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p style="margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px;"It was a sunny morning in District 7. I had just come in from the forest with my ax in hand. Everything seemed just right but of course in Panem on a day like this, that was probably a premonition. It was reaping day after all-the day when every child between the ages of 12 and 18 cowered in the district square hoping that the two slips picked don't have their names on it. I hated the reaping and the whole idea of the Hunger Games but I couldn't exactly change it./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px;"I set my ax down on my aunt's kitchen table. When I was 11 my parents died in a fire, accidental so the officials told me. Now I was seventeen and had been though enough reapings to know the horrible pit in your stomach. My aunt Laura and uncle Paul had more than what they needed to support their two daughters, but I always felt like a burden, so I worked in the forest as a lumberjack. Over the past six years I grew close to now 14 year old Amanda and 12 year old Lucy. My uncle of course loved the idea of having three daughters, although I wondered why anyone in Panem would bother having kids if they risked the reaping. Life in District 7 wasn't so bad. It surely wasn't as lavish as District 1 or 2 but there was no way it was as bad as 12./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px;"My aunt was in the kitchen making lunch for us before the reaping. Each district broadcasted theirs at a different time. 7's was at 1 o'clock sharp. I went up the squeaky stairs into a room that I shared with Amanda. She was braiding her silky brown hair back off her neck and light blue dress. I rummaged through my closet to pull out a green dress that looked rather Celtic. It came about mid thigh and was partially sleeved./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px;""Laurel..." Amanda barely said, "Laurel are you scared?" Of course I was frightened beyond belief but I didn't want her to be./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px;""You're name is only in there three times. There are thousands of slips. They aren't going to pick you or Lucy," I replied, slipping the dress over my head./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px;""What about you?" She came over and zipped up my dress from the back. We both locked eyes in the full length mirror. What about me? My name was in the reaping bowl six times, but I told myself I would volunteer for Amanda and Lucy if they got picked. It was only Lucy's first reaping. If I added up the total amount of slips that would send me into the arena, it only equaled ten. The odds were completely in my favor compared to other girls./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px;""Don't worry about me," I said softly. "We should check on Lucy. She's probably scared."/p
p style="margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px;"Amanda stepped away and nodded slightly before walking out of the room. I closed my eyes for a moment and imagined a world where there were no Hunger Games, where every year I didn't have to worry about my safety. That place was my paradise and I hoped one day I could visit it./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px;"After tying my hair back into a ponytail, I went downstairs to find the table set with salad and little sandwiches. I knew my stomach couldn't take any food without making me feel like throwing up. The butterflies were going crazy in my stomach. I reminded myself I only had two more reapings and that this reaping would be completely fine./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px;""Sit and eat Laurel," my aunt said, motioning to a chair./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px;"I shook my head. "I can't. I don't know if can keep it down right now, but thank you for the effort," I added with a small smile. "I'm going to go see Arianna."/p
p style="margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px;"She nodded and I went back to the door. I didn't walk out before she stopped me, "Oh and Laurel. Next time, please don't put your ax on the table."/p
p style="margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px;"The corners of my mouth turned up in a grin. I walked out and almost ran into my uncle. He opened his mouth to say something but I slipped past him and walked down the street a few houses. Arianna was my best friend. We knew each other from our toddler years; our parents were friends./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px;"Her house was pretty nice. It was two stories, white and had a mostly green lawn out in front. There were some weeds from lack of care, but it was really nothing compared to other houses. I walked up to their wooden door and knocked a few times. Seconds later, a little boy with brown hair and hazel eyes opened the door. His eyes lit up and face lifted into a smile. It was Arianna's little 12 year old brother, Wren./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px;""Hey. Is Arianna here?" I asked him before stepping in to give him a hug. He nodded and pointed upstairs./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px;"I started to walk up but he grabbed my arm. "Is Lucy here?" he questioned in a high voice. It was no secret he had a crush on my cousin and she had one on him. I shook my head and continued up the stairs./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px;"I got to Arianna's door and knocked five times, exactly. It was a little joke we had. Only five knocks, nothing more, nothing less. "Come in," she chirped. I smiled and opened the door to see her in a short white dress that had lace on the bottom. She was putting on little white flats./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px;""Well don't you look fancy," I said. We both hugged each other and when she pulled back she looked in my eyes with her deep hazelnut colored ones. I tucked back a piece of her dark brown hair./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px;""I'm scared. This is Wren's first reaping. He can't get picked, Laurel. I can't do anything if he gets reaped," she said, her voice quivering. I nodded and hushed her gently./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px;""It's scary, Arianna. I know it is. Believe me I've been there twice. You have to know that they're safe. They'll be fine."/p
