Growing up in District 12 is the worst thing that can happen to a child of Panem.
In the capitol, and the wealthy districts, children sought the aprobation of their parents. In the intermediate districts, children sought to be useful to their paren...
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August was officially the beginning of the heat waves for District 12. The few but resistant flora was noticeable decorating the corners in white. An irony considering the asphalt color of the ground. The Everdeen sisters are washed and dressed in their best dresses, Katniss was wearing a grayish blue dress just like her eyes while Primrose was wearing a yellow color, pale because of the washing. For my part, I'm wearing an off-white dress that doesn't overshadow my pale complexion.
The courtyard was the most lively section of the entire District throughout the year. The only tents and the burner ensured that there were always people and even though only a few could actually enter the shops the atmosphere was always friendly. As long as it wasn't Reaping Day of course. The eight thousand people of District 12 barely fit in the space, the center was intended for young people and the edges were cramped with adults, children and occasionally the old man who everyone wonders how he could had survived for so long. Parents and even unrelated adults stood in front of the children, trying to prevent them from seeing how their acquaintances or siblings being chosen. On the contrary, many of the guards who are supposed to be behind the entire population come forward to bet on who would be chosen this year. They went into all kinds of details, age, appearance, whether they would cry... we were their entertainment and as citizens of the Capitol they were not afraid to show that they were untouchable.
Boys and girls were divided by gender into two parallel lines for identification. Of course, the capitol only collected basic information on each young. Name, identity of parents, profession or educational level, residential address, gender, height and weight. Until every twelfth Reaping Day we were a paper token and, in reality, if we had any good luck we would only become a token with a drop of blood. The only situation in which they are interested in you beyond that is if you end up on the train.
Our only female winner was so long ago that no one alive has even ever met her. And Haymitch Abernathy, in the eyes of the district, did not lose his life but did lose his soul. That is, District 12 has no proper winners. A clear reminder of the fate that inevitably awaits the pair who end up on the train each year.
Having Katiss just turned 12 and me not yet 13, it's hers and mines first Reaping Day. I have 3 tesserae and Katniss none. Gale had to acquire 4 plus since he is 13 so his name is already there 6 times. 4, 1 and 6. Very low chances considering that there were people in the district with twenty or more. However, uncertainty corrodes all the children in the yard. Who will be the ones to cry this year?
At two in the afternoon, Mayor Undersee takes the podium and reads the same story of the creation of Panem, the rebellion of the Dark Days and the eradication of District 13. It was because of the subsequent Treaty of Betrayal that the Hunger Games came to be at the present day. The districts would have to offer two kids every year in exchange for getting a winner once in while. The winner would be drenched in glory and would be able to give their people cereals and oil an if, they were lucky, even sugar. However this was a bonus people in District 12 have long forgotten about since the 50th Huger Games. I wonder why District 1 would need to win 10 out of the last 20 games. Those greedy fuckers.
