CHAPTER 1

It will not be me. The same five words pound painfully in my head as the Reaping crept closer and closer. I look to my father who looks just as anxious as I am feeling. I try to distract myself by scanning my eyes over the enclosed area. All I see are worried, frightened and somewhat hopeful expressions. The sky is clear with a small black cloud floating, like what is happening right now. Clear now but things will turn worse. I look to my older brother, Tyko, who looks the most level headed of all of us. His orange hair combed back and his suit is freshly washed, waiting for his name to be called. He had been preparing for this moment all year. The year he might finally be chosen to represent his District in the Hunger Games.

It will not be me.

Tyko is tall with broad strong shoulders and a firm square face. My father was only a taller version of him. I scanned my eyes to my other two brothers, younger than Tyko yet older than myself. I am shorter and thinner than them with a delicate stomach, which seems the worst kind of person to be reaped. I am wearing a plain red dress with leather straps while my father is wearing an electric blue shirt which is appropriate since our District provides electricity for the Capitol. The District itself is rather well off. I have heard worse. The coal mining District were in the midst of a food shortage, my father had told me more times than I can count to ignore it and focus on the fact our District was much more fortunate. As much as I respected him and his thoughts, I did feel some sympathy. Tyko is more cold and aloof than that. The District is the one thing always in his heart, even more than he cared for his own father and his siblings.

'Five is four away from one.' He would growl whenever District Twelve was mentioned.

I am suddenly taken by the arm and dragged harshly to another roped up area. Now with many my age. Many others are cramped against me; I can barely move my hands. I growl, feeling invaded.

I shut my eyes and remember an hour ago, before this...

I had been staring out of the window while Tyko strutted about the room in his suit. My other brothers, Takon and Kingfisher, seemed unimpressed after seeing this irritating display for the sixth time.

'It's my year!' Tyko thundered 'I can feel it in my gut.' I could also feel something in my gut but it was not the same. This is Tyko's last year able to chosen as Tribute. That makes no different, he always puts on this show. I stared out the window at the town centre which was already set up with the arena for the reaping.

My father appeared in his suit and glanced at Tyko's erotic display before facing me.

'Where's your dress?' he growled. He never speaks normally; it is either a growl or a threatening sounding grumble. I cannot blame him; he is mistreated at his job by the other electricians.

I looked away, not really wanting to answer.

'Sinopa!' he snapped. I whipped my head around; his temper had worsened since mum was killed a month ago by electrocution. I miss her horribly, my siblings have moved on from it and my father is slowly getting it. I still feel tears form in my eyes when I think about her. To be honest- she was the only person who really loved me.

'On my bed...' I muttered.

'Well get it on, we'll be late!' he snarls before storming out. Late for what? To watch someone receive their death sentence? It will not be me.

'Stop stalling!' Tyko snarled in my direction. That is how I am always spoken to by them. I hate being the only female in the family, when mum was around they treated me different, and better. I always wish she could be here. It would be a much more effective comfort than this.

'Sinopa! I will not tell you again!' dad had his head around the door and a belt in his hands. I sighed and pushed past him to get ready.

After I put on my dress, I ran my feet over the hard wooden floor. I waited for mum to come in and to stroke my face, like she always had before a reaping. But she never came. All that did come in was Tyko, his face redder than his suit.

'Get out here!' he shouts at me.

I growled and pushed past him to the open door of the small house and went into the street where my father and brothers were standing. The streets were soon packed with many people. When I was small I would cower behind my mum who would give reassurance and say a kind word. I do not get that now. Now all I get are words like 'stop being a yellow-belly.' I cannot help it if I am more fearful than them, since mum passed away it had gotten worse. Possibly because dad tends to beat me if I either ignore or disobey him. Tyko is not any better, he only seems to care about himself getting into the Games than his own sister, he even said once I deserved to be beaten as if it was my fault mum is dead. I had no idea things were going to become far worse than I could imagine...

It is too cold and my dress is too thin. I ended up shivering badly. The body heat off of the other kids around me was a slight comfort. I have not listened to the opening to the reaping. I am so sick of it. The escort is a tall tanned male with ugly blue streaks in his smooth combed over hair, his face heavily glittered and wearing eye shadow such a putrid green it made me want to throw up. He sports an odd moustache curled about six times at the end of each nostril. His voice is higher than most and I find it disturbing. The others do not seem to be bothered.

Finally it came to the drawing of the female names.

'And the lucky Tribute is...' the escort chimed, I tensed my muscles. Hoping. He delicately pressed his hand in the bowl of names as if he was only simply picking out a sweet from a candy bowl. I shut my eyes and desperately hoped to hear a name other than mine.

'Sinopa Finch!' He thundered suddenly. The only sound heard after that was a thin wail escaping my closed lips. It is me.