Chapter 1: Reaping for 12
It's been a year since the district of 13 was demolished, time has gone so quickly. To quick. Today is reaping. All of us know that the Gamemakers will be extra hard on the tributes this year; all of us pray we don't get picked. But we never talk about it out loud. The capitol has to show whose boss this year after all they would never want another uprising WOULD THEY! But of course I don't say this aloud if our peacekeepers heard me… I don't know what they would do with me. After last year every district got new peacekeepers these ones are stricter. But in a couple of years I think they could bend the rules a bit. Since we're running out of food and all. After 13 the Capitol started to stop sending as much food to districts 12 and 11. Leaving the poor even more starving.
My name is Evanjaline Everdeen. I don't know what I am going to do when I get older all my past family have been miners even my two brothers are going to be miners. Since Mum died only 2 years after I was born in a mine I am banned from it by my dad. Well I'd better be getting ready for the reaping. I have a light blue dress to wear. It goes with my eyes Dad says. I braid my brown hair into a bun and add Mums jewelled hair pin for good luck. It's 1:30 pm half an hour to go. I sit on a stool outside on the front law. The grass has gone grey and dead since we haven't had t he money to water it. Tomorrow is my birthday it is the anniversary of my birth and Mums death, every year my birthday present is to watch the interviews and reapings over and over. Dad calls for us to get ready and that we will head over to the main square in 10 mins. I just wait for my brothers to come out the front. First out comes Ses the smallest brother of the two he is 17 one year older than me. Then Ack my biggest brother he is 22 and doesn't have to come but Dad makes him anyway. Then Dad comes out like he normally does trying to be ok with it even though nobody is, you just know he is lying. Over these 14 years once Mum died Dad has been getting weaker and has been wearing away particularly around my birthday.
We set off to the main square and get into our lines while Dad and Ack go and watch to the sidelines. Earney Trinket as normal with his capitol looks welcomes everybody to a new "fabulous" year of the hunger games. First he asks the mayor to give a speech since we haven't had a victor before. The tension grows stronger when Earney comes back to the podium to pick the for district twelve this year. He puts his hand in the glass jar for the girls of district twelve. He picks the folded piece of paper up, clears his throat "Evanjaline Everdeen" The voice booms over the loud speaker. It all takes a few moments to sink in then I hear my father's voice "NO!" The Peacekeepers keep my father from reaching me. Before I know it my legs have already brought me to the stage. I look out to my big brother his face white as stone. Then to Ses he to is blank. Before I know another name comes over the loud speaker "Joseph Nighton". I look to see an older boy than me with black hair and broad shoulders. "Please give a hand to district twelves tributes" Earney then walks towards Joseph and I he whispers to us "and may the odds ever be in your favour" 4 peacekeepers then come on to the stage. They crowd around us and take us to the Justice Building.