poison (EDITING)

prologue

the 65th annual hunger games was held today. right now. i was completely terrified. what if i were chosen? what would that mean for my mother and brother? i grabbed a hold of althea tuckerman, who stood in front of me, wondering if hiding would do any good, although, i knew it wouldnt.

"for the ladies..." a woman pulled a slip of paper out of the bowl. "althea tuckerman."

i heard a faint gasp from in front of me and frowned suddenly. she turned around, tears springing to her eyes. i quickly wrapped my arms around her, receiving a kiss on the cheek. "you've got this," i assured her, although i wasn't so sure myself. she painfully smiled, turning her back towards me and walking up to the podium.

-an hour later-

i sat on my bed, staring at the sky. "brook!" my mom called. "brook, darling, the reapings are on!"

i hustled into the kitchen, watching the projection. my brother grinned at me as i entered the room. "kinda wish it was me. imagine the victory of winning something like that."

i shook my head. "yeah, because murdering twenty-three people is definitely what i want to be proud of."

the people from district one were alba kipe, a seventeen year old, almost making her way out of the reapings, and archie lethe, a young twelve year old boy.

district two. birdie wepplet, fourteen, and axel burnham, eighteen.

district three. astrid waldroop and amos yom, both sixteen.

district four. cherry hollick, seventeen, and finnick odair, fourteen.

i squinted my eyes at the boy walking up to the podium. i had never seen someone so young look so brave, prepared. "wow."

my brother, clayton, glanced over at me. "what?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"i just can't imagine the pressure they must be feeling. so young, too."

clayton scoffed. "mhm."

we watched the rest of the reapings and then ate dinner. i smiled to my mother and clayton. "im going to bed. i'll see you in the morning, good night!"

clayton nodded, "night brook."