The 151st Annual Hunger Games

District 1 and 2 Reaping

Silver Hale's POV:

I stand quietly up on the corner of the platform. Merida finished her small speech and comes to stand back beside me.

District 1 waits excitedly has the escort prances out towards the microphone. My short frilly dress is cold against my skin as she shows the horrific rebellion video. The escort smiles and pulls out a slip of paper. She can't even read the name before someone is already volunteering. A tall, muscular girl walks up to the stage with a smirk. She's got straight, shiny black hair and grabs the microphone from the escort to say her name.

"Erika Riker, 18."

Typical Career. It's sad to think that she doesn't see beyond the veil of fame and wealth. How she doesn't care what happens as long as she gets to prove she's the best.

"Bry-"

"I volunteer!" Someone says gruffly from the back. A guy with bright blonde hair walks up to the stage and smiles mockingly at the escort.

"Cody Willow,16." He says before turning off the stage without even shaking the other tribute's hand.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The District 1 reaping had gone off without a hitch but we weren't so lucky with District 2. A young career named Sparkle Jackson had just been reaped when Merida freaked out at the escort. She grabbed her wrists and demanded where her brothers where. The escort looked terrified and soon Peacekeepers were surrounding her and pulling her off the stage. Merida didn't care. She kept screaming about how she knew that she knew where they were because she lived in the Capitol and worked for the President. Apparently her brothers went missing.

I think about my own sister back at home and wonder why the Games helped me but only made things worse for her.

The next tribute is called and is an 18 year old named Casimir. The boy looks tough and it makes me upset that all of the tributes chosen so far have been careers. I hope I don't have to mentor any of these people because I don't think I could bear thinking about all the hours they've wasted training for such a thing.

At the end of the reaping I head behind the stage and pass by Merida who sits on a bench smugly. I get on the next train and head back to the Capitol. This year we are both forced to attend every reaping and stay in the Capitol for interviews and celebrations for the month of the Games. I hate it and I know it isn't good for Kiwi's condition. She's only just getting better and news reporters are at my door every second of the day wanting to see me. She doesn't even understand why they're there. As soon as I get to the hotel complex people are swarming me. They ask questions and take pictures and I try and ignore them. They shouldn't be treating me like I'm famous when I was apart of something so violent.

I shove my way through my hotel door and bolt it shut. I haven't even turned around before my sister is there hugging my knees.

"Yay Silver. Your back." She giggles. My mom stands in the doorway and helps me inside. Kiwi disappears briefly and comes back holding a colourful piece of paper. It's a drawing of me and her in front of our new house in the Victors Village both holding bouquets of flowers. If only she knew things aren't that simple.