The 76th Hunger Games

Chapter One. The Reaping.

It was only a week before the usual date for the reaping that the victors announced that there would be one more Hunger Games and it would be the 76th Hunger Games for Capitol children.

Because this years Hunger Games is just for Capitol children, the reaping couldn't be split into districts, instead they announced that they would choose 24 tributes; 12 male and 12 female, from two bowls filled with all the Capitol children aged 12-18 just how the Capitol did for the districts. But this year they were not going to allow volunteers,  they said that if your name is chosen, you will be going into the arena.

When the 76th Hunger Games were announced,  my mother went into panic. She knew that the victors would make an example of President Snow's granddaughter,  but she wasn't planning on telling me until the day of the reaping and I think that she was hoping she would never have to tell me at all.

On the day of the reaping I was dressed in my very best dress, it was a soft light pink with a clean white ribbon tied around the waist in a bow. That dress always used to make me happy, but not any more now it just reminds me how unjust the power ruling over Panem always has been and probably always will be no matter who is in charge. My mother greeted me in the kitchen and watched me with swelling eyes as I ate my breakfast of pancakes which she had prepared with fresh lemon from district 11 on top. She knew that that would most likely be my last breakfast at home so she held back her tears and savoured every moment. When I had finished eating she tied my soft brown hair back into a plait with shaking hands.

The plait reminds me of the plait that katniss wore when she volunteered for her sister Prim in the 74th Hunger Games two years ago. I run my fingers over my woven hair as I sit here waiting for what is to come next, remembering the horrible day of the Reaping

.When my mother had finished with my hair we walked together to the City circle just outside what used to be my grandfathers mansion.  It wasn't a long walk but it reminded me of the sad day when we walked to the mansion to find refuge from the war, but instead of peace and safety, both my father and my younger brother were killed when the rebels attacked.

Now I'm all that my mother has left, she cannot lose me.

When we reached the Circle I had to leave my mother so that I could be registered, she hugged me so hard I didn't think she would ever let go and she whispered in my ear "Be brave Scarlet." And then she left me and didn't look back, that was when I realised that I was never going to go home again after the reaping and that I could bet anything that my name would be drawn from the reaping bowl, that was when I realised what my mother had been hiding from me. That was what I realised as I held out my shaking hand to be registered and the needle pierced my skin. But I couldn't do anything about it.

I stood with all the other 13 year old children as Gale Hawthorn one of the heads of the rebellion climbed onto the stage with Johanna Mason.

"Welcome to the 76th final Hunger Games" Gale's voice echoed through the speakers.

"Children of the Capitol, " Johanna paused and a small giggle escaped her mouth as she finished "may the odds be ever in your favour" Then her hand plunged into the bowl filled with all of the female names and fished out twelve pieces of paper one by one. She paused before revealing the names and said into the microphone "before I begin, would you like to draw the male names soldier Hawthorn?"

"I would be glad to." He replied before he too plunged his hand into his bowl and carefully drew out twelve names.

"The names of the female tributes are as follows, please make your way to the stage if your name is called or you will be forced" Johanna declared, before continuing "Zamia Etque, Sophia Pemberstone, Suzanne klarex, Scarlet Snow," eight more names followed but I didn't hear them through the pounding of my heart in my ears. Someone behind me jabbed me in the back and I flicked my head around to see a kindly looking girl with long blond hair, I was about to snap at her when she said, "don't let them know your scared" and nudged me forward towards the stage. I nodded at the girl to thank her for getting me out of my trance of fear before walking determinedly towards the stage.

The male names were announced after and I recognised a few of them, there was a large 17 year old boy that I recognised from the day of my grandfathers exexution, he had stood next to my mother and me in the crowd. Thers were a couple others that I recognised but I was still to shocked to know where from.

from the reaping we were directed into the mansion for our final good byes, this is where I now sit waiting for my mother.