The 1,000th Annual Hunger Games

District 1 Reaping

Bell Lacrosse's POV

I stare at the TV, thinking everything over. 72 tributes, all in the arena at once. The Games are gonna be deadlier than ever. Luckily, only three of the six tributes that will represent my district will be girls, and since I am twelve and my name is only in the bowl of names once, it isn't likely I'll be reaped. But I shouldn't get my hopes up.

Because Dempsey made the announcement right before the reaping was to begin, everyone is already in their sections. I don't even have to look around, but I can tell everybody is still staring at the TV, which flickers off. We all keep staring until we hear the clicking of high heels on the stage, and everyone looks at our escort, Bekki Espinoza, as she begins to speak.

"Hello district 1!" Bekki chirps. "As you all know, it is time for the reaping! I don't want to keep you all bored, so let's just go ahead and begin! Happy Hunger Games, and may the odds be ever in your favor! As usual, ladies first!"

Bekki skips to the large, circular bowl on the left side of the stage, her heels click-clacking behind her. When she reaches the bowl, she quickly plucks out a slip of paper and carries it back to the microphone, the slip between her middle finger and her index finger. She tears off the tape, unfolds the paper and reads the name.

"F--" she begins.

"I volunteer!" a loud voice interrupts from the eighteen year old section. A tall, muscular girl with curly brown hair walks up to the stage. "My name is Jackie Wallaway and I am eighteen!" she announces, then sits down in the first chair.

Bekki smiles and walks back to the reaping bowl. She chooses another slip of paper, taking a little longer this time, and walks back to the microphone. "B--"

"I volunteer!" a high-pitched voice yells. A small girl walks up to the stage. "I am Katherine Dean and I am seventeen!" she says and sits down in the chair next to Jackie.

"One girl left!" Bekki announces. I drop down to my knees and put my hands together, looking down. I can't get picked. I am totally innocent. I am just the quiet girl in the back of the class. I haven't done anything!

I look up and see the girls around me staring at me. "Sorry," I murmur and stand up. I turn my attention back to the stage.

Bekki has already picked out the next name and is at the microphone, ready to read it. Right as I tune in to listen, I hear her read the name.

"Bell Lacrosse!"

Every head turns towards me. I freeze in my spot, unable to move. No one walks up to the stage. Everyone just stares into my eyes. Could I have really been picked?

"Bell Lacrosse!" Bekki repeats. "Come on up, darling!"

My legs begin to move. When everyone sees me step out of the twelve year old section, they all "aw" sympathetically. Tears begin falling put of my eyes and streaming down my face. There is one girl looking at me sadly.

"No, this is not going to happen!" she states loudly. Bekki cocks her head.

"What do you mean?" Bekki asks. "She has to participate."

"Not anymore," the girl says angrily. "I volunteer as tribute!"

People gasp, muttering things like, "What a caring girl!" and, "I wasn't expecting that!" I step back into my place as the girl makes her way to the stage. She has a confident and angry look on her face. As she walks by, she gives me a small smile and I mouth, "Thank you!" She nods and walks up to the stage.

"My name is Lauren Laringston and I am eighteen!" she announces, then sits down in the empty chair.

I am pulling for her when the Games come. End of story.

"Okay, now it's time for the boys!" Bekki announces. She walks to the bowl on the right, picks up a slip of paper, and walks back to the microphone. "R--"

"I volunteer!" a deep voice interrupts. A huge teenager, easily seven feet, jogs up to the stage. "I am Joshua Kinney and I am eighteen!" he announces.

Bekki claps as Joshua sits down in his seat. She walks slowly and casually to the bowl again, as if trying to make the reaping last as long as possible. She reaches in and grabs a slip in two seconds, faster than a normal escort. She walks back to the microphone to announce the name on the paper.

"J--"

"I volunteer!" A voice booms. A guy with long, curly hair and lots of muscle walks up happily, waving to the people watching him. "I am Dylan Carpenter and I am gonna win!"

Bekki smiles widely. "Wow! I like the confidence!" she compliments, and Dylan grins. He sits down in the chair next to Joshua and they begin whispering excitedly to each other.

"Last tribute!" Bekki announces excitedly. Everyone watches, especially the boys, as she walks over to the bowl one last time. She dips her hand in and shuffles it around longer than she had the previous times. After about twenty seconds, she finally pickes one and shuffles excitedly back to her spot at the microphone. "And the final representative for district 1 is..." she says, keeping us in suspense. "Chase Murphey!"

A large cry erupts from the boys' twelve year old section, which is just a few yards away. The screech is ear-piercing, and I fall to my knees, hands over my ears. A Peacekeeper comes and drags him to the stage. He keeps crying, but we can still hear him make out what he has to say.

"I am twelve!" he squeals, and then he drags himself to the empty chair next to Dylan. Dylan scoots away from him, disgusted at how much of a baby Chase is being.

"That concludes our reaping!" Bekki says. "See you next year!"

She waves to everyone as she brings the tributes into the Justice Building. And no one waves back.