I saw a blinding light, and seconds after, a defining boom. I was flung back as if an invisible wall had crashed into me. I smashed into a tree and felt the air escape from my to the ground I clutched my chest gasping for breath as hard and fast as I could.

"It was a bomb!" I heard a shrill voice attempt to yell. I used one hand to try and push myself up but I was to weak and collapsed. Where was I? Everything was blurry, but I could make out trees, bushes, and lots of fire. I looked down to my hands and saw they were covered in blood. Was it mine? I didn't want to know.

The fire was close enough I could feel it warming me, so I tried again to push myself up. I managed to only lift myself a few inches before my arms went weak once more.

Still trying to catch my breath through the smoke, I grabbed onto a tree root and managed to pull myself forward a couple of inches.

"Kaylee!" a voice called out my name. I heard footsteps approach and I tried hard to wiggle and pull myself away from the person. Where even was I?

"Kaylee stop!" the voice yelled again. I rolled over and saw something fall to the ground, and my body started shaking, it felt like someone had grips on my shoulders and was shaking me hard. As soon as it hit it exploded into a ball of light, and everything was gone.

"Kaylee wake up!" I was shaken awake by my brother Alec, back in district 7. I opened my eyes and gasped for breath. The smell of fresh pine had never relaxed me more.

"You woke me and Jace with your screams." He said. He had a firm grip on my shoulders that he used to sit me up. I put a hand on my forehead to wipe away my sweat that had gathered on my during my rough sleep.

I looked across the room at Jace, my brother's boyfriend who looked back at me, tired and worried.

"Nightmares again?" Jace asked shifting on my brother's bed to reach his shirt. I nodded and pulled my feet off the side of the bed. His hands fell to his side when he sighed. "After today you won't have to worry about that anymore Lee."

I hoped he was right, today was the last reaping I was eligible for since I was 18. But it's also the most likely I would be picked. I was put in a total of 36 times. I got put in six times more than I usually would for my family. They needed the oil, grain, and coins that came with it.

I looked out my window to see it the faint glow of a coming sunrise behind the trees. "What time is it?" I asked scooting back onto me bed staring at the horizon.

"5:30ish." Said Jace tiredly. Alec stood up and walked to his side of our shared bedroom, then laid down again next to Jace, both falling into sleep quickly.

I watched out the window until the sun had rose enough to see the outlines of objects, then stood quietly. I always had nightmares around and during the times of the games, but when I did I would combat them by doing some type of a physical activity. I guess it was my way of deflecting my problems.

I walked over to the small closet and pulled out my jacket, it wasn't extremely cold, but I still grabbed it anyways. I then walked across the room, careful to step quietly, a skill I have managed to master in my years of sneaking out. I stepped out into our living room, then walked to the door, still walking quietly. The reaping being today I knew my mother wouldn't let me out, so I didn't want to wake her.

I put my hand on the door frame and slipped on my shoes, then slipped. I almost fell, but to prevent it stumbled forwards loudly. Cursing my inability to balance I bolted out of the door. My mother was a light sleeper, no doubt she heard me. I ran off our home-made rock patio and into the deep grass. The morning dew dampened my legs and feet but I didn't care.

I kept running even when I knew it wasn't necessary anymore. I breathed in deep, the smell of the pine and oak wood being chopped was nothing new to my district. It being the lumber district and all. But I smelled something else, gasoline.

I turned and looked around quickly. My hair, still in a loose ponytail from last night threatened to slap me in the face as I did. I saw the peacekeeper trucks driving on the main road and crouched down. Ever since the 75th Hunger Games, when everyone tried to overthrow Panem, since then it had become a rule that everyone stayed in the home on reaping day before the reaping ceremony, and only the chosen's parents and family could be out after it. At six that night people could leave their homes. Every household had a TV. Depending on the size of your family the TV could hang on your wall being four feet wide, or small enough to hold in your hands. During the time of the games, you must watch from six to nine in your home, or someone else's. Anytime before that was free time to work or clean.

