Peeta's Games

Peeta's reaping

My parents are the bakers in 12. People say I am really lucky, because I have food and all,but it's not like that. Not even close. My parents are very tough on me. When I burn bread, my mom screams at me. They make me carry huge sacks of flour every day, so I can lift more than you think. I've never really had any friends, no one in 12 does. All the children have to help their parents every day, and the rest of the children hunt for food for their families. It's not really fair. All of the districts have their own industries, 12 is mining. All the men have to be a miner when they turn 18. Which I'm not looking forward to. Some districts have easy industries like 10 and 4, but how would I know. Some other districts have hard industries, like 6 and of course, 12. Some of the men don't even survive until they're 18. Some die when they are 12! Mainly, the cause is being sick, starvation or dehydration, or the hunger games. The hunger games are when each district comes together for reaping day. The official reaper for your district is the one to pull the names out of the glass bowl. One boy, one girl. If you get chosen, you have to go tho the hunger games arena, where you have to fight to the death with the other tributes, until there is one person left standing. The winner gets money and a home, and they are safe from being chosen again for the hunger games. I'm 16, so I've survived the reaping day for three years.

Today is a special day though, today is reaping day. All of the children are nervous, and all the parents are nervous for their children. We have to dress up very nice and fancy, but in 12 that's basically a white shirt and clean shoes. My parents lead me to the finger prick station, and then they go sit down with the other parents. The finger pricker person pricks my finger to match the blood. I go over to where the boys are standing. The boys and the girls stand separately. Effie Trinket is our reaper in 12. She has a very interesting sense of fashion, like everyone else in the Capitol. The Capitol is where president Snow lives. All the children don't have to worry about the reaping, all they have to worry about is if their favorite will die!

Effie Trinket shows us this lame video about how the hunger games was started and stuff. She mouths the last sentence which is kind of creepy. But then it is time for the reaping. Effie says "As usually, ladies first!" She walks over to the girls bowl and pulls out a name. She opens it up and says," Primrose Everdeen." I only know a Katniss Everdeen, so Primrose must her sister. Primrose starts to walk to the stage, she looks very scared. She's only 12. But, Katniss shouted," I volunteer!" Everyone stares at her. "I volunteer as tribute." She repeats.

No one has ever volunteered in 12. Ever. So this was pretty exciting. But I was sad inside because I had been in love with Katniss since first grade, but there was nothing I could do. The guards take the sobbing Primrose away, and they lead Katniss onto the stage. Effie asks Katniss for her name. She quietly says, " Katniss Everdeen." They lead her to stand on the left of Effie. Effie says," Time for the boys."

I stand still. Effie walks over to the boys bowl and pulls out a name. She opens and says, "Peeta Mellark". I go cold. She said my name. I was the male tribute. I was frozen with fear, but I managed to walk up to the stage. The guards led me to the right side of Effie. And Effie trinket said," Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the tributes for the 74th hunger games, Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark!"

After everyone leaves, the peacekeepers lead Katniss and I to some dark rooms, we each get our own. The peacekeeper tells me that visitors will come in to say goodbye. Nobody comes in for a while, but then my mom emerges from the door. She explains how she is going to miss me, and tells me my strengths and my weaknesses for the games. When she leaves she says,"We might actually have a winner this year." At first I thought she was talking about me, but then it realized, she was talking about Katniss.