I tossed. I can't sleep. But can you blame me really? It's the night just before Reaping day. Poor male and female soul between the age 12-18 will be chosen to go to the Hunger Games.

I glanced at the sleeping figures next to me. Seven year old Phlox and eleven year old Vancia. I sighed. My older brothers slept in another bed across from us, our parents have their own room. One brother is twenty and the other is eight-teen. The twenty year old is named Glen while the eight-teen year old is named Patrick.
My father is a miner, typical for us being we live in District 12. My mother works with washing, sometimes her hands are numb and cracked so I sit by her with tea and telling her made up stories. Mother always says I have a wild imagination, everyone agrees. I tell stories to the families who children were selected sometimes after Reaping to make them feel better. The stories are basically the equalization to sweet syrup.

I held onto the tiny little people. I sighed, my eyes for once felt heavy and I started to fall asleep. I woke up three hours later with the sun rising out the dirty window. I let go of my siblings and got a loaf of bread out and started to make tea. My parents woke up and started to do things. No one was talking. My mom choose the outfits and lay them all out.

I was the last to get dressed. I entered my room and saw what laid on my bed. It was a green dress with some purple at the tips. Next to it laid a ribbon that was a lighter green. There was also some shoes that were green. It was on of my mothers clothing. I slipped it on and along with the shoes.

My mom then did my hair, making my dark black waves feel like silk, she braided some protation the tied it up in a green satin ribbon leaving the rest down. I kissed her cheek. We all started to walk to the area were everyone waited. We were split into gender and age groups. I was with the other fifth-teen year olds. We all held hands. as Violet Trinket, Effie Trinket's sister walked onto the stage. "Welcome!" She shouted in the ridiculous Captiol accent her purple hair bounced as she threw one hand into the air. "We are here to choose the 104th Hunger Game tributes," she continued. All girls held hands tighter.

I squeezed my eyes shut tightly. She said the things she always says. "First, we shall start with the girls!' She shouted, still smiling that plastic smile. She rolled the ball with all of the girls names. "And our girl tribute is..Glory Vanderheart!" She shouted. My eyes widened, the girls grip on my hands lossened, they shot me sympathetic glances. Everyone knew me as the story girl. "And our male tribute is...Julain Smithers!" she shouted. I didn't know him to well. But I read a story to his siblings before. he had brown eyes and black hair, he was slightly tanned.

We all walked down then. We all walked into the little rooms. We all said good-bye to people. A girl came in, I recognized her from school. Her name was Lavender. She hugged me, "Good luck, Glory." She held her hand out to me. I looked at was inside it, it was a bracelet, made to fit on any wrist.
She slipped it on me. The bracelet was weaved leather with some red and yellow, making it look like flames on my wrist. It was lovely, it reminded me of burning coal. It felt welcoming. "I want you to wear this, it's for luck, never take it off. Got it?" She asked, I nodded. "Goodbye and good luck, Glory, may the odds be with you." She said reciting what they always say. She kissed me on the cheek and was gone. I realized, she was my friend, I was close with her even thought I didn't know it.

I sighed. This will be a long trip. I was going away.