My family and I positioned ourselves in front of the television, waiting to see what tributes will be in this year's Quarter Quell and what President Sunn will pull out of the wooden box. My father flips on the T.V. and the projector projects the scene to the wall above our fireplace. President Sunn walks to the stage.
"Hello citizens of Panem. Now, as you all know, this year it is a Quarter Quell. The fifth Quarter Quell to be exact and the 125th Hunger Games. Every twenty-five years a card is drawn out of the wooden box to give a hint about the arena or change the tributes around. In the first Quarter Quell, there was a hint about the arena that stated that the animals had helpful supplies inside of them. In the second Quell the number of tributes was doubled. In the third Quell the tributes were pulled out of the existing pool of victors. And in the last Quarter Quell there was a Reaping using the Capitol's children. Now the time has come to open the wooden box and see what this year's Hunger Games will be like."
A boy wearing white brought President Sunn the box on a pillow. Sunn then set the box on the podium and started to open it. Once it was open he pulled out the card. Sunn cleared his throat and read:
"This year's area will have no sunlight at all."
There was silence in our home and in the Capitol. The President then put the card back into the wooden box and gave it back to the boy with the pillow. The boy walked off screen.
"Now is the time for the reaping," he said, "Peachria, please come forth." Sunn stepped back and sat in his chair and Peachria, the winner of the 104th Hunger Games and one of the District One mentors, stepped forward. Two Reaping balls were placed on each side of her.
"Thank you, President Sunn. And now for the tributes of District One." She then walked the the girls bowl and pulled out a name. She walked back to the microphone and opened the slip of paper.
"Minaj Nicholson."
Peachria turned. A few seconds later there was a blinding light and standing on one of the teleporters for District One was Minaj.
"Put your token on the table in front of you," Peachria told Minaj and she put a necklace on it.
"And now for the boys." Peachria walked toward the bowl for the boys. She reached in and pulled out a name. She walked back to the microphone.
"Ricklos Jones."
Peachria and Minaj looked at the teleporter to the right of Minaj. A couple seconds later was a tall, dark skinned, muscular boy who looked about the age of seventeen. He set a knife on the table.
"And next, District Two," Peachria said and walked off to her seat in the audience as some Avoxes changed the reaping bowls. Jacksol Masoin walked up to the microphen. Every year he looked different and this year he had green hair and purple eyes.
The rest of the reaping went by in a blur and I don't remember most of the names except for the first few. Then Rue, the mentor for district eleven, came to the girl's bowl. She reached her hand in and picked out a name. She walked to the microphone and opened the slip of paper. We all held our breath.
"Jakia Ross."
Everyone gasped and looked at my sixteen year old sister sitting on the couch, her jaw dropped. She got up and everyone hugged her and said their final goodbyes. She cried. Jakia then walked into the teleporter in the corner of our living room,wiped her tears of her cheeks, smiled, and pressed the green button. There was a flash of white light and she disappeared. We all looked at the T.V. and saw her standing in the Capitol.
"We forgot to give her a token," I said to my mother. She showed a look of shock. I turned my attention back to the T.V.
"Please put your token down," Rue said.
Jakia looked around on her body for something to put down on the table and found her favorite glow-in-the-dark bracelet and set it down on the table.
"That isn't going to help her in the arena," my dad said.
Rue then walked to the boys bowl and picked a name. She opened it and read.
"Blake Ross."