It has been a few years since I have seen sunlight, and it burns my skin. I can't lash out at anybody, or else they will put me in a straitjacket just like that little girl yesterday..
My father, stepmother, and stepsiblings keep an eye on me, but otherwise keep their distance. I don't expect any less, they all hate me. My stepmother taught her children to fear me; she blames me for everything that those two do. They could commit murder in front of 50 eye witnesses, and she could still blame me for it. What's worse is that my own father doesn't even defend me. Back when my real family was alive, he might have defended me. But then again, I wouldn't have been in this situation back then.
It has been 5 years since the Capitol has destroyed the rebel cause, along with most of the people involved in it. I still weep on the inside when I think of it; it's the only reason my family is dead. I'm just a painful reminder to my father of what he used to have, so he has shut me out completely ever since they locked up every family in the district. He found his new wife there, and they had 2 children, twins. Esther and Aaron, who might as well stab me to death for all anyone in my family cares.
There have been rumors about the release, and my friends and I talk about it all of the time. My friends are only a select few that helped me keep a large group of children alive during the rebellion. I would trust my life to them. My closest friend, Janice, finds me now and says, "Lily, they are letting us go to school and live our lives normally again!"
"Janice, I will never be able to live my life normally again."
"Right…"
That was 3 years ago when I was 12. Now here I am, with a much larger pool of friends. I have learned how to cover up what I feel on the inside, even if I do say what's on my mind. My father has taken up a job in fishing again, but I can never watch him go out on his new boat. It looks too much like the one that was destroyed 8 years ago.
We are some of the wealthier people in District 4, and my stepmother takes advantage of that. She has never had to lift a finger in her life, and spends so much that I had to get a job to support the family. I'm a mail carrier that is always running around delivering messages throughout the District, and I'm pretty sure she made me take this one is because I will learn all of the latest gossip in town.
"Lily!" Janice shouts and I smile. She is still my closest friend.
"What? Are you going to make me run all the way to the other side of the District again just to pet someone's dog for you again?"
"That was just once! And no, that's not why I'm here. I wanted to ask you if you want to come over to my house tonight to watch this special announcement the Capitol has to make."
"Sure, when does it start?"
Even with my job as messenger, I can't miss a special announcement from the Capitol or I might get imprisoned.
"I'm not sure, around 7 or something."
"Wait to go Janice; I'll just be there at 6:30."
"You want to get there early because you want to see Alexander at sports practice, don't you?" She squeals.
"Not so loud you twit!"
"Sorry!"
"And the answer is yes, thank you very much."
A woman carrying a heavy package hobbles up to me, so Janice just smiles and runs off back to her house.
That night I don't see Alexander, but I don't mind since he never would have even noticed me anyways. He's always had his eye on Breeze Climpf, who has always been better at talking to boys that me.
I reach Janice's house and we settle down and gossip until the program starts. At exactly 7 o'clock, the seal of Panem fills the screen and the anthem starts playing.
An image of the President, whose name nobody can ever remember since there have been so many over the course of the past few years, fills the screen and I gasp. He looks like a bird of prey, which might swoop down for the kill at any given point in time.
"Citizens of Panem, we have finally decided on a punishment suitable to the crimes in which you have committed. This deal will be known as the Treaty of Treason, and has been voted upon by your own leaders." He pauses to let this sink is, as though we are too stupid to have understood it. "It has been decided that the 12 Districts of Panem shall offer up as tribute one male and one female between the ages of 12 and 18 to be prepared to fight to the death." I feel lightheaded at the prospect of my being eligible to participate in this sick way of control they have conjured up. They are weak, spineless, cowards for targeting the nation's children. "These children will be picked in an annual Reaping that will occur once every year at random from a pool of every child in that District. The first Reaping in history shall occur in 2 weeks. May the odds be in your favor." Then they show the seal, play the anthem, and the screen goes blank.
Beside me, Janice faints. Her mother catches her, and I try to wake her up. "Janice, don't make me fetch a pail of ice cold water." I say, and she begins to stir.
"Don't, please, don't…"
"Okay, I won't then. Besides, I have to go back home, I'll see you.."
"See you." She replies.
I go to stand, but my legs are like gelatin. When I almost collapse her older brother, who is 17, goes to help me, but I wave him away. "I can't lean on you the whole way home. I need to do this alone." He nods, and I am able to get to my feet again. When their house is far out of sight, I start to run towards the one place that I feel at least a bit safer, the school yard. Here I dance out my emotions, and when I hear a rustling in the bushes nearby I'm at the position of the watcher within seconds. "Who are you, and what do you want?" I ask. It's dark, so I can't see their face.
"It's Alexander O'Neil. I went on a walk after the announcement and I saw some movement in the school yard, so I thought I'd check it out."
I immediately back away and say, "Well, I've got to go now.. May the odds be in your favor." Then I'm on the path to my house before he even has time to say, "Goodbye, Lily Gallina.."
I just wave over my shoulder, and then Alexander is out of sight.