Fatal Reality: The 800th Hunger Games

District 12 Reaping

*Adam Jones' P.O.V.*

I carefully comb my light brown hair out of my eyes.  I'm dressed nicely for the reaping day:  khakis and a button-up shirt.  Mom comes up and takes a look at me.

"Good, you look decent," she jokes, and then her face falls.  She's remembering the time, two years ago, when Jason was picked.  Jason was my brother.  We don't talk about him a lot.

Mom brushes her work-worn hand against my cheek, her blue eyes shining with hapiness.  She and I walk out of my room and join Dad.  Together, we walk downstairs, through our bakery, and out the front door, right smack-dab into the square.  I see Skylar Conners, the girl I've had a crush on since forever, with her only true friend Maria.  Skylar's beautiful.  Wavy brown hair, big coffee eyes, tall, and just purely nice.

I take my place in the seventeen-year-olds with my friends, making fun of the escort, Kiliah Trinket, on stage.  She's wearing an insanely long neon blue wig, has long, pink nails, and her dress---oh, god.  Kiliah waves to the crowd.

"Hello District 12!  Why don't we get started with our ladies?  Yes, it's time to pick the lovely lady!  May the odds be ever in your favor!"  Kiliah pulls that one fateful paper out.  Please, not Skylar, not Skylar.

"Emmy Conners!"  Emmy, Skylar's thirteen-year-old sister, walks out of her section, trembling.  I hear a commotion behind me and turn around to see Skylar struggling to get to her sister.

"No!  Emmy!  I volunteer!  I volunteer!" She shrieks.  The peacekeepers immediately let go of her and she runs to Emmy.  "Go, Emmy, go find Mom," she says hoarsely.  Emmy starts to cry and Maria runs to help her away.

She makes her way towards the stage, frightened out of her wits.  Skylar's always been smart, but she's obviously shocked.  Her face is wiped of emotion, though, as she takes the stage.  And finally, the boys.

"Adam Jones!"

*Skylar Conners' P.O.V.*

"No!  Skylar, you can't leave, you can't!" Emmy screams, throwing her arms around me.  Mom is hugging me, as well.  I'm afraid that Mom will die of depression if I leave.  She was nearly destroyed when Dad died, and I'm afraid that if I die, it will send her over.

"Mom, listen, please don't leave Emmy," I whisper.  Mom's face seems stronger.

"I won't.  I love you," she says.  Emmy says the same.

"Skylar, try to win for me.  Please," she sobs.  I nod my head and tell them that I love them.  Adam is finishing up his goodbyes when I feel someone wrap their arms around me:  Maria.

"You can win, Sky.  You can hunt," she says, holding me at arm's length.  I smile at her and she puts something in my hand:  my old locket with the picture of Dad in it.  "I ran to your house to get this for you."  I give her a tight hug and then Adam and I are taken away to the train with twenty-two tributes already waiting for us.