Rise From the Ashes

Chapter One

I stare at the other bed, it used to be my parents. Now it's no ones. My parents died in a mine a few years ago. Five to be specific. Now it's just me. My younger sister got reaped her first year and I hadn't been fast enough to volunteer. I was only fourteen at the time. She didn't make it past the bloodbath. My other sister is sleeping next to me. She's only seven and practically useless half the time but she makes good company. Now I'm 16 and the reaping for the 74th hunger games is today. I need to get up, I need food for the day, and I need to meet Katniss and Gale. I stand and stretch, picking up my jacket and slipping it on. I slide my feet into my boots and shake Drift awake.

"Hey we need to get you to the Everdeens." I say softly.

"No it's too early." Drift whines. She's always been a brat about mornings.

"We need food and I can't leave you here." I say. I pick up her clothes and get her up getting her dressed.

"Wait Ashy it's the reaping." Drift frowns. She hasn't liked the reaping for the past few years. Not since Terra died.

"Yeah but I promise I'll be okay." I say. Drift grabs my hand and we start for the Everdeens. I meet Katniss at her door and she lets Drift in, who promptly goes to the bed and crawls in falling asleep.

We start for the woods. We slide into the woods and pause listening for footsteps. I hurry to a fallen log where my dads old bow was kept. He hunted with Mr Everdeen and my dad taught me as much as he could before he died. The bow had been a gift from Mr Everdeen. Katniss left me for her own bow.

"Hey Phoenix!" Katniss calls hurrying over to join me.

"Hey catnip." I tease sliding my quiver onto my back. "Happy reaping day."

"Yeah happy reaping day." She answered nervously.

"How's Prim?" I ask.

"Scared. Everyone will be." Katniss answers. I nod.

"Everyone's scared." I echo. I sigh. "Let's get moving."

"alright." Katniss nods and starts towards where we meet Gale.

"Hey Phoenix, catnip." Gale calls. We hurry over and smile at him.

"Hey." We reply in sync, turning to each other and laughing. Gale grins and holds up a loaf of bread.

"Look what I caught." Gale says. Katniss straightens and grabs the bread. It's not flat and dense like the bread we make, it's bakery bread.

"Here from prim." Katniss pulls a a piece of goat cheese carefully wrapped in basil from her pocket.

"Happy Hunger Games." Gale says. I pull a bunch blackberries off a branch.

"And May the odds.." I start.

"Be ever in your favour!" Katniss finishes. I grin and watch Gale cut the bread. I strip the bush of berries and collect them into my hunting bag. I take a seat on the ground as Gale passes around the bread and cheese. Gale and Katniss could be siblings, with their olive skin, straight black hair, and grey eyes, the usual seam look. I have the olive skin tone but my skin is darker then theirs, plus my hair is naturally a mess of curls so I kept it braided as a child and since my parents died it has turned into dreads, and My eyes are brown. My mom had the normal seam look but my dad was taller and darker skinned. He had dark brown chocolate skin and a mess of black curls.

"So what should we get today?" Katniss asks briskly.

"Shall we fish?" I offer. It's been a while and it is a nice dish. Katniss nods.

"Yeah. Gale and I can split them up." She agrees. I always eat with the Everdeens on reaping day. I nod.

Gale sighs. "We could do it."

"Do what?" Katniss asks.

"Leave, we could do it." Gale says.

"If we didn't have so many kids." Katniss answers. I stay quiet. I only have Drift. I could do it. I could leave now and never look back. Except for Katniss and Prim. I can't leave them.

"Yeah." Gale goes silent.

"I never want kids." Katniss says. I nod, I don't either.

"I might if I didn't live here." Gale says.

"But you do live here." Katniss snaps.

"Just forget it." Gale snaps back. I sigh.

"Let's get going." I say standing up. I don't want fighting today.

By late morning we have a dozen fish, a bag of greens, and a gallon of strawberries. We go to the Hob first, we trade six of the fish for good bread, two others for salt, and half the greens for a few chunks of paraffin. We always try and stay on good terms with Greasy Sae, She'll buy our wild dogs if we have to shoot them. We leave the Hob and head for the mayors house. He loves strawberries and he can afford what we charge. Madge opens the door. She's always been stunning.

"You look beautiful." I say softly. Gale and Katniss exchange smirks. They always do this when I'm around Madge. I didn't think I was that obvious. Madge blushes. I blush.

"Thanks, I'm sure you will too." She says softly. Gale and Katniss smile.

"Nice dress." Gale says. Madge shoots him a look. She can't tell if he's being genuine.

"Well, if I end up going to the Capitol, I want to look nice, don't I?" Madge answers. Gale looks confused.

"You won't be going to the Capitol." Gale answers. His eyes land on her Phoenix pin. "What can you have? Five entries? I had six when I was twelve."

"That's not her fault." Katniss answers.

"No, it's no ones fault. Just the way it is." Gale answers.

Madges face closes off. She gives Katniss the money. "Well good luck Katniss and Ash."

"Thanks Madge, you too." I answer. Out of everyone in the district only Madge calls me by my real name. It started with my dad, then it slowly spread to my family, the Everdeens, and the rest of the district. Drift couldn't pronounce it so she settled on Ashy and it had stuck with her.

We walk towards the seam in silence. The reaping system is unfair but I resent Gales dig at Madge. She can't help the tesserae. Katniss and Gale divide the remaining spoils of our hunt.

"See you in the square." Katniss says.

"Wear something pretty." Gale says flatly. We split up got our homes and I find myself in an empty house. The only reason I didn't get sent to the home was that I kept us well fed and clothed. Plus I made up an aunt in Mrs Everdeen. I heat my water and bathe quickly. I slip into my mothers old reaping dress and slick my dreads back into a bun. If I do get picked my hair will probably get brushed out. Right now it's a tangle of matted braids since I can't rebraid my own hair and I couldn't find anyone to help me with my hair who knew how. Mrs Everdeen always kept Drift on reaping days. I rebraided Drifts hair last night so it looks nice for today.

I stretch and start for the reaping. Three more reapings and I'm free to work in the mines. I'm tiny so the mines aren't the best option but it is my only option. I join the line of people waiting to be checked in and pretty soon they prick my finger and press it against the paper. They let me join the sixteen year olds. I nod at the other girls from the seam and Madge finds me grabbing my hand. Katniss also joins us.

"I promise nothing will happen with Prim." I whisper softly. She nods and Madges father starts talking. He tells us about the dark days and the war and how the Capitol graciously let the districts stay and work for them. But to make sure we never do it again they started the games. One girl and one boy from each district. Prim has one , Katniss has twenty, Gale has the most of any of us with forty two , I only have fifteen entries. It could be worse and it probably won't be me.

"Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favour." Effie Trinket, our escort, bubbles. It's what she normally says. We only have one remaining victor out of our two. Haymitch Abernathy. He stumbles on stage and grabs Effie. Her wig is now askew and I can't held the ghost of a smile that crosses my face. "Ladies first!" She says smiling. I pray it isn't Katniss or Prim. "Primrose Everdeen."