The 67th Annual Minecraft Hunger Games

Chapter 1: The Reaping

I awaken with a massive yawn. I look around for a moment, ready for another normal day. I leap out of bed, landing steadily on my feet. I almost walk into the closet and change skins for work at John's Blacksmith, but then I remember that it is not a normal day.

My happiness floods out of me as quick as a fly, and I am left with only a grim feeling making its way around my stomach.

I walk into the closet. And instead of changing into my uniform, I select my "reaping day" skin. Then I walk glumly out of my bedroom door.

My family awaits in the living room. Dad is watching the news on TV. The announcer is babbling some mumbojumbo about how today is reaping day and not to forget. But I honestly don't understand how you could possibly forget something as terrifying as this.

I sit down at the dining table plainly. My sister Jane is on the other side of table, complaining about how disgusting raw beef is. Mom is trying to explain that it is all we can afford, but Jane just doesn't care.

Mom places a cake on the table in front of me. "You look wonderful, Adam!" she compliments.

"What!" Jane screams in utter disbelief. "How come Adam gets cake when I am stuck with raw beef?!?"

"Because he has to go through the fear of being reaped, and you don't," Mom explains.

"But it's still unfair!" Jane complains. I decide to just ignore them and eat my cake.

Okay. So let's see. I am sixteen. This means I have three reapings (if you include today's) to go. So that means I have to hope that I don't get reaped for three more years. And then I have to deal with Jane. My first year without reaping eligibility will be Jane's first year with it. Just my luck. So I still have ten years to go through before I can have no worries whatsoever. My life sucks.

Suddenly, I feel a searing pain on my finger. I grimace and squint down at my hand. There is a small cut there. I realize that my cake is gone. I must've been unaware of it, and when I went to the a bite of the cake, I bit into my finger instead.

I stand up from the table and look out the window. The sun is approaching the top of the sky, meaning it is time to go. I run back to my room and grab my district token in case I do get reaped. I walk back out into the family room.

"Guys, I think it's time to go," I tell my family.

Mom glances out the window. "You're right!" she says. "If we leave any sooner, we'll end up being late! Come on, let's go!"

We all walk out the wooden door and walk together towards the huge Justice Building in the center of our district, district 12.

I hold my district token for in case I get reaped in my hand. I look down, studying it intently. It is a piece of redstone dust with a gold stain on the top left. My father found it while mining a few years ago.

Suddenly, I am knocked backward by a figure in front of me. I hit the ground hard, and the impact causes me to lose a heart.

"Hey, watch where you're going!" a gruff voice grumbles. I look up to see a large, muscular man looking down at me, a look of anger on his face.

"I'm so sorry, sir," I say. "I wasn't watching where I was going. It won't happen again, I promise. I am so, so sorry."

"It better not," he says. "Or else."

I gulp. "Or else what?" I ask.

"I'm just gonna leave it at 'or else'," he says.

I stand up and walk away. I quickly find the line for getting in. It is very short, since most of the people are already in there sections, which are separated by nether fences.

Soon enough, I am next in line. "Finger please," the large woman says. I hold out my finger. She takes a little blood, and I wince. "Adam Rosco?" She asks.

"Yes ma'am," I reply.

"Go ahead," she says. She presses a button and the iron door opens. I quickly slip inside before the door can close.

I walk over to my section, looking around at the other tributes. Most of them seem petrified. I can't blame them. Even a lot of the eighteen year olds are terrified.

I walk into my section, the third one on the left. We wait, wishing the wait could go on forever, but eventually the escort, Ruby Primes, is ready to make her spectacular appearance.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls," Ruby's voice booms from atop her 80 block high platform. "It is once again time for the reaping!"

She leaps down from her platform. She is ready to plummet to her death, but while she is in the air, I see her throw a circular object into the air. When she is only a block from the ground, about to die, she disappears. I look up and see her on the platform once again. She bows and the crowd cheers and claps. She then climbs down a ladder to the stage, ready to begin the reaping.

"Well, it looks like it's this time of year again!" Ruby exclaims brightly. "Time to pick the two tributes who will be going into the Games this year! I would give some kind of speech right now, reminding you all of why we are doing this, but you already know why! So without further ado, let's begin! Happy Minecraft Hunger Games, and may the odds be ever in your favor! As usual, ladies first!"

Two people who's in-game messaging have been turned off walk onto the stage. They put down a cauldron on each side of the stage, then quickly throw multiple pens and quills into them. Then they quickly walk off the stage and out of sight.

Ruby walks over to the cauldron on the left, a skip in her step. She doesn't have to go all the way before a pen and quill flies into her inventory. She bounds back to the microphone and holds the pen and quill in her hand. "And our girl tribute is..." she begins, keeping everyone is suspense. I hate how escorts do that. It's so annoying.

"Kay Rodriguez!" she reads loudly.

Kay steps out of the section across from me. There is a look of extreme fear on her face.

When she reaches the stage, she walks towards the microphone. "I am sixteen," she announces glumly. Then she walks to a piece of wooden stairs and goes into sneak mode, as if she is sitting on a chair.

"Wow! How exciting!" Ruby exclaims, even though it's not. Not at all. "And lucky for you, there is still some action left! We still have the boy to choose! Ooh, I wonder who it will be."

Hopefully it's not me, I think.

Ruby skips to the cauldron on the right. Just like before, a pen and quill flies into her inventory and she skips back to the microphone. She holds the name of the boy tribute in her hand and reads it.

"Adam Rosco."

~o~O~o~

Hey guys. I hope you like the first chapter! I know it was very long, and I plan on all them being pretty long. So that means there is more to read before the end of the story!

Vote, comment, and follow!

-Cole