FoxFace's Story

Chapter 1 - The Reaping

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***

I wake up to find myself sprawled on the ground. Not surprising really, most days I wake up to find myself here. The cause? Most likely a nightmare which doesn't surprise me, either. Today is the day of the reaping. I've been doing this for three years now so you think I should be used to this by now, but I'm not. The reaping and the games still petrify me because it reminds me of how my older brother, Jaren, was brutally murdered. It was the 70th Hunger Games, and he was down to the final 3, he had no allies left so it was just him. He was asleep in a cave when the other tribute from District 5 found him. He didn't even realize she was there until she stabbed him, the first time, in the leg. He immediately woke up, grabbed his sword and swung at her. From there, they were both trying to stem the blood flowing out of their injuries, but she continued to try and kill him and he did fight back, until she put a knife through his head. He wasn't immediately dead, but he was just as good. For some unknown reason, though, she continued to hack at him until his cannon went off, then she ran for it. Our District was absolutely disgusted that someone would kill their own District partner, so it's really a good thing that she was killed by the District 11 boy. If she came back to our District she would have been persecuted and nobody would ever have forgiven her or forgotten, especially my family and I.

I get up off of the floor and go looking for my little brother and sister. Their twins and are almost always inseparable. If you find one you can generally count on finding the other.

I find them on the rug in the living room at the front of the house. Their 9 so their safe from the reaping. For now.

"Hi Finch", they say in unison when they see me. "Hi Rhine and Magna. What are you two doing up so early?", I ask them.

"I couldn't sleep", replies Magna. "I was worried that you would get picked", she finished. "Magna woke me as she was leaving the room so I followed her down here", replied Rhine. "What's going to happen if you get picked Finch?", asked Magna, with tears starting to well in here eyes at the very though of it. "I'll fight and come back home", I reply. "But what happens if you die, just like Jaren? Will we have to go to the community home?", asked Rhine. They would have to go to the community home if I died because my mother died years ago and my father can't exactly look after us so before Jaren was killed, he and I looked after Rhine and Magna. That was just when my father started going downhill. He has these episodes but no-one could figure out how it was caused or how to stop them so they continued. He couldn't work a lot anymore so Jaren and I both had jobs. Kind of. We would help out some of our neighbors and they would pay us out of gratitude. "If I do get picked, I will try. I promise. But I've never been much of a fighter so I'll have to rely on my smartness", I reply with a finishing tone.

After a little while, I go and get changed for the reaping. I get changed into a simple white lace dress that has a light blue layer underneath. I also put on my only pair of good shoes, my brown boots. After I finish getting changed, I pin my hair back from my face and do it in a loose braid.

Afterwards, I go downstairs and make sure Magna and Rhine are looking presentable enough for the reaping. Even though their not in the reaping, they still have to look presentable. I go and make sure my father is ready to go as well. He kind of is. But he's not really with it.

We then make our way to the reaping but just before we left, I grabbed one of the only things I have ever owned of value. It's a silver bracelet that my mother gave me when I was a child, about 2 months before she died. The bracelet has glittering diamonds on it.

Only small diamonds and only five, to represent the district number.

I hold onto Rhine and Magna's hands while my father trails along behind us. I walk them over to where the spectators generally stand and leave them there with one of our neighbors while I go and check in. I get my finger pricked, blood taken and then I go and line up with the other 15 year old girls in my District.

I wait and wait until, finally, the district escort, Dacia Favian, who struts across the stage in bright orange, 7-inch heels and an odd dress that is a disgusting mix between pink and yellow.

"Welcome, welcome to the District 5 reaping for the 75th annual Hunger Games! Ladies first!" She says in her rich Capitol accent before crossing to the bowl that contains 20 slips of paper with my name on it. The odds aren't exactly in my favor but there is heaps of kids eligible for the reaping here that its unlikely that I will be picked.

Dacia grabs a slip and trots back to the stage in those impossibly high heels and reads the name out, clearly, for everyone to hears. "Finch Stryker".

***

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