Before the reaping
I sit outside the forest boundaries listening the mockingjays replicate any sound I make. I know that anybody that goes inside the forest is doing something illegal, but if they hunt, it's punishable by death. I walk home in silence, something gets to me when I pass the mine. My older brother died in a rock slide. I sit outside the mine mourning him until I remember what to do. "Oh my gosh!" I yell to myself. I quickly run to Gale's house for my annual apples from the forest. I think of them as the best apples ever, not sure what he thinks though.
"Well hello Lotus. How are you today?" Gale's dark seam hair sits upon his head, whilst my double braiding falls to my shoulders. "I'm good, where are my weekly apples? I always get them on a Tuesday." I hold my hand out, hoping for an apple to fall into my hand, but I feel, or see nothing. "Oh Come on Lotus, you know you don't get apples on a reaping day." He says it as a joke, but we both know it's true. A awkward silence fall upon the conversation. "We have 2 hours to the reaping, maybe we should go see Katniss?" I blurt out, hoping to end the silence. "Yeah, sure." We trudge along to get to her house which was also in the seam. It's where we all live.
"Katniss?" Gale knocks on the door. "Katniss!" I shout, also knocking on the door. The door opens to Mrs. Everdeen and Prim. "Katniss is just having a bathe, you're welcome to wait." She laughs. Like it was on cue Katniss walks out in a baby blue dress with her hair up. "I wish I looked as good as you" Prim says. "I wish I looked as good as you, little duck." Prim giggles at this name, give out a small quack. "Oh hey Gale, hey Lotus." Katniss turns to us with a forced smile. "I'd best get going, I bet my family is waiting for me at home."
I run out the the door to find 3 peacekeepers waiting outside my house. "What brings you guys here?" I ask. "We wanted to remind you Miss. Leaf that the reaping is in 30 minutes." Great. They remember my mysterious disappearance I did last year. Luckily someone volunteered for me. I walk into my olive-skinned family. Jennifer Leaf, my mother, Roy Leaf, my father, and my little sister Gillette. She's 12, I'm 14. I see her in a small dress with flower printings of a violet. I look outside to see a necklace. Looks expensive, but beautiful. Inside has a ruby and the chain of the necklace is copper. I go outside to pick it up. When she's not looking I move her black hair out of the way and put it on her. When she notices, she gives me a big hug. "It'll be okay" I whisper.