The 100th Hunger Games [currently being edited]

Reapings: District 8 & 9

Gaze Meadow's POV

Racing down the hill, I glance every so often too check Kalia isn't catching up. A few seconds later I storm over the finishing line and keel over, wheezing.

"Did I win?" I pant, my voice hardly audible from trying to catch my breath.

"Like every time," Leonis says, looking bored.

"Pfft, that's only because I let him win!" Kalia protests, she has now joined me at the finishing line.

"Can we play something else?" Clara, my other little sister asks. We all have a two years in between us; Clara is eleven, Leonis is thirteen, Kalia is fifteen and I am seventeen.

"Please, please racing is boring!" Clara says, doing big puppy eyes, causing her large blue eyes to glitter in the blazing sunlight.

I roll my eyes, "Fine, Clara what do you want to do?" I ask, my hand running through my sweaty hair.

"Hmmm..." She says, pondering, her cute dimple appearing on her rosy cheek whilst a small smile tickles her lips. "Hide and seek!"

"Hide and seek is for babies!" Kalia says, crossing her arms, looking down at Clara irritated.

Leonis opens his mouth to protest as well, however I stop them and say, "Sure Clara, we will all hide and you can seek."

Nodding excitedly, she closes her eyes. "1,2,3,4," She gabbles.

"Slower! And count to one hundred!" I laugh, already pacing down up the hill to find a hiding place.

Frantically, I run around our spacious garden, trying to find a place to hide. My eyes dart over to Kalia and Leonis; Kalia is crouched behind a barrel full of water and Leonis is stood behind the door of the shed.

I swingmy head back and forth, before noticing a decent sized bush. As I hear clara shout, "Ninety," I jump into the bush hoping it wil conceal me. I'm not sure why I am taking this game so seriously, but I want to find a reasonably good hiding place so Clara can have a bit of fun finding me.

I sigh, sorrowfully, today not only Kalia, Leonis and I are eligible for the reaping, Clara, Mother and even Father - who is the mayor are all eligible too.

Mother has told me thousands of times that I have to volunteer for Leonis if he is selected, as does Kalia if Clara is chosen because they deserve a least as long a life as we have had. I don't understand why Father couldn't volunteer, but apparently he is too important and needs to keep supporting the district and as for Mother, she needs to support the family.

My mouth opens dramatically, as I see two clear blue eyes darting back and forth at me.

"Gaze! I've found you!" The voice of my younger sister Clara screams, her voice young and shrill.

"Finally, we've been searching for ages!" Kalia groans, picking at her cuticles.

Grinning, I climb out of the bush, as my mother pokes her head out of the house door.

"Children! Come inside the reaping is soon!" She shouts, her face wrinkled with distress.

We head back inside too get ready for the dreaded reaping, I hold Clara's hand tightly, hoping I will never have to let go.

Skye Bloomer's POV

Acacia squeezes my hand, smiling at me, however I can see how anxious she is in her bright green eyes. We had promised each other that if one of us were to be picked, we would volunteer for each other. Even though we are best friends, I knew Acacia well enough to know that if the time came she would not. This results me into thinking would I volunteer for Acacia? Most likely, I would be so shocked I wouldn't be able to function, let alone volunteer. I mentally sigh, let's hope that neither of us get picked. That's often the case with best friends, say you'll do anything for them, but when it comes to sacrificing yourself, can you do that to yourself?