Hunger Games 1

Chapter 1 Draw Day (1)
My 16-year-old sister, Prim, and I live in District [-], a place where you can safely starve to death.

We live in the "crack", and I have to go to the "ranch" to poach every day in order to feed my sister and my indifferent mother. This is dangerous and illegal, and I may be executed.My hunting buddy Gail calls me "Catnip" and my real name is Katniss.Today is Harvest Day, and we all have to dress up for that suffocating lottery.

——Introduction

When I woke up, the other half of the bed was cold.I reached out to feel Prim's remaining warmth under the covers, but all I could find was the rough canvas sheet, and she must have had another nightmare and crawled into her mother's bed.Well, that's right.Today is Harvest Day.

I propped myself up on my arms, and the room was bright enough to see them.Little sister Prim lay on her side, cuddled in her mother's arms, their faces pressed together.Asleep, my mother looked younger, and her face was less haggard, though still tired.Prim's face was as fresh as raindrops and as pretty as a primrose, just like her name.Mom was pretty when she was young, or at least that's what they told me.Sitting on Prim's lap and guarding her was the ugliest cat in the world, with a big snub nose, one ear half missing, and eyes the color of rotten pumpkins.Prim called it Buttercup, and she insisted that its muddy yellow fur was a match for the pretty flower.This cat hates me, or at least doesn't believe me.When Prim first brought him home, I wanted to drown him in the bucket, years ago, but I think he still remembers.At that time, the cat was skinny and skinny, with a bulging stomach full of parasites and fleas all over its body.Another mouth to eat was the last thing I wanted.But Prim begged me to keep it, even burst into tears.I had no choice but to agree.The result was not bad, and my mother got rid of all the bugs for it.This cat is a natural mouse catcher, and will not let go of any passing mice.Sometimes I clean up the prey and give it some animal offal, so it stops whining at me.

I gut him and he doesn't whine at me, and that's about it for the closest we've ever been.

I stretched my legs, sat up from the bed, and slid my feet into the leather boots. The soft leather boots fit the shape of my feet.I put on my trousers and shirt, tucked my long black braids into my hat, and grabbed the hay sack.On the table is a piece of feta cheese rolled in a basil leaf and covered with a wooden bowl to keep mice and cats from stealing it.This is a gift Prim gave me during the harvest season.I carefully put the cheese in my pocket and slipped out quietly.

In the 24th district, the area where we live is commonly known as the "crack zone", and there are usually some scattered coal miners who go to pick up the morning shift at this time.They are hunched over, their knees are swollen from exhaustion, and their faces and nails are covered with coal stains from not washing for a long time.But today the cinder road is deserted.The shutters on the gray low houses were all closed.The Harvest ceremony doesn't start until two o'clock in the afternoon, and maybe everyone's still asleep.My family's house is at the very end of the "sandwich".I only had to pass a few gates to get to the grassy place called "the pasture."A tall fence ran between the "pasture" and the woodland, enclosing the whole of District [-], topped with barbed wire.Generally speaking, the barbed wire fence is powered on [-] hours a day to prevent the beasts of the woods from threatening our neighborhood - there are packs of wild wolves, solitary and bold bears; but fortunately, only for an hour or two at night , so it is safe to touch it at this time.Even so, I'll stop for a while and listen carefully to see if the grid is live.At this time, the power grid is as silent as a stubborn stone.A clump of bushes just obscured people's view, and I squeezed my way through a two-foot gap.This seam has been open for years, and there are a few breaches elsewhere in the fence, but this one is so close to home that I almost always go into the woods from here.

As soon as I was in the woods, I found the bow and arrows from an empty stake.The fence, electrified or not, did keep predators out of District 11.In the woods, they roam freely.What is disturbing is that there are poisonous snakes and ferocious animals in the forest, and there are no roads in the forest.But you can always find something to eat in the woods if you know how to do it.My dad was a man of his own, and he had taught me how to forage before, but he was torn to pieces in a mine explosion, his body was scattered, and by the time he was buried, not much was left of him.I was only [-] years old at the time.Five years later, I still wake up every now and then, yelling at him to run away.

