Chapter 1 - The Reaping
"Listen to me Prim, their not going pick you!" I said to her.
"You promise Katniss?" She said sadly.
"Pinky Promise!" I said back smiling to her, but I could still see the shimmer of fear in her eyes. Both her and I knew that the age of twelve was just to young to die.
"Does that mean that you'll volunteer for me if I get picked, Katniss?" She asked out of the silence of sadness.
"Of course lovebug," I had said back nervously. "Come on lovey, lets get ready!"
I had laid out her pink dress had picked out and I had done her hair in a weave braid to the side. "Mother would have been so proud of you lovebug! For how brave your being today. How about after the reaping we get a little treat?" I said to her trying to bring up her spirit.
I had left right then to go to the forest and hunt just in case I got reaped and Prim had nothing after I died, but I had killed nothing. I then stopped at the seem to see what was their, nothing. When I was walking home I had seen a glimmer of gold. I bent down and brushed the dirt away, and I had found a pin with a bird on it, the bird was a Mockingjay. I then stuck it in my pocket, and ran home.
Prim and I had walked to the center of the district, it didn't take very long because our district wasn't very big since we lived in district 12. When we got to check in Prim and I had to separate. " I will see you when we're done with all of this" I said to her while separating happily, or at lest I tried to.
"Name?" The peacekeeper said to me with a very annoyed tone in her voice.
"Katniss Everdeen" I said back the same exact way.
"Hand" she said again with the same tone. Then I gave her my hand and she drew my blood.
"Confirmed" the blood machine said. "NEXT!" She screamed in my ear. I rubbed my ear while gong to the sixteen girls section.
"Hey!" I said to a couple of girls that were in my study groups, but after I craned my neck to try and see my best friend in the sixteen boys section - Noah. I had finally spotted him and gave him a wink. He gave me a smile then was mouthing and then was cut of by Effie Trinket, our districts representative.
"Hello District 12! It is such a great honor to be back here in the Mining District! Now, let us watch a very, very special video, all the way from the Capitol!" After she said that the video that I have watched for the past four years. Nearing the end of the video I looked over at Noah, he then looked at me. He was mouthing the words along with Effie Trinket, except Noah made it much more amusing. "Wow, isn't that special? That video just fascinates me every time! Now let's welcome our District council! We have Mayor Dilago, Crina West, and Null Fink! Welcome!" Crina was the mentor, but he could care less about the dying children, all he cared about was his cigars and cigarettes that he got from the Capitol. We then all clamped for them, but its not like anybody cared. "Alright! Lets pick our winners!" Winners? I thought, Winners? I don't exactly think being picked to go into an area to die is winning!
Effie then reached into the girls bowl, filled to the very top. It was probably because the Crops had not been growing this year so we all had to get tessare for our family's. "And.. We have, Katniss Everdeen!" She said loudly into the microphone. I just stood their silently and lifelessly. "Come here dear, Come on now!" She said to the audience not knowing who I exactly was. I started to walk out with a pale body and my mouth shaped like an O. The peacekeepers had grabbed me a we started to walk.
"Katniss! Katniss! Don't leave, please! KATNISS!" I heard from the back of me, Prim.
"Prim, listen to me, go to Noah and stay with him! Alright?"
"No Katniss! Please don't leave me! Don't die" she said to me as the peacekeepers blocked her of from me. Then Noah grabbed her and ran to the nearest peacekeeper to see where they could come and see me in the city hall.
I kept walking up to the stage where I met Effie Trinket, still pale and lifeless, I shook her hand and said hello.
"Well Katniss, Congratulations! Lets give a round if a applause for Katniss Everdeen!" Effie said agin with great spirit in her voice. But instead of clapping the audience all pressed their fingers against their mouth and then rose their hands in the air. "Now, for the boys," Said Effie. At that moment she went into the jar and picked the name at the very bottom. She pulled it out and I then looked at Noah, please not Noah, he must keep prim safe! "Gale Hawthorne!" Effie exclaimed into the microphone. Gale? I've never even seen him before in district 12. As he walked up, I could tell he was older, I could tell he was fit, I could tell that he was ready. "Welcome Gale! Congratulations!" Effie said yet again very cheerfully, but Gale just nodded. "Shake hands you to!". Gale and I shook hands and then went inside the City Building.
"Hey, My name is Gale" Gale whispered to me very secretively.
"Gale, I kinda figured that out already" I said back, he chuckled. "Katniss" I said again
"Katniss, that's a lovely name" he said to me sweetly.
As we boarded the train he smiled at me and tried to ignore anything else, except me.
