I Can't (A Hunger Games Fanfiction)

Chapter Two: The Reaping (Part 1)

We walk silently through the quiet crowd. I grasp his hand in mine, Ben's holding on to it so tightly, I think my hand is numb. It being my forth time doing this, it's not so scary, but Ben is terrified. His breath comes out shakily and slow and he quickly looks around to find peacekeepers surrounding the area.

I finally pry his hand from mine when we reach the table and kneel down slightly to meet his dark brown eyes that match Mother and I's. "You know what I told you before, right?" He nods shakily. "I'll meet you after the Reaping. Do whatever they say, okay?" Ben nods and shows the person his finger, only for it to be pricked and pressed against the table before beginning scanned.

Ben walks out of the away and I show the person my finger, to feel a sharp sting for a moment, making me squint for a second. I turn to the girls my age and follow them.

We finally stop and I look up to the podium. A lady with bright black lips wore a short, blood red, curvy dress and black shoes. She had long curly hair piled on the top of her head. "Welcome, welcome, welcome. Happy Hunger Games and may the odds be ever in your favor," she says. (A/N: This is stuff Effie says in the movie. I think they say the same thing every year, so I used the same dialogue.)"Before we begin, we have a special video brought to you from the Capitol."

A video begins to play. Since it was my forth time seeing this video, I decide to watch the weird lady from the Capitol. Getting a closer look at her, her long eyelashes seem fake against her sparkling blue eyes. They most likely are. She doesn't do anything and just stares into the crowd. The video ends.

"Now, the time has come for us to select one courageous man and women for the honor to represent District 1 in the Twenty-Eighth Annual Hunger Games," the lady says with a smile. "As usual, ladies first." She reaches into the bowl and pulls out a names. I force my eyes closed and swiftly open them.

"Elena Callaway."