Maysilee

A Bond Invisible

It's early. I'm lying on my back in bed and pretending not to hear the sounds of a new day rising. My pet songbird Birdie is singing from a corner of my room, and on any other day I would welcome the sound of his pretty song, but today is different. It's the day of the Reaping.

The Reaping.. The the word makes me shiver under my sheets. It's like a cold wind just blew through my closed window at the thought. My sister is still asleep, luckily, I heard her twisting and turning on her bed until I myself succumbed to restless dreams last night. I wish she didn't have to wake up and feel the dread of what's about to happen.
Turning my head I look at Birdie. He's chirping away like it's any other day. For a moment I imagine myself as a songbird. If only I could spread my wings and fly away, maybe not forever, but at least for today.

I decide that lying here won't feel any better than just getting up, so I heave myself of the bed and pull on a robe. I walk towards my sister Maryann and nudge her carefully.

"No!" she almost jumps at me in her terror. I must have woken her amidst a nightmare. Those seem to grow more frequent as the Reapings close in on us.

"Maryann, it's okay. It's just me. It's morning" I use my softest voice and try to smile. Out of the two of us, I've always tried to be the big sister. Always said I was older, even though I was born only ten minutes ahead of her. We look exactly alike, all the way from the blonde straight hair to our blue eyes. Identical, and not just in our looks. As I don't know any other twins, I can't compare, but I'm sure we're closer than other sisters. There's just something unexplainable about us, a bond invisible, but terribly strong. It's like I know what her day's been like, even before she tells me. I sometimes think I can hear her calling me, even when we're not together. Our father always says that we're the same soul, just split into two bodies. I like the thought of that, because I can't imagine myself without her. Kids at school say that they would feel weird if somebody else looked and sounded just like them, like it would take away their uniqueness or something. My uniqueness begins and ends with Maryann. One person, two bodies. Just like it's supposed to be.

"Ah Maysilee, cant we just not go today.. please" I almost smile at her words and turn away. I wish we could stay in. Just eat strawberries and go to the bakery. Pretend it's just another day in District 12. But obviously, we both know we can't . Everything about the Reaping is mandatory. We have done this three times already and we got to go home after. The same will happen today. I tell her this and even promise to ask father for strawberries when we get back from the square.

"You don't have to baby me you know.. It's not like I'm your younger sister that you have to look after" Maryann tells me while getting dressed. We're wearing the same dresses as last year's reaping. Not that we have to. Unlike many girls in district 12, we have other dresses to choose from. You could say that it's become somewhat of a tradition. Like a uniform to strengthen us. We never wear them on any other occasion. With them comes to many sad memories.

Like every year the Reaping is held at the square.The inhabitants of District 12 have been gathering for this horrible event for the past 50 years. One girl and one boy from each district, there is 12 in all, get picked to participate in the Hunger Games. Sounds fun, it's not. Believe me. If you're at the age of 12 to 18 you're eligible for selection. Getting picked as a tribute, that's what the chosen are called, is more or less a death sentence. If you're from District 12, it's definitely more not less.

The Hunger Games is a yearly game produced by our country Panem's capital. 24 tributes are thrown into an arena and have to kill each other off until there is only one left standing. Everything is filmed and broadcasted throughout the country. The Games are the Capitol's way of showing the districts that it's in control and hold complete power. There was a failed rebellion 50 years back when the districts tried to overrun the Capitol, and ever since, the Games have been held to cement the Capitol's power over the districts.