The 34th Annual Hunger Games

Chapter 1

I opened the door in to my old warn out home where my father and two brothers live in a life of salvation and starvation. The home used to belong to my Grandfather who died in a war in what was called the dark days. Around 35 years ago the 13 districts of Panem, rebelled against the all powerful Capitol in anger of the poor treatment, harsh rules and punishments of the so called all powerful Capitol. This rebellion ultimately failed and the districts punishment was to select 1 man and women of the 13 districts of Panem to be thrown in to an all out fight to the death know as The Hunger Games. The winner will be crowed victor and bring riches and honor to their selective district. Only disctrict 13 had different ideas which lead to the district ultimately being bombed and destroyed by the capitol. The Games were designed to show how the districts are under the mercy of the Capitol.

Each district specializes in something of the capitols needs. District 12 specializes in coal. District 11 is agriculture. My district, district 10 specializes in cattle and livestock. One would think district 10 would be a district under good health and surplus with such a large amount of cattle but really district 10 is one of the poorest districts. District 10,11,12 are some of the poorest and starving districts of Panem. Many of the harmful and dreaded peacekeepers are always on the watch for anyone to steal or kill any animals for food.

The reaping for the 34th hunger games begins tomorrow and our district, over 33 years, has only had one victor unlike districts 1,2and 4 where they always have a victor almost every year. I'm not sure who our victor is for he rarely shows up for the reaping and almost no one knows his name.

There was a knock on the door and my father walks in with what seems to be a fairly large loaf of bread.
"OH MY GOD" I said
"Where did you get that"
My father looked at me with a large and glimmering smile.
"A treat for us and your two brothers when they get home
"How the were you able to pay for this" I said as I ripped off a piece and smelled the wonderful and warm aromas.
"Lets just say I have a very wonderful friend"
"Okay father, I just want you to understand stealing is very risky in a district like ours" I said.
"I know" My father said with a very mild modest tone.
I glanced over at the picture of my mother above the old beaten up fire place. I looked down and begin to ponder of the wonderful memories of my Mother.
"Look I know its hard to deal with the pain of our loss" my father said with a very understanding and serious tone
"We all loved her very much and I don't want to let this get in the way of our life"
"As much as I want to leave the farms and live a live in depression, I cant." my father said "I have three mouths to feed".
"if I don't stay strong get through this and let one of my sons starve then I would just turn strait back into the mess I was originally In".
"I love you and your two brothers very much and I never want anything to happen to you".

My father gave this speech in a way I have never seen before. My father never gives these serious talks twords any subject or manor of my Mother. My mother died in a fire when I was only 7 at the egg and chicken farms. That day was unforgettable. I remember my brother coming up to me in which he looked like in the state of fear and shock He told me the bad news and I sat down in the corner of my room and cried for what seemed like eternity.
"thanks father' I said
"Look" He said
" Ive been through the reaping before and it is tough"
"Your oldest brother has their name in almost 36 times".
"Your middle brother has his name in almost 24 times" .
"Your name has been placed 15 times" .
"What ever Happens tomorrow I will still love you and your two siblings as well".

This amazed me. He never talked to me in this sympathetic way ever ,yet alone bring lavish wonderful tasting bread home. My father always orders us around as he is very strict. He usually screams and beats us when we mess up or do something incorrectly.
"Why are you being so sympathetic and nice to me" I said with a curious but demanding voice.
"Ive given this talk to all of you brothers before their 4th reaping" He said
"Why the 4th and not the 1st"I said
He looks at me with a glance that I will never forget
" At my 4th reaping I lost someone I knew would be the love of my life someday"

After the conversation with my father, I walked onto my porch and sat in the old beaten up planking and suddenly found my self in a state of confusion and fear. I felt the capitols Hands gripping me and pulling me into the horrors of the arena. I sat there in thought of death and torture by the horrid Carrere tributes. I suddenly looked up and wiped my self of even the thought of being chosen. Never will I be chosen, I told My self.

