The Dream
I don't know what it's like in the other districts; I've been District Five my whole life. Well that's not completely true, what I do know about the other districts is what I hear from my father. As a Field Engineer he is responsible for managing large overhead and underground electric construction projects, and is often deployed to other districts. Believe it or not, he's even been to the Capitol once and in two years when I turn eighteen I will take the exam to become a Junior Technician. Of course it will be a piece of cake considering my father taught me everything he knows, but being a technician is not what I want to do for the rest of my life. My real dream is to be a guitar player in a band and I'm actually pretty good. In fact, I'm already in a band called "Leyden Jar". The gang practices in my basement in secret since my father is often away at work. If the peacekeepers knew what we were doing they would definitely confiscate our instruments. The Capitol has a strict censorship on music and all live music is strictly forbidden. We are only allowed to listen to the same old boring recordings that we've heard for years. Music with no lyrics and basically no human emotion at all. Luckily we all plan to join the workforce at eighteen and someday play our music for an audience. I know it sounds impossible but we have all decided that is our dream, and there is no turning back.
Every year for the reaping, we meet up at Johan's house. He is the lead singer of our band and pretty much like an older brother to all of us. He is eighteen and this will be his last reaping.
"Let's hope Zak doesn't get chosen this year, he would definitely die at the cornucopia!" says Johan with a smirk.
Zak is our drummer; he is sixteen like me but the least athletic of us.
"Hey! Is that a fat joke? Anyway I have a strategy if I was ever in that situation!" yelled Zak.
"Oh really? And just what is this genius strategy? Says Eben.
Eben is Zak's older brother and complete opposite in every way. Eben is only a year older but plays up the big brother role. He can play any instrument you give him and he is one of the most popular guys in our school.
"I already told you, playing dead would never work bro, you would just be one big fat target."
We all burst into laughter except Zak who has reached his boiling point by now. Usually on reaping day people are tense and full of anxiety, but here with my friends it funny how we can laugh as though it's just another day.
"Don't worry Zak; Eben's chances of getting picked are better than yours!" I reassure him.
This seems to cheer him up a little bit.
We huddle up and bow our heads together. We have done this for as long as we've been friends. It's like an unspoken good luck to each of us, because saying it out loud only makes the reality of the situation truer. We head to the town square to get the day over with.