The story of Caleb Richards. (POV)

I woke up with a start. I was certain that I wasn't the only person in the district to be afraid about today. It was the day of the reaping, the day where one boy and one girl from our district was sentenced to die. The capitol's 'little' punishment for the rebellion all those years ago. They forced all the districts to provide for everyone in the capitol. They also made us offer up two tributes, a boy and a girl, aged 12-18, to compete against each other in an arena, where the rules were simple, kill, or be killed. 24 Tributes (two from each district) get launched into an arena where they must fight each other to the death, and keep themselves sustained during the process.

"Caleb? It's time to get up."

"Can't I just stay home today mum?"

"Now, both of us know that that's not allowed."

"I don't want to go to the reaping. I don't want to watch another 2 people I know die. I'm sick of knowing that all my friends are entered in there 6-8 times. It's bad enough that the capitol's sick minds make us enter in extra times, so that we can have tesserae!"

"Be quiet! They will hear you, and I will lose you forever, when you become an avox!"

"Mum. . . .Mum I would never let them do that."

"I'm sorry Caleb. I'm just very scared that I will lose my only child to the reaping. I didn't mean to scare you like that."

"Mum, its okay. Don't worry I'm not in there the most times in the district."

"How many times are you entered in the reaping?"

"Not many mum. Don't worry."

"Caleb,"

"Mum, I'm only entered in forty five times."

"Caleb! I told you NOT to take out any tesserae!"

"I had to mum! If I didn't, we would starve!"

"Caleb, just get into your good clothes. They're next to the table."

I walked upstairs, and saw my reaping outfit. It was a plain light blue shirt with a pair of freshly ironed pants. I slipped them on and then went and hugged my mum. This could be the last time I would see her. We walked together to the town square and yet again I hugged my mum.

"Mum, if I get reaped,"

"Don't think like that"

"I'm not, but if I do, I want you to know that I love you, and that you are the best mum in the world."

"Oh Caleb, you are the best son in the world."

I stepped forward and held my hand out. I felt the sharp prick of my blood being taken, and as such I was then marked off and was pushed off to the 14 year old section. The official from the capitol from our district stood forward and turned on the video that we had to watch every year. It was a video about the Great War.

"As always, Ladies first!" Shrieked her high pitched voice.

"And the lucky lady is, Rose Jones!"

My heart froze. Rose and I loved each other. I stopped and I couldn't imagine a life without her. I wanted to volunteer, but I couldn't. I was praying that someone would volunteer, but it was impossible. It was too late. Rose was done for. I couldn't save her.

"And her male counterpart will be, Caleb Richards!"

It was over. Not only do I lose Rose, but I lose my mother. All my friends. Spineless jerks. Not one would step forward to save Rose or me.

"Shake hands!"

We wouldn't confess our love to anyone, it would remain secret. We would try to survive together. We would both rather be dead than without the other. Countless lives ruined, thanks to the capitol.

We were taken into the town hall by peace keepers, and we were each given an hour to say goodbye to or loved ones. Mum walked in and she was quiet. I had never seen her quiet before. She had gone pale and was trembling.

"Mum. . ."

"Caleb. . . "

She pulled me into a big hug and we stood there. Before too long the peacekeepers came to escort us into the train. I stepped inside the train, and was dumbfounded by how luxurious it was. The train was better than or whole district. Nice to know I would have some comfort in my last few days. We were shown to the TV room, where we watched the reaping before dinner. I watched, and I noticed, almost every other kid was taller than me. I was gone. The best thing I could hope for is a quick death, that I survive the bloodbath, and that Rose makes it home.

I walked into the dining cart and was immediately impressed. This was more food than I had ever seen in my life! I walked up to it and ate so much that I ended up throwing most of it back up in my private bathroom's toilet. I went to sleep only to be woken up by the escort.

"It's time for another busy day! Today is when you meet you prep team and your personal stylist. As you know the tribute parade is tonight!"

"Yeah, whatever."

"Don't be so rude!"

She stormed off, breaking one of her high heels in the process. I got up and was immediately surprised by my prep team. They were wearing bright green dresses, and had dyed skin, and one of them even had wings.

"Look at him!"Screeched the one with the wings

"He's positively tiny!" Shrieked the one with hot pink skin.

"No way will he win! I mean have you seen the careers?" said the one with the green dress patterned with stars.

