Different Districts

Chapter 2 Part 2

Clove (District 12)

A warm light drifts in though my open window. I sit up and put on my reaping dress. It is a long yellow dress with a white headband and shoes. I walk out of the girls room. Ana and Marie are sleeping. Lily sits at the table stirring the goat milk.

“Hi. Clove." She says.

She is wearing a short purple dress with no sleeves. I made that for her.

“Hi." I say.

“Thought you would wear the dress I made for you." Lily says.

Lily was bad at making stuff. The dress she made me was pink and you could see blue thread all over the dress.

“Well, Uh. Mom said that I should wear this." I say.

“Oh." Lily says quietly.

“I sure think Marie well wear it." I say.

One year Marie made me wear a long hot dress in the hot season.

“Okay. Marie!!" Lily called.

“Yeah. What?" She said.

She was wearing the dress dad picked out.

“Will you wear my dress?"

“Uh... Nope. Dad-"

“Mom and Dad have different ideas." Lily said. “Wear my dress!"

Marie looked at me mad. When Marie made me wear the hot dress in the hot season I wanted to wear a dress Dad thought I should wear. It was a everyday dress with tall socks and boots. Me and Dad Had sowed beads on. Then my mom hated it and threw it away.

“Hey girls." Cody said.

He was wearing a black shirt and pants. Cody was the oldest boy. He is 19.

“Nice dresses." He said.

“Marie is wearing my dress!!" Lily said.

Mark walked in. He was my twin.

“Ill get Ana." He said.

Ana is 3. Harry comes skipping in. I look at the clock. 8:27.

“Did you know they changed the reaping time to 8:30?" Harry asks.

“What?!" Lily says.

“Kids Reaping's now at 8:30!" Mom calls

“Told you!" Harry says.

He and Cody run out.

“Race you to the square Mark!" Cody yells.

Mark dashes after Harry and Cody. I pick up my dress and run too.

“Too slow!" Cody yells as I come.

Cody sticks his foot out and I trip. People start laughing.

“Here. Can I help you up?" A boy asks.

He holds out his hand to me. I grab it. The boy helps me up.

“Who are you?" I ask him.

I have never seen him before. The boy stokes his fingers though his hair.

“I'm Cato."

“I'm Clove!"

“I know." His face turns red. “I've seen you before."

“Oh, Well."

I reach my place with the sixteen year olds. I see Cato go with the 17s.

“And now to pick our tribute!! I mean Tributes!" Our escort Dana Petri says.

“Ladies first."

She dips her hand in the bowl. She swishes the names back and forth. Why couldn't she just pick! It felt so bad. I could not be me. It will not be me. I run the words again and again in my hand. Not me. Not me! Finally Dana picks a pink slip. The pink slips are for the girls. She carefully opens the slip. Then she reads loud and clear.

“Clove Sky!"

My legs wobbles. I collapse. Slowly I stand. I walk up to the stage.

“Volunteers?" Dana asks. “The boys."

She quickly sticks her hand in and bring out a blue slip. She unfolds the name and reads it so fast I can not hear.

“Harry Sky!" She calls again.

My heart feels broken. Not Harry too. My mind burns out everything goes dark. Then I fall into someone's hands. I look up to see Cato again.

“Your name, Young sir." Dana asks.

“Cato Fire." He says as he pulls me back up.

“Ladies and gentlemen here are the 7th hunger games tribute Clove Sky and out first district 12 volunteer Cato Fire!"

He volunteered? Why? I get shoved into the justice building. My family comes in.

“I'm so glad I did not have to come too." Harry said.

“That Cato was great!" Mark claimed.

Somehow the discussion turned into a Cato topic.

“He was awesome!" Marie (Who is 17) Says.

After a minute a peacekeeper came in.

“Time is up."

“One more minute." I say politely.

“TIME IS UP!" The peacekeeper yells.

My family rushes out. Then the peacekeepers push Cato in.

“Stay here until the train gets here." The peacekeeper says.

Cato sits down on the floor. I see tears coming out of his eyes.

“Do you have any family?" I ask.

“Only Maya. She's my sister." Cato says quietly. “The rest died in the hunger games."

The door flys open. A peacekeeper enters.

“Trains here!" He yells.

He shoves Cato out. Cato kicks the peacekeeper. He gets shoved more. I don't see him. The keeper then takes my hand and leads me out. There I see Cato getting shoved on the train.

“Cato!" I hear a young girl yell.

“Hurry up Missy." A peacekeeper yells.

I take a step. Then the young girl gives me a pin. On the pin is a mocking jay.

“Keep it. For me and my brother Cato. Keep him Calm." She says.

Then the peacekeeper shoves he away. I keep the pin pressed into my Palm as I soon get pushed into the train.