p style="margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px;"She hugged me again but this time her whole body was shaking. I could feel how completely terrified she was. For a few moments we stayed like this before she calmed herself down and pulled away. I glanced at the clock on her wall. The little hand was nearing the 1./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px;""Hey. Look tonight why don't you come over for dinner after the reaping," I said, softly, squeezing her hand. She nodded and looked away./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px;""You sure your aunt won't mind?" she asked, a small smile playing on her lips./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px;"I laughed and shook my head. "I'm pretty you're her fourth daughter."/p
p style="margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px;"Wren came into the room and looked at Arianna. "We're leaving. You coming?" he asked./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px;"Arianna shook her head and told him we'd leave in a few minutes. He left and for his first reaping looked really calm./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px;""You know, at my first reaping I was not that tranquil. What's his secret?" I asked her quietly, watching the door close behind him./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px;"Arianna shrugged. We spent the next few minutes just talking about life before leaving for the reaping. It was only five minutes until it was supposed to start but the square wasn't too far away. The two of us linked arms and walked out./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px;"At the check-in, a peacekeeper pricked our index finger and let us in. We went into the section of girls age seventeen and waited for the ceremony to begin./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px;"Just minutes later our district escort, Gem, walked up to the microphone and began the ceremony. Of course, like every year, the mayor read the history of Panem. I zoned out, having listened to him talk every year about the same thing. Gem took the microphone when he was finished. She was dressed oh-so-Capitolly with her bright purple suit, paleface with brazen makeup, and flashy orange hair. She looked as though she just came out of one of Lucy's old coloring books from when she was four or five./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px;"Gem reads out the list of past victors from District 7 and in 23 years we've had two: Don Rivendell and a girl named Briget who committed suicide shortly after winning. Don was about 24. He won his games when he was 18 and mentored our tributes every year. To me, he seemed like a rather reserved guy. Don didn't dress all flashy and tacky. He wore simple suits and casual jeans. He wasn't like other victors from districts 1, 2 and 4. As Gem said his name, he stood up from his chair on the stage and gave a small wave to the camera./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px;"It was time for her to pick the two names. Gem went toward the first reaping ball. "Ladies first," she chirped. Her hand circled the bowl before going deep down and pulling out a small slip of paper. Everyone is tense. I watched her, clenching my hands, hoping and praying that it's not me, it's not me. She crossed back to the microphone, opened the slip, smoothed it out, and read the name in a clear voice./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px;"In that moment, my heart dropped. All eyes were on me, but I didn't hear the name. My mind had blocked it out. Arianna stiffened and turned to me. "Laurel," she whispered, holding back her tears, "Laurel Greenlaw."/p
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p style="margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px;"It was a sunny morning in District 7. I had just come in from the forest with my ax in hand. Everything seemed just right but of course in Panem on a day like this, that was probably a premonition. It was reaping day after all-the day when every child between the ages of 12 and 18 cowered in the district square hoping that the two slips picked don't have their names on it. I hated the reaping and the whole idea of the Hunger Games but I couldn't exactly change it./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px;"I set my ax down on my aunt's kitchen table. When I was 11 my parents died in a fire, accidental so the officials told me. Now I was seventeen and had been though enough reapings to know the horrible pit in your stomach. My aunt Laura and uncle Paul had more than what they needed to support their two daughters, but I always felt like a burden, so I worked in the forest as a lumberjack. Over the past six years I grew close to now 14 year old Amanda and 12 year old Lucy. My uncle of course loved the idea of having three daughters, although I wondered why anyone in Panem would bother having kids if they risked the reaping. Life in District 7 wasn't so bad. It surely wasn't as lavish as District 1 or 2 but there was no way it was as bad as 12./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px;"My aunt was in the kitchen making lunch for us before the reaping. Each district broadcasted theirs at a different time. 7's was at 1 o'clock sharp. I went up the squeaky stairs into a room that I shared with Amanda. She was braiding her silky brown hair back off her neck and light blue dress. I rummaged through my closet to pull out a green dress that looked rather Celtic. It came about mid thigh and was partially sleeved./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px;""Laurel..." Amanda barely said, "Laurel are you scared?" Of course I was frightened beyond belief but I didn't want her to be./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px;""You're name is only in there three times. There are thousands of slips. They aren't going to pick you or Lucy," I replied, slipping the dress over my head./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px;""What about you?" She came over and zipped up my dress from the back. We both locked eyes in the full length mirror. What about me? My name was in the reaping bowl six times, but I told myself I would volunteer for Amanda and Lucy if they got picked. It was only Lucy's first reaping. If I added up the total amount of slips that would send me into the arena, it only equaled ten. The odds were completely in my favor compared to other girls./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px;""Don't worry about me," I said softly. "We should check on Lucy. She's probably scared."/p
