Guide: Y/N (your name)

L/N (last name)

h/l (hair length)

h/c (hair colour)

f/c (favourite colour)

The sky is cold and grey the day of the reaping. I open my eyes sleepily before shutting them tightly them again. Maybe if I just wish hard enough, this will all be a dream and today won't be reaping day, I think. I wait a few minutes, but eventually come to terms with the truth that today, is in fact, reaping day. I have no younger or older siblings to worry about getting reaped, but I have my two best friends Katniss and Gale to think about. I have known the pair since I was twelve. I met them in the woods, where they appeared to be talking about hunting snares. Snares weren't something I was particularly good with, but I could hunt just fine with my axe.

 And of course I have to ponder that today is Prim's first reaping. Sweet, innocent, kind Primrose Everdeen who is just too good to be true. I'm not all that worried about her though, it's only her first year and Katniss refused to let her sign up for the tesserae, unlike her, Gale, and myself. The three of us have been signing up for the tesserae every year since we became eligible. We have to, it's the only way we can support our families. Gale's got his three younger siblings and his mother. Katniss has her mother and sister and I've got my mom only. We all lost our fathers in a mining accident when Katniss and I were nine. I have always felt bad for Katniss, who's mother completely zoned out after her husband's death and left Katniss to do all the work by herself. My mother's reactions was completely different. She works herself to the bone to support us, but I always end up having to sign up for the tesserae anyways.

I sigh and slide out of bed, slipping into my hunting boots. I get dressed quickly and run out the door, saying a quick goodbye to my mother. I jog past the hob to the electric fence bordering the forest. I find the torn bit and listen for the hum that would indicate whether or not the electricity is on. When I hear nothing I lift up the broken bit of fence and slip underneath, just in time to see Katniss walking into the forest a few yards in front of me. I quietly run after her into the woods.

"Morning, Catnip." I greet. She gives a small smile.

"Morning, Y/N." she says quietly. 

"You picked up your bow yet?" I ask. 

"No," she says. "Have you picked up your axe?"

I shake my head. We continue walking until we reach the hollow log where our weapons were stored. We have to hide them in the woods, the peacekeepers would go berserk if they knew we had them. I pick up the axe by the heavy oak handle and she retrieves her bow. We trudge along in search of game for a while before we hear a sharp crack  to our left. I peer through the thick trees and spot a deer sniffing about, most likely in search of food. I jerk my head in the opposite direction of the clueless animal and she immediately nods in understanding. After years of hunting together she knew that I meant she would go wait ahead and I would go scare the deer in her direction. I see Katniss slink off towards a thick spruce tree about three hundred yards away. I run at the deer from behind and raise my axe like was going to throw it. The animal's eyes widen and it darts off straight towards Katniss who is lying in wait. When it thinks it is safe it stops and looks around, failing to notice Katniss who has her bow drawn. 

She is just about to release her arrow when I deep male voice rings out, "What are you going to do with that when you catch it?" 

The deer takes off into the woods leaving two frustrated teenagers behind. I spin on my heel to see a smirking Gale behind me.

"Damn you Gale!" I say in frustration.

"It's not funny!" Katniss adds with a scowl.

"Well seriously, what were you going to do with that?" he asks.

"We were going to sell it at the hob." I grumble unhappily.  

"To who? The peacekeepers? You shouldn't be doing that." Gale says. I frown, I don't like being told what to do. 

"Oh, like you don't sell to the peacekeepers." Katniss responds heatedly. 

"No, not today! Come on, deer's gone anyways." 

"Thanks to you." I grump as Katniss and I follow behind Gale to our spot. It is a small clearing on the side of all hill where we tended to just spill out everything that was on our minds at the time. It has become some sort of a landmark for us over the years. We meet here whenever we have something on ours minds or if we need the company of someone other than our family members. 

I let out a sigh of satisfaction as the wind blows through my h/l h/c hair. 

"Well to make up for the deer, how's this?" Gale asks, holding out a small loaf of fresh bread.

"Gale! Where did you get that?" I exclaim.

