Chapter 1
I wake with the same gnawing pain in my stomach caused mostly by hunger, but also that the Reaping's today. I don't really bother with my hair usually, but for the 'special occasion' I decide to put it up in a high pony-tail.
I have three younger siblings, one who has already been forced to go to the Reaping's already, and my little sister's (who are twins) have to go to there first Reaping today. It's going to be horrible for both of them today. They both have six slips of paper with there names on it. I objected about them taking tesserae, but my mother said we needed the food. I guess we do, but still, I'm sure I could have gotten a job somewhere in the Hob, or even go to the Head Peacekeeper Crane and sell myself. I'd feel terrible, but then I'd be sure that the twins were safe. There so sweet and clueless, they'd last five seconds in the Games.
I check downstairs, but my mother's already gone to work. She works as a maid to the Mayor and his family. His daughter, Madge is in a year above me in school, but she doesn't really participate in any school events, and doesn't speak unless she's asked a question. I'm fourteen years old now and I have nineteen slips of paper in that big bowl with Lanneah written carefully on them.
I decide to wake up my other siblings. Ranesha and Reliah (the twins) are especially hard to wake up. They groan and duck under the thin blankets I managed to get from the Hob. I look at my brother, Carwyn, and he looks at me. We nod, grin and grab them by the ankles and pull them upside down. They giggle and scream, and even I supress a smile. This is what me and Carwyn do. We help the twins, and because this day will be so tough for them we decide to keep them happy. Of course, until the reaping, that is. Then they won't be happy. No one is, except the Capitol.
It's a struggle, but I finally have Ranesha and Reliah in little dresses and Carwyn to comb his hair.
"Carwyn, could 'ya keep an eye on twins for me? I'm just going to meet up with Marco." Marco's my best friend, and I love him.
"Yeah, sure." Carwyn replies. He wriggles his eyebrows and says in an incredibly annoying tone of voice "You've been seeing Marco a lot recently, are you sure you guys aren't-," But he doesn't have time to finish his sentence because I push him hard in the shoulder.
"Awh! That hurt, Lanns. It's just a joke! I know your just friends! Well, maybe, if you gave it time . . .," He trails on.
I jog out of our little house, well it's more of a hut really, and that's placed in the middle of Seam. I find Marco in the Hob, speaking with Darius.
"Well, if it isn't Little Lanneah!" Chimes Darius. Even though it's reaping day, you can count on Darius to make feel like any other day.
"I'm not little!" I protest, even though I am. I come up to Marco's waist.
"Sure your not, Lanns. Your just. . .growing." He smirks, and Darius laughs.
"Well, at least I'm not some freakishly tall giant!" I say, and point my tongue at them, which makes them laugh even harder.
This is why I love Marco. As a friend, of course. He makes me feel special, not just a Seam girl.
"So, how many times is your name in?" He asks, his tone more serious.
"Nineteen. You?" I ask.
"Thirty-two. You nervous? I am. Couldn't sleep at all last night. But I'm not nervous 'bout me, of course. It's you I'm worried about." He whispers, so Darius can't overhear us speaking.
"Don't be worried about me, I'm fine! Really, I am. And yeah, I'm nervous. I feel like throwing up."
"Well, don't get it on me then!" He jokes, and steps away from me. I grin.
"I'm going to fetch Carwyn and the twins. Good luck, Marco." I give him a hug.
"Good luck to you too, Little Lanneah." I smile as he uses Darius's nickname for me.
I run back to the house, where the twins look like different people then what they were this morning. There not bright and bubbly. There not having fun, or even speaking. Carwyn sits in the armchair that my father used to sit in, before he died in a mining accident. I don't really remember him well, but I still love him.
"Okay, kids. It's time." I say, in a rather hushed voice.
We walk down the dusty lane full of Seam children heading over to the square. I look around at all my friends, family. It could be one of them, I think. But I push that ugly thought to the back of mind.
