AN: Welcome and thank you for reading this story! The story is written in the point of view of Evan Odair, a 14 year old boy from District 4.
My eyes slowly open as the light of the sizzling sun pours into my eyes. I turn around and look at my clock; 6:00 AM. Man, is it already morning? I barely slept. Well, I better get ready. Today is Reaping Day... Well, it would've been reaping day if it was a regular year. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Capitol's victory against the districts. For this Hunger Games, the districts are voting on the kids who will represent them in the Games.
The voting took place yesterday and today they will announce the results.
I'm not too scared about this; I have a good reputation with pretty much everyone here in District Four. No one will want to send me to these games...right?
District Four. Fishing. It is also a career district. Careers are special tributes who train their entire lives for the Hunger Games, and then they volunteer during the reaping. Training for the games before the actual events is technically illegal, but the Capitol favors us.
You may have noticed that yours truly is from a career district.
But have I been training for the Hunger Games? Of course not! Who likes this sick, twisted, sadistic event, anyway? Apparently my entire district.
When I was young, my father forced me to attend the Hunger Games training camps. It was taught us how to be a merciless killer, strategies on making traps for the other, weaker tributes, and how to guarantee victory. Well, that was too much for me. I then started ditching class, and I still do to this day.
Have I mentioned that I love swimming? It's a really big passion of mine. I do race, I always win. That's what I do this morning. I arrive at the empty beach (empty because it's only barely dawn), change into my swim trunks, and dive in.
Time for breakfast, I say to myself ten minutes later. I head to a large boulder a little off-shore. I lift it, and under it I find my hand-made wooden trident. That's where I always keep it. I search around for some blades of grass, and eventually find enough to make a small net. I stand at the edge of the water, positioning my trident and wait for a catch. I stay like this, catching a few small trouts.
Eventually, I find a huge Melder fish. Melder fish are the trademark of District Four. It is rare for someone to find one by just looking for it. They are one of the most mouthwatering and delicious fish in the world. I take a little preparation. I make sure my trident is ready and make the final knots on my net.
At the exact moment I was going to release the trident, I feel a powerful shove on my back and I collapse into the water. I try to grab the Melder with my bare hands, but it swims away. I jolt my head around, ready to strike my trident at the attacker. Only it's not an attacker. It's my best friend Dallas Cresta. "What were you going to do with that thing of beauty, eat it?" My brown-haired, light skinned friend says. "Common, Dally! It wasn't funny." I snap back.
We both always swim and race together. We plan to continue to swim and enjoy ourselves while we can before the tribute-picking ceremony. After a few hours of swimming and diving, we both sit on the sand of the beach to dry off in the sun.
"Imagine Trixie Trunkles on the podium, calling out this year's tributes?"
He asks me.
Trixie Trunkles is District Four's escort. Every year, she comes from the Capitol to randomly select that year's tributes. Last night, she and the rest of the District Four team counted the votes. She will announce the lucky tribute today.
I just hope that she doesn't say my name, "Evan Odair" on that stage. I'm not ready to be a tribute.
"Speaking of which, we better go get ready." I respond. Nodding in agreement, we both put out stuff back under our secret rock and head home. I take a look up into the sky. The sun is positioned at around 10:45. We have to be at the square by Noon.