I opened my tired eyes, and instantly turned to the other side, as I always did. She was of course there; I was just a paranoid sister. I faced her and smiled. Her long honey locks were playfully around her angelic face.
Standing up, I looked in the mirror. My little sister was an exact twin of me. We both shared the beautiful hair and emerald green eyes. I sauntered towards our small kitchen, but I could not do it without facing the picture of my mother.
My mother, Raina Mellow. Why couldn't I inherit her lovely name? Why did I have to have my awful father's name? Aimee Lewis, ERG! I liked Aimee Mellow way better.
In the kitchen, I tossed a couple of cut up greens into the pot of boiling water. I glanced at the calendar and realized, it was the day of the reaping. Another year where children would be sacrificed for no reason. I never let Angie watch it, no matter how much she begged. I watched it when she went to sleep, though, in case I ever got reaped. I need to know how to survive. The chance of me getting reaped is very slim. I only have, hey, 16 slips? 16 out of thousands?
Just on queue Angie came wandering into the kitchen.
"Hey hunni," I said to her. After my mother died I had pretty much raised her, my two-year-old sister. How the capitol thought an 11 year old could raise a two year old amazed me, but the capitol did not care. In a way I was happy that I did not have to give up my little sister to the Orphan homes. But, I was still distraught.
That's how I found the woods. We had a fence about a mile behind our house that led to property we weren't supposed to go on. I would hop the fence to find food for Angie. Over the fence I learned to swim, run, shoot, and throw. I could also do some gymnastics, because the animals that lived in District 7 were really fast.
"Hi Aimee," she yawned, "Today is the reaping."
"Yeah…" How did she know?
"Don't get reaped, okay?" she wondered, her emerald eyes shining up at me.
"Of course not Angie, I never do." I smiled at her, and she smiled back.
I looked at the clock; we only had an hour until the reaping. Julie and her family would be here in a half hour to take Angie and me to the reaping.
"Okay Angie, time to eat, then get dressed. They will be here soon." I cut up some of yesterday's rabbit and put it into her soup. She sipped it quietly as I shuffled towards our room. After my mother died she slept in my bed every night, in my mother's old bedroom. I opened the closet and picked out my mother's favorite ruby dress. It flowed all the way to the floor, and made me look beautiful.
I went into our one bathroom and combed my long curly hair. I did not need to style it, it was a style itself. I left the bathroom and headed back into the room where my sister was sitting there, finishing her rabbit stew.
"Go on and get dressed baby," I called to her, and she left the room obediently. I put some rabbit stew into my bowl and sipped quietly. Pretty soon I heard a knock on the door, and Julie appeared along with her mother and brother.
"Hi Julie!" I called to my best friend.
"Hi Aimee!" She smiled, "Ready for another reaping?"
"Of course not," I rolled my eyes, then realizing my manners and acknowledged her mother and brother.
"Where is Angie?" her mother asked. I told her she was getting dressed. Julie left to go get her.
"Ms. Anres?" I asked Julie's mother.
"Yes?"
"If I ever get reaped, will you take care of Angie until I return? Or forever if I don't return?"
"I'm sure that will never happen, but of course. I love you two like daughters." It was true, she had helped us out a lot after mother died, and she still helped us today. She was like a second mother I never had.
Julie returned with Angie, who probably had begged to wear her dress I made her for Christmas last year. Julie, being Julie, probably gave in easily.
"Ready to go?" Julie's mother pondered. We all nodded, and started walking towards the town square. We lived on the outskirts of the town, and about a 20-minute walk to the town square. We arrived as soon as they were announcing the names. Some lady was calling out all of our previous winners. I did not know her name; we had missed their part.
"Time to announce the girls! Ladies first!" the strange lady announced. I crossed my fingers, I crossed my toes. I felt my stomach flutter and I felt my mouth go dry. I was truly nervous. All of those nerves were worth it, I found out only a second later. The lady called the name.
The name was Aimee Lewis. I was going into the 48th Hunger Games.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Promise, it will get better. I can't wait until I get into the part about the Hunger Games! :P