Vale Marin's heart sinks as the loudspeaker announces her name as one of the tributes for the upcoming 10th annual Hunger Games. Fear grips her as she realizes that she must now fight for her life. Determined to come out on top, Vale decides to adop...
As Vale wakes up in her room, she notices the light coming through her tiny window. Today is different than any other day because it is reaping day, and anyone who is eligible for the games gets the morning off from work or school. Vale, however, is not excited about the extra work she will have to put in later that day to make up for the missed time. She spends most of her days by the marina cleaning and gutting fish, which is not a pleasant job, but still better than being on the ships.
Suddenly, Vale's mother yells from another room, "Vale Marin, start getting ready!" Vale knows she needs to get up quickly, or her mother will only get more angry. She slowly pushes herself to her feet and begins to get dressed.
She pulls out a pair of blue jeans, a long-sleeve shirt, and a jacket with fish knitted down the sleeves. The blue jeans have different colored patches covering holes. She wants to be comfortable in case she gets picked. As she dresses, she thinks about the possibility of being chosen for the games.
(Her outfit)
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After finishing up in the bathroom, Vale heads to the kitchen where her mother is preparing breakfast. Vale's little brother, Marley, is sitting at the table, playing with a piece of string. "What are you doing, baby boy?" Vale asks, smiling at him.
"Don't call me baby boy!" Marley protests, but Vale can't help but chuckle. She's called him that ever since he was born. When Marley first came into the world, Vale remembers feeling like he was her very own baby. Unfortunately, their mother has always been distant and only ever showed fear and anger. Their father tried his best to make up for it, but he was away at sea most of the time. "I just turned ten, so I'm not a baby anymore!"
"You will always be my baby boy," she utters while wrapping him into a tight hug. Vale takes the string from Marley and holds it up to the light to examine it closely. It looks familiar but doesn't know why. "Now what is this?"
"It is a bracelet that Papa taught me." Marley takes Vale's hand and ties the string around her wrist. Vale stares at the bracelet cherishing the memories of her grandfather. "You can keep it."
"We need to get going," their mother utters interrupting their sweet moment. Vale knows that her mother is always anxious and worried, but she tries to stay positive and strong for her little brother. She hugs Marley tight, and they start heading to the reaping.
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Vale walks hand in hand with her brother to the reaping. As they reach their destination, Vale separates from her brother and mother after exchanging quick hugs. Before parting, Vale promises her brother they will see each other soon.
Suddenly, Vale hears someone calling her name from behind. It's her friend from work, Coral, who is the same age as Vale. They have to gone through the reaping together every year.
"Hey, Valley," Coral greets Vale with a smile.
Vale turns to her friend and replies, "Hey, starfish." They have had these nicknames since they were kids. Coral always teased Vale about her name and suggested she should change it to Valley. In return, Vale started calling Coral "starfish" after they found a starfish with the same color as Coral's hair.
As they arrive, they sign in with the guard and walk to their age sections. Vale and Coral talk about work, hoping to ease the tension that they are both feeling. The air is thick with anticipation as everyone waits for the mayor of the district to arrive. Finally, he walks onto the stage and reads off an introduction that he does every year. The sound of his voice echoes throughout the center, raising the tension even further.
"Now it's time to pick our tributes," he says nervously before walking to the boy's bowl. Vale remembers that the mayor has two sons who are eligible for the games, and she can't help but wonder if they are safe from the reaping process. She watches as he slowly picks a paper and walks back to the microphone.
"Mizzen Liberty," the mayor mumbles into the mic. Out of the corner of her eye, Vale sees some movement in the 13-section and out walks a young, scared-looking boy. She glances at Coral, and without speaking, they both agree that the kid won't survive the games.
Soon enough, the mayor starts walking to the girl's bowl. He moves his hand around the bowl and picks a single slip. He walks back to the mic and glances at the name. "Vale Marin," he says. Vale's world seems to stop for a moment. She looks over at Coral and sees her looking back with a sad face.
"Fight like a bitch," Coral whispers while quickly squeezing Vale's hand. Vale slowly walks to the path that leads to the stage. Coral's words keep playing in her head. Fight like a bitch, that is what she is going to do. She will not make friends, and she will hurt whoever is in her way.
Once she is on the stage, Vale searches for her brother. The center is full of a bunch of faces that merge together. The air is thick with tension and fear, and Vale can feel her heart pounding in her chest.
"It's time to go," a peacekeeper states as he grabs her arm.
"Wait," Vale utters while still searching. She finally sees her brother in the back with tears running down his face. All she can think is that she has to win, for her family, for herself.
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A/N: Hey there! I just wanted to share that I enjoyed writing this chapter, and I hope you'll like it too. By the way, I got a little bit distracted while watching a movie, and then Lamina died :'(. Also, I couldn't resist including Coral in the story, even though I had taken her out of the game.