"I AM STANDING RIGHT HERE!" I yelled. They suddenly went quiet. They started waxing my arms and legs, while one played with my hair. My stylist walked into the room and looked me up and down. He shooed the prep team away and measured me up for my costume. He presented me with my costume, bread. Great. I get to be a loaf of bread. I was shown to the launching area for the tribute parade. I was helped into the chariot with Samantha; she was a loaf of bread too. We were pulled down the runway, but as we went past everybody was hysterical. We were pulled into the end and were then shown the other tributes. I saw the two district twelve tributes; they were on fire and were getting large amounts of cheering.

President Snow stood up and made a speech, but I didn't listen because I couldn't care less what he had to say. We were shown to the place we were staying, and were immediately impressed. This was 10 times better than the train. This place was huge, much like what we would live in if you won and made to back to the victor's village in your home district.

The next morning we were woken up and were given our training outfits. They were orange and black, with a large 9 on the back. We entered the stadium and we saw how much we had to learn in the three days. I looked around at all the different Stations. The main stations that caught my attention were the weapons. Any kind of weapon I could use could be the difference between life and death. I saw several of the careers head over to the weapon stations and start using them. I watched a girl, from district two I think, throw one of the throwing knife at the dummy. She hit it right in the area above its heart. If I came up against her, I doubt that she would think twice about throwing that knife. From the smile on her face, she wants to kill. Luckily, I'm from a small district, maybe I can just get away from facing the careers, after all I'm no threat.

I walk up to the weightlifting station. I'm not sure how this skill will particularly help me, but it might help me throw off an opponent larger than me. I watch a male, I think from district 11, pick up 100 kilos easily. I doubt he'd have any trouble crushing me. I walk over and try to pick up one of the smaller 20 kilo weights. I fail and it drops from my waist to the ground. The careers laugh at me, and the district 2 girl flashes me a sinister grin.

I abandon that station almost immediately. I walk over to the edible station and see the district 12 girl. She could easily take me down. I'm not worried about her though. Her chariot ride will have caught the eyes of the careers. I bet they can't wait to take her down. I listen to every word the instructor says. Then to test my knowledge, she places several plants in front of me. She asks me which one would be most edible. I point to some berries a deep shade of purple. She looks shocked.

"What have I done wrong?!" I ask

"That's Nightlock! If you had have eaten it you would have been dead within seconds!" The instructor says.

The end of the day arrives. The next two days are just as bad. I learn to make a basic snare, but end up snagging my foot and launching myself up into the air. All the careers point and laugh. I guess they now know I'm an easy picking.

The private scoring session arrives. I wait and think of what I'm going to do. I can't weight lift, I can't Throw knives, I can't Shoot arrows; I don't know any edible plants. I guess I'll have to make a basic snare, and hope it at least gets me any score in between 5-7. I enter the Room. I see all the capitol residents laughing around and I look at the mouth watering gat juicy pig. It's more food than I've seen in a lifetime, and they seem to think it's not enough. I walk in and make a basic snare. It's wrong and it's nothing fancy. The snare backfires and hits me in the face. I watch the capitol residents laugh. But I don't think they even really noticed I was here. Well maybe they won't think I'm such a fail if they didn't notice.

I exit the room and go back to the compartment. Nothing left to do except wait for the training scores. I watch as the Male tribute from district 1 appears. He pulls a 6. I watch the various numbers. The careers have all Gotten between a 5 with the female from 4 to a 10 with the male from two. The weaker districts up to 8 pull between a 3 with the male from 5 and a 7 with the Female from 5. I watch as Rose's training score appears. It's a 6, not a bad score. I watch as my picture comes up and I pull a 4. Obviously, they only saw me fail. The last training score I saw was the Female from 12, who managed to pull an eleven. Eleven. Great, she scored better than all the careers. Well at least she'll have a target on her back, and I know if she has to kill me, she'll make it quick as she's from a weak district too.

The next day i was woken up early and was prepped by the stylists. I was then ushered into the launching room. The announcement came over the loud speaker announcing my doom. "All tributes into their launching tubes" I entered as was told, and then the tube closed. The tube started up into the arena and next thing I knew I was standing in the arena. 60 seconds until start. 50. 40. 30. 15. 5 seconds. The gong sounded as I ran into the cornucopia and then grabbed an orange backpack at the same time as the girl from 12. We got into a tug of war over the orange backpack when I suddenly felt something sharp pierce my back. I coughed up blood into the girl from 12's eyes. Then everything went black. I heard the distant sound of the cannon going off to signal my death.