I wake up to the scream of my brother, James. He has been having horrible nightmares these past week or two, I don't blame him the reaping is next week, and it's his first reaping. He scared what happend to me will happen to him, my second reaping I was picked, our older sister Diana volenteered for me.
Father had taught her to how to throw an axe, his father taught him just in case he went into the games, so father taught Diana and I. He was also going to teach james when he turned ten years old, Father had to teach us before the sun came up, so peacekeepers wouldnt stop us. If they caught you using axes out of our lumber areas theyll kill you on the spot.
Because she knew how to use an axe the careers took her into their group. When she got into the final eight we were hopeful, she and the careers took out the rest of the tributes. The careers were the final five alive, since she was the only career not from district one or two, the boy from one, Seeder stabbed her. Our house was in silence with greif for about a week.
James was seven when I was reaped, and I Rember hearing the same scream I am hearing now then. I walk over to his bed, careful, not to wake my parents. Shake him awake, he wakes up sweating and breathing hard. " you volenteered for me," he said, " but because your a girl and I'm a boy," he said in between short sharp breaths. " They made us both go in. I watched you die" he cried.
"You'll be ok," I wispered back,
" What if I'm not what if I go in, what if the Capitol load up the ball with my name, just because Diana went in and I'm her brother. They do that you know, they don't care."
"I know the don't care, but your not going in. I just know your not" I lulled him back to sleep and went to wake up my father for one last practice before the reaping. I woke him up and we went out to the small shed that my father had built. I went over to the rack holding our axes, three makeshift axes with one edge each, and two real ones that had been passed down in our family. " Father?" I said
"Yes Lila?" he replied
"Since this is going to be my last practice before my third reaping can I use a real axe?"
"Why not?" he said so I went pick up the on edged axe but he said in a soft tone, "I think," he paused and then continued with," your ready to use mine." I picked up the double edged axe it was heavier than the others but I could use it, I threw it at the dummy at the end of the shed with every thing I had, and hit it where the heart would be, it hurt my calastered hands and I was breathing hard but it was one of the greatest moments of my life. I can do it I can use a double sided axe, some men that work in the lumber fields couldnt do what I just did!"Good job Lila! Try again and aim for the neck this time round. I yanked out the axe and threw again it hit just above the neckband I ran to get it from the floor where it now lay.
About two hours later I went to the market, and bought a gift for James, a small band of rope with a metal token of an axe hanging of it. I gave it to him and tied it to his wrist, it was a good luck present for the reaping. We dressed for the reaping, James wore a pair of grey trousers and a white shirt with a small stain on the left shoulder. I combed my reddish brownish hair and put it into a side high ponytail. I nearly burst into tears when I saw Diana's white dress and grey slip-on shoes. this was the outfit she wore the day she volenteered for me.
We walked to the square, James and I said goodbye to our parents our mother kissed us both and our father said," no matter what happens, remember, your mother and I love you," James and I singed in and I directed him towards the other twelve year old boys. I walked over to the group of fifteen year old girls and stood next to a girl called Reena I knew from school. Then I saw Salria the Capitol escort for district Seven come striding out of the door to the stage wearing pink stilettos, a bright yellow dress that was tight at the waist and had large ruffles at the shoulder area. She had pink eyeshadow on bright pink cheeses and yellow lips, "welcome!" she said in a thick Capitol accent "to the reaping of the 72nd hunger games! Now to start this marvelous occasion we will watch a video all the way from the Capitol." A forty second long promo came up on the screen explaining why we have the hunger games and then Salria steps back up to the stage and says "Now children, lets hurry along and get our tributes of to the ladies first" she walked over to the glass bowl containing the girls names." Lila Amit, do we have a Lila Amit here?" I swallowed gulps of air, did I just hear my name no I couldn't of, Reena taps me and everyone is staring at me, only now I know this is for real. I take my first step towards the stage, I don't need to push or shove to get to Salria, everyone makes a clear path for me. Step after step I walk up to the stage, don't cry, don't cry, don't cry, I will myself there are about seven cameras on me and I can't show andy sign of weakness. Eventually I step up next to Salria, shouts into the microphone " now for the men" She walked over to the ball containing boys names. I catch James eye he look scared but I look away scared his face will make me cry. "Joshua Quitt", Salria calls out, but all I can think is, it's not James. I see Josh walk up to the stage, he is in my class at school but I barely know him. Salria rushes us of the stage after she says," ladies and gentlemen the tributes of district seven for the 72nd hunger games!"