I walk over to the wooden target and collect my five thrown knives from the center ring. I put them in their respective pouches on my belt, and take the weapon in my sixth slot out. A dagger with a 15 inch blade. I go to work on a dummy, chopping off various limbs, disarming it, and then finish by taking out a bow and arrows and shoot it in its heart from 30 feet away. Okay, that's good, I think to myself. I woke up early this morning in order to get some last minute training done. I finished the weapons section of the training I do every morning at five, and now, I move on to my strength and endurance sections. After running 3.7 miles in 33 minutes with a backpack full of supplies on my back, I do 30 push ups and go inside at approximately 7:08 AM. I head up the stairs and hop into the shower, making it as cold as it goes in order to get me cooled off. My family is one of the more wealthy ones in District 9, so I always feel pretty guilty for using cold water when what is craved by so many others, that is accessible to me is not being used.
As the cold water runs down my skin, soothing me immensely, I start to wonder what it would be like if I were reaped. I'd have to put on the illusion of confidence, which shouldn't be too hard. I've been good at hiding my emotions ever since I cut off the tip of my finger in third grade. It was a pretty stupid accident, really. My art teacher had taught us all how to weave, and while cutting the small little patch of fabric I had created, my finger slipped in between the blades. I didn't want to seem weak, so not a single tear left my eye. Not even a sign of pain. Ever since, I've practiced that talent just in case I'd ever have to use it again.
Anyway, my mind drifts off further to those close to me. It was announced, that in this Hunger Games, the 25th, there would be a twist. Now, four tributes would be reaped in one district, but here's the catch: once one tribute is reaped, the only others that will be his district partners will be his or her closest friends and family. Even those older or younger than the Reaping age restrictions could be reaped. So that means that children who were just born weeks ago could be reaped. That meant grandparents could be reaped. That meant you might have to end up killing your best friends. That meant that if my best friend since preschool, Mattias, was reaped, I was almost sure to be reaped with him. The same goes for my cousins, Jonun and Luara. And you can't count out my crush, my family, or other friends either.
In fact, that's how I convinced Mattias to come over this morning to walk with me to the Reapings so we could spend a bit of time before that practicing skills. He was very skilled for our age with a sword. I mean, what 14 year old should be able to hold his ground against a full grown sword trainer?
My cousins are also supposed to come over, who both are decent at knife throwing. Jonun is also incredibly strong and can easily handle a mace I made by attaching nails to a wooden club. My cousins, Mattias, some other close friends and I are part of a group of secret careers in our district. We don't train to become brutal, but only just in case we're reaped.
As I turn off the water, I can hear a knocking at the door, followed by some chatter, which must mean my guests have arrived.
"One Minute!" I yell down as I go to get some clothes on, probably waking up my parents and younger brother.
With fresh clothes on, a nice light green button down shirt and black suitpants, I tumble down the stairs to see my friend and cousins waiting eagerly.
"Jay!" They cry in unison.
"Hey guys," I respond, "who's ready for the Reapings?" I say, with mock enthusiasm.
"Can't wait," Mattias says, his expression overtaken with gloom.
We walk inside to see that in these few minutes we were outside, my parents have come downstairs to cook breakfast. They look exhausted.
"Who wants breakfast," my father says tiredly, yawning. Each child in the room's hands shoot up, including my nine year old brother, Evan, who's just come down the stairs.
We sit down at the table to plates toast, eggs, and boiled katniss roots. We eat slowly and silently, savoring the decadent food. While I may be wealthy, Mattias is only merchant class, and Luara and Jonun are on the poor side, but just a bit.
Once we're all finally done, we walk silently down to the Reapings, my parents calling good luck to us in the distance, saying they'll be there.
After about 10 minutes of walking, we're finally at the city circle. We go to our separate spots, Jonun going to the 16s section, Luara going to the girls 13s section, Mattias going to the 14s, and me going to the 13s. I'm about a month apart from Mattias, who had his birthday last week. That means, if I were reaped, I might have my birthday in the arena.
Our district's escort, Tuliana gets on stage.
"Good morning, people of District Nine! Who's excited for this year's Hunger Games, the 25th?" She asks, with way too much excitement.
The crowd stays silent.
The mayor just shakes his head, while the mentors just send Tuliana a death glare. The female mentor is around 35, and she won one of the very first games. Basically, she just hid in the trees with a spear until she was in the final two, where she jumped down onto the boy from six, impaling him and effectively killing him on the spot. My father told me that. The male mentor was different, though. He won five years ago, and now he's 21. I remember his games clearly.
He had always been dirt poor. There was no possible way he could have won, unless he picked up some valuable skill in training. That was exactly what he did. Not only did he learn almost everything there was to know about survival, but he became something of a master at throwing spears. So good that the careers accepted him into their pack. Once the games started, he started to make up lies to get all of the careers to not trust each other or hate each other, but be on his side. The careers broke up by the second day, and he was the only survivor. After that, he then had a base full of supplies surrounded with traps all to himself, with only eight other weak competitors. On the fourth day, six of those had died, five of which by his own spears. The last one had apparently faked weak and was deadly with axes, but eventually, after a lot of hunting and a lot of blood, he threw a spear right into her heart.
"Ladies first," Tuliana sings. I'm hoping, praying, that it isn't some I know, so I won't be reaped, I won't be reaped, I won't be- "Brielle Wanders!"
Crap.
Brielle is one of my best friends, and one of Mattias and Luara's best friends, too. Thankfully, she doesn't know Jonun, so he'll be safe. I put on my fake courageous face just in case I'm reaped, though.
Brielle walks to the stage, silent tears trickling down her cheeks. She's trying her best to stay calm, but it isn't working.
"Remember, no volunteers allowed this year! Let's move onto her partners," Tuliana says, grinning almost maniacally.
"Luara Lieve!"
Both mine and Jonuns hearts stop. I can hear our relatives in the adults crowd sobbing. Suddenly, Jonun shoots forward.
"NO," he screams, running past Luara up to the stage. "I WILL NOT ALLOW IT!" Tuliana's face has gone pale, and she starts to look like she will faint. I feel like I will faint, too, because when peacekeepers try to drag Jonun off the stage, he lashes out at them with a knife in his pocket, opening gashes on their faces. Suddenly, there is a gunshot, and there is Jonun, blood pouring out of his head, lying on the floor.
Dead.
I know that I must hold back my tears, so I do, only feeling the hurt inside. Luara, who was keeping her cool, wearing a determined smile before, is now bawling, along with the rest of our family. Peacekeepers are now frantically trying to keep everyone calm, occasionally shooting bullets into the crowd, killing at random. I put my hands in front of my face when I notice that someone only about 10 feet away is lying dead on the ground.
"Let k-keep going," Tuliana says, voice wavering, "time for the guys!"
Don't let it be me. Don't let it be me. Don't let it be me. Don't let it be me. Don't let it b-
"Jay Fieldrunner!"
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