❛ 𝑺𝑰𝑳𝑬𝑵𝑪𝑬- 𝘵𝘩𝘨

Chapter 1

A/N: Suzanne Collins owns anything that you recognize. Also, I usually have trouble coming up with names for characters, so I used this link: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/7932863/1/A-guide-to-naming-your-tributes

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"Ada! There you are!" My best friend, Willow said. I was sitting outside on a tree stump, smearing mud around with a stick, trying to paint something from the rain last night. "Hi." I signed in greeting.

"What are you doing?" She asked me.

"Painting, can't you tell?"

She grinned at me before sitting down next to me. That was another thing that everyone loved about Willow. Even on the darkest day of the year, she was smiling and could get others smiling too. Some people call her the sunshine of the village.

"What are you painting?" She wondered. "A fish." "Oh. I think I see it. Anyway, are you ready for the reaping? Do you know what you're going to wear?" She asked.

"Well, yes, I know what I'm going to wear, but is anyone ever ready for the reaping?"

"I don't know. Well, I guess, we should go get ready." Willow said, standing up. I nodded and added the final touches to the drawing before tending up and heading back to my house. I was never very good with that girly talk about dresses and clothing.

When I entered my house, I quietly shut the door. "Hi, Ada!" My little brother, Carter peeked his head into the hallway from the kitchen. "Hi Carter, Dad." I signed back. "Hello, Ada." My Dad, Beetee said. "I'm making erb soup. Would you like some?" He asked.

"Sure, thanks." I sat down on a seat next to Carter. Dad placed a bowl down in front of me. I smiled gratefully at him, before picking up my spoon to eat. "This is what I'm wearing to the reaping!" Carter said, gesturing to his outfit. It was a plain gray t-shirt with dark jeans. "Nice. My outfit is upstairs."

As I sipped my hot soup, I thought about the reaping. It was really unfair that they'd do this as a punishment for the rebels. Okay, I could understand for a few years, but 73 years later! I mean, really!

I finished the broth, so I slipped upstairs to change. I pulled out a gray tank top with a cross strap in the back, and maroon skinny jeans. I did my hair into a messy bun, and cleaned my glasses a little before placing them back on my face. I grabbed a black choker and pulled on knee-high boots before walking to the town square.

There was about half of the children from District 3 in town square, waiting nervously with their age group. It's very sad to think that at least two of them will be thrown in the games. Like the five years before, I walked over to check myself in, and then got my blood drawn. They then pushed me into my age group. I could see Willow, biting her nails, a nervous habit she'd gotten into only on reaping day.

She easily stood out. Her blonde hair was down and she wore a yellow dress that ended at her knees. When she saw me, he smiled and walked over to me. "Hi!" I signed.

"Hia! I'm really scared..." She replied.

"You'll be okay. I mean, our names are only entered five times, right? And there are hundreds of other slips."

"Uh, I have to tell you something, so please don't get angry at me."

"What?" I signed at her suspiciously.

"My family needed extra food, so I signed up for tesserae..."

"No, why? I could have just given you extra food if you asked. We have enough, remember? My dad won the hunger games!"

"I'm really-" Willow began, but she got cut off by Callon, the man who runs the reaping who is from the Capitol. "Welcome to the 74rd hunger games! As always, ladies first!" He skipped over to the first glass bowl that held name slips inside. He slipped his hand inside, rustled around for a little bit, before pulling out a name.

"Willow Heath!" Willow paled as the crowd around her parted to let her through. She took her first steps forward, but before she got to the platform, something inside of me sparked. "I volunteer in the place of Willow." I signed, walking to the stage.

"What did you say dear?" He asked me. "She said she volunteered as tribute!" A voice in the audience called. "Ah, okay dear. What's your name?"

"Her name is Ada Latier," The same voice from the audience called, but this time I could see who it was. Carter. "She's mute and uses sign language to speak."

"Oh, okay. Latier...wanted to continue the family honor of being in the games, huh? Like father like daughter I suppose. Well, now for the male tribute..." But I stopped listening. That made me sick...family honor?

"Bolt Karny!" Callon read the name off the slip. A good looking boy with dark hair and blue eyes stepped forward from the 18 age group section. I think every girl swooned, given the exception of me.

"All right, shake hands, you two. Wonderful! May the odds ever be in your favor, and welcome to the 73rd Hunger Games!"