Gale's Story
The Reaping
Everyone from District 12 gathered at the City Centre to watch the reaping. The Centre was already filled with people.
I glanced anxiously at Katniss and she looked back at me, terror in her eyes. As usual, the reaping was not a happy time, I doubted that anyone wanted their child's name to be pulled, unless they needed it very desperately.
I watched Effie walk happily onto the stage and the Mayor chat about the history of Panem, etc. Finally, they started with the girls.
As soon as Effie pulled out Prim's name from the ballot, my heart stopped. Prim was one of the most loved girls in the Hob. Everyone adored her, and to be honest I loved Prim too. Prim was so sweet and kind. We weren't as close as Katniss and I, but she became a bit of a little sister to me. I didn't want anyone that Katniss cared about to be in harm and getting her name pulled at the reaping is by far the worst that could happen. I couldn't understand, her name was only put in once. Katniss put her name in a numerous times, yet Prim's name was pulled. I had a feeling Prim wasn't going to be a tribute in the Hunger Games.
I watched her walk down and I saw Katniss rushing after her sister. She shoved Prim out of the way and screamed "I volunteer! I volunteer as tribute!"
I was right. Katniss was going to be a tribute. It was Katniss' personality, to do something like this, especially since she cared for Prim so much. I saw Prim struggling and screaming. I shoved everyone out of the way so I could help calm her down. There was a part of me that wanted to let Prim go and rush after Katniss, but there was nothing I could now. I felt regret and a bit of guilt. Then again, it was either Prim or Katniss. If Katniss wanted to, then she would be the tribute, no matter how frightening it was, because Katniss could definitely not stand and watch her sister being called a tribute in the Hunger Games.
As soon as I was by her side she calmed down a bit, but I knew she wanted to do something about it. She couldn't.
Katniss walked swiftly over to the stage and Effie told her stupid jokes. At that moment I really wanted to slap Effie in the face. The reaping was supposedly 'a happy time' for the Capitol, and obviously Effie was trying to make this DEATH SENTENCE happy...? I didn't understand. The Hunger Games were stupid and useless, I knew they were to prove that they could do whatever they wanted, like this.
When she pulled out Peeta Mellark's name from the ballot, I felt relieved, but very stressed at the same time. I was relieved that it was Peeta, not me and that my days from the reaping were over, but I was stressed that Katniss was probably going to be in a fight for her life against twenty-three others.
I watched as they took them away. I wanted to just run after them, but that would put me into more trouble than I already might be in, considering we hunt in the Meadow. This was just the start of the nightmare for me. I didn't want to watch as they put Katniss and a bunch of other people into an outdoor arena and kill other people on live TV. It wasn't acceptable, but no one could say that unless they wanted to die or to start a rebellion.
She disappeared into the Justice Building, not looking back.
I was most definitely going to be seeing her before she was going to go into training.
