COVER BY -MEEKA

I'm running through thick, thorny bushes and brambles that prick my bare feet, while biting my lip, desperate not to give my position away to the Careers chasing me with their bloodthirsty lust. The harder I push myself, the more dizzy I get; it's as if the whole world world is spinning around in a very fast motion, purposely trying to push me off balance. A seering pain spears me through my stomach as I struggle to take a deep breath, and I let out a scream of agony. I feel though as if there was a slow motion button hidden somewhere in this horrid woodland arena, and someone pressed it to make the following turn of events pass much slower than expected. I plunge harshly onto the rocky surface beneath me as I let out another wail. I suddenly feel stiff and unable to move; no matter how hard I wriggle around, I'm still glued to the ground in a state of shock, numbness, nausea, and grave pain.

Although I'm still fighting to stay alive under my current circumstances of nausea and illusions, I manage to feel a tear slip away from my right eye as I take in my possible doom; the Careers will find me, they'll laugh at me, at my obvious pain, and they'll jeer away after making the final blow that'll end my life. I squeeze my eyes shut; I guess this is how it was supposed to be. I guess I was always destined to die in these Games; despite all my efforts to stay alive and win for my family and district, it turned out to be NOTHING compared to the years of training and arduous studying these Careers had to undergo. And I'll be left behind, forgotten by the grand majority, if not all, of the world, only remembered as the girl Career who tried to flee from her former allies in attempts to escape a gruesome death. The girl who never got to accomplish her main goal: Pride and riches for her district and a much better life for her family.

As I hear their footsteps circling around me, kicking dust and pebbles at my ear, I struggle to lift up my head and focus my eyes on the face of the head of the Career pack. I whimper in pain, unable to let a word out of my lips. Knowing now that I'm useless and helpless to their cause, the male lifts up a long, sharp sword and sneers at me. Before long, he lifts it over me and is plunging it down in my chest. I let out one last plead for mercy before I eventually jolt awake from my nightmare...

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I snap upwards from my bed, gasping loudly and hysterically, while my hands are frantically moving around to touch my surroundings. They end up getting a grip on my sheets, and my brain immediately reminds me that I'm not in a torrid, unfamiliar Hunger Games arena after all; I'm safe and sound, covered by the sheets and bed comforter that adorns my bed. I close my eyes for a bit, trying to get in large, helpful amounts oxygen in my lungs in order to stay stabilized and calm.

  Before I can clear anything in my head, I hear the soft groaning of my youngest brother, Zyaire, who is sleeping on the bed next to me, twisting and turning to get in a comfortable spot to continue his night slumber. I stop my hyperventilating and quickly hide myself under the covers. Mother would be here any moment, and if she saw me awake, she would be fretting all around me, asking me if it was another one of those nightmare -- more specifically-- nightmares of me losing the Games in the most brutal, agonizing ways. Yes, I've had plenty of those; in just five days, I've been mauled by three, hungry bears, stabbed slowly and repeatedly in the abdomen by a slim, blonde female tribute who had just happened to have won the 64th Hunger Games, electrocuted by a hidden pair of district 3 tributes, got my neck slit sadistically by another past Career tribute, and finally, tonight I have been stabbed once more, but in the chest. Of course, that was after I tripped and fell hard on that stupid rock.

  I sigh with utter impatience and narrow my eyes until they look and feel like they are glaring at something. I have been making a fuss over a couple nightmares, but I should have known first that there was absolutely no need for me to be scared or frightened like I was some lost kitty in the streets. I'm Madrigal Celi, a powerful, slender built district 4 citizen who had been fortunate enough to be able to enroll myself in the populous Training Academy near the center of our district. A girl who has committed herself in to nine years of arduous, laborious training so she could one day become an honorable, and a widely known competitor and victor in the Hunger Games. A girl who has already demonstrated her ferocity, prowess in weaponry, and her formidable essence to her fellow training partners back at the Academy. Surely, there was nothing, nor anyone, that could be strong and clever enough to outsmart and overpower me in a Hunger Games-- if I do end up getting the chance to volunteer that is. I'm one of the bravest, and the most clever warriors there is, according to a lot of people who tend to admire me in the district, including my own brothers and father.

