I sit by the river trying not to think about the day ahead. Today is the day of the Reaping. Today is the day two kids from our district are sent to their deaths. Technically both have a chance to win, to survive, but this is District 3. No one from District 3 ever wins, not since Mum, twenty-years ago now. I'm not meant to be here. I told Mum I was going straight to the town centre, where the Reaping takes place. The truth is I just couldn't stand to be around Mum any longer. She always gats stressed on the day of the Reapings. Not that anyone could blame her, not only do they bring back bad memories of her own, she finds out which to kids she will be mentoring. Which family's she will feel guilty every time she sees. And of course she has us to worry about, me and Edric. We are both eligible this year. I know I need to get to town soon, missing the reaping means certain death, but I like it here it's peaceful, and for all I know I'll be dead within a week. The river is where some of my happiest memories take place. Further down the stream, where the factories wash their waste into the water, the river is polluted. The water is disgusting, smells terrible and is most certainly unsafe to drink. But here the water is clean, and great for swimming in. Not that I can go swimming today. It would ruin my brand new Reaping dress. It's a beautiful dress, though I don't like the colour. It is red, the colour of blood. A colour we will all be seeing far too much of once the Games begin. It was made especially for me, especially for today, and was unbelievably expensive. And though everyone wears their best clothes to the Reapings, few others will have a dress this expensive, but then again no one else has a mother who is a Victor. Just me and Edric. I stand up and slowly walk towards the town centre, no reason to worry Mum uselessly, not today. As soon as I reach the town centre, Micra and Edric rush up to me.
"Janice! Where have you been?" Micra asks nervously, my older sister is newlywed, and heavily pregnant. She also worries a lot.
"Don't worry," I laugh "I'm here now."
"Which is exactly why I'm worried, in case you haven't noticed the Reaping is about to start. I'm worried about both you and Edric, either one of you could end up a tribute!" she practically snarls at me.
Before I get a chance to reply, to assure her we both we be fine, a peacekeeper approaches us and ushers me and Edric towards the pens we are meant to stand in. Edric goes and stands with the other thirteen year olds, and instead of going to stand with the fifteen year olds like I should I wait for a second to make sure he is okay. He reaches over and hugs me.
"Good luck," I whisper in his ear, for it would be rude to say aloud, because for him to be lucky, to be safe, another kid would not be.
"Oh, look at that little Edric giving his big sister a hug," a boy Edric's age laughs, he is a bully of a kid, Linus, and seems to find it enjoyable to torment Edric.
"Leave him alone," I snarl at him, "Can't you just be nice for one day, it's Reaping Day today and it's bad enough without losers like you making it worse,"
"You think I'm scared of you just because your mummy's a victor?"
"You should be scared of me," I snap, wanting to slap his smug face, but that would attract too much attention, so instead I stamp on his foot, and laugh as he screws his face up in pain. Serves him right.
As I enter the fifteen year olds pen, I'm suddenly nervous again. I look up at the stage where Mum sits in her place, alone. In other districts, they train their tributes and have many victors. I don't know how they do it; convince kids to volunteer to take place in the Hunger Games. These kids, known as Careers, tend to be from Districts 1, 2, and 4. They train their whole lives for the honour of taking part. And even through most years one of the Careers does win, even then five of them die. The mayor starts to talk, giving the same standard speech he is required to give every year, and then our Capitol escort, Verity Onyx steps forwards. She doesn't look very happy to be stuck with District 3. Not that I blame her, half the time our tribute don't even survive the bloodbath.
"Happy Hunger Games, ladies and gentlemen!" she exclaims, "And may the odd's be ever in your favour! Now let's begin!" She actually claps her hands, before reaching into the Reaping Ball.
I screw my hands into a fist and take deep breaths. Katie, my best and only friend, grabs my wrist her eyes wide with fright. Not only is she worrying about herself her to younger sisters are also eligible. I wonder how those with my entries than me cope. There are kids whose families are so poor they have to sign up for the tesserae multiple times just to survive. There were kids Edric's age with more entries than me. I should feel lucky, but I didn't. No one ever feels lucky until the Reaping is over. Verity continues to stare down at the piece of paper in her hand. The suspense is killing me, especially knowing what's written on that piece of paper actually could.
"Janice Cold," she calls.
Every one turns to stare at me. Someone, who I assume is Micra, screams. Katie lets go of my arm. Mum, up on stage stands up and then sits back down. I mount the stage determined not to cry.
"You must be Kyra's daughter," Verity smiles, "You look just like her. Any volunteers? No? Well then, now onto the boys!"
She practically skips across the stage to the boy's Reaping Ball and pulls out a name and looks down at the paper. The pause is even longer than it was for the girls.
Finally she speaks, "Edric Cold."
I stand there numbly as Edric mounts the stage. Even Verity Onyx has enough sense to keep her Capitol accented mouth shut except for to ask for volunteers. The mayor stands again and reads out the Treaty of Treason and then the anthem is played. Once the anthems finished I reach out and shake my brother's hand, horribly aware of the tears streaking down my face