Tusesday 16th October By Katie Short
L.O: To Write a story based on the book you just read (The Hunger Games)
I awaken from the sea of bad dreams, to feel my mother's prescence by my side. Her soft breathing warm and steady. Buttercup just sits there, keeping me safe, on the other side of the bed. Just like he has everyday since I brought him home.
I look over to search for Katniss but she's disappeared, Just like her hunting boots that are usually next to her bed. I go to check out the goats cheese I left her as a gift for the reaping, but that has gone too, which means she's already gone hunting for food with Gale.
Buttercup brushes my leg with his warm fur, dying for my attention. I lean down and gently stroke him, making him purr so loud I swear it will wake my mother. Only as I turn round I find she's already awake, watching me.
"come on prim, lets get you ready." She says, tears sparkling in her eyes. I hate to see her like this, even if it is my first reaping. She knows I'm one of the most safest children from the age of twelve to eighteen. Katniss made sure I only put in my name once even if her name is in it twenty times!
As we finish off pinning my outfit so that it fits, Katniss walks in with: two fish, a couple of loaves, greens, a handful of strawberries, salt and paraffin. She looks at me and smiles. This was her first reaping outfit four years ago.
A tub of hot water awaits for her, so she goes to clean off. Whilst she's getting washed, mother lays out one of her old dresses for Katniss to wear. When she finished washing, the first thing she spots is the dress. Mother helps Katniss get dressed, then offers to braid her hair. Finally when they're finished, I look.
"You're beautiful!" I say as she stares at herself in the mirror. She comes over to hug me, knowing how scared I am. Even though it's my first time, i'm not scared about my name being picked. It's Katniss that i'm worried about, her names in it twenty times...
"tuck your shirt in little duck." Katniss says, her voice quavering. I giggle and give her a small quack as she tucks my shirt into my skirt.
Once we finish eating, we head for the square at 1:00pm. The place that is usually so full of joy, has the opposite feeling today as people start to file in for the reaping. Twelve to eighteen year olds are herded into roped areas. Oldest at the front, youngest (like me) at the back. Family members line up around the perimeter.
I find myself surrounded by people my age, terrified as it's their first reaping too. I wonder how many names are in the girls glass ball, must be over one thousand. Twenty of which are occupied with my sisters name.
Two out of the three chairs on the temporary stage are occupied with the mayor and a lady named Effie trinket, District 12's escort.
She has bright pinkish hair, that makes her white grin stand out even more and she wears a spring green suit. Her and the mayor are talking and pointing at the spare seat with a worried look on their face.
Just as the clock strikes two the mayor starts telling the history of Panem. He lists the disasters which turned North America into the place with the capitol and the 13 districts. Then he tells us of the dark days when the districts rose against the capitol. Twelve were defeated, the thirteenth obliterated.
To make sure this was never repeated they brought us...The Hunger Games.
The rules for the hunger games are simple, one boy and one girl are to participate as tributes. The two tributes from each district will be held in an outdoor arena that could hold anything. All twenty four tributes will be expected to kill eachother until only one remains. This one tribute will then be called the victor. Over several weeks all the districts will be expected to watch on a screen, the tributes fighting till death.
Only one victor remains from district 12, named Haymitch, who at this very moment walks drunk on stage, embraces Effie in a hug and sits in the empty seat.
Once Effie's forced him off of her, she stands and does her signiture phrase "Happy hunger games, and may the odd's be ever in your favour." Effie babbles on a bit about how it's such an honour to be in our district and then moves on to the glass balls.
Suddenly i'm panicking about Katniss and her name being in there twenty times. Thoughts rush through my head, What if she's picked? Who will be there to comfort me if she's picked? What if she's chosen and she dies in the arena? The thoughts are so loud, I barely hear the name that has been picked out. But I do, and it's not Katniss or any of my friends.
"Primrose Everdeen"
It's me...
Suddenly the crowd parts, making a clearing I can walk through. My legs are steady, carrying me to my doom, but my heads screaming. How could it be me? My name was only entered once. Suddenly I hear my name being called by a familier voice, but my brain doesn't register. I hear it again, louder this time. And then it clicks, the person calling for me is Katniss! My big sister! The one i'll never see again...
That's when it happens. The words that have never been spoken in district twelve. Everyone quiets down as she says it again, louder so everyone can hear.
"I volounteer!"
"No! Katniss no!" I run over to where she was. In the crowd of 16 year olds i'm now standing in, I see her make her way to the stage. I dodge through the crowd, pushing and shoving people out of the way. I run over to her and embrace her with a hug, never letting her go. Katniss can't leave! She just can't!
But it's been said and there's nothing I can do but just stand back and watch her make her way to the stage, as her friend Gale drags me away...