This is my version of the 65th annual Hunger Games, the Games of Finnick Odair. Read and enjoy!

The Reaping

Waves.

I hear nothing else while laying still and listening to the music of the sea. Until...

"Finnick!", my mother calls, "Get up! Don´t forget the Reaping!"

I open the eyes, sigh and get dressed.

My name is Finnick Odair, I´m 14 years old and live in District 4. Today is the Reaping of the 65th annual Hunger Games.

"Finnick!"

„Coming, mom!"

Sighing I get down the stairs to the kitchen where my mother, my father and my siblings are waiting for me.

My father is a fisher – like almost every man of District 4 - ,my mother helps knotting nets and gutting the fish but with 4 children to feed that´s not enough, so me and my 2 brothers Simon and Otto are working as well.

Simon is 16 – the oldest of us – and helping our father since he was 8. Me – being the second child – working for 7 years and Otto with his 12 years working since he was 9. Only our little sister Leslie being 8 isn´t much of a help yet.

Although I had less time to play with my friends because of this I don´t regret it; I learned much. It will be important for my future or will help me if I´m reaped in the Hunger Games.

"Good Morning!" my father greets me.

"Morning" I answer shortly.

I sit down and we eat in silence. We are all thinking about the Reaping but nobody speaks about it.

"It´s 10 o´clock" my father says seriously.

All of us know what that means: all children have to go to the square in front of the Justice Building and get registered; the Reaping is about to begin.

Simon just nods and says quietly: "Let´s go".

Our parents accompany us but they have to leave at the square and vanish in the crowd.

Otto´s face is white and his hands are quivering, I understand him, it´s his first Reaping. We aren´t rich but our parents forbade us to take any tesserae, so Simon´s name is in there 5 times, mine 3 and Otto´s just once.

The number is pretty low but regardless there is a possibility that one of us is getting reaped, so of course we´re all anxious.

I don´t really notice the needle stabbing into my arm but afterwards I go to the other 14-years-old where I see two of my friends: Sean and David. I nod to show that I see them.

Then my attention is grabbed by our escort Twiksi, a woman with bright green hair and a purple dress. I really don´t understand why all of the people of the Capitol have to look so ridiculous all the time.

She begins to speak: "Welcome, Ladies and Gentlemen, today..." I ignore the rest of her speech and think about what the Capitol does to our District, most of us are poor and have to work very hard every day while President Snow and his friends have one party after another without doing anything. And I heard in other Districts it´s harder than here...

How is it possible that something like this can happen?

When I was younger I asked my father about it. He just told me to shut up and never question the Capitol, especially in public places.

The movie of the rebellion begins to play and after that Twiksi is speaking again: "I love this movie! Don´t you, too?" Silence.

"However, now we´ll pick the boy and the girl who will have the honor to participate in the 65th annual Hunger Games. May the odds be ever in your favor."

"Ladies first". Twiksi is going to the big glass bowl on the left.

"Leanne Marybold"

I´m relieved, nobody I know. A girl with long, black hair, around 17 years old is walking to the front. One look at the clothes she´s wearing and her statue and I know she´s a career.

"And now for the boys" Twiksi shouts excited.

"Otto Odair"

No. I´m shocked, I can´t move. Not Otto, not my little brother.

Otto´s now on the stage. "Any volunteers?" Twiksi asks.

I wait for Simon to do something, for anyone, but nothing happens.

Twiksi starts: "Well ok, then-"

"I volunteer" I interrupt her. All eyes on me I fake a smile, which I´m pretty good at, and make my way to the stage while trying to look confidently.

"Come up, dear", Twiksi says, "What is your name?"

"Finnick Odair" I answer her question.

"Well then a big applause for this young and handsome man!" she shouts.

The crowd claps but I see many sad faces, they know me, they know I did it for my brother, not the glory. And they know: I´m too young, I stand no chance.

All of this I can read in their faces but I won´t give up, I´m going to be the youngest victor in history.

"Shake hands"

I grab Leanne´s hand shake it and then the Peacekeepers accompany me into the Justice Building. I take one last look at District 4, one last look at the sea, before the big doors close.

Thanks for reading, would be pretty nice of you to review:)

HungerGamesOwl