Deceived: The 500th Annual Hunger Games

Chapter 38 - District 7 Reapings

VANITY STRONG'S P.O.V

I sat in the woods, munching on the sandwich I had prepared earlier. I had to cover at work for my dad today. He's broken loads of his bones. Again.

I've only just recovered from breaking my collarbone. I always break bones.

We need all the money we can get. Dad is becoming worse by the minute. I don't know what's wrong with him. Even the local doctors have no idea what is up with him.

I can imagine him at home right now. Alone with both of his feet on pillows and his arm in a cast made from random bits and bobs.

"Break is over!" The instructor yelled. Still covered in sweat, I grabbed my axe and started chopping at the birch branches hanging from the old tree.

I snapped the last part of the demolished branch, the end covered in splinters from my chops.

I watched the branch fall from where I was. After a few seconds of falling, a distant thud was heard, indicating my branch had reached the bottom.

I climbed up the tree carefully, using nubs from previous branches to cling to. I found a nice, big branch to cut.

Whack! My axe collided with the branch, a dent being left. If I'm never reaped for the games, this will be my fate forever.

I hate chopping wood. I mean, the woods is nice and I enjoy exercising in the open, but cutting down trees is boring.

With the amount of technology and power needed by the Capitol, the trees are our only hope of us being able to breathe.

"Teenagers," the instructor yelled. "Finish the branch you're on, then you may leave for the reaping."

I drove my axe through the branch multiple times until it was hanging by a couple of splinters. One final blow sent the birch flying to the ground.

I'm a stereotypical District 7 tribute. I bet they'll include very little axes in these games. Capitol entertainment.

I steadily made my way down the tree, noticing how destroyed it had become over the last week.

I collected my money from the man and ran home. I need to see my dad.

I burst through the door, panting from running for about 10 minutes.

"Hey dad," I yelled, taking off my coat. "How are you?"

"I now know my condition," he smiled weakly.

I leant forward towards him. "Tell me."

"It isn't good news." He straightened himself up in his chair. "I have a condition called Osteogenesis Imperfecta. It's to do with my bones and why they break so much. You have it too."

"I have this disease too?" I said, slightly disheartened.

"Yeah. Sorry kid." He shrugged.

I walked up to my room to get changed and tried not to break any more bones.

THALIA DUNBRYLL'S P.O.V

I arrived to the reaping early. No one else from District 7 was here. I let the weird Capitol people prick my index finger before I walked into the deserted town square.

I smoothed my blue skirt before sitting down on the rubble floor beneath me. I could see Capitol people setting up cameras and cleaning the stage for our escort.

There he was. Siege. He is awesome in comparison to most other escorts. He isn't all snotty and uptight.

He saw me and walked over to me, his big blue afro bouncing. "Hey sweetie. You're early. You volunteering?"