Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games and never will.

Tremors of terror

I hold the hands of my sister and brother who clutch at them like they are a lifeline. For most kids on the

way to their first reaping it is

"It will be ok, it will all be over soon and then we will go have that big meal we have ready together" I

tell them, In reality I don't know if it will all be ok, But it's better to pretend so.

When we get to town square I take them over to get their fingers pricked and then get mine done as

well. They are both twelve and will have their name in twice. I am sixteen and will have my name in

twelve times.

We are very lucky we don't have to take more tesserae.

I show my siblings where to go and then find my place to stand for the rest of the reaping and stare up

at the justice building. Please let neither of them be standing up there when this is all over.

The mayor takes his place and reads off the list of victors and talks about how bad it was before the

Capitol and how much we owe to them for keeping us safe and the same crap he talks about every year.

And then some woman from the capitol comes over to read the names.

I don't know her name and I don't truly care, I just want this to be done and for me and my family to be

Home together.

"Ladies first!" Her annoying accent rings out in a voice too peppy to be natural, she probably had her

vocal chords altered or something.

She walked over to the ball that contains the name of me and my sister, reaches In, and after what

Seems like eternity, but was probably only a few seconds, chooses a slip and walks back over to the

microphone.

She opens the slip and the name rings out everywhere,

"Eilish Iana"

It takes me a few minutes to realize that that was my name.

I try to keep my cool demeanor as I walk up and take my place. She then walks over to the other ball and

chooses a slip from there.

She reads out the name of some boy I don't know, He comes up and we shake hands.

She ask for an applause and the people halfheartedly clap.

I lock eyes with my brother and sister, I can feel their tremors of terror. The only thing I can think about

is how glad I am it wasn't them.

They are safe, At least for another year.