The Hunger Games Rue's POV Today was the reaping for The Hunger Games I'm twelve and I'm so scared. It is my first year and I don't want to get picked. We went to the hall of justice and signed in. The lady took my finger and pricked with a sharp blade then pressed it on a piece of paper. It hurt a lot. I sucked the blood and wiped the wetness on my hair since my mom told me not to wreck the dress. I went to an open spot and stood by a girl who looked like she was fifteen. The lady came and talked on and on about the odds being in our favor then she pointed to a screen and she said "Now here is a video brought to you from the Capitol." I didn't want to watch so I looked down at my shoes. My mom grabbed my hand and whispered "I love you." I whispered back "I love you too." She smiled and squeezed my hand. After two minutes the video was over and she said it was time to pick. She went over to the girls bowl and said "As usual ladies are first." She dug around in the bowl then picked up a name, I held my breath. She looked at it and said "Rue Akanoto." I looked up and started breathing a lot faster. She said "Anyone want to volunteer?" I looked around trying to plead at the faces that saw me. No use. My mom kissed me on the forehead, squeezed my hand and looked away. I saw that she had tears in her eyes. I did too. I walked up to the Hall of Justice while Peacekeepers were all around me. I walked up the stairs and felt tears streaming down my face. I looked at my mother, she was bawling. I looked at my five younger siblings and they were all bawling too. Seeing my family cry I started crying even more. I couldn't believe this was happening to me. While the lady stood there looking at me she turned to the crowd and said "Now for the boys." I wondered what person I was going to have to kill in order to win, but then I realized I didn't need to kill to win other people would do it for me until only me and another person were left then I would try let him starve and just in case I would take a weapon. She pulled out a name and read it "Thresh Johnson." (I don't know his last name) I scanned the crowd of boys then I saw him walking out of the crowd. He had dark skin and cropped dark hair. He has golden brown eyes and muscles like an Ox and he is very tall. He looked at me quickly the looked away. I realized I stopped crying. He was teary eyed but I didn't see one tear shed. He walked up the stairs and stood by the lady. The lady said "Shake hands." We shook hands. His hand was sweaty but I didn't mind mine were probably too. A peacekeeper grabbed me and pulled me into doors. He took me into a room that was brown and said "You get three minutes with your family." Then he walked out and in came my family. My mom picked me up and buried her face into my shoulder then after a few seconds she looked at me and said "Baby please try to win don't kill anyone but try to win. You are very good at climbing trees, you can sleep in them and pick fruit if their are coconuts drink the milk and take a survival pack and get water and save your survivals stuff." I looked her in the eye and said "Okay I will try to win mom." She set me down and hugged me. My brothers and sisters joined in. I started crying again. My mom said I love you then the Peacekeeper came they all hugged me tighter and I said I love you back then they left. That might have been the last time I would ever see them.