The 200th Annual Hunger Games

District 5 Reaping

District 5- Edison Watt

I wave goodbye to my friends from the power plant and leap onto the wooden steps of my house. I'm about to push the creaky door open when I hear something smash inside. I pause outside of the door trying to figure out what the sound was. A scream comes from inside and I recognise who it is straight away. My little sister Poppy.

I race inside and what lays In front of me chills me to the bone.

My sister is hiding in the corner, tears streaming down her face. My father is standing in front of her, his back to me holding a half empty bottle of wine in his hand.

Poppy's eyes widen when she sees me standing there. I take a cautious step forward and go to take another but a floorboard beneath me lets out a loud CREAK.

My father spins around a wild look in his eyes.

"You" he slurs "I was just teaching your.. ssister here a little lesson"

"Get away from her now" I spit, anger coursing through my body.

"N-no, she's been very naughty, she deserves this and so do you, your a waste of space"

I lunge at him and try to rip the bottle out of his hands. I swing a punch to his guts but he doesn't move. He growls at me and punches me straight in the jaw then brings his bottle over the back of my head and smashes it. The liquid stinging my cuts.

He grips my shirt by the collar and slams my back against the wall. The air is sucked from my lungs. He leans in closer to my face, the alcohol evident on his breath. I look over his shoulders at Poppy as she stares up at me I'm fear.

She makes her way over to the door and as she flings it open I knee my father in the crutch and drop from his gasp.

I grip Polly's hand and together we run from our home, the only safe place we know.

Together we run into the night.

Poppy Watt

The sun shines down, waking me up from my sleep. I look over to Edison and see that he's still asleep. Despite the bruising on his face he looks young and peaceful. I poke his cheek playfully, trying to wake him up.

"Edison, Eddi..."

I lift one of his eyelids open and he screams, the light obviously hurting his eyes.

I giggle, but then remember what today is and begin to feel really sad. I can't help it when a tear streams down my check, followed by another.

"Hey Poppy it's alright, look I'm fine" he reassures me. "Today's the reaping, we both know that but I was thinking last night that it might not be so bad if, you know, we volunteered"

I stare at him with a blank look on my face.

"I know it's not the best option but we have nothing here, not with mum gone and that b*stard of a father." He says sadly.

"But Eddi, I'm only 12 and you 15, we would have no chance against the old tributes especially the careers!"

He looks at my with a sad expression before embracing me in a hug.

"I will always protect you Poppy" he says.

We make our way to the reaping and Eddi gives me a kiss on the cheek before saying, "I'll see you soon"

The girls in my pen stare at me. They've obviously heard about what happened last night.

I don't even bother to listen to anything the escort says or the video that the Capitol makes us watch but when our escort reads out the girls name I automatically say "I volunteer"

Everyone looks shocked seeing a 12 year old volunteer which turn to sadness as they see Eddi volunteer. By now most people would now about what happened with out father and they must see this like we do, our way out.

Sure, we could've gone into the orphanage but what kind of a life is that?

Our escort finishes on how it is such an honour to go into the hunger games and then she says "Happy hunger games, and may the odds be ever in your favour"

Eddi grabs my hand but as we are about to walk into the justice building something happens in the crowd. A hand is raised holding the three middle fingers up, and soon every body is holding their hand up. I don't know hwat irt means, but i don't think it happens very often. I will have to ask Eddi later.

I take one more look over my shoulder saying a goodbye to the place I've called home before the big door is slammed shut and we are lead through the building and whisked onto the train.

Even the peacekeepers must know there is nobody that would want to say goodbye to us.

As I step onto the train one things crosses mind. I am little, but i'm not going down without a fight.

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