In the Games •{The Hunger Games}• [COMING SUMMER 2020]

Chapter 1

I wake up screaming and sweating. I usually have nightmares, but they aren't always this bad. The bad ones always started the same way, my parents dying in an explosion and the Capitol coming after me. And they always ended with me getting eaten alive by muttations. I hate nightmares.

I hear shoes clacking down the hall coming towards my sleeping quarters. I am glad that no one shared a room with me. I would get in trouble for 'being a nuisance and being too loud' every single night. That is how often I have my nightmares.

The door swung open and Soldier Deffmen stepped in. Without all her armor and weapons, she looks like a regular girl from District 1. She turns on the light and walked over to the side of my bed. Her green eyes flash angrily and she looks like she's really mad at me.

"Prilla Hoff, I believe we discussed what would happen if you continued screaming at night. You are scaring the other orphans and it must be stopped, NOW. You must stay in your room for three days straight, and you may not leave unless it is to go to the reaping. Do you understand?"She stares at me with her green eyes, probably debating on what she would do to me if I disobeyed.

"Yes, ma'am." I nod, not wanting to get in even more trouble then I already am in. I bite my tongue, holding back all the things I want to say, about how it isn't my fault that I have nightmares every single night. I can't control whether or not I have nightmares about my parents dying.

"I understand that you have nightmares almost every night, is that true?" She sounds like she actually wanted to help me, almost as if she was being sympathetic.

I don't know what to say, so I nod my head, agreeing with her. Soldier Deffmen kneels down beside my bed. I curl up tightly, expecting her to slap me, but instead she pushed my hair behind my ear.

"I know what it feels like to lose people that you are close to, and I used to have nightmares about them dying, too. I know that you are scared and hurt inside, but you have to learn to ignore the dreams. You don't have to forget the people, you just have to accept that they are gone and you have to move on. I lost my whole family in one day, and I still have nightmares about them, but not as often as I used to. I have accepted that they are gone, and that there is more to life than just mourning for people that died a long time ago.

"I did that, and look where it got me! I am now a leader in District 13 and I have a much happier life now. You might even have a happier life if you accept that they are gone. What do you say?"

I doubt she meant to, but after saying all that stuff, she sounds just like my mother, who also came from District 1. They both have blonde hair and green eyes. They both have a superior look to them, and they are both nice to me. Well, at least Soldier Deffmen is nice to me. My mom's dead.

But I don't want to accept that both my parents were dead. Sure, I want to stop having nightmares every night, but I don't want to forget my parents. They are the only part of me that is still truly mine.

"Well, have you decided yet? If not, I hope you decide soon. I don't know how much longer Drake can stand you screaming every night and waking up all the other orphans. You better go to sleep now. You may not be allowed to leave your room for three days, bit we can still activate the holo room and set up some training simulations. We clear?"

I nod and she stands up to leave. She turns the light off before quietly telling me good night and closing the door behind her. I yawn and close my eyes, thinking about my punishment and training simulations before drifting off to a peaceful sleep. Which, in my case, would be the first time that I had slept peacefully in almost eight years.

*The Next Morning*

I wake up and saw a little light that occasionally peeked through the dirty window in the corner of my small room. I glance at the clock that was on my nightstand and see that it is almost eight in the morning. I have a mini heart attack when I remember what the punishment for being late to breakfast was, until I remember that I had to stay in my room for three days and I could only leave to go to the reaping. That meant I have plenty of time to decide what I was going to wear for the reaping, which wasn't a really hard choice since I only had three outfits and they were almost all identical.

My eyes drift around my dimly lit room, and on one of the chairs I saw the outline of a dress. I sit straight up in bed, almost hitting my head on the top bunk, and squint at the dress. I slowly stretch and climb out of bed, taking as much time as possible. I walk over to the chair and pick up the dress. It is a beautiful sky blue color that would really bring out my brown hair and my blue eyes, and it has ruffles on the top. It has a thin, black leather belt wrapped around the waist, and a small note is hanging on the belt. I open the note and read it aloud.

"Dear Prilla,

I understand that you have been through many difficult times and I heard that your birthday is in a few days. I made this dress for you as a birthday present, but I decided to give it to you early so you could wear it to the reaping tomorrow.

I remember the first time I saw you almost eight years ago, an eight year old orphan that had been running from the Capitol for a year.

I just wanted to let you know that if you ever need a friend, I will be willing to be your friend.

Sincerely,

Soldier Rose Deffmen."

I study the dress some more, gaping at its beauty. Why would Soldier Deffmen give me such a beautiful dress? She has always been nice to me, but no one had ever been this nice to me.

I immediately decide that I would wear it to the reaping. Then it dawned on me. The reaping, it was today! I have a mini heart attack and start freaking out. How was I going to do my hair? What if I got picked? Who would get picked? Who did I want to get picked?

Personally, I want Robin Sharden to get picked as tribute. She is the meanest girl at District 13 and is a spoiled brat. Her dad, Drake Sharden, is in charge of District 13, and he spoils Robin. Robin has a group of girls, pretty much all the girls except me, that are her best friends and they do everything with her. They always make fun of me for no reason at all. She has a crush on a boy named Coal Tunk and is obsessed with him.

My train of thoughts are ruined when someone knocks on my door.

"Prilla, it is time to get up! Training simulations will start in an hour. Don't be late!" Soldier Deffmen calls from the other side of my door. She opens it a crack and places a tray with toast on the chair by the door. She is about to close the door when I stop her.

"Why did you give me the dress?" I stick my foot in the crack of the door so Deffmen can't close it all the way. I hear some feet shuffle in the hallway.

"I gave you that dress because I know that you don't have many nice dresses to wear, and you'll need one for the reaping today." Deffmen opened the door so we stood face to face. "And I gave it to you because I know what it's like to be treated differently and hated by people. Now, eat your breakfast and put the dress on. I'll be back in an hour."

Deffmen closes the door and I can hear her footsteps retreating down the hall. I glance over at the blue dress again and smile to myself. "It really is beautiful."