Together - Peeta Mellark

01

Loud screams fill the surroundings. Every twelve year old wakes up from nightmares about today. Reaping day. Olivia makes her way over from her bed to the kitchen and sits down. "Only two more years sweetheart and then there will be no more reaping for you." Her mom says smiling.

Olivia sighs, she hates this day, her name is in there once but that won't stop them from choosing her. She was traumatized from early age... her mom won the Hunger Games once, but something terrible happened, something which made it impossible for her to meet her dad...

The 56th Hunger Games. Jane, Olivia's mom, was eighteen when her name got reaped of the bowl full with names. She went to the Capitol and trained as hard as she could but still there was no chance of her winning the games. The boy from her district was Jack, he had an eye on Jane for a long time.

So they did things together a lot, and with that in mind Jane got pregnant, she found it out a day before going into the arena. Everyone in the capitol knew in about two hours. Some protested that she couldn't go in there for the sake of the baby but since the capitol wouldn't make any exception, she went in.

Jane knew who the father was, the boy's tribute from her district, Jack. And he knew he was the dad too. Jane made it to the last four, just like Jack did. He had been protecting her and his baby all along. The two other tributes were careers and attacked the two tributes from district 9. Jane killed the girl from 2 and Jack killed the boy from 1.

Leaving both of them as only tributes. Jane realized it and had tears in her eyes, Jack took the knife out of her hands and cut his own throat open so Jane could live and go home. She watched as he collapsed to the ground, and the aircraft took her away. The shock was unbelievably hard to get over but Olivia had heard the story so often already.

Olivia never had the chance of meeting her father, and the fear of her getting chosen for the Hunger Games lives inside of her from the day she turned twelve. She isn't scared to die in the arena because then she would die... she is scared to die in the arena and leaving her mother alone. She wouldn't make it.

Two more years. She thought. Two more until I'm safe. The luck was never in anyone's favor but she hated the thought of actually getting reaped. They had everything they wanted, a big house, enough food and luxury but no safety and no freedom. "Honey?" Her mom's voice trembled. She was scared to lose her daughter. "You're dress." She adds.

Olivia turned her head and looked at the beautiful neat dress she would wear for the reaping. "Thank you mom." she tried to sound confident but she failed. Her voice shaking just like her whole body. Olivia cleaned herself up, put on the dress and brushed her hair. She walked back downstairs.

"You look beautiful." Her mom says, tears in her eyes. They hugged each other, Olivia stayed strong. She knew how bad it would be if she started crying as well, then both of them wouldn't stop. Her mom is going away anyway for about three weeks. She is a mentor of the Hunger Games.

They walk outside and make their way to the centre point, just like everyone else. She walks but every step she takes makes her more nervous. She arrives at the place they take your blood, she lets her finger get pinched and walks over to the row of the other sixteen year olds. Nervously fiddling her fingers.

When everyone stands still the woman, who represent their district walks to the front, dressed up in capitol clothes, Olivia sees her mom standing there as well with another mentor. "Welcome, Welcome to the reaping of the 74th Hunger Games, first I brought a present with me from the capitol." The woman says.

Everyone looks at the screen, the same damn thing over and over again, every year the same stupid film. The video ends and the woman speaks again. "May the odds ever be in your favor, as always... ladies first." She says walking over to the big glass bowl of names. She reaches inside and picks one out. The woman walks back to the microphone and unfolds the paper... "Olivia Blake." Everyone is gone silent.

Her biggest fear just came true, Olivia walks up to the front, confident but she wants to cry. Still she shows no fear at all. Her mom lets a tear drop down her cheek. The cameras make sure to capture the moment completely from each side. The woman continues and goes to the other bowl with boy's names, reaches inside once again and goes back.

She unfolds the paper and reads a name Olivia doesn't recognize. "Aaron Hyle." She says, a boy who looks weak walks up to the front. You can see his shocked expression and a tear rolls down his cheek as well. Olivia shakes his hand before getting pulled inside by the peacekeepers. Once inside her mom hugs her tightly.

"I'm gonna train you! I'm gonna make sure you'll survive! You will!" Her mom cries out. Olivia wants to break down right then and there but she doesn't. Her mom lets go of her slowly and gives her daughter a weak smile before walking away with the peacekeepers.