The Way the Fire Burns

Chapter 1 - Reaping Day (74)

"Haymitch" 17 year old Jamie ran down the stairs "Haymitch we need to leave we are going to be late."  The young girl found the male victor sitting at the table like she did every reaping day for the past five years, eating the left overs of yesterdays bread a bottle of liquor already 3/4 of the way gone. The woman let out a soft sigh. "Common dad we have to go." 

Said man looked over at her and gave her a soft smile. "You know you aren't going to be called right." The same words that came from his mouth year after year came out again. "You're safe this year and you will be able to come home and relish in the fact that you're safe again." 

"I know I am safe, and forever will be, common we gotta go" Haymitch got out of his seat at the table with a bright smile giving the small girl a kiss on the side of her head.  Out of everyone in 12 he understood what happened to her in the arena, he knew that she needed to do what she did to survive, though her methods uncanny. He had seen the arena do some awful things to people. 

Day in and day out for the past five years Haymitch has watched as his once beautiful finch try to peace itself back together. It has gotten better over the years but the stares she got from the people at 12, the whispers that never seemed to stop even as the games continue. She pretended she couldn't hear all got to her at the end of the day. 

"Alright you dumbass lets go" Haymitch laughed out to the girl as she started making poses to prove her point. 

The walk to the town square wasn't a bad walk, in Jamie's mind it was quiet peaceful and was a walk she loved to take everyday. Reaping day had ruined the walk for her for the past four years, knowing that someone she grew up with or known is going to go into the games and not likely return. She knew that she was free from the games, but no one is free from the games and life always comes around and hurts the ones you love, or President Snow does it first. In all the only person in her life was Haymitch and as of right now he isn't expendable to the president yet. 

The pair walked with light jokes here and there as the pair made fun of Effie Trinket. The woman from the capital hard not to love but easy to make fun of with her ways. Effie loved Jamie as anyone in the capital did and on Jaime's victory tour, she was the only one to look her in the eyes after watching her games. Noticeably uncomfortable around the younger girl, it never let Effie bring her down. In the wise words of Effie Trinket "She won her games, she is a hero. Plus that one from district two did the thing with the teeth. That passed and so will this." Effie was Jaime's biggest supporter besides Haymitch, and Jaime has come to look at the woman like a mother, a weird mother but a mother none the less. 

Once they got to the town square, Haymitch instantly went and sat by himself and avoided talking but Jaime said some hellos and talked to some of the peace keepers while they waited for everyone to file in and take their place. In the middle of talking to one of the peace keepers that they bring in just for today Jamie could feel herself get pulled away and into a set of arms. Instantly her body went stiff until she saw the purple coat of Effie. The girl started to relax and wrapped her arms around the woman as well. 

"Oh my dear I have missed you so much." Effie hugged me once she was satisfied with the duration of the hug she pulled me away at arms length and looked at me up and down. "You're as pretty as a remember you"

"Effie it hasn't even been a year since you've seen me last."

"I know I know but I just missed you so" Effie gave Jamie another hug and left for the stage. Jamie watched Effie and couldn't help but notice how out of place the woman looked. She was to bright for district 12 and everyone knew it. Jamie slowly made her way to the stage not wanting this year to start quiet yet. Saying more hellos she sat in her spot next to Haymitch who has disappeared off of the stage. Quickly looking around she made eye contact with one of the peacekeepers who just gave her a small shrug. 

As time went on Haymitch still hadn't returned to the stage and Jamie started to get restless as the reaping was about to start. Her eyes moved across everyone as she searched for him. Jamie felt a hand grab hers and looked over to see the major give her a small shake of his head as Effie made her way to the microphone.

"Welcome welcome welcome happy Hunger Games" Effie's voice cut through the crowd like a knife. "And may the odds be ever in your favor. Now before we begin we have a very special film brought to you all the way from the capitol." The video started playing. 

Jamie's eyes skimmed through the crowd at all of the faces. Some she recognized from when she lived in the seam some from around the district. The video ended as Effie's voice spoke through the crowd again. 

"Now its time for us to select one courageous young man and woman for the honor of representing district 12 in the 74th hunger games. As always ladies first." The crowd was deathly quiet as Effie moved over to the woman's bowl and pulled out a name. She moved at a slow pace something that always bothered Jamie during the reaping's. "Primerose Everdeen" she heard the voice boom. The crowd grew quieter if that was even possible. That always happened when someone so young was chosen. 

Jamie's eyes easily found Primroses in the crowd a face everyone seemed to know throughout the district. She slowly made her way through the crowd and was about to step on the stage when there was another voice. "Prim! Prim!" Primrose stops right before walks onto the stage looking to see who was calling her name. Jamie's eyes moved over to the voice as well landing on Katniss Everdeen. Jamie watched as the older sister pulls prim back behind her "I volunteer, I volunteer as tribute". Jamie couldn't help the smile that crosses her face moving her eyes to Haymitchs spot that is still empty. With a small sigh she watched Katniss join the stage and watched her as Effie asks her, her age and who Prim was to her. 

When no one clapped for Katniss Jamie's eyes spotted Haymitch before the others did. She slowly stood up from her seat as she watched her father move forward "Look at this one" his voice was slurring, she watched as he flung his arm over Katniss putting most of his weight on her. "Lots of spunk" he looked at Effie briefly "more than you." Sis gaze moved to the camera. Jamie started moving slowly towards the victor as he continued his drunken speech. She watched as he very quickly was making his way to the edge of the stage. Jamie made it to Haymitch right as his foot left the stage. Her hands went out and grabbed his shirt stabilizing him. She looked in his eyes already finding him looking at her. "You have to much spunk" with a sigh Jamie lets go of Haymitch and watches as he falls on the ground unconscious.  

Moving quickly back to her seat she ignored the looks she got as watched as the peacekeepers took Haymitch away, most likely to the train. Effie continued the reaping as Jamie's eyes moved over the females tributes. Katniss looked strong, but to strong like she was trying to hard. Her hand is slightly shaking and you can see how tense her body is as she listens to her sisters cry. Jamie moved her eyes to Effie who was now pulling the male tributes name "Peeta Melark." Her breath caught in her throat as her eyes moved to Peetas. The two weren't amazingly close, they had the same group of friends as school and Jamie saw him at the bakery every morning. Never being more friendly then they needed to be to each other. 

Jamie's eyes moved to Peeta just like she did for Katniss and Prim and every other tribute for the last five years. Peeta unlike Katniss let his fear show. He wasn't holding himself as high as he usually did and the shock and fear was on his face as clear as day. The smile that Katniss gave Jamie before was long gone by the time Peeta made it to the stage. "Here they are our tributes from District 12." Her face had a bright smile on it like it always does. "Alright you two shake hands" The two tributes do, the fear still radiating off of Peeta starting to come out of Katniss. "Happy Hunger Games and maY the odds be ever in your favor!"