Trekking into the woods is illegal, and poaching carries severe penalties, but many people are willing to take the risk as long as they have a gun, but most people are afraid to enter the woods with only a knife.My unusual bow was made by my father with several men, and I carefully hid it in the woods with a waterproof cover over it.At that time, my father wanted to sell the bow and arrow, and he would definitely earn a fortune, but if the officials found out, he would be executed in public for the crime of inciting riots.Most people who knew about it turned a blind eye, because they were hungry like us and wanted fresh meat.In fact, they are our best buyers.But the possession of weapons in the "sandwich zone" is absolutely prohibited.

This autumn, a few brave people sneaked into the woods to pick apples.Their position in the woods is very close to the [-]th district, and the "pasture" is within sight. Once there is a situation, they will run back quickly. "Run back to District [-], this place where people can starve to death safely." I muttered, and then I quickly looked behind me.Even if it's a deserted place, be wary of someone overhearing what you're saying.

When I was young, words such as the [-]th district, the high officials who ruled the country of Panem, and the distant city called the Capitol came out of my mouth a few times, my mother Just scared to death.Then I finally realized that saying that would only get us into trouble.So I learned to keep my mouth shut and act like I don't care about everything. No one knows what I think.I study my homework quietly at school, speak politely in public, and never speak loudly.He hardly ever mentioned anything about making money in Hob's black market.Even at home, where I'm not very happy, I don't touch on delicate topics like harvest season, food shortages, or the Hunger Games.What will we do if Prim talks like me?
There was one person waiting for me in the woods, and that was Gale, and I was only at ease with him.As I scrambled toward our secret rendezvous, a ledge of rock, I quickened my pace, feeling relaxed and refreshed.Our secret rendezvous point overlooks the canyon, hidden from view by a thick undergrowth.As soon as I saw his waiting figure, a knowing smile would appear on my face.Gail says I only laugh when I'm in the woods.

"Hey, Catnip," Gail said.

My real name is Katniss, and when I told him my name earlier, the voice was as small as a buzzing fly, so he thought I was called Catnip ("My" English name is Katniss, which is a homonym for Catnip in English, so named.——Translator’s Note).Then a crazy bobcat followed me around in the woods begging for handouts, so that became my official nickname.In the end I had to kill the lynx, for it kept scaring away prey; and I regretted it a little, because the lynx was a good companion; but I got a good price for its skin, too.

"Look what I hit!" I couldn't help laughing as Gail thrust an arrow into a piece of bread.It was a real piece of leavened bread, not the hard flat bread we made from our rations.I pointed the small hole inserted in the bread to my nose, and inhaled its fragrance heartily, and my mouth immediately drool.Good bread like this is only available on special occasions.

"Well, it's still hot," I said.He must have gone to the bakery early in the morning to exchange. "What to change?"

"Just a squirrel, the old baker's being friendly today," said Gale, "and he wished me luck."

"Yeah, we all feel closer to each other these days, don't we?" I said without rolling my eyes. "Prim saved us a piece of cheese," I said, taking out the cheese.

A happy smile immediately spread across his face at my treat.

"Thank you, Prim, we're going to have a real meal."

He suddenly adopted Effie Trincy and adopted a Capitol accent.Effie Trincy is a very cheerful woman, who comes to read the list every year at the Harvest Festival ceremony.

"I almost forgot! Happy Hunger Games!" He picked a few blackberries from the surrounding bushes. "I wish you forever—" He tossed a blackberry to me, and the blackberry drew an arc in the air. I caught it, and then bit the thin skin with my teeth, a sour and sweet taste Juice spread in my mouth. "—good luck forever!" I continued excitedly.For the Hunger Games, we had to joke a bit, because The Hunger Games can be scary.Plus, the Capitol accent is so contrived that anything you say with that accent is hilarious.

