The bang of the cannons, the zoom of the hovercrafts, and the cries of the tributes were enough to overwhelm me. I couldn't take it anymore. My cries could be heard as my father woke me up. Another bad dream, I thought. It made sense though because today was the day of the reaping for the 78th annual Hunger Games. I wasn't worried for myself but for my two little sisters who had just turned 12. Which meant their names would be entered in the reaping bowl. The only thing right now that could make them safe would be the comfort of their mother's arms. But they knew that wouldn't happen in a while. Our mother had died accidentally when the Capitol punished one family. She was just at the wrong place in the wrong time. The Capitol is what rules every district, and being in District 12, we were punished a lot.
"Wake up, Karin, Yuzu," said my father who was in his mining clothes, ready to work until the reaping.
Karin and Yuzu are twins, but you wouldn't be able to tell that unless someone pointed it out to you. Karin was a tall, strong girl while Yuzu was a small, frail one. As they got up, I gently wiped Yuzu's tear-streaked face and wrapped my arm around Karin. I knew they were both scared in their own ways, with Karin trying not to show it, but trembling, and Yuzu sobbing, soaking my thin shirt.
I had some hunting lessons from Gale Hawthorne and Katniss Everdeen, whom the latter was a Victor from the 74th Hunger Games. She was 22 now and was still residing in the Victor's Village along with Peeta Mellark and Haymitch Abernathy who were only other Victors. While I taught myself how to hunt with a knife, Katniss taught me how to shoot a bow and arrow, and Gale taught me how to set some snares. I wasn't the best at it, but I was good enough to put food on our dinner table for the most part. As Karin and Yuzu got up and my father set out food for them to eat, I grabbed a piece of fruit and hopped into my boots, and walked out the door. "I'll talk to you all later!" I said. Even though I smiled, it was only a reassuring look for Karin and Yuzu, because in reality, I was scared to death.
Katniss had taught me to put all of my things in a hollow log in the woods, and to make sure the barbed wire wasn't humming, so it wouldn't electrify me. Why? It's really illegal to hunt, but really, no one in our district cares. Everyone buys Katniss's, Gale's, and now my game.
After a few hours of hunting and trading most of the meat I get, I go back to my small old house, and prepare for the reaping that was in less than 20 minutes. I put on some of my father's old slacks and a red button up shirt. I also tried combing down my unnaturally orange spiky hair, which as always, had no luck.
From what I've seen, the Hunger Games was nothing more to District 12 then a death trap, just waiting to kill you on the spot. Because besides Katniss and Peeta, most of our tributes l haven't even put up a fight, and usually die the first day. My stomach was churning, as everyone else's probably was to. The good thing was that whoever is reaped, Katniss and Peeta are going to be there to help them train.
A call, which was distant, called for everyone to come to the town's center, where now everyone will await their fate of this year. My palms were sweaty and my face pale. No, actually I wasn't nervous if I was picked. I only had one emotion on my mind then. Scared. Scared that Karin and Yuzu would be picked,scared I wouldn't come back, and scared to let them die starving.
As I got there, I was deep in thought about who would be picked, and who would survive first.
"Happy Hunger Games," the voice of Mayor Undersee could be heard. "I'm sure you're all excited?" His sarcastic tone could be heard. Obviously no one was excited, except for the people with no children and the gamblers who would bet who would be chosen, whether it was a boy or girl and their ages.
Like all of the Reapings do, it started off with a long speech about how our nation, Panem was created, and another agonizing speech from Effie Trinket, who was a woman with bright pink hair, and pale pink skin. Definitely from the Capitol. "Happy Hunger Games, and may the odds ever be in your favor!" In the typical Capitol accent. Once the speech was done, she took the girls' large reaping bowl, and swirled the names around until she was satisfied with one name. Again taking a long time, she opened the name and read out,
"Karin Kurosaki!"
My body was as frozen and numb as ice. I couldn't believe it. My sister was picked, but being the tough person she was, she was about to walk up without a fight, until a voice shouted out,
"I voulenteer!"