  I grin all of a sudden, memorizing the daily competitions we would take part of in the Academy, as a benchmark to see who has truly progressed in the academy, and therefore who had the best chance at volunteering and winning. Of course, because of the relative location of my birth and childhood, I had plenty experience with water surrounding territories, and I was quite the fisher as well -- both qualities that would allow me to win almost every competition there had to be. I may sound smug and arrogant for saying this, but how could I deny it?- I was the best of the best. Someday, I would pass that on to my fellow brothers, who may be the only boys I would ever come close to actually loving and caring for, besides Arroyo, who is my best friend since day one.

  I glance at Zyaire one last time and find that he has finally gone out. I smile at him, even though he won't be awake to catch it, and I squirm under the covers, ready to continue my snooze. I hear footsteps coming up, making the stairs leading to our room creak loudly beneath her feet. Without wasting any time, I flop over to my side and shut my eyes close, making myself look like I'm in some sort of deep sleep until my mother passes by. Only, the hushed voice I hear near the door to our room is not our mother's. It's my other younger brother, Augustus.

  I snap upwards, confused as to what Augustus was doing up at this time. Did he have a nightmare like me? Or perhaps he was simply sick? Either way, I was getting frantic for him.

  "Augustus, what's wrong?" I asked him in a soft, yet in a firm, clear voice.

"Dri, we're needed at the square. Remember, we agreed to collect fresh fish for the people who work at the center of town in honor of the reaping! We can't forget..." Augustus explains quickly.

  I slap my forehead for being so forgetful. Of course! The fish! We were supposed to get up early anyway to collect fresh fish for the richer townspeople down at the main square of district 4, as a celebration after the reaping day. They will all have a feast consisting of cooked fish, rice, wine, juice, and other delicious, mouthwatering foods. I can't believe the event even slipped my mind! If I dont get a head start, I won't be able to collect enough fish for the townspeople before time completely runs out. So I nod to Augustus and thank him for reminding me. I playfully shove him out of my room and lock the door so I can have my privacy to change. Zyaire is sleeping, so I won't have to worry about him.

  I slip out of my nightgown and throw on a simple, solid colored shirt and a pair of shorts that fit me just right. I slip on a pair of slippers and grab a leather satchel that can hold just about anything a fisher needs: a hat, bait, polarized glasses, sunblock, a couple of first aid supplies, and a long string of rope that I can weave to make a tight enough net to trap fish and store them, like an elderly victor woman, Mags Flanagan, used to do. I pick out a long jacket that hangs losely on my arms and waist, and I run down the stairs as quietly as possible, careful not to wake up my mother or Zyaire. I take in this remarkable silence of early dawn; nothing is moving but my feet, and I can only hear the the creaking of stairs beneath my feet and the faint chirping of birds resting on some nearby willows. Thin strips of wavering sunlight bounce from the small windows of our gathering room and brightens the place a bit, which allows my home to not look so dreary and vacant, which is normal for an early dawn where I live. I skip over to the kitchen, which is where Augustus lies in wait for me with his own satchel and a small basket filled with delicious goodies to fill our bellies for the hours to come. He wears almost exactly the same outfit as me, but his jacket is more fitting, and it is jet black. He also wears sturdy ginger boots instead of the flat, comfortable slippers that I'm wearing. Either way, I do have to admit- like every time I see him in almost any outfit- he looks like the most handsome boy in the world.

  "Are you ready for some fun, little Ginger?" I ask with a playful smirk; that has always been his nickname for him, mainly for his flashing, colored hair, ever since he was just a baby duckling, maybe just around two years old. Eleven years more into the future, and the nickname still hasn't gotten old for him. Augustus flashes his brilliant white teeth in the form of a smile, a smile most of the girls at school simply faint at the sight of, and nods. "Ready when you are, Dri."

  I lead him outside the back door located in our kitchen and into the cool dawn that marks the beginning of our day. It's rained for a bit last night, so the grass still feels cold and moist on my feet, especially since all I've got is slippers. Nonetheless, I manage to easily make my way to a hidden storage room, which is where my fishing rods, extra money and possessions, and a bountiful amount of other goodies are stored just in case a break in were ever to happen. I grab two long, sturdy fishing rods and hand one to Augustus who stands behind me. After we double checked our satchels and picnic basket, I start on my journey to the center of town, which isn't so far from where we live.

