Hunger Games : The Covey

Chapter 1

I awoke to the sun shining on my eyes. It was a bright, cloudless morning in District 12. I like mornings like this. I could hear the mockingjays out in the woods by our house singing a solemn tune. I wondered how birds could be so mournful on such a brilliant day. I thought I recognised the tune they were singing but thought nothing of it. The mockingjays sing every morning.

I rolled over in my bed. Well, I say bed, but it was more of a messy pile of blankets and pillows on the hard, cold floor. We were lucky as our floor wasn't besmirched with coal ash. Most of District 12 was covered in a black cloak of ash. 12 was the coal mining district. I had never liked it.

I looked around our small, ancient house. It had managed to survive the war as the Capitol never really cared for the Seam - where I live. In the back left hand corner stood a small wooden table surrounded by five chairs. They are mahogany or something like that - I've never particularly cared for wood, I think of it as the skeleton of a tree and I didn't like that thought. Next to the table was an undersized kitchen. All it consisted of was a simple fridge with only milk from my goat contained inside, a tabletop, a sink and pans and pots scattered around an abundance of cupboards and drawers. They were furnished with different spices, bread and soup from the Hob and flowers and plants us - The Covey - had foraged.

My particular favourite was a petite flower called Katniss. Technically, it was called a Swamp Potato, but Lucy Gray had liked Katniss better, and so do I. It can come in a few different colours however they only grow in white next to our lake. It has a small, fluffy yellow pistil located in the centre. Every now and then, there is also a small rouge dot on each petal. Lucy Gray says these flowers taste better. The roots are edible when they are in season. They are nutritious and taste somewhat like a sweet potato. It's probably where the original name derives from.

On the left wall poised our clothing rack and musical instruments. The Covey are musicians. We perform at the local pub and trading area - The Hob. We are well-known in 12. Everyone comes to the Hob every week to watch us perform. Most people are familiar with our songs. Especially the peacekeepers. I think coming to the Hob is the highlight of their week because - from what I see of them - it's not a fun job. They are always standing at the hangings, and I see them roaming around during the night, searching for trouble. They never really come down the Seam that often. Although a couple of Lucy Gray's peacekeeper friends came down to our house. One of them was called Sejanus but I forgot the blonde one's name. Sejanus got hung, he was associated with the rebels in 12. One of the rebels, Billy Taupe, used to be in The Covey but we kicked him out. He got shot when we were performing a few weeks ago. Him and the mayor's daughter both died. I found them in the shed after I finished my set. That was a bad day. I'm not sure where her other friend is. He comes by a lot though. He's really nice to me and brings me popcorn balls at our shows. I haven't seen him in a while though. Wonder where he is. I think he got sent to 2.

Across the way from our kitchen is a small TV. It hardly ever works though. Tam Amber wrapped the antenna with aluminium foil to try and make it work better. It helped a bit however the image is still grainy. It works though. I suppose we don't really need the TV. We have no interest in The Hunger Games or any of the "mandatory viewings" from the capitol. They are never interesting anyway.

Suddenly, I remembered the butter I've been making. Our goat Shamus is probably my favourite thing in the whole of the meadow. That most certainty sounds stupid but it's true. I've been trying to make butter from her milk, but it takes forever. First it must thicken into a cream, then slowly it hardens to turn to butter. It sells really high to peacekeepers but I'm probably going to keep most of it for myself and the Covey. Barb Azure and I adore it. Barb Azure plays the bass and I play the drum.

I quickly jumped up and skipped over to the fridge to check on it. I grabbed a knife from the drawer next to the stove and dipped it in to the pot. It's ready!

"Barb Azure! It's ready! The butter it's ready!"

Barb Azure slowly opened her eyes. At first, she was startled by my sudden outburst, but she briskly jumped up, excited. She smiled at me happily and jumped out of bed.

She stopped before she made it out of the blankets. I wondered why she stopped, until I realised too. How had I not realised. How stupid of me to not realise. I was so mad at myself. It was Lucy Gray. She was gone.