Emerald Eyes (The Hunger Games - Annie Cresta)On Hold/Being Edited

Chapter 2

I look behind me, to see who the girl who has been chosen as tribute. Nobody moves. The name get call again "Annie Cresta". That's when it hits me, I'm Annie Cresta. I am this year's tribute. I make way to the stage, and glance behind me. I see my mother's face, full of happiness as any parent in District 4 should be. Her daughter has been chosen as tribute for the 70th Annual Huger games, but I look her straight in the eye and I catch a glimpse of sorrow and anger in them. He daughter, her only child, is being taken away and being forced to fight to the death. I look back to the stage and smile the biggest smile I can produce. I should be happy this is what I've trained for my whole life, yet I'm feeling sad. Could this be the time me and Finnick see each other for the last time. Do we only have one more week together? I watched as he was picked five years ago. He didn't know I loved him then but I guess I didn't really know either.

As I begin to make my way toward the stage, the crowds of girls around me begin to part like the red sea. Still with a huge grin on my face, I clamber up the steps towards the outstretched arm of Lavina. In the attempt to drag me to the centre of the stage she attempts to grab my hand but I pull my arm away from her. I can't stand the capitol people with their freakish faces, odd hair, and strange sense of fashion. She goes over to the huge glass bowl holding the reaping slips with the thousands of boys' names written on them in careful neat writing.

'Now for the boys' she says in her very affected Capitol accent. She puts her hand in and grabs the first slip her hand encounters. She brings it back to the middle of the stage and slowly unfolds it. It is so quite you can hear a pin drop. I wait to see you my opponent will be.

"Samual Daughton"

My best friends little brother, his first reaping and his name is only in once. Just like Lucia made sure of. The odds were so not in his favour. Again, the crowd parts, just like they did for me. He is not visible through the sea of heads until he reaches the centre aisle, and it's easy to see why. No taller than five feet, with barely any muscles upon his petite frame. Slowly he clambers up the steps leading to the stage and follows Lavina to the middle. He grins widely, but just like myself I can see he is afraid. We are trained to win but at just eleven years old, there is very little chance that he could win.

"Perfect. We have both of this year's tributes selected at random but now is the time when I ask if anybody in the audience is willing to volunteer themselves for a chance to win The Hunger Games. Please raise your hands now if you would like to take part is such an amazing opportunity!" Lucia says with a wide grin as she scans the crowd of children. Hands shoot up from almost half of the crowd with most coming from those in there last year of eligibility. "Excellent, Annie as you were chosen you get to make the decision on whether you accept any of those prepared to take your place!"

"No, I do not accept a volunteer" I answer without hesitation. Part of me wants to let them go in my place but I have to do this. If I win then I will bring honour to my family but if I chose to stay home I will be seen as weak, a label which will stick with me forever.

"Annie Cresta will continue to be this year's tribute! Samual Daughton, you get the same choice. You get to choose a volunteer, if you so wish, to take your place"

"Yes I do, can I choose whoever I want?" Samual responds quietly, his voice shaking

"Correct, you may pick whoever you like, who is it that you would like to pick"

"Kieren Donoghue"

"Kieren Donoghue" Lucia repeats, "Could you please make your way to the stage now if you volunteer"

Kieren leaves his section and is up on the stage in a few moments, he ruffles Samuel's hair before proceeding to shake hands with him. Once this is complete Kieren continues towards centre stage whilst Samual makes his way back to audience.

"Wonderful. May I present to you the final tributes presented by District 4 for the 70th Annual Hunger Games. Annie Cresta and Kieren Donoghue. May the odds be ever in your favour.

I shake hands with Kieran and we are ushered into the Justice Building. I get taken to a separate room where I will have one hour to say goodbye to the ones I love. My mum visits me first.

"Annie. I have made many sacrifices to make sure you are ready for this. Yes a few more years would have been preferable, a bit more training would have been a great help but I think you can do this. You have to win and come home because I won't be able to cope losing my only child to the games." she says to me, the sorrow is gone out her eyes and only determination is left.

'"Mum I can do this, you wait and see. In a few weeks I'm going to be back home and ready to coach next year's kids. Don't worry"

"I'm not worried, I've have given you all the support you need to do this. You are a ruthless killing machine." She begin to check it off on her fingers "You know how to survive in the wilderness, which most other kids don't. And, you know how to be hungry and you know how to find shelter. Get people to like you and you may as well be given the crown now"

I'm just about to kiss her on the cheek when a peacekeeper comes in and tells us time is up. I just have chance to shout "See you in a few weeks!" before the door shuts.

It's dad who comes to visit me next.

"Hey sweetie, you go out there and win this for me please, I can't bear to lose my baby girl"

"Really dad? Baby girl? You haven't ever called me that"

"A moment of weakness I guess. I'm allowed a moment of weakness aren't I? My daughter is been taken to the Capitol, to fight to the death with 23 of children. I know you're going to win and all. You have been trained for this after all but there's that chance that you might not come home. This might be the last chance I get to see you alive."

"Who knew? You have a heart after all!"

"Oi!" he answer with a laugh "I have always had a heart, but you know how it is. District Four, the district where having feelings is frowned upon"

He takes a step towards me and awkwardly wraps his arms around me, enveloping me in a hug. I rest my head on his chest. I take a deap breathe of his familiar smell, he smells of the sea.

"I am going to win this. Just so you know. I am coming home"

He releases me from the hug and places his hands firmly on my shoulders "I know you are sweetie. Okay, I'm going to go back to not having feelings and pretending this soppy stuff ever happened. Now, remember your training, kill the other tributes and survive. See you in a few weeks"

The peacekeeper comes in and motions for my Dad to leave. Our time together is over. He turns and leaves the room without a backwards glance.