"Bakery, cost me a squirrel." He splits the bread three ways and hands me my piece with a wink. I blush. I don't do it because I like Gale, I do it because I am embarrassed and scared that he might like me. 

"Almost forgot!" Katniss says, beginning to dig around in her pocket for something. She pulls out a decent sized piece of goat cheese, which I can only assume comes from Prim's goat, Lady. She gives Gale and I our fare share and we happily dig in until I remember I grabbed something on the way out the door too. I pull a small bundle of grapes out and pass a few to both of them.

"Happy Hunger Games." Gale says.

"And may the odds be ever in your favour." I say, mimicking the capitol's silly accent in a mocking way. The capitol people's accents are so strange though, it's hard to mimic them and not sound mocking.

Eventually our trio parts ways and I return to my house.

"Y/N, I'm glad you're back. It's time to get ready for the reaping." my mother says when I walk in the door. I nod and she hands me a light f/c dress. I change quickly and my mom begins to braid my hair into boxer braids. (or if your hair is too short just leave it how it is) 

My mom steps back to look at me and I see her get a little misty eyed. "You look beautiful." she says. My cheeks heat up a bit and I look down at my feet. I glance at the clock on the wall. It reads 1:30 pm, meaning there is only a half hour before the reaping starts and I am either sent into the games or safe for another year. 

"We should head to the town square." my mother says with a dejected exhale.

"Yeah." I agree. We walk outside and into the street. It's more crowded than usual, the population of district 12 is about 8000, and about 2000 of its population are children. Adults hold on to the hands of the younger children while the older ones remain grim faced and silent. When we reach the square I let the peacekeepers take a drop of my blood and smear it on a card to ensure that I am present. 

"Go ahead." one says sharply, more of a command than an invitation really. Though I don't know what elseI expected from a peacekeeper. Its like some sort if sick roll call. I enter the group of 16 year old girls, Katniss squeezing in beside me shortly afterward. I spot Gale over in the eighteen year old boy's section and he gives me a reassuring smile. I do me best to return it but it turns into more of aa grimace.

You ok? he mouths. I nod and face the Justice Building where the capitol escort should be. After a few minutes Effie Trinket, this year's escort marches up the stairs to the building and turns to face the crowd of kids. She is wearing a pink wig and some sort of ridiculous hat to complement it. I wrinkled my nose in distaste. 

"Welcome, welcome, welcome!" she says in her obnoxiously cheery voice. "Happy hunger games, and may the odds be ever in your favour." 

My odds aren't horrible, I have entered my name a total of 24 times. 24 amongst thousands, my odds shouldn't be too bad. 

"Now, before we begin, we have a very special film, brought to you all the way from the capitol!" she says.

The same film that they show every year appears on a large screen in the square. A screen that will be used to watch tributes die soon enough. I think bitterly.

War, terrible war. Gale mouths the first line of the film. I laugh quietly and resume watching the film.

"I just love that!" Effie said when it finishes. "Now, the time has come to select one courageous young man and woman to compete for the honour of representing district 12 in this year's 74th annual Hunger Games! As usual, ladies first." Really more of a death sentence than an honour.

She reaches her manicured hand into the large bowl of female names and fishes around for a few agonizing seconds. 

Not me, not me, not me. I chant in my mind. Effie reads the name. It is not mine.

"Primrose Everdeen."

I think my heart may have stopped for a second. My eyes widen as I see Prim's small frame walk slowly towards where Effie Trinket is standing. I look to my right and see that Katniss has passed out. 

But no. This can't be right. This is Prim's first year. Katniss didn't let her sign up for the tesserae, her name can't have been in there more than once. No, it isn't right. Prim can't go into the games, she'll be killed on sight by the larger tributes. And so, I decided that I am right and this can't happen. With my heart sinking I speak the words that will change my life and even the course of Panem.

"I volunteer! I volunteer as tribute."

A/N So what did you think of the first chapter? I hope it was ok, I'll try to make it a little longer next time. I'm gonna go get started on the next chapter! 

Peace,

-Mystical Mockingjay