p style="margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px;"Amanda stepped away and nodded slightly before walking out of the room. I closed my eyes for a moment and imagined a world where there were no Hunger Games, where every year I didn't have to worry about my safety. That place was my paradise and I hoped one day I could visit it./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px;"After tying my hair back into a ponytail, I went downstairs to find the table set with salad and little sandwiches. I knew my stomach couldn't take any food without making me feel like throwing up. The butterflies were going crazy in my stomach. I reminded myself I only had two more reapings and that this reaping would be completely fine./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px;""Sit and eat Laurel," my aunt said, motioning to a chair./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px;"I shook my head. "I can't. I don't know if can keep it down right now, but thank you for the effort," I added with a small smile. "I'm going to go see Arianna."/p
p style="margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px;"She nodded and I went back to the door. I didn't walk out before she stopped me, "Oh and Laurel. Next time, please don't put your ax on the table."/p
p style="margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px;"The corners of my mouth turned up in a grin. I walked out and almost ran into my uncle. He opened his mouth to say something but I slipped past him and walked down the street a few houses. Arianna was my best friend. We knew each other from our toddler years; our parents were friends./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px;"Her house was pretty nice. It was two stories, white and had a mostly green lawn out in front. There were some weeds from lack of care, but it was really nothing compared to other houses. I walked up to their wooden door and knocked a few times. Seconds later, a little boy with brown hair and hazel eyes opened the door. His eyes lit up and face lifted into a smile. It was Arianna's little 12 year old brother, Wren./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px;""Hey. Is Arianna here?" I asked him before stepping in to give him a hug. He nodded and pointed upstairs./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px;"I started to walk up but he grabbed my arm. "Is Lucy here?" he questioned in a high voice. It was no secret he had a crush on my cousin and she had one on him. I shook my head and continued up the stairs./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px;"I got to Arianna's door and knocked five times, exactly. It was a little joke we had. Only five knocks, nothing more, nothing less. "Come in," she chirped. I smiled and opened the door to see her in a short white dress that had lace on the bottom. She was putting on little white flats./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px;""Well don't you look fancy," I said. We both hugged each other and when she pulled back she looked in my eyes with her deep hazelnut colored ones. I tucked back a piece of her dark brown hair./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px;""I'm scared. This is Wren's first reaping. He can't get picked, Laurel. I can't do anything if he gets reaped," she said, her voice quivering. I nodded and hushed her gently./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px;""It's scary, Arianna. I know it is. Believe me I've been there twice. You have to know that they're safe. They'll be fine."/p
p style="margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px;"She hugged me again but this time her whole body was shaking. I could feel how completely terrified she was. For a few moments we stayed like this before she calmed herself down and pulled away. I glanced at the clock on her wall. The little hand was nearing the 1./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px;""Hey. Look tonight why don't you come over for dinner after the reaping," I said, softly, squeezing her hand. She nodded and looked away./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px;""You sure your aunt won't mind?" she asked, a small smile playing on her lips./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px;"I laughed and shook my head. "I'm pretty you're her fourth daughter."/p
p style="margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px;"Wren came into the room and looked at Arianna. "We're leaving. You coming?" he asked./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px;"Arianna shook her head and told him we'd leave in a few minutes. He left and for his first reaping looked really calm./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px;""You know, at my first reaping I was not that tranquil. What's his secret?" I asked her quietly, watching the door close behind him./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px;"Arianna shrugged. We spent the next few minutes just talking about life before leaving for the reaping. It was only five minutes until it was supposed to start but the square wasn't too far away. The two of us linked arms and walked out./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px;"At the check-in, a peacekeeper pricked our index finger and let us in. We went into the section of girls age seventeen and waited for the ceremony to begin./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px;"Just minutes later our district escort, Gem, walked up to the microphone and began the ceremony. Of course, like every year, the mayor read the history of Panem. I zoned out, having listened to him talk every year about the same thing. Gem took the microphone when he was finished. She was dressed oh-so-Capitolly with her bright purple suit, paleface with brazen makeup, and flashy orange hair. She looked as though she just came out of one of Lucy's old coloring books from when she was four or five./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px;"Gem reads out the list of past victors from District 7 and in 23 years we've had two: Don Rivendell and a girl named Briget who committed suicide shortly after winning. Don was about 24. He won his games when he was 18 and mentored our tributes every year. To me, he seemed like a rather reserved guy. Don didn't dress all flashy and tacky. He wore simple suits and casual jeans. He wasn't like other victors from districts 1, 2 and 4. As Gem said his name, he stood up from his chair on the stage and gave a small wave to the camera./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px;"It was time for her to pick the two names. Gem went toward the first reaping ball. "Ladies first," she chirped. Her hand circled the bowl before going deep down and pulling out a small slip of paper. Everyone is tense. I watched her, clenching my hands, hoping and praying that it's not me, it's not me. She crossed back to the microphone, opened the slip, smoothed it out, and read the name in a clear voice./p
p style="margin: 20px 0px 20px 0px;"In that moment, my heart dropped. All eyes were on me, but I didn't hear the name. My mind had blocked it out. Arianna stiffened and turned to me. "Laurel," she whispered, holding back her tears, "Laurel Greenlaw."/p
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