They cut the boring parts and pushed the most interesting parts into three hours or less of footage, but you could at any time watch a live feed from the arena. Our families monitor size was one and a half feet tall and one and a half feet wide. You could hang it on the wall or keep it portable. During the games when I wasn't in school I would watch the live feed, then the mandatory viewing.

I flattened myself to the ground and looked up at the clouds, praying I hadn't been spotted. If I did I would be lashed in the square after the reaping. I laid in the grass well into the morning. The sun had come up so I shut my eyes to protect them from the sun's bright rays.

"Kaylee of all the days..." Alec's voice said behind me. I sat up and turned to him; just a silhouette in front of the sunrise. "You really have to act like this? You could get lashed. Get up we're going home." he lectured me quietly as if someone could hear us.

I stood quietly and sighed. "Nobody could see me. I would have and will be fine. I'm not just some little kid Alec." I argued back at him then began to walk towards the house. He was always like this. Always followed the rules. Always nagging me to be a damn photocopy of him.

"I know you're not a little kid but if you really want to prove it to me maybe you should stop acting like one." He argued back. I sped up faster, he hated running or even walking at a faster pace than normal.

"Me stop being a little kid? I take care of the goats, use wood floss to make things to sell in The Hub, and put my name in for rations every year. While you do your mandatory work then fuck your boyfriend in a house you should have moved out of two years ago!" I nearly screamed at him.

"Quiet down you're going to get us punished," Alec said, not acknowledging anything I pointed out. Can he not handle the truth? I asked myself.

"Yet your still mommy's favorite little boy." I spat before breaking off into a run.

"Kaylee wait!" He called out but I didn't listen. God, he annoyed me so much, and it wasn't just this, it was how perfect he was in everyone's eyes. I was covered by his shadow, and it killed me. Sometimes I wished I could be in the games just so I would get noticed.

I made it back to the house quickly since I ran the other half mile to it, thus I got bombarded by questions from my Mother and Jace. But none were "Where were you?" "Are you okay?" or "You had me worried." Oh no. They just noticed Alec wasn't here.

"He'll be back shortly." I answered not stopping at all on my way to my room. I knew my mother cared, and I knew Alec cared. I just wish I was treated like it.

I walked into my room and slammed the door behind me. I went to my bed stand and picked up the framed picture of my mother, father, and Alec. On the bottom of the frame, it read "Dennis 35th Birthday." That was two years ago, yet it appears it was a lifetime in the past. I had bright blonde hair in the picture, like my mother. Alec was more resembling my father. Dark hair and natural olive skin tone. I was always outside and that gave me a darker completion, but if I spent more than a week without doing some extra outdoor activity I would regain my natural pasty skin color that I get from my mother. Everyone says I would look like her but I kept my hair dyed black. I had made an agreement with one of the shops in The Hub. I bring her 10 bowls a month, and she dyes my hair every month.

I sat the picture back on the table aside my bed and just laid there. I suppose I zoned out because the next thing I know Alec had barged into our shared room. "Get up, the reaping is in an hour." He simply stated.

I didn't respond but went to the closet. I took off my jacket and hung it up on the door handle. Then grabbed my dark purple short-sleeved dress my mother had passed down to me. I walked back over to my bed and sat my dress down.

I glanced in the mirror aside my bed and noticed Alec peeling off his shirt to replace it with a nicer shirt. I waited until he finished and left the room to get myself ready. Quickly I got undressed and redressed in my reaping dress. It clung tightly to my frame.

My mother must've been small I always thought to myself.

I brushed my hair down the middle, trying to decide on what hairstyle to go with. I eventually just went with a basic high ponytail and let it stay at that.

"Kaylee we've got to go now." My mother's voice rang out from outside of my room. I went over to my closet and slipped on my black flat shoes than rushed out to the living room where Jace, my Mother, and Alec were all waiting.

"Ready." I said then picked up a small plum taking a bite out of it and making my way to the door. We all carried out, my arm was looped with Alec's a tradition that had grown since we were children. It was comforting. I was still agitated about this morning, but we always had small fights like this, and we always got over it rather quickly.