The twins hold each others hands and are fighting back tears. The sight almost brings tears to my eyes, but I have to be strong. For my mother. For Carwyn. For the twins.
I hug Ranesha and Reliah tightly, and brush Carwyn's hair out of his eyes.
"Be strong," I say to the twins. "You're going to have to check in now, and then you'll head over to your age group. It's okay, you won't get reaped. It's your first year. I love you!" I say and jog to my age group before the tears come out.
I wish Marco was here now. He was over in the sixteen year old group. There are camera's everywhere I look and I feel sick as I imagine the Capitol people in there posh mansions sipping wine watching us as they choose which one of us poor, helpless District 12 kids had to die.
Finally, the Mayor come on and drones on and on about stuff I really don't care about. He says the speech every year, so I could say it backwards in my sleep. Are only living tribute, Haymitch, a drunk who spends most of his time in an alcoholic coma, is not here. Surprise, surprise.
Effie Trinket, are District 12 escort is as happy and bubbly as usual, not caring that two kids are being carted off to kill, but only caring that she gets her time in the spotlight.
"And of course, ladies first!" She squeaks in her Capitolian accent.
I hold my breath as she fumbles around in the big bowl of slips of paper.
Please not the twins. Please not the twins. I wish.
And it's not the twins, its Lanneah Green. Me.
All the cameras are all focused on me as I stiffly make my way to the stage. I can hear the twins crying in the background, hear Carwyn shouting my name.
"Any volunteer's?" Effie asks, even though she knows the answer. Nobody wants to be in my place.
My heart drops when I see Marco's face. He's holding on to his friend's arm, his eyes showing so much pain, and I actually think he's going to cry. I want to say something to him, but I can't. My throat is too dry, my lips unable to move.
"Now, the moment you've all been waiting for, it's time for the boys!" Effie says happily, completely oblivious to the fact that that this not the moment we've all been waiting for. At all.
Up on stage, I look out into the crowd and you can see every boy tense. I'm just hoping it's not Carwyn. Hoping it's not Marco. Please, I think. Please.
And it's not, thank Panem! But it's a small boy from Seam, and I've had brief conversations with this boy, and he's so sweet and couldn't hurt a fly. Even though it's not Marco or Carwyn I can't help feeling sorry for him; he only looks about twelve.
Effie Trinket asks for applause, but only a few peacekeepers actually clap.
And that's it. I'm taken away by a herd of peacekeepers into the Justice Building.
I hold the tears in until I'm alone, and tears stream down my face before I can help it. I can't win. I just can't. How am I to kill 24 tributes, and come home and live with it? I can never do it. I'll try and hide, maybe, but not for long. The Capitol will get bored with me. The gamemakers will insist I kill.
I'm just about done crying and luckily too, because my first visitor comes in. Marco. I reach out to him and he hugs me without hesitating. I cry, and he cry's.
"I can't win." I say simply.
I expect him to make up some lie to try and reassure me, but he knows me too well.
"I know."
And kisses me. On the lips.
It tastes . . .warm. And nice. Too bad I'm going to die, I think.
"I love you, I always have Lanneah. I wish I'd a told you earlier. I'm sorry." He whispers.
"I love you too," I croak out "Please, Marco one last thing."
"Anything." He says.
"Look after the kids when I'm gone. Please. And . . . don't forget me."
"I'll never forget you Little Lanneah." He says in a hushed tone and kisses my forehead.
And the peacekeeper forces him out, but not until he says "I'll always love you Lanneah!" And he's gone. Just like that. Forever.
The next to come in is the kids. The twin sit on my lap and sob into my shoulder, while Carwyn insists I can win. But I can't. And deep down he must know that, too.
"Carwyn, look after the twins. Remember, I'll always love you, and no matter what happens, stay strong." I say, and hug my little brother closely.
We all have a big hug, and then there forced to leave, and just like Marco, there gone. The only thought I can register is that my name is Lanneah Green. I just got reaped. Everyone I love has been taken away from me. I can't win the Hunger Games.