Chapter 1
'Why do I have to go? I don't want to die, I know I won't survive!' I felt these horrible words come out of my mouth half sobbing, half screaming. It all started when the peacekeepers came knocking, well more like trying to break down the door of my house, shouting to come out and face the games like a man. Eventually the peacekeepers smashed through the small wooden door, came into my bedroom and screamed at me and my brother until we stumbled out of the broken door and walked towards the town arena.
It was the reaping, the 85th year of The Hunger Games it was supposed to be big and really important but I didn't agree I thought it was just a chance get rid of at least one person a year from each district. You see I'm from district 12 and the people from district 12 aren't like the people from the capitol... we don't kill other humans for fun.
I was standing in the far corner of the arena, thankfully this year Effie was away so I didn't have to listen to her incredibly annoying voice again instead it was the President announcing the 'lucky ones', boys first. I heard the name 'Joel Hadrid' a young boy about 15, a year older than me, brown hair flopped to one side, light blue eyes that sparkled in the sunlight, and he was also extremely muscular, maybe district 12 will have a winner this year? He looked so confident and unafraid of being picked for the games, although when he got to the stage his face turned as if the force had only just hit him that this may be the last time he will ever see his family. Finally after the long wait the girls are announced, there seems to be a long suspense then finally... 'Willow Mellark.'
That's me, unfortunately. Everybody knows who I am so they made a small gap for me to walk through so that I can walk onto the stage. I walked slowly towards the stage, four peacekeepers surrounding me making sure I that I couldn't run away. I felt like crying when I heard my brother Rye screaming my name with worry and pain. I could feel a large lump in my throat and the tears were about to explode in my eyes, I couldn't let anyone see because I would've be marked as weak by the other tributes, so I looked down and covered my face with my long hair so that no one could see and the tears begun rolling out of my eyes and flowing down my face.
Finally we were at the stage steps, I wiped my eyes so that no one could see that I had been crying, I walked up the steps onto the stage and got told to shake Joel's hands, his hands were red and clammy. Then the President said the well known quote "Happy Hunger Games and may the odds be ever in your favour!" Then The President, Joel and I all departed from the stage.