Chapter One
I wake to the sound of mockingjay's singing outside my window. I lay there for a minute just listening to their repetitive song. For a moment I think it is any other day. But it isn't. It is Reaping day.
The reaping is an annual event that takes place in every district before each Hunger Games, where the tributes of the upcoming Games are chosen. Each district's escort randomly chooses the name of one male and one female tribute from two separate glass balls. Those picked are then the official tributes for the upcoming Games. To be qualified for a reaping, one must be twelve years old. Once of age, a potential-tribute's name is entered into the reaping one time. The entries are cumulative, so when a possible tribute is thirteen, their name is added one more time. This continues until age 18, when a potential-tribute's name is entered 7 times. However being reaped doesn't necessarily mean you will go into the games, someone may volunteer in your place, but this rarely if ever happens in this district.
I sigh, stretch and then wait for the blood to start flowing back into my right hand, which I have slept on, again. I watch the colour return, and after a while clench it to see if the feeling has returned and wince. Yep, I can definitely feel the pins and needles. Ignoring the sharp, little pinches I use my hands to prop myself up and turn to look at Deidre. She is still asleep, which means the sun isn't up yet. I go to the window and peer between the curtains, and sure enough the sky is still a deep, rich blue. I tiptoe past the bedrooms being careful not to wake the other orphans up, when I get an idea. I work my way through the minefield of creaks, careful not to wake the others until I get to the last room. Ash's room. I put my hand on the handle and slowly push down and then forwards. The door opens silently and the boy in the bed doesn't stir. I creep round his bed stifling a giggle, grab the bottom of his mattress and pull quickly upwards. He rolls out the bed head first his eyes shooting open and his mouth contorting into a letter box shape, he lands on the floor with a thud and looks exactly like a startled toad.
I stand there with my hand over my mouth shaking with laughter as Ash gets up cursing to himself. I close my eyes, as I feel that if I look at him any longer I will die. Big mistake, no sooner have my lids close a pillow is thrown hard into my face knocking me back so that I land on my bottom, the air rushing out of me in the form of an "Oh". Now it is his turn to laugh. "Ah, Tylr, you should have seen your face." I grab the pillow and throw it back at him, aiming for his face, but he catches it then throws it on his bed in one swift moment. I huff, and then push myself up from the floor "Yeh, well you should have seen yours when you were falling off the bed." I retort. HIs face falls and we stand there for a while staring each other down, waiting for the other to crack.
I can feel a giggle forming in my chest and Ash's eyes are sparkling, and suddenly we burst out laughing at the same time. Ash widens his eyes and puts his finger to his mouth, shushing me. I immediately stop laughing, we really don't want to wake Rospin up. She's the head care worker. Not that she cares, or works.
We head out the door and creep down the stairs, being careful to only step on the places we know don't creak. When we safely get down to the 'ground' floor, I head for the window in the lounge to watch the sun rise. After a few minutes Ash comes and joins me, sitting on the opposite side of the window seat with two mugs of tea in his hand. He gives one to me and I sip it as I watch the sky change from blue, to light blue and then to a red, making the forest look like it is on fire.
"Red sky at night Shepherd's delight" Whispers Ash
"Red sky in the morning shepherds warning" I finish. We smile at each other, he's like a brother to me.
"I thought I heard voices" I whip my head round to see who had spoken and see Deidre. I turn to look outside the window, well, the sun is up. "Ow" I turn to face Ash who is suddenly sporting a red mark on his right cheek.
"Ash you've got a little something on your cheek there" I smile tapping my cheek
"Very funny" he sneers and then wanders off to the kitchen to get some ice
"You're a noob." I smile "How did you do it?"
He walks back in groaning and rubbing his cheek "Wasn't my fault. Your stupid plait did it"
Must have smacked him in the face when I had turned round to see Deid. I like my hair.
I snigger and then bring the plait down so it rests on my shoulder, ready for another attack.
"It wasn't that funny" he grunts sitting back down. Deid laughs and plonks herself between our legs "Oh yes it was." I look at her and we smile. Ash glares at us both and then takes a glug of his tea. Deid's smile falters and then she sighs and leans against the window.
"Only two years left and then we'll never have our names in that bowl again" I say to her, knowing she is thinking about The Games. She smiles, but I can see her eyes welling up. "Hey, I promise that if you get reaped I'll volunteer for you, ok?" She turns to face me and mumbles "Thanks" then turns to look out the window. I sit straight, waiting for her to tell me she is going to do the same, but she doesn't speak and continues to look down into the forest. Well. You know what, that's fine. Its fine, really, I don't need anyone to volunteer for me, I'm a tough cookie. I'm made of strong dough and chocolate chip resistance. I am tough. Any person who tries to kill me will be very sorry indeed. I smooth my hair down, and then stand up to go wash my mug. I turn to smile at my friends, but stop when i see the expressions on their faces.
Ash and Deid are both staring at me extremely confused. "What?" I ask them, I feel around my face, had I got something on it? Ash takes his mug to the sink and then heads upstairs "I'd say you're more a crazy cookie to be honest" He grins and then walks up the steps, Deid follows him up, also grinning her face off "And I'll volunteer for you if you want." I stare up at them confused, and then I realise. Had I said all that out loud? Faeces. I slam my fist against the seat in frustration. "What was that?" a sharp nasally voice comes down from upstairs
"Oh…poo." I groan, Rospin has heard me and is now walking down the stairs. Me and Ash and Deids had been talking for ages! Why did she have to wait until I was on my own before she decided to intervene? I glare at her as she walks towards me, letting her know that the hate is mutual, the urine faced trackerjacker.
She is wearing a pink dressing gown and her hair is in rollersn and yet she still manages to look like a man. "Tylr Boaz" she sneers "I should have known. Well my girl, seeing as you have such a fascination for stool, I guess it is only expected of me to ask you to clean out the bathroom after the reaping. Luckily for you, and your obvious love for excrement of the faecel matter, James has just decided that he is going to start wiping is bottom, using the floor. Isn't that clever of him! Now back to bed this instant! Honestly girl, up at these hours waking everybody up with your constant racket" I grunt and start to stomp upstairs when the morning alarm bell rings. "Oh" she squeaks. I raise my eyebrow at her, a skill I have recently acquired and have been using to full advantage. She starts flustering and the vein in her forehead is becoming prominent "Don't just stand there child, go get ready for the reaping!" she says her voice breaking in annoyance and embarrassment. I smile at her and then do as she says, but only because I feel sorry for her.
A/N This is my first fanfiction so please let me know what you think! The next chapter will be uploaded in approx 8 days because I won't be in the country until then so won't be able to upload, Sorry if you enjoyed it, and sorry if you didn't, I will try to improbe. The idea to get 24 children and throw them into an arena to fight to the death was not my idea, but most of the characters in this fanfic have escaped from my imagination. Hopefully they won't turn out like their creator and start becoming obsessed with llamas and british youtubers and say that they are in a relationship with food. But you never know.