Hi! Sorry for ANOTHER restart… hopefully this is the last time! Anyway, onto the story!

PROLOGUE

Snow opened the envelope, and pulled out the golden card. "As a reminder that we all lost our loved ones in the rebellion, only siblings shall be Reaped."

We received the details earlier this week. A surname will be called out, and the oldest eligible child of either sex from that family will be Reaped. All the families who aren't eligible this year celebrate. Well, at least I already know who the tributes are. At least, I think I do. It's a bit of a long story. But it's engraved on my memory clear as day.


I couldn't help the fact that I was walking towards the train station to get a good view to wave goodbye to Katniss and Peeta for their Victory Tour. Not my fault. How was I supposed to know that President Snow. President Snow, of all people. I was the only one in the square when the hovercraft landed. A peacekeeper marched off, and called out to me.

"Hey! Come here, you."

Puzzled, I did so, an expression of distinct perplexion. An elderly man stepped out of the hovercraft, flanked by peacekeepers, wrapped in fur coats. How could I not recognise the face of our President. Which I did, by the way. Of course I recognised him. I curtseyed immediately, nearly falling over on the icy ground.

"What's your name?" The peacekeeper barked.

"Clem- Clementine Rose Baird, Sir." I watched Snow out of the corner of my eye. Something seemed to flicker across his face. Not sure what, though.

"Lead the way to Victor's Village."

I nod politely. "Of course. This way." I begin to walk steadily to the Victor's Village. The President follows me, walking between the Peacekeepers. Eventually, we fall into step. It is so, so awkward.

"Miss Baird. Do you know Miss Everdeen or Mr Mellark at all?" Snow's voice cuts through the sound of footsteps crunching on snow and breath misting up the air.

I glance up at him, startled. "A – a little bit, sir."

We carry on walking. We can see the entrance to the mines now.

"Do either of your parents work in there?"

"No, sir. My father is a carpenter. My mother mostly cares for my younger siblings."

"How many of them are there?"

"Six."

Snow looks very much surprised. "And do you look after them as well?

"Yes, sir. I also help my father after school, my eldest sister does too."

Finally! Finally! We reach Victor's Village.

"Please show me to Miss Everdeen's residence."

I lead him towards the elegant front door of the Everdeens' house.

"You can wait outside with the peacekeepers."

Then the door is slammed in my face.

It isn't long until Katniss Everdeen arrives, walking over from Haymitch Abernathy's house. I don't think she sees me sitting near the door, distracted by the three peacekeepers standing outside her house. She looks at them anxiously, knocking the snow from her shoes before stepping inside.

Several minutes later, President Snow exits the house. I stand up, curtseying again. He smiles thinly at me, and gestures for me to lead him back. I notice he looks around a lot. Other times, I observe that he stares at me for a minute, before looking away. He doesn't speak at all, until we reach the hovercraft again.

"Thank you for your service, Miss Baird. Would you perhaps like to be rewarded with a trip to the Capitol?"

I smile politely, suspicious inside. "Thank you, Sir, but I must decline."

"Oh, I meant in about 6 months time."

I immediately blanche, realising his meaning. His thin smile returns as he steps into the hovercraft and the door closes. I run.


And that, is how I know who the tributes will be this year. I don't even know what I did. My little brother and I will go into the Hunger Games. And so we have been training. I've always used knives. I make most of our food with my mother. And Lenore Violet, Fair Verdant, Raven Crimson and I used to go to the woods with Dad. We would bring some knives, and try and hunt with them. I never liked getting close. I got good at throwing them. Lenore Violet preferred to use them closer. We were complete opposites. Even in appearances. She had long, lovely dark hair. And I have hair that's almost as light as snow. That's a minor exaggeration. But it's very light. We were so close. Until a lynx turned up. I hate cats. I never went to the woods again. Never past the meadow. Raven Crimson, Fair Verdant and Dad kept going. I stuck to finding plants in the meadow. But then, after that awful, awful day, I went to the woods with them again. Fair Verdant is safe from the Reaping this year. So are all my other siblings. Except Raven Crimson. At 13, he would be one of the younger tributes. And he absolutely refuses to use a weapon. He'll do snares. He'll poison you with plants. He won't use a weapon though. So, that bit's up to me. As I walk over to the rabbit that I just hit in the neck, I smile slightly. I'm not good enough to hit the eye. But it's dead. Like I might be in just two months. Like Lenore Violet, four years ago, when a lynx mauled her to death.