When I wake up I glance out my window to find that the sun is just rising. Perfect, I have enough time to take a swim before the reaping. I quietly sneak out of bed and put on a pair of swimming shorts and a shirt. It's still a little chilly early in the morning even though it is almost summer. I try my hardest to creep down the stairs. I've done this many times before so I know which steps creak and which don't.

When I finally make it to the beach I take off my shirt and bolt into the ocean. If I go in slow I might turn back around. The rush of cold water jolts me awake and I feel so alive. Swimming is one of the few moments when I feel free. The wind in your hair the scent of salt water the sound of the seagulls flying overhead. It's my favourite place in the world.

I spend most of my morning just swimming. Whether it be actual swimming to the buoys or just floating back to shore on my back with the current. I can't help but smile even on a solemn day like today. In just a couple hours I will have to gather with all the other people of district four in the town square.

I notice that the sun has fully risen over the horizon so I quickly swim back to shore and head home to get ready. As I walk back into my house my mom is already making breakfast.

"Your clothes are lying out on your bed. Hurry up and get ready we have to be there in half an hour." She says this as demanding as she can, but it isn't much because even though she won't admit it she is worried. I'm all she has. I am an only child, and my dad died in a boating accident when I was only 5. So if anything happened to me I don't think my mother would be able to handle it. She was very upset when my father died but she was strong for me.

When I'm all cleaned and dressed I make my way back to the kitchen and eat a quick breakfast before I leave. Mom made me scrambled eggs and got some of the salty district bread that I like so much. We only get it occasionally. Usually on my birthday and on reaping days, to try and make me feel a little better.

As we make our way to the square we pass the shops that are all closed for the day. They would usually open at this time. Since we live in district four the reaping is early in the morning. The reapings in other districts have half an hour difference in order of the district so that one could essentially watch the entire thing from start to finish although no one could in the districts so it is for the benefit of the capital citizens. district 1 is first at 8:30 in the morning then district 2 at 9 so on until district 12 at 2 in the afternoon. It's almost 10 and just about all the children are gathered in the roped off area. Before I go to check in I give my mom a hug and a quick kiss on the cheek just to show her that I love her and always will no matter what happens.

I walk over to the peacekeepers and check in then walk over to the boys side and stand in the 14 year old section. And I wait. When 10 finally hits the mayor stands up to give the speech about the creation of our great nation of Panem and the dark days and so on. You would think after 65 years of this speech they might change it up make it a little more interesting to listen to. I've heard it for fourteen years now so I have it memorized. Finally he is done and goes to sit down. Next up is our escort. A women from the Capitol that comes to the district to pick the tributes and then escorts them all the way up until the games begin. Each district has their own escort and ours is an over enthusiastic woman named Shanna, she has been out escort for a few years now. She starts by thanking the mayor for his wonderful speech even though it is the same every year. And then continues on to welcome us.

"Welcome! Thank you all for coming" like we have a choice. Which we don't.
"I'm very happy to be here for our sixty fifth annual hunger games! Alright let's get to it" she chirps in her annoying Capitol accent that seems to be way to high for any normal person to speak. "Ladies first!"
She scurries over to the glass bowl with what seems like thousands of slips of paper all having one of the names from a girl in the crowd. Some names are in there more then once depending on if you receive the tesserae. If you are poor and need extra grain and oil you can sign up for tesserae. But each time you do your name goes in an extra time. There aren't many people in my district because it is one of the richer ones, but I hear stories of children in the poorer districts like 11 and 12 that have to not only sign up for themselves but also there families. So if they had one sibling and two parents that would be four extra times. Where mine, at 14, is only in 3 times there's would be in 15. It seems unfair but I don't have to worry about it so I try not to.

Shanna has finally grabbed a slip and is now scurrying back to the microphone. She reads out the name in her high pitches voice. "Aerona Geeth" I look over to see a girl emerging from the 16 year old section. She seems a little shocked at first but then immediately pushes it back. She strides up to the stage with a confidence that to me seems a little forced. Since we are for one of the career districts it is expected of us. She carefully walks up the steps and turns to the crowd giving a smile. And shakes hands with the mayor and the Shanna continues on over to the boys bowl. I look at it anxiously. Four of those slips among the hundreds of other slips have my name on them. What are the chances of her pulling mine. She sticks her hand in and twists it around as if she was searching for a specific one. Surely it can't be mine. I'm only in it three times. A measly three times. It can't be me. It seems like forever when she finally decides on one and makes me way back to the mic. The silence before she reads it seems to last a lifetime and my breath is held the entire time. Finally she lets out
"Finnick Odair"

Oh god. That's me.