2nd Quarter Quell - Haymitch Abernathy

Chapter One

The Cold. The Winter. The Games. Not the Games.Yes the Games. The Reaping. Today. With no sleep last night I can only hope that Noah, Sophia and I are not reaped into the nightmares that wake me every night.

I get up out of my bed, my stomach sore with hunger; nothing different than the other mornings but this time it's different - it's mixed with nerves and fear. This only occurs once a year on November the third. I get up get dressed knowing that I will only have to do this three more times and then I just have to worry about Noah, my harmless brother. It's a Quarter Quell so double the tributes and still one victor, one of 48 tributes will survive. Not win. No one ever wins the games but the capitol. Every 25 years there is a Quarter Quell, to remind us of the dark days when we stood up to the Capitol, 50 years ago. We obviously did not win otherwise my family would not be starving and almost dead. And poor Sophia no parents both killed by peacekeepers on separate occasions and lives with us. Which makes me feel that she is safe, I know she is not but I don't let her out of my sight or Noah so we never got alone time, Sophia and I, together with no worries, just us two. I could only dream that that would happen.

Slowly everyone starts to wakes up. But no one talks, so I start to make some breakfast. Some pine needle tea and some grain. That's all we have and I got that with tesserae, with out that we would be dead.

I have a wash and get into one of my father's pants and a top. My father was killed in a mining accident. He was the only thing that taught me how to live, how to grow, how to protect my family almost like he knew he was going to die. That also haunts my dreams.

Mum calls me to the kitchen so we can go together. As soon as I reach the kitchen the horn sounds that summons us to the the justice building. I grab Sophia's hand and kiss her on the cheek and whisper,

"It will be alright, we will be alright" in her ear.

" it's time " says my mother.

As we walk down the road I squeeze Sophia's hand as we have to split up in genders and ages. As I walk to the peacekeepers so they can take blood they know that it's me. Now with Noah holding my hand we stand together a sixteen year old boy with a thirteen year old. Just looking at the children makes me think was so evil to come up the Hunger Games and then I remind myself. Snow. The president of Panem, the master of evil. Snow rose to fame as a young boy around my age, that's when he invented the Games, after the dark days. To prove that no force no matter how strong will ever take over the capitol. As we walk to get in our places I can feel the tensed muscles in Noah's hands. I lean forward so my face is level with his.

" It will be fine Noah your name is only in that bowl once. Don't worry" I say trying to hold back the fear in my voice as I am as scared as he his.

We get split up so I tell him I will see him soon. He gives me a slight nod and walks to where he is supposed to be. I walk to my place as well. nervous. Really nervous.