this might happen.

That's when I see him, Katniss Everdeens 'cousin' Gale. We hunt regularly together, both getting better game when we do. At first we were both very weary of each other, as we knew that neither should we be in the woods as it is punishable by death. I had been following him when I seen him shoot down a 70kg deer with a single arrow. He was cursing loudly, mostly about the Capitol and snow, but I couldn't help laugh a little, he looked like a child have a tantrum. He quickly looked up and seen me, he wasn't frightened or if he was it didn't show, he marched over to me sizing me up as he came closer.

When he came to me I was debating running away or not, but I looked into his eyes and seen the hurt and anger he had, and then I knew we would be friends as he was like me. He hated the Capitol, and everything that it did and I was the exact same. It took weeks for gale to open up to me, first he would tell me small things like his favourite colour or who to go to for the best deals, but lately he has been telling me the most personal of things. I have do likewise.

Even though I have the lightest of tread, gale has hearing like a hawk, and I knew he could hear from miles away.
"Hey, Caz" says Gale without glancing my way.
"Awh damn you Gale, thought I was walking quietly for once"
" not quiet enough this time" gale rarely smiles and when he does, he slightly curls his lip and looks into your eyes for a brief second, but that's enough for me.
" I saw on the way over that the strawberries are blooming, want to go pick some?"
" that sounds great, we can sell them to Madge. Do you want to practise archery today?"
"If we must" I say with contained smile, even though my aim is much better I still can't beat Gale which I say is impossible, unless you are Katniss Everdeen. Gale has been teaching me for months now on how to use a bow and arrow as well as snare building which I then teach my siblings. In return I have taught him the basics of knife throwing which I learnt at a field trip to the tribute training centre with the school in the Capitol one time.

I knew that me or my siblings would have a high chance of being selected for the games, so I started preparing. The knowledge I got from Gale about plants and berries was brilliant to teach Lilly and Harry and as they grow up I will continue to fill their minds with information without them even knowing. When they are a little older I will start to teach them weapons but not before they are old enough not to tell anyone else about it.

As the sun is almost fully up in the sky we decide to call it a day, and head back to the fence before more peacekeepers are up. Several do know about our hunting as we sell our products to them but others don't and I would prefer not to be publicly executed any time soon.

I hurry home with the game in my hunting bag, when I reach there my siblings are just waking up.
"Where have you been Cassandra?" Asks Lilly
"It's Cassie remember, and just out for a walk" I reply " go wash your hands and call your brother for breakfast please"

As Lilly rushes off I start to prepare the food, we have got some mint leaves for the tea as well as some pigeon stew from greasy sue, which I traded some deer elf for. Greasy Sue is like a second mum to me, she knows and understands where I came from and hasn't judged for shunned me for it. I respect her highly, so our trades are always very generous to each other.