In the morning of the reaping I felt sickness and nausea. I have this feeling every reaping in the justification of my nerves. My father demanded I go trade some of our bread for lamp oil down at the stores. I walked down into the city square to find the peacekeepers were setting up for the reaping in front of the justice building. Peacekeepers swarmed the area. I saw one of the Peacekeepers put on the glass bowl of the boy names on a pedestal and the minute it touched the pedestal I felt a singe of pain release throughout my body. I walked down the street and I turned a corner to the trading market. I traded for some lamp oil and made my way back home. As I walked up the street I saw my closest friend Bonnie and I thought I would say hi.
"Whats up Bonnie"I said
"oh hey Florian"
I looked at her with this great feeling she had of some concern on her mind.
"whats wrong?" I inquired
"what do you think".
I knew exactly what she meant
"I Know all of us are in this trauma stage as to what will happen today. Look Bonnie, we have been great friends for so long and I don't want you fussing over the reaping. There are thousands of names in there and how many of your names are in there?"
"25 times" she said in anger and frustration.
She looked at me instantly and turned away with this annoyed and angry character. She walked down the street and her long brown hair and darkened olive skin glistened in the sun .

At the strike of noon everyone hears the horn in which we were to all arrive at the justice building and await for the reaping. I open the family closet only to see one collard light faded blue shirt on the hanger. I put in the shirt and I head out early to the justice building. On my way, I walk out into the meadow and sit there for almost an hour and just think. Every reaping I go to the same exact dirt patch and ponder at my possibilities in the Games. Not only do I think of the games, I also think of my family and friends and my up most and strong connections with them. The patch of dirt I sit upon is actually the ruins of the factory of my moms death. The debris is cleared today and as I sit right in the center I put my hand on the ground. At this moment I feel calm at my mothers presents.
The town horn scares me to my feet. I walk up the grass field back to the town. As I walk I cant help but feel this strange feeling that all I have been thinking about in the fields will soon become reality.

Everyone is packed into the town square. The extravagant big screen towers over all of us. The many cameras and peacekeepers surround the stage. I walk up to the peacekeepers table and they prick my finger and stamp my blood onto a piece of paper. Then a peacekeeper directs me to the boys section. After some time everyone seems to quiet and I at once look up at the stage and see the mayor, some other advisors and finally the only victor of district 10. I have never seen him before. He looks of light skin corpulent of body and has dark black hair carefully strung upon his head. I can never remember his name even when they announce it every year.

A tall slender women walks out on stage. Her ugly brown dress her hideous white powdered makeup and blond hair means only one thing. Carther, district 10's escort. I cringe every time I see her hideous and unattractive face.
She walks up to the microphone,
"Welcome everyone" she said in her very peppy and formal voice
"as you all may know it is time to select one strong and courageous man and women for the honor of representing distract 10 in the 34th annual Hunger games.
" First we shall pick the girls"
She walks down the stage towards the large glass bowl marked girls. She stops for a moment and she look out upon the girls and smiles out at them for quite some time. Finally she snatches out her hand and hovers it over the bowl. She carefully puts her hand in the bowls and mixes it evenly. Finally she snatches out a name. The paper slides agents the bowl and it makes a loud ringing nose that echoes throughout the entire square.
She walks over to the podium and holds the paper out in front of her. She undoes the tap. I glace over at the girls and all of them, all of them are holding hands and have there eyes closed.
The moment she says this name I finally know why my dad talked to me before my 4th reaping

"Éclair Fealintine"
The moment she said this my eyes widened in disbelief. I dared not look at the stage for I did not want to see this horror to unfold . A tear runs down my face and I suddenly wipe it of. Éclair, Éclair, Éclair, I said in my head over and over. No It cant be.

To this disbelief I didn't even see her walk over to the boys until I found her hand hovering over the bowl. Unlike the girls she picked the first one that was in sight. As she walked back to the podium she held the name out in front of her so that she could see the paper. when se got to the podium she finally undid the paper. As she did this I didn't help staring at Éclair I terrible disbelief. At this moment she locked eyes with me and I could not help but feel a connection with her. I glanced immediately back at Carther. And what she says is a name I will never forget.
"Florian Roseana".