The 122nd Annual Hunger Games: The Anti-Careers

District 1 Reaping

I - Castle Markshaven

I was too excited for the reaping.

I stood quietly in the seventeen-year-old section, my fingers doing dances and my feet rocking my body back and forth as I awaited my moment. I glanced around, poking my vision through the eighteen-year-old section behind me as the last remaining children signed in to the reaping ceremony to see Louis Nigel with a smirk on his face that bled confidence, but it was too bad for him because that year was my plan to take away the thunder and march home the victor for District 1.

"Welcome, welcome!" our escort echoed as she trotted up stage, her arms in the quirky upwards position that Capitol women had. Her white rubber gloves shimmered in my eyes in the sun as her hand led her to the reaping bowl. "It's time to pick a boy and a girl to enter the 122nd annual Hunger Games! We'll start with the ladies, as always."

Her hand entered the reaping bowl, her fingers messing around with the many slips of paper inside. As she brought up the one she wanted, she nearly let it slip out of her sparkling rubber glove but caught it before it could escape. She smiled to the audience, taking one look at us and then returned to her special paper.

"District 1's female tribute is," she began as she opened up the slip, her voice holding on to the final letter s. "Is Kelly- "

"I volunteer!" shouted a confident voice. The volunteer made her way up to the front from the eighteen-year-old section.

"My, my!" our escort gasped. "A volunteer?" she added, as if District 1 never had a volunteer. "What's your name, young lady?" she asked sweetly as she took the girl's hand to lead her up the stairs.

The volunteer looked out to everyone with her assertive grin. "Silver Agnes. I'm eighteen years old," she piped with an optimistic yet daring tone.

Our escort smiled and nodded. "And now for our boy!"

I clenched my fist ready as she fumbled around in the boy's bowl. She found what she wanted and lifted it up delicately within two fingers. She reached up her other hand to the paper and began to unfold the paper. I was ready to volunteer, too ready perhaps.

"Our District 1 male tribute is Ca- "

"I volunteer as tribute!" I screeched, my lungs drying out from the force as I shot up my arm like a rocket. As I lowered my hand and made my way towards the front, I could imagine Louis' anger, knowing very well that he could no longer volunteer. After the escort led me upstairs, I looked out to the audience and noticed Louis giving me an evil stare as I told everyone, "I'm Castle Markshaven and I'm seventeen."