It all begins
Alex's POV
I never thought my name would be drawn as tribute for the 76th annual Hunger Games. By the way, I'm Alex Benson. I'm from Panem, District 4 to be exact. I'm a fisherman, always have been, always will be. I'm just going to start with the day it all began, the reaping.
My Uncle's old fishing troller drifted in to the docks. Today I had brought in a descent load. Somehow several oysters drifted into one of my lobster traps. I kept them anyway, because they were fresh and I could sell them with the fish. Four other men disembarked from the vessel before me. Gear and fish in hand, I walked down the gangplank and walked into the market. I sold off what I pulled in, in exchange for a few new hooks, a snack for later, and of course lunch for my family. I sat outside as I packed away my gear then headed home. As I walked past the victor's village I noticed that several of the houses there were filled but some were still empty. But instead of standing there and staring, I continued on home.
I walked down my street on the south side of the village. After turning on 3rd Street, I walked up to the housed marked 304 and opened the door. Inside the house and there was my uncle, asleep on the couch. I laughed "Right where I left you." I live with my uncle, my mom died when I was born and my dad was killed during a storm when I was 12. So for the past 5 years, I've been living with my Aunt Rachel and Uncle Chris. Chris was paralyzed from the waist down and rides around in a wheelchair, and knowing Aunt Rachel, she was out in the garden. I looked out the back door and sure enough she was.
I climbed the stairs and went into my room. On my bed was a blue button-down shirt, slacks, dress socks, dress shoes (I could tell they had been polished) and a black and blue striped tie. On the pile was a note that said "Don't forget that the reaping is today, your uncle set this outfit out for you while you were out. Happy Hunger Games and may the odds be ever in your favor. Love Uncle Chris and Aunt Rachel."
I smiled as I got changed and then walked downstairs and out the door. I walked down to the town square in front of the justice building; I knew what I needed to do to get signed in and as I stood in line I wondered if I would be the male tribute this year. I shook the thought as my finger was pricked, set on a card in the book and passed over with a scanner. I looked at the screen and it read "Benson, Alex" My name was now in the reaping ball 5 times.
I proceeded to stand among the other guys. We stared at the entrance to the justice building as a gong rang and Julius MacAskill, a rep from the capitol came out and stood before a microphone set between two large glass balls "Good Morning," he said "Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor. Let's start with the ladies." He walked over to the ball on his right and plunged his hand in and grabbed a name card. He returned to the microphone and read aloud "Maya Honeylark!" I watched as a girl walked forward and stood next to Julius as his hand was rooting around in the gentlemen's names. He pulled a name out and read it aloud "Alex Benson!" I walked forward and stood next to Maya "Ladies and Gentlemen, your district 4 tributes!"
Instead of applauding like the crowd usually does. They raised three fingers into the air and cricked them to look like the prongs of a trident. It was an old gesture in my district but it hasn't been forgotten. Julius then went on to read about the history of Panem and the Treaty of Treason. I must have spaced out because the next thing I knew, a peacekeeper was escorting Maya and I inside the justice building.