Together

Chapter 1

It's been almost Six years since I won the Games. I can still remember the terrified expression on Peeta Mellark's face just before my arrow pierced his heart. The nightmares don't come as often as they used to, but when they do I wake up to my mother shaking me and tears streaming down my face.

"Katniss, are you almost ready? The reaping starts in fifteen minutes." Haymitch knocks on the door to my bedroom. After the games, my family and I moved into the victors village. I now live in the house next to Haymitch's.

"Yeah." I respond. I walk away from the mirror hanging on my bedroom wall and over the door. Haymitch stands on the other side dressed in a white dress shirt, tucked into long black pants.

"Well don't you look nice sweetheart." He says sarcastically. I am dressed in a flowing white dress that comes down to my knees. I wear my hair in an intricate braid and my shoes have a small heal and don't cover my toes. "You don't look so bad yourself. Have you been drinking today?" I ask.

"Thanks. And I only had one glass. I promise I won't fall off the stage this year." He turns and walks towards the stair and I walk behind him. We walk into the living room where my sister, Primrose, and my mother are waiting. Prim runs over and hugs me. Tears are streaming down her face and she is shaking with fear. She may be 16 now, but no one ever gets over the fear of the reaping. Prim wears the same blue dress I wore to the 74th reaping and her hair is in two braids that fall down her back.

"Do you still have the pin?" I ask her. She lets go of me and hold out the golden Mockingjay pin in her hand. It's the same one I wore during my Games. "Remember, as long as you have it nothing bad will happen to you." I tell her is a reassuring voice. She nods and takes a deep breath. Then my mother walks over and hugs me.

"Are you ready to go, Katniss?" My mother lets me go and straightens my dress. "Yes." I say with a small smile. I walk passed my mother and kiss prim on the forehead. Haymitch and I need to be to the center of town early so we leave first.

"You know she's going to be out of the reaping soon. You shouldn't be worrying to much." Haymitch says as we walk. The summer air is cool and a slight breeze blows the lose hairs from my braid as we walk to the center of town. "You remember the 74th reaping. She was almost sent in there. I can't let that happen again." I remember the fear in Prims eyes when Effie Trinket called her name. If that happened now there would be nobody to take her place.

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When we arrive at the town center we walk into the justice building and find Effie reading off her notecards. "Hello Effie." I say as I sit down next to her. She jumps when she hears my voice.

"My goodness Katniss. Please let me know you're hear before you speak." She says while holding her hand over her heart.

"I'll make sure to do that next time." I respond. This year, Effie is wearing a yellow dress with real flowers covering the skirt. Her shoes have at least 5 inch heals on them and her hair is done up in a curly green wig. She stand up and hand her stack of note cards to Haymitch.

"Here are the speeches you two will be giving this years. And Katniss, no tribute eulogies this year." I remember last year when I gave a not-so brief eulogy to the 13 year old female tribute that was killed the year before. "I'm sure that won't happen again." I say somewhat sarcastically. Haymitch chuckles at my comment but Effie isn't the best at picking up sarcasm.

Mayor Undersee stands up from his chair and walks out onto the stage and takes his place. "It's time." Effie says excitedly. She shoves Haymitch and I onto the stage. "Stand up straight you're on camera." She says to us just before we walk out onto stage. We walk over to our chairs and sit down. I look out over the crowd and find Prim in the 16 year old section. Out of the corner of my eye I see Haymitch reaching for the flask in the pocket of his jacket. "Please don't." I ask him. He sighs and puts it back in his pocket. "Okay." He says quietly.

"Welcome, welcome." Effie exclaims as she stands in front of the crowd of possible tributes. "Happy Hunger Games, and may the odds be ever in your favor." I remember being in the woods with Gale and making fun of this line. I don't talk to Gale much anymore, and I wish I did, but he spends almost all of his Time in the mines.

Effie finishes her opening speech and they play the signature video on how the districts were formed.

"Now is the time to pick one lucky young man and women to represent district 12 in this years Hunger Games. As always ladies first." Effie exclaims when the video is over. She reached into the big glass bowl filled with the names of all the girls below the age of 18. My heart beats faster and I pray for Prim to be spared this year.

"Fern Ashcraft." Effie announces. A girl with wavy blond hair steps out of the 16 year old section. She looks stunned. Peacekeepers walk on both sides of her and lead her to the stage. "Come up here, dear." Effie says as she smiles down on the new tribute. Effie grabs her hand and leads her over to the center of the stage.

"Give a round of applause for our new female tribute, Fern Ashcraft!" Effie exclaims. As usual no one claps. I am relieved that Prim wasn't picked but I pity the young girl who will be sent into the arena.

"And now for the boys." Effie says after she gets no response from the audience. She reaches into the glass ball and shuffles through the small papers before picking one out. "Arrow Halstead." Fern bursts into tears and she covers her mouth with her hands. Arrow steps out of the 16 year old boys section and walks towards the stage. He keeps his head down, probably to hide the tears.

Arrow walks up the stairs, onto the stage and over to Effie.

Now it is time for Haymitch and I to give a short speech. We both walk over the microphone and say a few words about what an honor it is to compete in the Hunger Games, even though we both know it's not.

"Give one more big round of applause for this year tributes." Effie exclaims when we finish. Once again, no one claps. Fern and Arrow hug each other, but are pulled apart and shuffled into the justice building.

Before we can walk to the justice building, Haymitch whispers, "time to go prepare those two lambs for the slaughter."

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This took so long to write but I love it so much. Thanks to everyone who read and voted for my last fanfic and I hope you like this one more!