Chapter 1:

The Morning

"Briar, wake up. I'm getting cold, and we need some wood," says my grandmother. Normally, I would reply with a snappy and witty comment, but since today was the Reaping, and my grandmother could possibly lose another one of her grandchildren again, I decide to be sweet and kind.

"Yes, Grandmama," I say sweetly back. I sigh and push the heavy, antiquated quilt off of my body, shivering when the cold air whooshes against me. When I get to the tiny and cracked mirror in the corner of the room, I pull all of my long black hair into a tight high ponytail. For a second, I linger by the mirror, and see a flash of my younger sister in my own face. Poor little Violet. How I missed her so dearly. It was only one year ago when she got chosen to be in a fight to the death on live television. I've felt guilty for not volunteering for her ever since, and have despised the Career tributes for what they did to my sweet little Violet.

*Flashback*

As I lay curled up on our old couch with my grandmother and mother, I saw Violet suddenly get grabbed from behind from one of the Careers on the games that were being televised. They dragged her back to their camp by the golden Cornucopia that was in the middle of the dense rainforest where the games took place that year. She screamed and struggled as the male tribute from two tied each of her arms to a tree. I began sobbing, thinking that if I had volunteered for her, she wouldn't be in that situation.

When I looked back up at the screen, I saw a bloody and battered Violet, hanging limply from where she had been tied up to the trees. The disgusting Careers were laughing and giggling at the helpless and harmless girl before them.

"That kill was way too easy," said a tall blonde girl from District 1.

"It's not a kill just yet. Oh no, the fun has just begun!" said the brute who had grabbed Violet before.

"I think this one's boring. She won't struggle or make noise. The other tributes won't know what we're doing if she doesn't make noise, and then we will be less menacing. Let's just leave her here to die, and find another one," said the short girl with short black hair.

"Yeah, great point, Natalia. Come on guys, let's go," said Natalia's district partner. They grabbed their packs and left the camp. Violet looked up slowly at where a hidden camera was, and whispered, "Briar, I love y-" Violet's last word was cut off by her suddenly ragged breathing, and then nothing. I heard a cannon boom, and threw myself at the television screen, screaming and sobbing.

"I'll kill you, Careers! I'll kill you all!" I screamed over and over again until my voice was hoarse, and my head was pounding. "She's….she's….gone," I whispered sadly. "Gone."

*End Flashback*

Tears threaten to spill from my eyes, but I forbid them from falling. Nobody can know that I am broken on the inside. I must keep up my chill and non-caring attitude. I take a deep breath, put on my lumpy green sweater and sturdy leather boots, and walk outside to chop some wood for Grandmamma. When I step outside of the tiny one bedroom house that we call home, a wave of clean fresh air hits me, and I sigh in contentment.

I love to be in the woods. They're a home away from home. The woods are the only place where I can relax and be myself. I go over to the rock that I have hidden my axe under, and take my axe out. Once I have my axe, I begin swinging at trees, not caring if I hit anything at all.

"Stupid Snow! Dumb Capital… we're not your obedient pets…" I grumble under my breath.

"Ah! Briar! I knew you'd be out here," says a friendly voice that I recognized as my best friend Melissa's.

"Oh, uh, hi, Melissa. I thought you would be with Wade right now. After all, today is the Reaping," I say quietly. I smack my axe into a thin tree, once, twice, three times before it falls to the ground with a soft thud.

"Oh, yeah. About Wade… I ended it yesterday. He was too clingy and jealous," says Melissa. "I like Sebastian now, anyways. Hey, how's your grandmother? " Grandmama! I had completely forgotten about her and her wood!

"She's fine. I'll catch you later, Melissa. I have to go now!" I say quickly. I grab what little wood I did gather, and hide my axe under the mossy gray rock.

Once I'm back in our little house, I start up a supplying fire and answer my grandmother's worried questions. I assure her that I'm fine, and that nothing bad happened.

"Come on, now dear. Let's get you all cleaned up for the Reapings," says Grandmama. She drags me over to our tiny wash basin, and pours what little clean water we have over my pale body, and dark hair. Then, she takes me out of the wash tub, and dries me off on a tiny, grimy towel.

"Won't dragging an already dirty wash rag across my skin make me dirtier?" I ask snappily. She replies with a gap-toothed smile, then slowly makes her way to the wooden chest in the corner of the room. She pulls open the middle drawer, and then grabs something out of it.

"There's no need in acting like today is a good thing. Please, you don't need to make me look pretty," I argue. She hobbles back over to me, holding a long, dark green piece of fabric. Grandmama silently hands me the fabric. I realize that the fabric is actually a gorgeous dress. I hold it out in front of myself, so that I can get a better view. The dress goes down to just below my knees. The sleeves just cover up my slightly bulging biceps. Near the hem of the dress is a beautiful embroidered flower that Grandmama tells me is called a tiger-lily.

"Well, I guess I can wear this dress, but nothing else beauty enhancing," I say sarcastically.

"Oh, darn. I guess I'll have to put all of my make up away," says Grandmama in an equally sarcastic tone. Even though she is old, she still jokes with me and matches my sarcasm. She then carefully picks up tendrils of my ebony hair and weaves them into a single French braid down my back. "Beautiful, dear," she says sadly. Suddenly, my mother begins to stir from the small bed she and Grandmama share.

"Good morning, darling," Grandmama says gently. "Soon we'll have to go to the square, so you should get dressed, okay?" Mother silently sits up and then gets dressed. "I've got a surprise for you two! I picked up some cream puffs from the bakery. I hope you enjoy them." Grandmama hobbles over to the table and picks up a brown paper sack. She takes out two round balls of dough, and hands one to each of us. When I sink my teeth into the puff, I am surprised to taste sweet cream.

"Mmm! Grandmama, these are delicious!" I say excitedly. "Mother, you should try one!" She silently shakes her head and motions for me to take it. "If you say so." She nods her head again and I devour the tasty treat.

"Come on, it's twelve o'clock; time for the Reapings to begin. Oh, and I almost forgot: May the odds be ever in your favor!" Grandmama says.