73rd hunger games!
Chapter one – The Reaping
I stagger onstage as if drunk, shake Peter Sharpe's hand and look out to the audience. I dare to look for Will, I see him. My heart stops. Our walks, our talks, our lifelong friendship all gone because of these bloody games. Fury builds inside me as I think of Snow, how he forced us to still participate in these sadistic events, they parade us around, then kill 23 of us, then the one who wins still loses as they are blackmailed to work for the capitol in some way or another. Even if they manage to escape the capitols grasp they are alone as for sure you know their family would be killed as well as all their friends for not joining the capitol, they are then plagued with nightmares about those horrible weeks in the games, and when they wake up its no better as either all the people they love are dead or they will never see them as they are working for the capitol. This is how I know I will never see Will again. We've been through so much it pains me to think about never seeing him again. He's been there for me as I have for him, always. When I was constantly arguing with my dad, he was there, as was I when he was beaten up by those peacekeepers for catching illegal fish. It is at this moment I realise just how much I miss him, just how much he will miss me, just how much I love him. Now I know what you're thinking, I am 16 how can I love someone at this age, well that was the word that popped into my head at this precise moment. Love. It scares me to think it. As I musing about Will and all the time we spend together, I think even if I didn't love him (but I think I do) he is my best friend and I will miss him no matter what.
It is the people pushing me inside justice building that snaps me out of my thoughts of Will, I then realise I missed who our male tribute was, I look left to see none other than Ethan Trimshaw. With his jet black hair, muscular body and brown eyes, he can't be missed when he walks into a room, especially since he's 6ft. Popular, stuck up, stupid and incredibly big headed, I know he'll want to win for the 'pride' of district 4. I am lead to a room where I am told to sit and wait. I dread this. Family and friends will come and cry to me and to wish me luck, everyone knowing I can't win because although I am skinny, I am physically unfit, with no training. Unlike most people in my district I was not allowed to train because my dad forbade me to, seeing it as a waste of time. Although what they don't know is that me and Will both trained with swords at the dead of night in case one of us was picked for the games. As I sit here and wait I think about the interviews and the tribute parade and the training days, I know I'll be forced into the career pack. I roll my eyes at my own thought. I hate to be seen as a career, as I am not one, I don't want to win for the glory or the money or for the district. I want to win to see my family and Will again, to see my parents and my little brother, Michael, again. I vow to myself then and there I will try to win to get back, no matter how small of a chance I have; I will try my best to win. For Will.
The door bursts open. It's my family, mum, dad and Michael, they hug me, no crying as they know it will not help, no words just a hug that says we're behind you. We will miss you. We love you. My dad says solemnly "I'm sorry for not letting you train, I didn't think you'd get picked, or at least if you did someone would volunteer, but they didn't" he sighs at this point but continues "I don't know why, but clearly they wanted you to go in not them, I think it's because of what happened to our tributes last year" he looks out the window sadly, gazes at the sea and concludes " how they died by their own home in a sense" I know what he means, they drowned, we all can swim, but the wave was so big and out of nowhere, it killed both our tributes on day 3. My dad says one last I love you before they are all dragged out of the room, Michael kicking and screaming, literally. He's only 7 and doesn't understand why we must fight against other districts but knows we have to. The door slams shut. I pace about thinking what to do before Will comes. How will I approach this, I think. I can't say goodbye to him. The door opens. Will.
"Oh Jesus Christ Tay it had to be you" Will says desperately as he hugs me. I love his hugs; they are familiar, warm, comforting. Safe. It's not unusual to receive hugs off Will, well for any other girl it is as he only hugs close family and me. But this hug is different, it's a longing and desperate hug, it says 'don't leave me, I need you'. He lets go as do I. I say "I don't know I wish it wasn't, I don't want to die Will, I'm scared, I want to stay with you. Can't we just run away? Defy the capitol?" I know this plea is stupid and irrational but I ask anyway "I'd be surprised if you weren't scared Tay, we can't run away. They'd catch us, and then we'd both die for sure. At least you have a chance" He then says his next words fast as if he's going run out of time to talk (which he probably is) "look, your outstanding with a sword, use one in your private training session and your sure to get one in the arena, be smart, find out what plants and stuff you can eat, you know ropes, take the time to train with the stuff you don't know and not show off like the other career tributes will" He then slows down to a much slower pace and says "and please please please! Try to come home, I know you may not, but I can't live without you, just try" he pauses " for me?" He then leans in and closes his eyes. I think 'this is it'. I start to lean in too, however before our lips meet Will is dragged away by the awful timing of the peace keepers stating our few minutes of saying goodbye are up, he screams "TRY TAY TRY, I KNOW YOU CAN DO IT, BELIEVE IN YOURSELF!" his voice getting quieter as he continues to be dragged down the hallway. I then stand there, wondering what just happened and about my fate to come.