Going Against the Odds

Chapter 1

I stood there in the doorway staring out at the forest as I fiddled with the buttons on my shirt. I saw my mum glare at me from the corner of her eye,"Come here Phil let me help you."She giggled as she made her way towards me. She unbuttoned my shirt and buttoned it up,then she straightened my hair. She sighed as she looked at me in awe,"Philip you're growing up so fast,just remember this is your last you for being in the reaping. We'll get passed this."she said with a huge smile as she stuck my dad's old pin on my tie. But that's just it what if I do get picked after all these years of dodging it. "Mum what if I do get picked though? What if I don't make it back?"I said with sorrow in my voice as I look to see her grin slowly fall. She squeezed my hands,"Don't say such a thing,"she said as her voice cracked,tears streaming down her face."I'm not planning on loosing another one of my boys to the district."She said firmly as she stroked my hair,her tears still streaming down her face. I crouched down to her level and kissed her cheek,"Mum I promise you I will stay alive."I assured,pulling her into a hug. I was still needed here,though mum had Martyn he still couldn't do much. Soon enough the alarm bells rang and I went a head of mum and Martyn, I was so nervous that I kept fiddling with the pin on my tie,eventually I tripped in front of a bunch of girls...they laughed and kept walking. I got up,brushed myself off and continued walking.
Finally I made it to the crowd of boys some of them cocky and confident and some like me nervous and not wanting to die,a bunch of guys passing me knocked me out of my thoughts and by knocked I mean they said "Move it you pussy loser!" And literally knocked me to the floor. Yup definitely wouldn't miss those daily beatings,I was tired of this district but not enough to die in the hunger games. Soon enough we heard the screeching of the speakers and saw and an over dressed Elouise Moffat made her way on stage with her tight corset that suffocated her boobs,high ass heels with hair to match,and a face paler then mine,due to the massive amount of powder caked on there. "Welcome one and all to the 94th annual hunger games!"She announced in a shrill voice,she looked so full of glee probably because she wasn't the one being sentenced to death. "Now it is the ladies first as always,it is always such a huge honor to be picked for your district so there is not need to be frightened."She announced as the ball span around with the names of the girls ages 12-18. Most of the girls in our district looked like they couldn't stand a chance,but then again I knew I probably couldn't either. "The first tribute for the 94th annual hunger games is...Lee Anne Fletcher!"Elouise announced. There was a high pitched scream from the crowd and cries in the background as the guards carried up a young girl with bushy blonde hair that bounced back and forth as she struggled to get away,half way through the crowd she stopped and made it up to the stage by her self to shake Elouise's hand. I felt so bad for this girl she looked only 13 or 14 and she was so tiny. Elouise's voice broke me out of my thoughts,"Next up when have the boys."she announced. My heart started beating like a rabid squirrel."And our second tribute for the 94th annual hunger games is..."She hesitated as she opened the paper very carefully,"Philip Lester!" She announced. My heart immediately stopped,I could feel my world spinning as I began to walk forward. I heard my mom scream and cry for me in the background,Martyn holding her back. As I made my way closer to the stage I could hear other boys shouting"Dead man walking,make way!"That's when my skin started to crawl,finally I got up to the stage and I was as pale as Elouise Moffat was. "Ladies and gentleman,congratulate this years tributes of district 2!"Elouise roared as the whole crowd applauded,I looked down and saw my mother sobbing as she looked at me up on the stage with Martyn trying to comfort her. After the reaping they escorted us to the safe house so we can say our goodbyes. Mum ran into the room and squeezed me tightly,"My little boy,I won't let you go,I can't!"She sobbed into my chest. I looked over to Martyn for some suggestions and he just shrugged,"Mum it's going to be alright I promise,I'm going to stay alive."I said calmly as I stroked her hair. She finally let go and wiped her tears,"I just can't bare to let you go I mean your my youngest,you're still my baby boy even though you're practically almost a man."She said with a giggle as she stroked my cheek. "Mum I will come back I promise."I said,putting my hand on her shoulder. Martyn stepped forward to join me and mum,putting his hand firmly on my shoulder and looking me straight in the eyes,"You know if dad was still here he'd be pretty proud of you for having such guts,I know I'm pretty proud of you little bro."He said with a hint of admiration in his voice before ruffling my hair. "Gee thanks Martyn."I replied with a huge grin. One of the guards came in the door way,"Mr.Lester you have 2 minutes left."he announced as he stared at his pocket watch. "Alright thank you sir."I said with a nod of my head. I looked down at my tie and I began to take off my pin from my father,"Um here mum I'm pretty sure you'd like dad's pin back."I uttered,placing the small bear pin into my mothers palm. She looked down at it and looked back at me with a certain softness in her eyes,"Philip I want you to keep it,think of it as a good luck charm."She responded as she pinned it onto my shirt. "Thanks Mum."I said as I began to cry,bringing my mother into my arms,I felt as she began to cry with me. She pulled away and wiped away her tears before looking up at me and placing her gentle hand on my cheek,"You're gonna do great Phil,I know it,"She paused to give me a kiss on the cheek,"I know it."She repeated before walking out of the room. Next Martyn gathered me into a big bear hug."Good luck out there Phil,come back in one piece alright?"He said with a chuckle and a pat on the back before leaving the room. I chuckled nervously as I was left alone,"Will do Martyn,Will do."I said to myself as I paced back and forth before I leaped on my bed and stared up at the ceiling. I let out a huge sigh,"Oh God have mercy on my soul."I muttered,placing my hands on my face,letting them roam through my hair.