  We live close to the edge of the left side of our district, but not close enough to get to the sea by foot. We are, however, allowed to go to the center of town, which is just a couple miles away, and take a boat to a designated Fishing Station, which is where Augustus, Zyaire, and I do most of our fishing. We could go to another spot closer to us that would suit our fishing needs, but the Fishing Station near town is much more nicer and vast, which gives us much more opportunities to enjoy our work while supplying the district with their needs and wants.

  We walk together, looking out for each other in silence, which is just fine by me, because I can do with silence after what just happened this morning. The thought makes me shudder, though nonetheless, I make myself shut up and realize that if I were to one day be in the Hunger Games, I wouldn't be fleeing from my fellow Careers in fear; I would backstab them and flee with all their weapons and supplies before they realize who the real threat of the Games would be. I smirk. I just couldn't wait any longer until tomorrow, which is where I'll learn which fortunate girl would be chosen by our training officials and mentors for the honor of District Four's female tribute. I instinctively look at Augustus, as if I were expecting him to read my thoughts and say something back. He gives me light smile, and my eyes catch his fingers fiddling softly with the string of the fishing rod. I return the smile and look out again. One day, Augustus is going to make a fine tribute, and with the help of the Capitol, he'll definitely come home as a victor, giving pride to our district once more. I only hope Zyaire feels the same way in the future...

  I get all lost and tangled up in my thoughts, that I nearly miss the opening to the center of town, which is obvious of telling since the mayor's grand mansion resides there. It is just the touch of Augustus' hand on my shoulder that I awake from my state of thinking and realize that we finally arrive. The soreness of my calfs and ankle are good indicators as well.

  We stop to wave and greet passersby who smile and giggle upon seeing us. They compliment us, describing us as "a radiant sun, a beauty to the whole of Panem." Augustus puts his hands behind his back and smiles sheepishly   at the citizens who have complimented him. The shiny gleam in his eyes is enough to tell me, however, that he is pleased with this wave of compliments and remarks. I, myself, am more than happy to gratify my beloved admirers and say something nice back to those I think who deserve it. I feel so relaxed, so...safe. I have a vast amount of people who care for me and my family here, those same people who are willing to risk and do anything for our sake. I think it began with my father, who was an extremely experienced fisher and hunter; he played a major role in our district, always ready to help others in need, and quite the icon for many pretty, preppy ladies who dwell here. I'm sure my father had plenty of dates with some of these ladies before getting to know my mother. Tall, slender, brunette, shiny soft wavy hair, fair smooth skin, amber eyes- she was a total queen, through and through. Thanks to her and my father bonding, they were able to create and raise very beautiful children, each with one of their special, distinguishing qualities: I with my mother's hair and eyes, and my dad's amazing skin that can tan easily and stay tanned and toned for a long time. Augustus has the same skin as my father's, and the same eye color complexion and hair as him too; brown with green shades and ginger hair, followed by my mom's softness of hair. Finally, the baby of the family, Zyaire, has the familiar stocky built of my father, and the wavy brunette hair of my mother. Together, it's like we are the most popular, pretty trio of siblings that has had to exist in district 4 up until now. I don't know exactly why, but I can't help but feel proud of myself for this.

We finally get to a boat station, which is where we decide to take a seat on a bench and rest our tired, sore feet and wait for the coming boat to take us to our fishing spot. We look at the ground, not saying another word, until ten minutes later or so, which is when Augustus finally turns to me and whispers my name.

"Are you thinking about volunteering for this year's Games?" He asks. By the way he talks and looks at me with those intense brown and green eyes, it becomes obvious how he tries not to let his face break with sadness and fear. He is trying his all to remain composed and brave for his dear, bigger sister, and all I can manage to do is sigh and scooch closer to him. I shouldn't be so impatient or bothered by his question, but why does he worry so much? Has he suspected that I might have been awake this early because of a nightmare? If so, how could he be so sure that my nightmare touched on the topic of the Hunger Games? Besides, he knows I can handle anything and everything that is thrown at my way just by the skills and fierce, formidable presence I establish to my fellow training mates and people who dare to test my skills. I'm top student, and he knows this very well; surely, there should be nothing to worry about?

