With a flash of light my eyes open from a deep sleep. As my eyes adjust to the change, I can't help but feel grateful that I have survived another sleep as I'm not sure how many more nights I have left. Today could seem like a normal day. The way the warm sun shines in on my room is the same; the earthy smell that surrounds the whole of District 11 is still the same. However, today is not a normal day, today is reaping day.
"Venus!" screeched Mirabilis, the only person who said they would look after me after both my father and mother died. "If you don't get down here, I swear I will kill you!" I sit up when I hear that, though she may not get a knife and stab me, I know she won't hesitate not to feed me for a day or two and I may as well be dead if that happens.
"I'm coming." I yell as I throw on the only thing I have left of my family, my mother's dress, a blue cotton one that can't be worth much but it is all I have. Streew is sitting on the only chair in the house, chewing loudly on his part of the tesserae grain bread. Mirabilis but be getting her dearest baby boy some clothes ready. I go to pick up the small bit of remaining bread but before I get to it, I feel a large impact against my stomach. The impact leaves me breathless with a face screwed up in pain, struggling to catch my breath. I don't need to open my eyes know what has happened, I can feel he's hot stinking pant on my neck. Streew is one person I would not mind killing.
"You don't mind me having your bread, do ya love?" I want to reply by lashing back, but I know what it will only mean more pain. "You look nice, Venus, the blue, it brings out your eyes." I can't tell if he is joking, but I don't care, all I can think is how much my stomach hurts.
"Welcome, welcome everyone" Effie trills out like we are all about to sit down to watch some heartwarming film, it could not be more different. She goes on to talk about how wonderful today is and shows a propaganda film, I don't know this because I was paying attention but that it happens every year like this. I wasn't really paying attention until I heard "Has anyone seen Venus Melldeen" Wait, did she just say. Everything got blurry then, I was crying, Oh great now people will think I'm weak. I was not crying because I was scared of dying, I was crying because I was angry. I had spent my whole life surviving just for the Capitol to come and take it away.
I don't know how but I got myself on to the stage, I expect I pretty much got dragged on stage by some peacekeepers. When I look to the right of me, I see that the boy tribute had been chosen in the time that I can't remember. It is Streew! Of all the people in District 12 it had to be him? Why did this have to happen to me?