When I was little I would always hide by the lake at the edge of District Four while The Hunger Games was on Television. That was before it was compulsory to watch. Now that I'm 14 years old, this is the third year that I could be reaped for The Hunger Games.
A couple of years ago my brother was reaped and went into The Games. He won by default, but he hasn't been the same since. Ever since he came out he's been called back to the Capitol for something top secret, he won't us what it is he's doing but I know he doesn't want to do it, whatever it is. Even though we now live in big white house with plenty of food and a lot of the kids at school love me, I feel more alone than ever. He was all I ever had after my Father left; my mother is always busy with her nets.
So here I am, staring at the reflection of the skinny girl with black hair and dark blue eyes, my brother always said they look like the night sky, right down to the twinkling stars. I lost that, I lost everything, when I was forced to watch his time in the arena. Now, when I look at my eyes, I see a cloudy and dull night sky, and the ghost of the twinkle my brother took with him into the arena.
I drag a brush through my tangled hair and put it up in my usual high pony, then rummage through the large wardrobe in the corner of my bedroom for something nice to wear. After taking out a couple of different dresses, I decide on a sea green dress that flows down to just above my knees and I slip it on before picking out a pair of black ballet pumps to match. After quickly splashing my face with cold water, pinching my cheeks and biting my lips to bring some colour into them, I make my way down stairs for a light snack before I leave for the reaping.
As I walk towards the village square, the memory of my first reaping comes back to me. I had gripped my brother's hand so tightly that it had turned white but he didn't pull away. Instead, he squeezed back, and that gave me the courage to keep walking instead of running off to the fresh water lake and holding my breath underwater for as long as I could bear.
When our district escort pulled out that slip of paper from the bowl, I thought it couldn't possibly be his name written on it. But I was wrong. When his name was read out, I couldn't bear it. I screamed and screamed until my throat cut out and the peace-keepers took him away.
Before I realise what's happening, I feel a prick shoot through my finger and I notice the peace-keepers are taking my blood to sign me in. I walk slowly towards the centre, in the middle with all the other 14 year old's and wait for the District escort to come out. Once everyone has arrived, our escort plays the video they play every year about how the Hunger Games came into existence. After that's over, the names are being pulled out of the bowl. Girls first, like always.
"Alice Woods." My name sounds like daggers to my ears and my knees can barely support my weight as I slowly walk towards the Justice building platform. I'm too lost in my own head that I don't hear the name of the other tribute. I shake hands with the boy and stand still, staring at my Mother and brother, who came home for the reaping, mother weeping into my brother's shoulders.
"Alice Woods and Jason Calliber the tributes of District Four." Announces the escort and clasps our hand in the air as she says it. "Happy Hunger Games, and may the odds be ever your favour." The peace-keepers take our arms and guide us into the Justice Building. I'm too frightened to struggle. All I can hear is the sound of my mother's cries as they shut me in a room and tell me to await for further instructions. I know what that means, my brother told me. Now I wait for my family and friends to come and say goodbye to me. I sit on the leather sofa and close my eyes, waiting. Waiting for the last time I'll ever see anyone that I love.
I wait in the room for what feels like hours until the door finally opens and my brother steps in. "Alice!" he yells as I run into his arms. He holds me, just holds me for a whole 3 minutes. That's all I need. He strokes my hair and tells me that I'm got to win before the peacekeepers take him away and let my mother in. She lectures me on hiding and spying on other tributes to win. She says I've always been the best at hiding, I always won when my brother and I used to play hide and seek with the other village kids.
Then she's gone too and I have nobody else left to see.
Whilst on the train towards the capitol I stay in my room for the whole journey, only coming out for meals. I get changed out of my reaping outfit, into jeans and plain black t-shirt and begin to explore the bathroom. There are soaps and body scrubs everywhere and the shower has dozens of buttons for different shampoos and oils. I take a mental note that I should take a shower tonight.
At last I'm called for dinner so I put my black pumps back on and begin to look for the food carriage. I go through a couple of carriages before reaching the room where my escort, Tilli I call her, Jason, the other Tribute from my District and another man I haven't seen before sits around a table full of food and drinks.
"This is Bill. He'll be your mentor for the next few weeks." Tilli pats the back of the chair next to her and I sit down. The plate in front of me is empty and I can't decide what to fill it with next. There are dozens of different foods on the table in front of me so I pick one at random and pile a little onto my plate. It turns out to be a mixture of vegetables and rice, the nice capitol stuff, not the dull stuff we get at home, it has onions and garlic mixed in and has a sort of tangy taste. When I was little my Father let me taste a bit of wine, I think that's what it is.
After I've finished eating and had pudding and a glass of orange juice I go back to my bedroom. I decide to have a shower before going into bed so I strip off my clothes and step into the shower cubicle. There are so many buttons and I don't know what any of them do so I press a random one. I jump back into the corner of the cubicle as a jet of brightly pink coloured liquid comes squirting out of the shower head. After adjusting the buttons a bit, I manage to get a normal, nicely heated shower and I begin to wash my body with the normal soaps they have on the shelves on the wall.
Once I've dried myself off I search through the draws for some night clothes. I finally manage to find a normal night shirt that comes down to my knees, I slip it on then get into bed. In my sleep I toss and turn through out the night, dreaming of what's soon to come in the arena, then it turns into my brothers time in the arena. It comes to an end when they game-makers announce he's the victor.
I wake up drenched in sweat and tangled in my sheets, Tilli comes to knock on my door to tell me to get up. I tell her I'll be up in a minute and peel the sheets from me legs and swing them out of bed. There are no windows since we're going so fast we'd get sucked out if we opened them, so it's really warm in my room. As they're not really dirty I put on the clothes I wore yesterday and notice a small brass chess bishop on the table next to my bed. A note lay under it.
Your token.
I smile as I put the bishop into my pocket and walk out into the corridor. Tilli is waiting there for me.
"We'll be arriving shortly. However, Bill and I need to talk to you and Jason before we get there." She walks me to the entertainment carriage and they tell me what will be happening over the next few weeks before I go into the arena. Once that's done, there's a slight jolt and the train has stopped and we are in the capitol.