The Hunger Games: Bad Beginnings

Chapter 1: Reaping

MY body starts to wake up. Looking at the dew drops on my open window pane reflecting in the early morning sun, I can tell that the time is nearing 5:30. While the bed frame creaks with every movement, I slowly get out of bed and get dressed. It's the same thing I wear whenever I go into the woods. An ensemble of dark cargo pants, a light blue t-shirt, and clunky boots that seem to be smaller every time I put them on. My blonde hair is pulled into a tight ponytail and I grab my bow and quiver and head out in hopes of catching breakfast. In District 12, there isn't much to eat, so I hunt for my own food, which is illegal in Panem but it's my responsibility to feed my family.

As I neared to the fence that separated District 12 from the wild, I could smell the fresh grass and hear the birds calling in the early sunshine. I climbed through a little hole, and when I made it through the gate, I was free. Free to do whatever I wanted. Nothing could stop me outside this fence, not the Capitol, not anything. I'm holding out hope that one day I can take my family with me and we could run away. I don't know where we'd go, but I know that we'd get as far away from Panem as possible.

I quickly got deeper into the woods and was mesmerized by the beautiful world I longed to live in. A perfect world that was kept just beyond my reach by the electric fence and the overpowering rule of the Capitol. I found myself wishing that I could escape to this marvelous world, insead of being stuck in a poor district my whole life. The tall and bulky green trees, the small and fragile flowers with colors that could paint a sunrise, and the lovely singing birds flying above me. They're free. They can fly away and they don't have to be controlled by anything. It's distressing that I have to kill one of these birds to help my family survive. I hate taking the life out of another living creature, no matter what it is. I don't let my emotions get in the way of what I have to do, so I let my arrow fly deep into a bird's neck. Instantly, the life drains from the poor creature's wings and the bird falls to the ground. I pick it up and wash off my arrow in the nearest lake. I watch as the bird's blood washes away with the current.

I bring the bird to the Hob and trade it for bread. We have enough meat at home, but we're quickly running out of wheat products. When I make it home, Katniss--my 11 year old sister--hands me a dress for the reaping. It's the same dress I've worn for the past five years, blue with hints of white. It's my fanciest dress. This is my last reaping, and once it's over, I plan on burning this dress. I put the dress down and hug Kat as hard as I can.

"I love you," I say.
    "I love you, too," she replies and I release her from my grip.
    "Can I?" She says as she reaches for my bow.
    "Go for it." I lead her to a secluded window in the back of the house. It's away from the road and faces the woods, so I figure what's the harm in letting her try. I hand her the weapon and load an arrow for her.
    "Okay... pull back... release!" The arrow goes flying into the air and back behind the trees where I can't see it anymore. I hear a bird squawk and Katniss starts giggling.
    "You got a bird!" I exclaim and I start to laugh along with her.

"Not in the house. If the peacekeepers see that bow, Lilac. . ." my mother says as she walks into the room.
    "They won't, Mom, I'm just teaching Kat." After our dad died earlier this year, I've been taking up his responsibility of hunting. I've been mentoring Katniss and helping her learn how to hunt because if the odds aren't in my favor this year, the survival of my family will be in her hands.

Hopefully, she will teach Primrose--our youngest sister--someday, too.
    "Yeah, Mom, don't worry about it. Lilac is an expert and I will be, too, someday," Kat boasted.
    "Okay, well, Lilac needs to get ready, so no more teaching for the day." My mom gets serious and I know that I have to make it through this reaping for her. Ever since Dad died, she's been isolating herself more often. She's not always there. I've been helping her through it, but if I leave for the Hunger Games, they'll be no one here to help her.