  Oh, well, he is only thirteen. I can't expect him to feel as confident and prepared as I am. Besides, he still has years of training to go before becoming an excellent warrior and master in combat, weaponry, and a shrewd, wise survivalist like I am; it's not as if they are going to pick him to go into the Games yet, both for his lack of experience and age.

  So, in a soft, soothing voice, I say, "Fear not, little brother. These Games are the chance to prove you are worth everything you are, the skills, the brawns, the brains, every little thing that has blessed you up to this point. If they choose me to go out of all the female volunteers, you can have the full satisfaction that I won't be returning home without the promise of riches and pride to our district."

  "Yes, but what if you lose? What if there are tributes stronger than you? You mustn't underestimate anyone, you know," he timidly replies.

  I scoff at this. "Oh please. Who would be the most fortunate enough to have the same looks and skills as your sister? I don't think anyone could compare to me at this point," I reply softly, holding back a grin of amusement.

  Augustus sighs and looks down with a defeated look. "Maybe."

  He doesn't say anything after that. That is also fine by me.

We spot the boat rocking this way towards us and I'm up, beckoning Augustus to hurry up and hop on board. As the rower rows the boat, I take a moment to look around myself and admire the crystal blue waters that are rippling below, pushing us slowly towards the wide Fishing Station that lays only a couple yards away, if my calculations are correct. The sun is now fully rising, and an intense heat showers me and Augustus, whilst illuminating the the soft waters below us, increasing its greatness.

  "Augustus, make sure to put on some sunblock if you hadn't already," I gently remind him, but one cheeky smile from him tells me that he has already done so while I was fixing myself upstairs. Clever Augustus.

  We stop at a white deck shortly afterwards. After thanking the commander of the boat, we hurry and put on life vests and grab some bottles of water and extra fishing hooks, just in case if we needed some. We scan the area quickly in search for a good boat, and gratefully, we were able to spot a medium sized white one with white wooden oars and a rope attached to it. We hit the seas as soon as we launched from our boat.

  Fishing is all about patience. It takes hours and hours to find yourself plentiful fish to feed a group of over two hundred something people living in the center of town. That's why it is always careful to have the right amount of bait and sunblock on, or you will be receiving sunburns that will sting you every time you cast your rod into the sea. It is also quite comforting to have a fishing partner to tag along with you. I quickly realized that my perfect fishing partner was none other than Augustus, after realizing his passion for the outdoors and aqua related activities. His build also makes it easy for him to haul big fish, such as billfish or large tuna.

  After a couple of small debates on whether to keep reeling fish and how much bait we would need to fish out the rest of our game, we decided by nearly early noon to head out to a picnic area and to eat our brunch. Looking at the huge buckets of the varieties of fish laying around, I think it is safe to say that we deserve our cheese and veggie sandwiches. After cleaning after ourselves and drinking the rest of our refreshing lemonade, we return to the FishHub, a small marketing place where you can sell or trade your fish for food, possessions, or more earnings for you and your family. We each borrow a wagon and haul our fish on them, rolling them around town receiving looks of admiration and suprise at the delicious fish we caught for the grand feast. Augustus and I smiled proudly; this feast was going to be a good one this year, for sure!

  A couple of minutes later, and we are already at the FishHub, explaining our fishing trip with details, even the conflicts me and Augustus had to come across, like the wriggling fish that managed to get away from our boat, or the intense heat that kept blinding our eyes from view. In the end, the head of the market, Minnow, praised us for our hard work and, in return, gave us their half of the deal, which was a lot of money to take home back to our mother and Zyaire. Okay, so we already had a lot of money, but a little more can't possibly hurt anyone?

  I turned around to say thank you to Minnow before me and Augustus started rushing down with our satchels and basket, excited in presenting our family with our little reward for being cooperative children to our district. It is halfway down the path when we realize that if we don't pick up the pace, we won't have time to train at the Academy today. I smile and take a deep breath; I'm relieved by the sound of the sea and the sweet serenade of the birds who rest on their willows. The breeze feels just fine today, and when you combine this with the excitement of the final assessment today at the Academy, this full on encourages me to run faster than I have ever run before.

  "Come on, slow poke! Don't want to be late today!" I joke to my little brother, but nonetheless, I think I might have left him behind. I only hear a faint call before I resume to take off for miles to come.

