Black Bird

2

"Give me your finger." The lady in a red jumpsuit said quite rudely, she was chewing gum which I had never seen before. Gum was a very rare expensive delicacy that almost no one in the districts have ever seen nor tasted their lives, only a few lucky people had it. i gave the lady my finger and she pricked it with a pen like thing, she then placed my finger against a white peice of paper with other blood stains on it. She put the pen like thing over top of the blood stain and my name popped up onto the top of it. This was how they would identify us. Our names would be put in to a bowl which was separated by gender. Our escort, Richy would choose one from each bowl and they would be the tributes who "honor" and represent our district. "Next." The lady chewing gum said. I made my way away from the lady and head towards the girl section, the crowds were also gender separated. Female's on the left and male's on the right, the parents and other family members were in the back.

"Phoebe, looking lovely as ever." I hear a voice behind me say. I turn around to see Brandon. His hair was messy yet it looked more than presentable, his eyes sparkled in the shining sun, he was wearing a blue shirt and pants, while his shoes were his expensive sneakers he got from his uncle, the mayor, for his 17th birthday. Brandon was a very gorgeous boy, I think he got most of his looks from his father where he got his eyes from his mother.

"Thank you Brandon, but don't you have a clingy girlfriend to tend to?" I ask.

"You mean Leanne, nah she'll be fine." He says.

Brandon had been in a relationship with LeAnne since he was 14. Leanne litterly has everything, shoes, dresses, skirts, food, and Brandon. I never liked her she was always rude towards me but everyone was. I had one friend, but we hate eachother now.

"Thats very boyfriendly of you," I say, "Boyfriend of the year everyone."

Brandon lets out a chuckle, "yep."

"We should go. " I smile.

"Good luck, may the odds be ever in your favor." He smiled back.

"And may the odds be ever in yours. " I say in a capitol accent.

Brandon and I made our separate ways after that and they started the reaping. The mayor walked onto stage first and said some words then Richy walked onto stage, he had very high heels on and a funny outfit that resembled a playground. His make up looked like he had gotten into his moms make up.

"Welcome," He smiled," To the reaping of the 67th annual Hunger Games. Now here is a video all the way from the capitol. "

It was a video they showed every year about how the capitol was so nice to the districts and how the rebellion stated and how district 13 was blown up. How we were so "Honored" to become tributes and die. Same old same old. I tuned out the video, until I knew it was over.

"Lovely isn't it?" Richy asked yet no one said a word.

"Now it has become time to choose the tributes but first there's a surprise," Richy says, the crowd went silent more silent then I've heard before, "This is a surprise quarter quell where two victors would be crowned if from the same district. " The crowd remained quiet.

"Now for the tributes," Richy smiled, "The capitol as decided to make a change to the ladies first rule this year and switch it up, this time boy's shall be first."

I drew in my breath, as Richy picked up the slip of paper. He walked back to the stand and unfolded the paper.

Richy inhaled deeply before smiling, "Brandon Brown."

Suddenly I felt as if I was being whipped again, my stomach knotted up and I felt sick.

"Now for the ladies," Richy said heading over the the glass bowl on the left, he took out a slip of white paper and headed back to the microphone.

He smiled as he unfolded the paper, Richy always smiled no matter how terrible the situation, he could be dying and I guarantee he'd be smiling.

"Phoebe Willows. " He said. And then I felt the second lash, the leather rope against my bare back causing me to bleed and scream in pain. My feet managed to walk up the steel steps my face stood strong even though I knew I wasn't, however I never broke.

"Our tributes, the ones who will honor and represent district 10 with their sacrifice." Richy says smiling.

My name out of thousands of children in my district, it was me, my name that was called. They say its an honor to be a tribute but I think that's a lie. Whats so honorable about killing? How about dying?