Chapter One.; Reaping day.

Today was the day I dreaded the most. Getting up, getting dressed in my "nice" clothes to celebrate the deaths of one, possibly two, more of my friends or people I knew was probably the worst way to spend a day in the world. If only today was a real holiday based on something the capital and the districts liked, I would probably be in a better mood. However, it wasn't and would never be. The people in the districts were forced to attend and that was that.

Maybe I've gotten ahead of myself, sorry for that I let my thoughts wander sometimes. . My name is Annabella Mariposa Cresta. Call me Annie. I am Thirteen years of age. My home is District Four, in the country of Panem, a country that rose out of the ashes of what used to be North America. After all the wars and such, Panem came to be with a Capitol that was surrounded by Thirteen districts. It is legend that they all lived in peace until the Dark Days in which District Thirteen rebelled. To make a long story short, they were defeated and the capitol obliterated District Thirteen. To remind the districts of their power, every year they hold what is called the huger games. This is where two kids, a boy and a girl, from the age of eleven to eighteen are chosen from each district to fight each other to the death. The last one standing wins, and gets fame and fortune. Your name gets put in the reaping ball once every year, that is unless your family is poor and needs food or supplies. If that is the case (and in most every situation it is) a child can take out tesserae where you get enough grain and such to last you a month. Each child in a family can do this, in return for entering their name one more time into the reaping ball. I myself had been entered only five times, I only needed to get Tesserae twice because my Elder brother, Tridan Messona, usually was the one who took out the Tesserae so I wouldn't have to. I felt bad, but he wouldn't let me do anything else, so I couldn't really do anything about it. Still, I worried. Mostly that he or someone from our closest friends family, the Odairs, would get chosen. Which speaking of, I was supposed to be meeting the second oldest Odair now, so we could walk to the square together.

After that thought, I jumped up from the small cot I slept on in mine and my brothers small room to get ready. Every person in the district was to be on time to the Reaping, or fatal consequences were sure to follow. I was already probably going to be late unless I hurried, so instead of brushing out my hair I put it in a simple bun, fly away hairs hanging all over the place. My reaping day clothes was a simple green dress (because Tridan said it brought out my eyes) and my usual black flats I wore to school. My dress had been made for me by my Aunt who lived in the wealthier part of the district because she married into money. I had had it since my eleventh birthday, and it still fit well clinging to my new growing in curves and my Emerald Green orbs popped with the sea-green fabric. It was really simple, and ended at just below my knees but I felt pretty in it. A feeling not usually conjured up by my plain clothes I wore every day to school.

I didn't have time to check my appearance in the tiny looking glass hung on the wall again, since the reaping would start in a few minutes and I still had yet to meet Finnick, who should probably leave me to get there on time but never would. I had known him since I was born, since our mothers had been close in school and had married men who were best friends. Tridan was born right after Finnicks older brother, Maxwell, who was now nineteen. He had been taken out of the ball last year, a relief for his parents even though it meant Finnick had to take out Tesserae for them. Finnick was fourteen, so he was a year old when I was born. My mom had been hoping for a boy to be his playmate but got me instead, the wide eyed tomboy who kept up with the three boys as much she could. They teased me a lot, Finnick especially, but eventually we all grew really close. Mrs. Odair had three other children, all girls, Marisol, Harmony, and Telilah who were 8,5,and 1. My mother had tried for kids after me, but had four miscarriages before accepting that she probably would never have anymore children. It hurt her, but really just made her a better mom to us if not overbearing.

My whole family had left before me, being as Finnick was the only Odair in the reaping ball as I was the only Cresta, we had asked for alone time beforehand and reluctantly our parents agreed to take the other children and leave us behind but made us promise not to be late. A promise I was trying very hard not to break as I left my house and ran at full speed to the docks where Finnick was waiting by his fathers' fishing boat: The Queen. I turned the corner sharply, almost losing my balance and tumbling into the blue sea under me before righting myself and running full force to Finnick, tugging on his hand impatiently.

"Whoa there. Whatcha rushing for." He chuckled in true Finnick fashion. He never worried over everything, sometimes I admired him for it but now it was just annoying because he wouldn't budge and we had exactly two minutes to be there and in our places for the name calling.

"cmonnnnnnnn. I promised we wouldn't be late." I whined finally getting him to budge a bit as he stared down at me in amusement, making my lower lip poke out more so he would give in. After pushing his shaggy, dirty-blonde hair out of his eyes he finally consented letting me lead him to the square while he teased me about being a perfectionist and obeying my parents. Easy for him to say, he had always been a trouble maker.

As we came nearer to the square, however, he grew tense pulling me behind him as we walked as if he could protect me from being called, which was ridiculous because we all knew how powerless we were to the Capitols rule. That fact became blazingly apparent, when a peacekeeper tore his hand from mine and pushed me into another white-suit that pulled me to the section for thirteen year old girls. I prayed Finnick would keep his comments to himself while I eyed the first peacekeeper, Marx, put his gun barrel in his back to prod him into the section for Fourteen year old boys. Thankfully he didn't seem to, not that I had time to watch him get fully situated because our dreadful escort, Pippy, was walking up to the stage her yellow skin so bright you could barely look at her.

Unlike her name, Pippy was not a pleasant person. She hated the water, which since Fishing was our main job in four water was pretty much always around, and she couldn't stand being in a low career district. You see, Districts aren't supposed to train kids to fight but in the richer districts (1-4), a lot of kids do get trained and the capitol basically pretends it doesn't happen. Being well-fed and trained usually tributes from a career district wins the games. What a lot of districts don't know is it gets even more complicated than that. One and two are what we refer to as the higher careers. This is because they are the capitols favorites and usually lead everything or win. Three and four are poorer, though not as poor as say District Eleven, and we usually just follow along until we aren't of use anymore. So we are referred to the lower careers. Needless to say, Pippy found herself above us as if she belonged in one or two. It was sickening.

Now, though she forced a smile as she stepped in front of the winners from previous games in our District so she could get near the Girls ball. I guess it was an unwritten rule that we had to go first. You could literally hear a pen drop as everyone drew in a breath. I felt Tridan and Finnick staring at me, probably praying I wouldn't get picked or trying to wish me good luck. I couldn't turn to them though, for fear of peacekeepers and because I was too distracted as Pippys long yellow fingers grasped a lone slip of white paper, letting the others fall back safe for the year. My fingernails clenched into my palms, not letting up until she read the name. "Darielle Georgia."

I took a deep breathe. I knew Darielle, she had been a year above me when we were younger, but then she was adopted out of the Community home (her real parents had died of an awful accident) and her foster parents put her through training as a career for the remainder of her years. I didn't care for her much, she was tall and had red hair that was cut short so it was more manageable. Her pale skin was even darker than mine, which wasn't surprising. And she had these scary ice blue eyes that felt like they could carve out your soul. She was scary alright, but she wasn't my concern now. I had to worry about Finnick and Tridan before I could focus on feeling sad for her.

It felt like it took a million hours before Pippy finally reached the boys ball. Again, the square went silent and Darielle even stared at her, all of us wondering who the male tribute would be. I felt like my world was moving in slow motion as she pulled out the strip, and then as if my lungs were filling with water and drowning me when she read the name.

"Finnick Odair."