As I wake up I turn around, and see my little brother curled up on the other side of the bed. Then a pang of dread hits me. I realize that today is the day of the reaping. All I can hope is that the deranged Capitol woman does not pluck a piece of paper with my name from the reaping ball. I hope that I won't have to fight to the death in the Hunger Games. My brother, Seth who is only 8 is too young to go to the reaping, as it's for 12 through 18 year olds. But I at 16 must. My name will be entered 20 times. 5 because have to, and 15 more times for tesserae. But this isn't any old Hunger Games this is the Quarter Quell. Every 25 years the Capitol gives us a cruel twist to the Games. This 50th Hunger Games will require the districts to give twice as many tributes. The odds are not in my favor.
Before I get up I looked one last time at my little brother and see his little hands gripping his blanket. I can't leave him. Once I exit our tiny house, I feel a cool gust of air rush through the Seam. The sun is out with white fluffy clouds in the air. "This will be better than last year", I think while remembering the unbearable heat over District 12 from last year's reaping. Today nobody has to do anything except wait for the names to be called out in the square at 2 o'clock this afternoon. With nothing to do I decide to go to the meadow and relax under a tree before I need to get ready for the reaping. Under the tree it's nice and cool, it's the perfect temperature really.
Before I know it the sky tells me that it's almost 1:30 and I decide to go back to get myself ready for the reaping. I scrub myself down in a bath of warm water. Then I put on one of my nicer shirts and a good pair of pants. When I comb my hair out in the mirror I try to get my hair to lay straight but it won't. It go's back to it's black curls.
As my mother, my brother and I make my way down to the town square I start to get nervous. Even though I try my best not to let it show, my brother notices.
"If they take you I won't let them", he says wrapping his arms around my waist.
This only makes we worry more about how I would feel to be taken away from Seth. When we reach the square my brother and mother stay in the back with the rest of the crowd. I go and sign in then wait in a roped off area near the front with all of the 16 year olds. When the Mayor comes out onto stage my nerves are sky high. He goes over his hour longer speech and tells of why we must have the Hunger Games. 50 years ago the districts revolted against the Capitol. In return we must have the annual Hunger Games. Each of the 12 districts must sent tributes to fight to the death, with the last one alive winning. When the victor gets back home they live in richness instead of poverty that lives with the rest of us.
Once the speech is over a Capitol woman steps up to the stage with powder white hair and tall green heels on. As usual she say, "May the odds ever be in your favor", followed by "Ladies First!" The Capitol People have high squeaky voices and barley open their mouths in District 12 it's fun to mimic them. She places her hand in the Girl's Ball and pulls out the name and shouts, "Millie Hunter!"
A frail blonde girl steps out from the 13 year old section with tears running down her cheeks. Then slowly and shaking she makes her way to the stage. The moment Millie steps foot on the stage the next name is grabbed from the ball. The Capitol escort calls out the name,"Maysilee Donner!"
I watch as another blonde girl tries to walk up to the stage. Maysilee is being held back by 2 other girls. She pushes her way through them walking bravely to the stage. I know her, I've seen her at school before she is also 16 years old. We have never talked before, as she typically stayed with the merchant kids. I draw my attention away from Maysilee and look back up to the stage. The escort is making her way over to the Boy's Reaping Ball. In those thousands of slips 20 have my name on it. As her pointy finger feel around in the ball, I cross my finger's that it's not me and it isn't.
"Dominic Hayden", yells the Capitol lady. Relief floods my body, but instantly disappears as I realize there is still one more name to be called. Crossing my fingers again, I wait for a name to be read.
When I hear "Haymitch Aberthy" shouted my stomach drops a thousand feet. This isn't right, the unthinkable has happened. My names was entered only 20 times in the thousands of other names. I'm ready to cry. But I remember that I must stay calm or I'll be thought of as weak and not stand a chance. So I knit my face into a scowl and take bold strides up to the stage. On the outside I must look like a rock but on the inside my body feels like jelly.
Once I make my walk up the stage, which felt like hours I shake hands with the other tributes. The escort tells us her name is Regina. Regina says,"You are so lucky, not everybody gets to be in the Quarter Quell you know". I am disgusted by this Capitol woman. Does she really think that this is an ideal position to be in? These people are so clueless and so inconsiderate it makes me want to vomit. Before I can do anything some Peacekeepers whisk us away into separate rooms of the Justice Building.