Chapter 1
It was a cool July morning, as I woke from my sleep I looked over. There he was, my brother. I shook him awake. He grumpily woke up and glanced over at me. I studied his face, long blonde hair, deep blue eyes, watery from yawing.
He then leapt up off the bed and said to me, "Well, we better have showers today. Wouldn't want to be ugly for the Capitol if one of us get", he paused for a moment, "reaped."
I glanced down. "Oh yeah," I said.
This was my second year of the reaping, I was Fourteen. My brother, Jacob, was sixteen. Our names together were entered over forty times. He staggered into the bathroom, still half asleep, and I heard the water in the shower turn on.
"Dammit!" Jacob screamed.
I sighed and said "What did you do this time?"
"I stubbed my toe on the side of the shower!" Jacob screamed back.
I laughed a tiny bit at this. Jacob got out of the shower and said, "You better hurry or you'll miss the cold water. He smirked. I walked into the bathroom and looked in the mirror. There I was a male, tall, brown hair, brown eyes. I sighed, today was a sad day thorough the whole District, we all knew each other. No matter what, everyone was losing someone they knew.
I climbed into the shower. The cold water slid down my body and gave me goose bumps. I climbed out of the shower and grabbed a towel. I headed out the bathroom door and saw Jacob dressed in his reaping clothes.
"Oh now Leighton, don't worry. Your name is only in there what..?"
"Twenty times," I said sharply.
Jacob sat there in silence. I got dressed and made my way throughout the small shack we live in. I walked into the kitchen. There they were my parents; my mother, Andria, and my father, Leighton. I got stuck with his name. I hated it.
"Good morning" my mother said as I crossed the room and sat down in the old, creaky wooden chair.
"Good morning Mom, good morning Dad." I replied.
The house was quiet and grey today. Jacob came out of the bed room and sat down next to me.
Mom placed breakfast down on the table and we began to eat.
Jacob came into the room halfway through the meal.
"Hello" he said gruffly.
"Hello" Mom said.
"How are you?" Dad said.
"Just fine, and yourself?" Jacob replied.
"I've been better" Dad said.
The air in the room grew thick.
When we finished eating Jacob got up and went and gave Mom a hug, and Dad a firm handshake, led with a hug.
I got up and did the same. Then I heard it. The bell telling us to make our way to the center of town, to the justice building, where two unlucky souls would be reaped to fight to the death in the 101st Annual Hunger Games. I shuddered at the thought of the games.
Jacob and I made it to the center of town. We both stood in a long line and waited for blood to be taken from our bodies and put on a sheet of paper so that "Role" could be taken. I fidgeted with my shirt sleeve. It was a hot day in district 9 and all I wanted was to get this over with and get home.
"Next," the Peacekeeper said.
It was my turn, I reluctantly handed the male Peacekeeper my right middle finger. I felt a little sting in my finger and then I felt paper under my finger.
"There you go." Said Jacob, "that wasn't so hard was it?"
"Well, it was a little hard." I said "I had to lift my hand didn't I?"
Jacob smiled and then laughed at my smart comment. Then he got serious. "Well, you go and stand with the other fourteen-year-olds." I nodded and walked over to the section labeled, "Fourteen-year-old Male"
I found my friend Jake, and my other friend Joel. There we stood. Just, waiting for Linen Transmer to come up on stage and draw out the two names.
Then, sure enough, there he was. Dragging himself up on stage; grabbing at every invisible flaw in his bright green suit. "Hello and welcome, to the 101st Annual Hunger Games, and may to odds be ever in your favor!" He had such a positive attitude.
It made me sick.
"Now, may we begin?" He asked in his most Capital sounding voice.
"Ladies first." He said as he walked over to the bowl labeled "Girls" he then crammed his hand in the bowl and pulled out a thin sheet of paper. Unfolded it; And read the name "Cassidy Magnolia."
The air grew still. An older girl, about fifteen walked up on stage and looked out at us.
"Now," Linen boomed. "Time for the boys"
He walked over to a bowl labeled "Boys" and reached down into the many names. His hand swiveled around in the bowl, and finally he pulled out a slip of paper.
He held it up to his face and read the name, "Leighton Sycamore."
My body froze. It seemed as the world around me stopped. I slowly walked up to the stage and took my place right next to Cassidy.
We exchanged sad looks to each other, she then embraced me in a hug and I stood there.
Linen then said "May I present the tributes from District 9 for the 101st Annual Hunger Games!"
We were then led into the Justice building and into separate rooms.
"You only have three minutes." I heard a voice say and Jacob, Mom, and Dad rushed in a surrounded me in hugs.
I felt tears streaming down my face. They will miss me. I have no chance in winning these games. The peace keeper then dragged them out of the room and left me there sobbing on the floor.
Waiting for what was soon to come.