The walk was otherwise silent. There was a small tension between all of us, but we all ignored it. The reaping was not a day to argue.

We arrived at the ceremony ten short minutes later. My mother gave me a hug full on hug, while Alec simply wrapped and arm around my waist and half hugged me. He wasn't the touchy-feely type. Jace came around and kissed my forehead, and hugged me.

Jace wasn't usually the touchy-feely type either, but he had lost his younger and older sisters to this game. So, it was always an emotional event for him. I said my good byes and slipped away to the identification table. I got behind a young girl I couldn't recognize, who was crying into her sleeve as she walked to the table. Shakily, she put her hand up to the Peacekeeper at the table, but she never took her eyes away from the man beside the table with a gun.

I heard the click of the needle pierce her and the machine whirring to set her identification stamp. Finally, it did and the Peacekeeper flipped the tool over and pressed the other end to the back of the girl's hand.

The girl screamed and snatched her hand back. Her name and identification number were printed there in an electro tattoo form. It hurt like a bitch but went away in a week.

The girl started walking to the age group of hers, and I stepped up to the table and put my hand out then closed my eyes. I felt the needle sting my finger, then the peacekeeper flipped my hand and printed my ID on me. It hurt like a bitch, I flinched slightly but didn't make a sound.

Kaylee L. Tanner

District 7

#112512

My name, district, and ID were all on my hand. I walked to my age group just as the capital video began playing.

"War, terrible war. Widows, orphans, a motherless child. This was the uprising that rocked our land. Thirteen districts rebelled against the country that fed them, loved them, protected them. Brother turned on brother until nothing remained. And then came the peace, hard fought, sorely won. The people rose from the ashes and a new era was born. But the freedom had a cost and the traitors were thought to be defeated. We swore as a nation, compelled with the help of then 12 districts, we would never know this treason again. And so, it was decreed, that each year, the various districts of Panem would offer up in tribute, one young man, and woman, to fight to the death in a pageant of honor, courage, and sacrifice. The lone victor bathed in riches would serve as a reminder of our generosity and our forgiveness. This is how we remember our past. This is how we safeguard our future. But 75 years later, our traitors rose again and tried yet again to overthrow us. It was a battle hard fought and won. And we regain our traditions every year. With all 13 districts in unity."

The video seemed to drag out forever. I hated it every time.

"I just adore that video." Quilla Travinni said. "Hello, district 7! And welcome to the 136 annual Hunger Games! Now the time has come for us to select one courageous young man and woman for the honor of representing District 7."

I glanced around bored as she spent her merry time fishing for a name. I turned to the crowd of adults and younger children and saw my friend Emmy. She waved and me and I smirked, I raised my hand giving her a joking salute.

I faintly heard Quilla call for attention but paid more attention as Emmy tried to signal me something. The name of the girl was called but I didn't pay attention until Emmy looked horrified. I immediately thought of her little sister. My attention passed up to the stage.

"Kylee Tanner come on up dear, we have to get this show on the road!" She announced to us. To me.

I was frozen, people backed away from me and gave me a path to the walkway. I had been picked. I started walking to them. Slowly at first then picking up speed as the realization hit me.

My body worked without my command. I was one the stage all too quickly, everything was moving so fast. Finally, I zoned back in, I immediately fixed my posture and held back my tears.

"Now for the Male tribute!" She happily shoved her hand in the bowl and yet again took her time. I watched her do this, not wanting to look at the crowd. I couldn't start crying. I can't be weak.

"Andrew Biersack!" She said all to cheerfully. I heard someone scream, at first I thought that it was Andrew but it was much to feminine.

I heard steps aside me and turned to see a boy beside me. He was either 17 or 18 he had a dingy leather jacket and dark pants. Fading dyed black hair. 'I thought I was the only one who died their hair' I thought to myself.

"Now shake hands to we can move along." Said Quilla I stuck my hand out to him, he took it, a numb look in his eyes. Quilla clapped and loudly proclaimed into the mic. "Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever, in your favor!"