Like all children in his world, 14-year-old Finnick Odair had the chance of being chosen for the Hunger Games. In a pool stock full of names, he was just as vulnerable as anyone from the ages of 12-18. And in District Four, which often tends to produce Career tributes, its residents could only hope that this year's pair would fall under that description.
On Reaping day, a 14-year-old boy's name is called. A name often whispered down the hallways of the local high school, giggled at, fawned over. It was impossible. Him, of all people? It couldn't be, could it?
Yet it was. At age 14, Finnick Odair was called forth to be a tribute in the 65th annual Hunger Games. Many residents stood there in doubt, wondering how a boy so young could possibly bring home the victor's crown. There had never been a victor so young, after all.
However, there is a first time for everything.
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Excerpt:
❝25, 24, 23...❞
I can do this. I have the skills, the desire...I can win.
It's possible. I know it's possible. The odds may be against me, against all of us, but one of us has to win.
❝15, 14, 13...❞
To everyone in District Four who is watching; to my mom, dad, and Annie Cresta, I'm making a promise to you.
❝7, 6, 5, 4...❞
Whatever happens here, I will fight like hell to come back home,
❝3, 2, 1...❞
I promise you.
[[Word count: 111,000-112,000 ]]
𝙎𝙞𝙙𝙣𝙚𝙮 𝙨𝙣𝙞𝙛𝙛𝙡𝙚𝙙, 𝙬𝙞𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙘𝙠𝙡𝙮 𝙥𝙤𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙚𝙮𝙚𝙨. "𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙗𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙞𝙨 𝙜𝙤𝙣𝙣𝙖 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠, 𝙁𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙘𝙠." 𝙎𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙, 𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙢𝙥𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙮 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙛𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙗𝙤𝙩𝙝 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢.
𝙁𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙘𝙠 𝙣𝙤𝙙𝙙𝙚𝙙. "𝙄 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬," 𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙨𝙝𝙡𝙮 𝙨𝙬𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙙. "𝘽𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙄 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙣𝙤 𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙖 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙄'𝙡𝙡 𝙙𝙤 𝙞𝙛 𝙞𝙩 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨𝙣'𝙩."
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It had been seven years since Sidney Gage was reaped and won the 68th Hunger Games, meaning her and Finnick have been best friends for the past seven years, helping each other through the trauma they both endured. Every year they are dragged out to the Capitol to mentor tributes who die within the next week.
It was now the 75th Hunger Games and the tributes were being chosen from the existing pools of victors. And when Annie was chosen to go back into the arena, Sidney had to volunteer for her.