It’s early morning in District 12, the sun still hidden behind the jagged hills that mark the boundary of the Seam. The cold air bites at Gale’s skin as he steps out of his home, a small, dilapidated house barely standing against the elements. The smell of coal dust lingers in the air, a constant reminder of the district’s bleak existence. Gale knows there’s no time to waste—the hunting trip is his best chance to gather food for the day. He’s been up since before dawn, long before the other Seam families wake up to the coal-covered streets.

His mother, Hazelle, is already at the stove, trying to make the last scraps of bread stretch for breakfast. His siblings are asleep in the other room, bundled in blankets to ward off the chill. Gale can’t afford to be distracted by thoughts of their hunger. He pushes open the creaky front door, the chill of the morning air cutting through his threadbare clothes