The Survival Games

The day that was even more tragic.

The day was cold, especially wandering around the empty grain fields in District Nine. Spring has just set in, and the farmers and plowers were already at the act trying to harvest the grain. To the left seemed endless fields of the top resource of our district, and what the Capitol pays us substantially with, and to the right were the small cities where I wandered, trying to find a home, and a job. My parents died in a freak accident on our field and I was left with the large sum of loans I have to pay off. I had to find some sort of acceptable clothes other than the rags I was wearing now, containing large amounts of holes, and didn't keep me warm. I needed good clothes because today was the Reaping, where they take one boy and girl from each of the twelve districts, train them, and let them kill each other in different arenas to the death, until one winner is found. My favorite year was when Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark, the tributes from district twelve, won the games together.

It was about noon when I walked into the clothing district of the town, where I was looked upon as a nobody, a hobo, and poor. I had a few dollars, so I bought some jeans, and a nice polo for the reaping. 

"Hey Jason," the man behind the counter, Smit, greeted with a toothless smile, "how goes it boy?" He said with the heavy lisp of his. The man is on the death bed; over seventy, poor hygiene, and losing a battle with a severe disease.

"Its good Smit." I sighed, trying to find a shirt that was my size. Smit acted like a father after my parents died, always giving me a job, and paying me okay with it every once in a while. "The Reaping is today, so I gotta get something nice." I informed, finding a black-collared shirt in my size, and putting it into the basket.

"Really? That's come quickly." He declared. " Good luck." He wished, and rung my clothes up. I handed him the money, and strolled back out into the street. It got a little warmer, but more stres came onto my shoulders. Judging by the suns position, it was about one-thirty, and the reaping was at two in the square. My stroll broke into a jog, trying to find a place to change before people were chosen for their death. 

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The square was already filled with children, some scared for their lives, who were probably just starting to be eligable for the games, and the older ones who were talking, acting like nothing was going to happen. I made my way to the center where they needed blood samples.

"Name." The woman asked in a very angry tone, and held out my finger, waiting for the pinch, and the sight of blood.

"Jason Etats." I replied. She took my bloody index- finger and placed it where my name was. After, I went and stood in the center of all the boys. No one really knew me because I skipped school alot in order for money. After a wait of two minutes, a tall man with blue hair and a large black tuxedo strolled onto stage like a big shot.

"Hey kids! Ready for this years games?" He reminded me of a scary clown. He went through the whole deal with don't up rise and such.

"Let's pick our little kids shall we?" He chuckled out. He galloped over to the girls bucket, and plucked one out. He skipped back over to the stage, looking severely gay. "Our little girl is..." He opened the envelope. "Purey Ekil!" He squealed as faces turned back onto the older girl. I realized who he called; she's one of my closest friends.. She works in my grain field. She walked onto stage, all sad. She was a nice looking girl for Nine. She was Seventeen and had long blond hair down with blue eyes. I loved that girl, and I think she liked me back. I had the same features and was six-foot one, and I worked out heavily. "Now for our male warriors!" He screeched, causing the high-pitched noise travel across the town. He dug around the bucket, and pulled out a name. "Jason Etats!" He said slowly. My jaw dropped, and my heart stopped for a second. I choked, and walked on the stage, trying to be confident. The fists of mine were rolled shut and became white-knucked. "Lets hear it for our tributes!" He clapped, and dismissed the gathering. A tall girl around thirty walked out from behind a curtain. The gay guys voice went from gay to a straight face, and became very male. "I am Li Barc, your representative for this year, and this is C.J. your trainer." We talked and we were escorted inside the hall of our district.

Purey grabbed and held my hand. I was about to do the same.