Chapter: 1 The Reaping

The normally lush and green hills were now covered in a blanket of snow. Random snowflakes would fall every now and then and land on the book of Belle's lap. Being under her favorite blossom tree didn't help keep her book dry. A sliver of wind passed through Belle, making her lift the hood of her coat that was barely able to keep her warm.

Her eyes never lifted off the page. The main character was about to propose to his lover. Although Belle knew the outcome of the story was not pleasant, she couldn't help thinking that maybe they wouldn't die this time. Maybe they'll actually live happily ever—

"Belle." She finally looked up to see her father, almost freezing without a coat, standing under the shadow of the tree.

"Father!" She rocketed up and rushed over to him to hand him her coat, but he shook his head. "Father, you'll freeze. What are you doing here?"

"It's time."

His words made Belle's heart sink. Was it a year already? It felt like only yesterday she was watching her friends get killed on the television. She nodded and put her arms around her father, walking him down the hill to the warmth of their house. After putting on her best dress, she stood in front of her mirror to do her hair.

Her eyes passed over her dress as she tied her hair back with a blue ribbon. She wore the only dress she kept of her mother's. It was her reaping dress when she was a young girl before she passed. Belle had worn it for the past three reapings and she believed it was her good luck charm.

An explosion sounded from the basement of her house which was also her father's workshop. Belle was past the point of being surprised when she heard noises coming from down there. As expected, her father came from downstairs and grinned when he saw her daughter.
Belle returned the smile through the mirror, but it was sad. Once the siren sounded outside again, she cleared her throat and turned to face her father.

"I'm ready," she lied.

As Belle stood with the other sixteen-year old girls, the eccentric Princess Aurora climbed on stage and approached the microphone in between two large bowls containing slips of paper with all the children's names on them; one for the boys, one for the girls.

In the corner of her eye, she saw Gaston looking at her. He was known in town as a hunk that every girl wanted. Belle considered him the village idiot. Again, he doing everything in his power to make her look at him, but she just rolled her eyes.

"Hello, hello, citizens of District 10," Aurora said into the microphone. "It is that time of year again. Time to choose one young man and woman for this year's Hunger Games." She paused, waiting for an applause or something to make it seem like the village was interested in what she was saying, but everything remained quiet. "Alright, ladies first." She strolled to one of the bowls and stuck her manicured hand in there, pulling out a slip of paper.

Bella's name was in there 32 times. Every time this moment came for the names to be called, her heart tightened, she held her breath and curled her hands into fists.

"Belle."

Belle's eyes looked up from the ground her feet stood on to the pink lady in front of the microphone. She felt tears form in the backs of her eyes, then remembered everyone from every district could see her at that moment. She put on the bravest face she could and began walking through the crowd of girls toward the stage. She could hear sobs coming from her father in the crowd of parents praying their children didn't get selected.

The other girls looked at her with pity. Most of them didn't even know her name, so they shouldn't feel anything toward her.
When Belle reached the stage, she froze, unable to believe she was going to be forced to go up against her peers and fight for her life. Knights came from behind her and ushered her up the steps and to the stage next to Aurora.

"Wonderful!" Aurora said turning from Belle back to the microphone. "Now, the boys." She walked to the other bowl and reached inside for a slip of paper.

Belle couldn't help looking at Gaston. She'd never seen him so terrified inner life. She wondered what he could possibly be scared of. He was incredibly large and perfect to win. No matter how much she disliked him, though, she never wished Gaston would get called to participate in these Games.

All the boys surrounding him were identical in their facial features. Afraid, petrified, anxiousness was seen on every one of those boys.
Aurora made her way back to the microphone to announce the poor soul that was going to have to kill for their own survival.

"Gaston."