The 70th Hunger Games

Chapter 1

I stare into the mirror cooly. It is my birthday tomorrow. But it is also reaping day. At least Logan is still to young for the reaping. If I get picked, Logan won't survive with all the other kids. The orphanage is full of nutcases. Logan is only 9, but he is a lot smaller than that. My family is extremely unlucky. So I must prepare for the worst each year. I turn away from the mirror; my face is not that interesting, only ebony black hair with red tips and grey eyes. I must get Logan something before he wakes up. I peer out the window and look at the sun, must be at least 5:30.

I head on out, carefully around the sleeping matrons, and over to the orchards. I've always had something with climbing trees. I get up one, and then scramble over to the other side of the fence separating the two orchards. My brother and I live in the poor section of town, so I climb over the thin fence to the rich side. I wearily cross over to the maple trees, determined to get enough in my flask to boil it down to maple syrup. I jam my axe into the back of a tree and hold my flask up. Lots of sweet sticky sap comes out. Then I do another, and another. Before I head home, I stop off at Milos house. When I go in I give him a small smile and he returns it. I sit down in his room. "Milo I-i ... I have a feeling I'll get reaped tomorrow. I can feel it." Milo shifts onto his lap and takes my hand. " but you have an advantage, don't y-" I interrupt him, "what advantage? I can climb trees and use an axe, what use will that be against career tributes? They can use all sorts of weapons" He stares at me " you know what I mean. I know it. I give him a quick peck on the cheek and announce I'm going. " love you," "love you too..."

I know what he means: my intelligence. The peacekeepers said that I may be taken to another district better suited to my capabilities. Bull. But I haven't yet.

Only my weakness is my dodgy knee, broke it in a fight but too poor to get it fixed.

When I return to the orphanage, Logan is just waking up. I don't tell him anything, just sit down and start boiling the sap into syrup. A whole flask of sap may only get 1 or 2 cups full of maple syrup but it's worth it. I will give this to Logan tomorrow. I'm worried about tomorrow. I was reaped when I was twelve but someone volunteered, when I was thirteen the stupid woman reaping dropped a name down the crack of the floorboards. They never did find it: the whole stage was taken up. When I was fourteen I was in a coma for two months around that time ( protecting Logan in a fight ). But now there is nothing between me, and the arena. I just feel it. My parents and sister died unfortunately.

Now I feel like it's my turn. My share of the unluckyness.