  Upon arriving to our small little town near the corner of our district, I stop to take some deep, relieving breaths. I turn around constantly in search of Augustus, who is no where to be seen. I don't panic like most people do; he's a fast runner, so I can trust him to get to our home and to the Academy on time. I walk past shrubs and thick bushes until I come across the hidden storage of our house. I swing the door open and return the fishing pole. I run into the house, putting down my satchel of fishing materials and quickly run upstairs to put on a shirt that resembles my Training Academy; a sea blue shirt with two, long silver swords crossing each other with the words, Hunger Games Swordfish, to wear for our final assessments. If we pass, we will be crowned the title of "viable volunteers" for this year's Games. We will have the honor to stand up on stage along with our mayor, escort, and the heads of the Training Academy as they begin the introduction of the reaping ceremony. After the film explaining the Hunger Games finishes, the principal of the Academy, Sir Breyton, will choose one of the volunteers up stage based physical performance, which is basically appearances, our knowledge on helpful tactics and survival skills, and our mastery with weapons. I dearly hope the name chosen out of the pool of volunteers is me. I was close. Very close, indeed, for countless number of times, but I wasn't able to pass the assessment because there was always a group of trainees better than me. But today will be different. I will be amongst the volunteers this year, and I will be the fortunate chosen one. Most importantly, I will be victorious.

  This mindset is what helps to keep myself walking on two feet, despite the intense soreness that tempts me into grunt aloud in pain. I keep a straight face on, not willing to let any hints of weakness leak onto the surface of my face. I know for a fact that nobody is looking, but you have to be in shape no matter where you are; there will be hidden cameras in the Hunger Games to watch your every move even when no one is around, so you can't be too soft or too confident when by yourself. Still, I take a couple breaks to rest my feet and wait on Augustus, who can barely keep up at this point.

  "Dri...you run so fast," he says between pants. "I can't keep up with you, you run as fast as lightning!"

  I chortle, taking in the new coming compliment from my own younger brother. This day has sure been full of fishing and compliments; it makes my insides bubble with excitement for the days that have yet to come!

  "Why, thank you, little Ginger. You don't run so bad yourself. Shame your big sister gave herself a little headstart, huh?" I tease him, and laugh once he puts on a grumpy look on his adorable face.

  "It's not fair. But it doesn't matter, because one day, I will be way faster than you," he says, his grumpy expression slowly turning into a sly one. In a blur, he taps my shoulder and yells out, "You're it!" as he sprints through the grassy plains. I spring up on my feet and huff sharply. I do not know why, but I feel utterly embarrassed by his actions, and I feel the need to take revenge for myself. So I completely ignore the pain prickling my legs and start a chase across the plains until I can finally reach Augustus.

  My mind is racing with the continuous chanting to catch up to Augustus, who is now a few yards away; my feet slowly start to give in after five minutes, but I don't care. I become so entangled with this new ambition and goal in my mind, that I somehow seem to have forgotten about where I was, why I was where I was, and the events that have occured and have yet to occur. It is only until we reach the end of the grassy plains that I see a huge, brick building towering over Academy trainees as they sprint into it, and it is then that I realize the real reason why I was heading here in the first place. Augustus stops to turn around and smirk at me.

  "Guess today was finally the day, huh?" He says in a breathy voice.

  "No fair. You got yourself a headstart," I retort.

  "So did you. And guess what, you still lost!" He jeered while a cheeky smile spread on his face. "Well, I'm going to head inside now. It's a good thing the younger kids go last, or I'd be late!"

  Late?

  Late!

  I widen my eyes in horror as I imagine all the time I have wasted playing games with my brother. I dash  past Augustus in a matter of seconds, desperate to find the group of sixteen year olds still waiting patiently in a line as instructors call on trainees for their assessments.

  Instead, the last of the sixteen year old trainees are leaving the assessment room, followed by the voice of our head instructor that confirms the end of our assessment period.

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↳hello, hello, hello! i hope you all enjoyed the first chapter of this fanfiction i have been inspired to write after much guidance from other fanfiction in the hunger games universe! before you go, who is your favorite character so far? what things can you pick off from them right away? stay tuned for chapter two!

Word Count: 4,870