The Twenty-ninth Annual Hunger Games: A Fanfiction

District 2 Reaping

District 2 Reaping
Talon Wilder
"Talon! Talon! TALON!" It's my sister again. She must be having another nightmare. I run down the hall toward her room.
"What is it, Cress? Are you okay?" I ask. Tears are streaming down my little sister's face.
"I had another bad dream!" she says, more tears spilling from her eyes.
"It's okay," I say, trying to sound comforting. I've never been the greatest comforter in the world, but Cress thinks I'm the best one out there.
"It was just a dream," I continue. "You'll be okay." I sit on the foot of her bed. She sits up, and I hug her until she has fallen back asleep, her head in my lap. I quietly stand up and go back to my room. I check the wall clock to see what time it is. Two a.m. I try to sleep, but it's no use. I feel fear going through me. Cress is twelve. That means she can be reaped this year. I don't want them to pick her. In fact, I don't want them to pick any twelve-year-old. But I can't guaarantee that that won't happen.
"Talon, are you awake?" The sound of my mother's voice awakens me. I must have fallen asleep at some point, because it's nine. Time to get ready for the reaping.
"I am now," I say sleepily. I feel as if I've gotten no sleep at all.
"Well, the reaping will be in a few hours," Mother tells me. "You should get ready." Slowly, I rise from the bed. I eat a piece of toast and some eggs and take a nice-looking outfit out of my closet. I quickly put it on and go to wake Cress.
"Cress, wake up. It's reaping day." Cress stands up.
"I forgot," she says. "And thanks for comforting me, Talon. You're the best."
"Aww, thanks Cress," I say. "Better get ready. The reaping will be starting soon."
By the time we leave our house and start heading to the square, it's already eleven forty. I give Cress a hug and she gets in line to check in. I end up standing behind my friend Saffron.
"Good luck," he whispers to me.
"You too," I whisper back, and then it is his turn to check in. Once we get checked in with the Peacekeepers, we head to the place where fourteen-year-olds are supposed to sit. Finally, the reaping begins.
"Hello everyone, and welcome to District 2's 29th annual reaping day for the Hunger Games!" Rosetta Woodsworth, our escort, exclaims. "May the odds be ever in your favor! Now we have a very special film straight from the Capitol!" Screens turn on above us and the film begins.
"War, terrible war. Widows, orphans, a motherless child. This was the uprising that rocked our land." I am too lost in thought to pay attention to the rest of the film. I am thinking about Cress again. What will I do if she does get reaped this year? And will anyone volunteer?
"That was wonderful!" The sound of our escort's voice jolts me back to reality.
"Time to choose our female tribute!" I watch nervously as Rosetta crosses to the girls' ball, digs around in it, and pulls out a single slip of paper.
"Cress Wilder!" Tears fill my eyes. Out of all the girls in District 2, it had to be her. But then, a thirteen-year-old girl stands and walks to the stage.
"I volunteer as tribute!" she shouts.
"And what's your name?" Rosetta Woodsworth asks with interest.
"Cayenne Ashvale!"
"Well, we have our female tribute, Cayenne Ashvale!" I let out a small sigh of relief. At least my sister won't have to go now.
"Now time to choose our male tribute!" our escort shouts excitedly. She rushes over to the boys' ball and picks out a slip of paper, without hesitation this time.
"Carter Nightgrove!" A twelve-year-old boy gets up and starts walking to the stage. He is crying, looking desperately at the crowd, hoping someone will volunteer for him. It is too much for me to bear. I stand up and make a beeline for the platform in the middle of the square.
"I VOLUNTEER!" I shout so that the whole of Panem can hear me. I shout it directly into the nearby camera.
"I VOLUNTEER AS TRIBUTE!" I shout again, still talking into the camera.
"Lovely!" says Rosetta. "And what's your name?"
"Talon Wilder," I say, trying to sound confident. But I know that I will have to leave District 2. That means I will have to leave Cress.
"Ladies and gentlemen, this year's tributes!" exclaims our escort. And that's when the tears come. They spill from my eyes. And it's because I realize what I've done. I've volunteered. That means I may never be coming back to District 2.