When I wake up, the other side of the bed is cold. I turn to see Anna shivering in her sleep. This isn't the first time this has happened, that I've accidentally made it so her side of the bed is ice cold. I wave my hand and the frost clears and her body relaxes.
Today is my birthday but that's not important. Today is the reaping.
I get up as quietly as possible and put on my hunting boots. I gather the supplies I'll need and head out the door.
I head toward the electrified fence that encloses our district—district twelve—and crawl under it, being careful not to touch it. Once I'm on the other side of the fence I head into the woods, waving my hands and getting my frost ready. Hunting is illegal but the way I hunt leaves no trace. Only if someone actually spots me will I be in trouble.
As I make my way further into the woods, I smile when I see the only person I can call friend in this violent, ugly district. Zuko. Sometimes I wonder if our bond grew stronger because we both have an ability or if it would've been this strong anyway.
"Elsa," he says by way of greeting. He stands up when he sees me.
"Zuko."
"Check this out," he says, pulling out a loaf of bread. It's not the cheap kind we make with our grain rations, it's real bakery bread. He rips it in half and hands me a piece.
"It's nice and warm," I say, inhaling the scent. "How much did it cost you?"
"Squirrel. I think the old man was feeling extra generous on account of what's going to happen today," he says, his rough voice quiet.
I say nothing. What could I say?
"We could do it you know," he says suddenly.
"Do what?"
"Leave this place behind and live off in the woods. With our abilities, we'd make it."
I stare at him in surprise, eyes widened slightly.
"Too bad we have family though," he adds quickly. "I think they'd slow us down."
He has a point. But I know it's not his family he's speaking of. His sister and uncle would survive as well since they have abilities too but Anna has none. She wouldn't last long out here.
"Yeah," I finally say, my voice low. "So what now?"
"We could fish. We do make a great pair when it comes to that."
The way we fish is I freeze the fish and Zuko thaws the ice, cooking the fish in the process.
"Okay."
We end up catching eight fish, not too bad. Thy are still frozen in ice as we've decided we don't want to eat them just yet, we'd rather have them at home to have a nice dinner for today.
When we're done fishing, Zuko and I head over to the hob, which is essentially a black market where we can trade some of the fish for goods. We give up five of the fish for bread and salt.
We then head toward the mayor's house so we can sell some of the strawberries Zuko picked while I was busy freezing fish. The mayor's daughter, Ty Lee, opens the door. She's wearing a beautiful pink dress, lace gloves and her hair is tied up with a big pink bow.
"Nice dress," Zuko mutters as I hand her the strawberries.
Ty Lee looks at him and gives him a joyless smile. She hands me money for the strawberries without looking at me. "I wanna look nice if I go to the Capitol don't I?"
"You won't be going," Zuko snaps. "How many entries could you possibly have?"
"Zuko," I say quietly, placing a hand on his shoulder. "She can't help it; it's not her fault."
"No, it's just the way things are," he says under his breath.
"Good luck," Ty Lee says.
"You too," I say as she closes the door.
"Fifteen times," Zuko says as we walk away.
"What?"
"My name is entered fifteen times," he explains. "You?"
"Seventeen." I reach for his hand and immediately draw it back; his skin is hot to the touch.
"Sorry," he says. "I'm just a little pissed off here."
"See you later," I say as it's time to go our separate ways.
"Don't forget to wear something pretty," he says wryly.
At home I find that Anna is dressed and ready to go. She's laid out my dress for me and I put it on and Anna helps me with my blonde hair.
"You look beautiful," she exclaims happily.
"I look nothing like myself." I don't recognize the person in the mirror. I stand up and hug my sister tightly. She is the only family I have and her name is entered once. I wouldn't let her take out any tesserae, which would've cost her more entries. I try to protect Anna as much as I can and I hate feeling powerless to defend her against the reaping.
After we eat the fish Zuko and I caught (we cook it on the stove since we don't have Zuko), we head toward the square for the reaping.
Ty Lee sits on a stage with her father and our district's escort Mayuri Kurotsuchi is on stage as well, his face painted in an elaborate way; he wears a headdress and one of his nails is quite longer than the others. He's always been over the top when it comes to his appearance. I wonder if anyone knows what he looks like underneath the makeup.
Also on stage is Kaien Shiba, the only victor our district has ever had. He seems drunk and since the reaping is being televised, everyone else can see it as well.
"Happy Hunger Games!" Mayuri says after he walks up to the microphone. "May the odds be ever in your favor!"
It's time for the drawing. Mayuri walks over to the bowl with the girls' names. "Ladies first!"
He reaches his hand in and grabs a slip of paper.
The crowd is silent as they wait to hear whose name will be called and I'm praying that it's not me or my sister, that Zuko won't be called when it's the boys' turn.
Mayuri calls out the name he's chosen and my heart drops to my stomach.
It's not me.
It's Anna.
