Hope

CHAPTER ONE

The day of the Reaping had been like any other day for Abigail.

Her and her father, Atticus, would wake early in the morning, before sunrise, to get out on the boat before dawn. Abigail would quickly braid her dark hair and throw on overalls that were so big they hung loose around her waist—they had been hand-me-downs from Atticus.

Usually women didn't go out to the ocean for fishing in District 4. Many of Abigail's school friends had been assigned to make nets and bait with their mothers. However, Abigail's mother was dead and Atticus could not tangle all of these fish alone.

Atticus had lost his leg in a fishing accident a few years back when a hook went straight through his calf. Abigail was terrified when she heard the doctor tell her father that either he amputate his leg or he die of infection. After that, he became much weaker and couldn't control the boat the way he once had.

She was 14 at that point. That was the same age Finnick Odair was when he was reaped.

Because of his disability, Abigail had begun pulling twice as much weight on the boat. She was 18 years old and had spent more of her life in the boat than out. Atticus knew that he asked a lot of his daughter as these long days were needed to help them survive; the money spent on medical bills took a toll on the family so much so that they almost went homeless. In fact, he wasn't sure he could consider their small shack a home.

Atticus knew his daughter was never the same after that.

After he got back on his feet with his fake leg, Atticus decided to take Abigail into the water with him and taught her how to use a spear. People in the districts were not allowed to prepare their children for the games, and the water was the only place it was safe for him to do so. Still, he had to keep his eye out for peacekeepers guarding the reef.

Reaping Day meant no peacekeepers could harm them, or so he thought.

When he and Abigail had collected the fish in the nets and wrangled them back into the boat, and Abigail had struck a few small sharks with her spear, Atticus took the nets to the market and let Abigail get ready for the Reaping.

Abigail had gone to bathe in order to make her presentable for the cameras. If she were to be chosen, God forbid, being attractive and presentable does help to get some sponsors.

She had always questioned how this could be a way of living. Sending children into an arena to fight to the death for food for their district was sick. Half of her district seemed to agree, but there were still faithful followers to the system.

Last year, Abigail's dearest friend had been reaped. Melanie was 17, and while she had made it into the top 10 she was bested by the boy from District 1. Abigail sat and watched as Melanie was stabbed and convulsed in her own blood.

Abigail hadn't made any more friends after Melanie.

The brunette had finished readying herself for the big day; it was her last Reaping and then she wouldn't have to worry about the anxiety that comes from the possibility of being chosen. She could go on to live her normal life, working alongside Atticus and maybe eventually marrying though she wasn't too keen on the idea.

Marriage meant the possibility of children, and how could Abigail bring a child into this world of danger and suffering?

However, her father hadn't returned to their home after 9 and Abigail began to worry. Atticus was always punctual and therefore his absence was quite alarming.