Gail pulled out a knife and sliced ​​a slice of bread while I watched.He might be my brother, straight dark hair, olive skin, we even have the same gray eyes.But there is no blood relationship between us, at least not very close blood relationship.Most people who work in the mines are alike in these ways.

Mom and sister Prim have light hair and blue eyes that make them seem out of place in their surroundings.Indeed.My mother's parents belonged to the circle of merchants who owned a drugstore in the better part of the [-]th arrondissement, supplying officials, vigilantes, and the occasional buyer in the Seam.Since most people cannot pay to see a doctor, pharmacists take their place.My father used to collect some herbs when hunting, sold them in pharmacies, and then made them into potions, that's how he met my mother.Mom must love Dad so much that she was willing to leave home and come to the "crack" with him.In my memory, she was always so haughty and indifferent, leaving her hands alone in the affairs of the family, seeing her child starving and skinny, I forgave her for my father's sake.But to be honest, I'm not the kind of person who likes to forgive others.

Gail carefully spreads feta cheese on a slice of bread, then places a basil leaf on top, while I push back the bushes from the blackberries.We sat back on the sheltered rock, from which we could see the canyon clearly without being seen.In summer, the canyon is full of vitality, fresh green plants are everywhere, fish are shining in the water, the blue sky is clear and cloudless, and there is a breeze blowing through it from time to time.Our food was amazing, the cheese seeped into the warm bread, the strawberries burst in our mouths, it would have been perfect if it were a true holiday.It would be nice if I could wander the mountains with Gail all day, looking for our supper...But, at two o'clock in the afternoon, we have to stand in the square and wait for the roll call.

"Honestly, we can do it," Gail said flatly.

"What?" I asked.

"Get out of District [-]. Run away. Live in the woods, just you and me, we can do it."

I didn't know how to answer for a moment, the idea was so absurd.

"If only we didn't have so many kids," he added quickly.

Of course, we don't actually have that many "kids," but that's the same.Gail has two brothers and a sister, I have Prim, and maybe Mom, how are they going to get along without us?Who finds food for them to fill their stomachs.Now, even though the two of us hunted for food all day, we had to change into lard, shoelaces, or woolen clothes in the dark at night; and some nights, we fell asleep when our stomachs were growling with hunger.

"I never want kids," I said.

"If I didn't live here, I'd take it," Gail said.

"But you live here now," I said, annoyed.

"Forget it, don't talk about it." He said hastily.

What we both said was outrageous.Leaving District 12?How could I leave Prim, the only person I love in this world.Gail's heart is also with his family.It is impossible for us to leave.But why did Brother Gail still say that?But...but...even if we did leave District [-], where did all this baby talk come from?There is no romance between me and Gail.I was a skinny [-]-year-old when we first met, and even though he was only two years older, he looked like a grown-up.We used to fight openly and secretly when doing business, and after a long time, we became friends who helped each other.Besides, if Gail wants to have children, he can find a wife.He was handsome, strong, and well-versed in the mines.Every time he passed the school the girls whispered about him and could tell they liked him too.It really makes me jealous, not for the reasons one might imagine, but because good hunters are so hard to find.

"What do you want to do now?" I asked.We can hunt, fish or gather.

"Let's fish in the lake. Let's get something nice tonight," he said.

Just tonight, after the Harvest ceremony, everyone will be celebrating that they can finally breathe a sigh of relief that their child has been spared for another year.But at least two families will remain shuttered as they figure out how to survive the harrowing weeks that will ensue.

We're doing pretty well.Those ferocious carnivores don't bother to pay us any attention, because for them, delicious prey is at their fingertips.Near noon, we caught a dozen fish, picked a bag of wild greens, and best of all, a quart of strawberries.A few years ago I found a trail, and Gail set up traps with nets nearby, so the wild animals wouldn't bother us.

(End of this chapter)