I wake up early and find the sunshine shining down at me from the window. I lie there for a moment thinking about what the day will bring until I remember…It's reaping Day! My name is Flare Blacksworth and I have one 2 year old brother named Edward and a mum. I'm 15 years old and I still don't know what happened to my dad. Apparently the odds just aren't in his favour. My friend Connor Vedrick is also in the reaping for the Hunger Games. He and I have known each other since we were two and we have been training for the Hunger Games ever since we were six. We are citizens from district 9 so we don't get much time to train as we have been forced to work in the factories ever since we were three. When we had time, we used to sneak out to the woods and lift weights or shoot birds with our bow and arrows. I never succeeded in aim. But unlike Connor, I succeeded in the running challenges. Like with the obstacle courses we used to set out on the grass.

I sit up and find clothes set out at the bottom of my bed. I get out, put them on, tie my hair then walk downstairs to my mum, who is sitting in the kitchen reading the daily newspaper and Edward who is watching the TV.

"Morning." I mutter as I choose my seat next to her.

"Morning." she replies not even taking one glare.

If you saw us, you would never guess that we are mother and daughter. She has dirty blonde hair, blue eyes and she tans easily whereas I have long brown hair and Hazel eyes. She was also quiet small for her age and I almost towered her.

"May I go to Connor's?" I ask her while sitting straight up in my seat, eagerly waiting for her answer.

"Sure, maybe you could go to the reaping with him too."

I jump up from my seat before she changes her mind and race to the front door, closing it behind me. I run around the block to Connor's house. When I poke my head through the door

Connor run's up to me and embraces me. He has black hair and brown, misty eyes.

"I'm so glad you're here!" he says "I hoped we don't get picked"

He stops embracing me and turns to look at his mum, Belle, who is working in the kitchen. Connor and his family all look very alike so there was no mistake.

"May we go train?" He asks

"No, I don't think there's enough time" She looks at her watch "The reaping is starting soon." She puts down her kitchen utensils and calls from the bottom of the staircase: "SAMANTHA! GET DOWN HERE!"

A young nine year old girl with wavy black hair comes running down the stairs.

"Yes Mother?"

"Time for the reaping"

"But I'm not going" she replies "Am I?"

"Just because you're not of age yet it doesn't mean you can't go!" her mother exclaims

She grabs her car keys from the rack near the front door and forwards out. The three of us follow. We hop inside the car and buckle up. The trip seems long as we basically live in the middle of nowhere and we don't have much money to live in district nine's city. When Belle finally drives into the parking lot and finds a parking spot near the Town Square Connor and I am escorted to our age and gender groups. As soon as the buzzing stops, Ella Starrk starts talking in her usual over-enthused voice. She has brown, short, wavy hair with blue and blonde streaks and is loaded with make-up. She is wearing a purple dress with yellow polka-dots and a yellow belt around the middle.

"Happy Hunger Games!" she says, and walks off the stage.

A large screen comes down and a video starts playing about what the Hunger Games is like and all of the benefits. I've watched it a thousand times before on TV, so I don't bother to pay any attention to it. I spot Belle and my mother standing in the crowd.

"Now," Ella says as she walks back onto the stage. "Ladies first."

She walks over to an over-sized glass ball with everyone's names in it. She then places her hand inside and pulls out a name.

"Flare Blacksworth!" she says with her huge smile spread over her face.

I nearly felt like fainting. What use do I have in the Hunger games? None. I nervously walk up onto the stage with the peacekeepers walking furiously behind me. I see my mum's hands over her face from on the stage. Ella then walks over to another large glass ball and pulls a boy's name out.

"Andrew Mela"

Andrew Mela? At least I'll make a friend during this adventure.