Before: Snow Wolves

Zara Fang District 2

-Three years before-

Snow. It was beautiful, winter, my favorite season. My birthday, the darkest day of the year, was soon. I loved the cold, the purity of everything, the white.

I had loved winter, until I was running late for home after training. Training had gone well, I had dual sword fighting, and beat Helen at it.

She now hated me, just like everyone else, because i'm more fit for the games than any of them. Except for Asher, my best friend, Zeke, my oldest brother, and Zakiya, my sister.

The games. I shudder, refusing to think. I remember the Victory Tour here. It had stopped here last. Jason Russell had won this years games, and was forever scarred. He had won by outrunning a landslide, and beheading the last tribute in an act of mercy. He was the newest occupant of Victor's Village, living empty.

I travel next to the fence, climbing the ice and snow covered rocks. It's become pitch black in minutes, and slient. I'm on the edge of the district. And looking through the fence I wonder what lurks outside this district. A rustle and a howl pierce from the trees.

I whip around. No peacekeepers. However... A form appears by the trees.

The eyes of the form target mine, crimson in color, blink twice. I cannot resist the gaze, unable to flee. It growls again, snarling, and one word registers as it jumps over the fence at me.

Mutt Its claws rip my coat and shirt and a scream. Me. I struggle against the wolf like creature, grabbing my sword. I somehow manage to grip it, but then with the snarls and claws on me. I thrust up, hopefully stabbing it's heart. It whines and howls in pain as I roll off, retrieving my sword from the now lifeless body. My left hand sheaths the sword and as adrenaline fades an unbearable pain al over my right side.

My jacket and shirt are in ruins, my arm and shoulder and angry and red...

Blood pours from my wounds, claw marks travel my arm, wrist, hand, shoulder and torso. All on my right side. Luckily, only a gash on the back of my hand from a sharp rock. I sink to my knees, movement is unreachable. It would be logical to die here, to avoid the distain of my district, and my family.

Tears stream down my face as the blood still pours from my wounds. My sister Zakiya, so innocent, and pure, looking to me for advice. Our parents are more distant than most and our brother, Zeke is older and never was close. Her Black hair and hazel eyes are the usual of the district. Wereas my appearance...

They wouldn't respect me now, but they might fear me over killing this mutt, this snow wolf with crimson eyes. Scars will make me different, and outcast. However, it wasn't like I wasn't an outcast now, outperforming the 18 year olds at 14. The tears stop, yet the blood still flows. I can barely walk, yet i will myself to stand. Victors Village is the nearest residence and also the most likely place a human would be.

My Black hair is matted with blood, falling down my back, bare and freezing. I force myself to move, slowly, to the enterance of Victor's Village. It feels like hours, but I make it, and lumber aimlessly to a front yard.

The house is full of light, and when the door opens with a fiarly familiar figure, I fall to my knees in the piling snow. Running, the figure reaches me and catches me as I collapse.

My vision fades as the red mist overtakes me, yet something reaches me.

"Zara." The voice, concerned, shocked.

Recognizing the voice wasn't hard. Jason Russell was saving my life. That was all I thought.

Not of the games that He played, nor the games I would be forced to play.

The Hunger Games were not something that I thought would be to restore my reputation, yet they would be to prove myself.

And to be with the one I love, The one that saved my life.

zara's story will continue in the next chapter! All rights go to suzanne collins