Sunlight streamed through the window right onto my face. I held my hand above my eyes. I sit up slowly on my worn out couch, I stretched and wipe the sleep from my eyes. Across the room, on the only bed in the house, my mother and sister still sleep peacefully like today is any other normal day. But it isn't. Today is Reaping day.

I slip quietly out of bed putting on my threadbare leather jacket I got as a gift before my father passed away five years ago. My almost matching pair of boots fit like a glove to my feet. I grabbed my forage bag from under the table in our small kitchen and set out. The sun was barely peeking over the horizon setting long shadows down the empty streets of District 5. Because of the Reaping there is no school or work in the factories. And since the activities don't start until 2 o'clock why not sleep in.

It is a short walk from our house to the tall barbed wire fence that surrounds our district. It is supposed to protect the citizens of district 5 from the wild animals that roam the forest encircling our home. It's usually electrified, but the usual hum was gone, only to be replaced by silence. I crawled under the weak spot in the fence walked only a few feet into the thicket to stop in front of one large oak. I removed my bow and arrow out of the hollow in the side of the tree my father had carved so many years ago.

He had made the bow himself so he could hunt in these woods and bring some extra food into the house. He had started bringing me with him when I was seven. Sure, he could have sold the bow he made for a good price, but he would have been publicly executed for provoking a rebellion. Weapons were scarce throughout the five districts. The only possible weapons were the ones used for the mines and factories here in our district. But of course the tools weren't taken home by the workers but returned to the peacekeepers in charge until the next shift.

I slung the sheath if arrows over my shoulder and had only walked a short distance before I felt the presence of someone nearby. I was tense for a moment, but relaxed as a smile spread across my face. My best friend and fellow hunter, Kiba, stepped into view with a smile on his face, too. He said the woods are the only place in the world where I would smile. His spiky brown hair, canine like eyes, with red fang tattoos on each cheek made him unique. He looked as if he had been there awhile before me. His game bag had a slight bump in it.

"Hey Hinata, guess what I traded in for this morning," he said, reaching into his bag and pulling a whole loaf of baker's bread. "I traded for a squirrel. The old guy must be feeling sentimental today."

Smile gone, I nodded in understanding. I pulled out the goat cheese my sister had made. It was about the size of my palm.

"I guess we'll have a feast today," I said with a smirk.

By the time I got home around noon, my mother and sister were already ready. My mother looked lovely in one of her nicer dresses and her ebony hair was done. Hanabi had on one of my old Reaping outfits. A black knee length skirt and violet dress shirt. The clothes were too big for her and the tails of the shirt were sticking out. I noticed that one of my mother's old dresses was set on the bed. It was lavender with matching shoes. I was on the verge of refusing, but my mother deserved some slack today. There could be a chance I wasn't going to return home.

After I had gotten ready, I did my hair in a neat bun letting a few loose strands frame my face. I stood in front of the mirror on our living room wall. The girl that looked back at me looked nothing like the usual me. She looked confident and beautiful. My indigo hair, pale lavender-tinted eyes and pale skin seemed to go better together. My mother came up behind me and smiled like a proud parent would. I wanted to turn around and slap her, but then Hanabi spoke up.

"You look beautiful," she said grinning, but there was a trace of worry in her eyes.

I turned around and hugged her. This was her first reaping. Of course she'd be worried. But her name was only in the reaping ball once. Me on the other hand had my name in twenty two times. There are many things someone will do for their starving family and that's signing up for tesserae, which gave a meager amount of oil and grain for a person for a whole year. Since there was three of us and the times your name gets put into the reaping ball doubles each year from age twelve, the times my name has been put in has cumulated to twenty-two. But Kiba, on the other hand, with his three younger siblings has had his name in forty two times.

"Your name's only been in there once," I told her, "They're not gonna pick you."

She returned the hug gratefully, but when I looked at her again there was sorrow. Or grief. That she might lose me today. I just give her a genuine smile as our mother led us out of our home. People were already filing out of their houses toward the square, which was already crowded. I made my way over to the sixteen year old girl section and Hanabi made her way towards the twelve year olds. I kept my eye on her dark brown hair which had grown down to her knees. A few of the girls from school were standing by me. I recognized Sakura, Ino, and Ten Ten. The stage was set with the two reaping balls. One for the male tribute and one for the female tribute.

Hye Mi, the exceedingly enthusiastic announcer straight from the capitol, stepped onto the stage. She had on a lime green ensemble with matching hair and lipstick. She grinned showing a row of perfectly straight teeth. Too straight. She adjusted her hat and spoke:

"Welcome! Welcome to the 74th annual reaping of district 5!" she said in her strange Capitol accent, "Today we will be sending one girl and boy from each district to compete in the 74th annual Hunger Games!" Smile still in place, she sauntered over to the female reaping ball. "Ladies first!"

I felt my stomach flutter and my palms start to sweat. It seemed like a century before Hye Mi finally took out aslip of paper from the ball. I closed my eyes waiting and wondering whose name would be called. She cleared her throat.

"Hanabi Hyuga!"

I felt like my stomach fell o feet. My mouth hung open in a perfect 'O' shape, I started to shake slightly as they escorted my sister to the stage. Out of the names in the ball and the one name…

I was not about to let that happen.

"I volunteer!" I say loud enough for the whole district to hear.