The 50th Annual Hunger Games - Haymitch's Story

Today was reaping day, they read the card a month or two ago and theres going to be twice as much tributes this year. Its the 2nd Quarter Quell, the first one you had to nominate the kids you wanted to get picked. We are that damn Capitols slaves, and i hate it. I only have my Father left with me now, my mother died giving birth to me. My father treats me like dirt so i had to learn how to rough it out, work a knife, trade, all by myself. Theres nothing left for me to love anymore but i don't quit. Never. If i go down it's with a fight, you better believe that.

I go down to the City Square and line up with the othe my age, 16 year olds. The a lady comes to the stage and starts with "Ladies First" and she calls out 2 names. One of the names i reconize. Maysilee Donner. She's one of the more popular girls in District 12, becuase she's nice and smart and, well, lets face it, pretty. She has bright blue eyes and long blond hair and she has to detatch herself from 2 other girls, the Apothecary shop owner's daughter, and Maysilee's twin sister. She walks up to the stage looking confident, not scared. Now it's the boys turn. Haymitch Abernathy. I didn't expect it but i'm not surprised, i live in the Seam and i've taken a good share of Tesserae, so its nothing to be surprised about. You have to expect things to survive, things you would never think would happen, thats how i got this far.

I stand up on the stage and they call out another boys name, he looks about 13 and he doesn't have much build on him, he's blond and he goes by the name Buckeye , his name does not suit him. He looks up at me and gives me a fierce look that doesn't suit him either. I'm much taller than him so i just look down, hopefully unreadable and look away. As i'm standing there i see our mentor, a very small woman with blond hair and blue eyes. I wonder how she won the games. If you had to place your bet on someone she looks like she would be the last person you'd bet on. she's about 25, somewhere in there. She stands up on the stage and sits in one of the three chairs. She was probably fast.

We're all about enter the Justice Building, then i see one of the tributes make a run for it, its the little blond kid who glared at me. What is he thinking? You can't run away from The Hunger Games, thats probably one of the stupidest things i have ever seen, they will be editing this out for sure. The Capitol does not go over well with rebellious acts.

Once im in i sit down on a soft bed and wait, theres no one to say good bye to me, my father doesn't even like me so why would he come, just as i'm thinking this he comes in. I look up at him blankly. Why is he here? He sits down beside me and hugs me, now i am surprised, there is no way i was ready for this. This wasn't even on my list of unexpected things to not be surprised about.

"Your mother would've wanted you to live, son." He says. He has never called me "son" before.

"I plan to." I say, which is the truth. I was and am planning on living. It doesn't matter who likes it or not, i'm staying.

"She gave up her life for you so you better not end it" he says "I don't care how you live, what you do to live, just live" He gets up and turns around to look at me right in the eye. Then he nods his goodbye. Now i'm determined to win. Haymitch Abernathy does not go down without a fight. That is the last thing i think when they come to take me.

Now our escort, whose name i find out is Twinkle Goodman, has come to collect us for supper. I sit down in a seat where theres nobody beside me and wait for the food. I see Maysilee come in and she sits across from me. She looks up and catches my eye quickly then looks away. Then i see the blond boy come in and he sits next to me. I wonder what happened. He just sits there, then he looks up and me and meets my eye and stares death at me. I will not be the first to look away 'cuz thats a sign of weakness, and i cannot let any of these people think i have a weakness.

As i'm stuffing myself with the best food in the world a man with a tray full of red liquid comes by.

"Would you care to have some wine?" the man says.

What the hell, i've never had it so might as well try it. I take a sip of it. It has an unusual taste to it, dry, if liquid can be called dry, and thin. It's good. It turns out i have quite a tolerance for the stuff so i just keep sipping away. When i'm done, i get up and i almost fall over but somehow catch myself. My head is foggy and i can't seem to really grasp anything anyone is saying. The they bring out the desert. A strawberry cream pie. It looks delicious, but i pass out before i can get any.