Chapter 2: District 1 reaping

Diamond hazelette

I wake up with a smile on my face. Today is the day of the reaping. How exciting! I missed my chance three years ago to volunteer but now this is my year to shine. I jump out of my bed and zoom down the stairs. I scoff down an egg omelette and get to training. My parents won't wake up for a while so I may as well use my time wisely. They don't know that I'm going to volunteer and they don't want me to either.

I start doing some air punches and pretend that I am handling a knife. I get at my dummy of a human that I've hidden away from parents inthe basement. I tackle the dummy to the ground a couple of times and practice my hand to hand combat on it. I start to get really into it and lose track of time. I am brought back from my thoughts when I hear commotion upstairs. I quickly pack everything away and swiftly run back up the stairs. I am just in time because I see my mother run down the stairs, wailing. When she sees me she says'

"Oh, hey hun," I reply:

"What's wrong?"

"It's your father, he wants to volunteer for the games," my stomach drops about a million miles. Nothing's stopping me from volunteering but I can't kill my father! I try to look less concerned than I really am and say,

"Why?! He's too old," that's true, he's like 45.

"I know, that's what I told him," she says, the crying gets harder. I try to comfort her for the next thirty minutes, it works a little. My father strides down the stairs, shoulders held high.

"I heard that you're volunteering," I say with a cold face.

"Yes I am, what does it matter to you anyway, you won't miss me, you hate me," he basically screams at me.

I sprint to my room and fall on my bed. I weep and weep and weep until it's almost time for the reaping. I think about all the times my father has abused me while I get dressed. I am happy that I get to kill him in the arena.

Mother calls me from downstairs that we are going to the justice building now. I walk downstairs and my mother says I like beautiful. I'm just wearing an emerald dress, but I thank her anyway. I look around to see where my father is but he isn't there.

"It seems like father has left without us" I say as cold as a stone. She just nods looking depressed, she isn't happy in the marriage. We start walking to where the reaping is being held. It's a silent walk there, I see all the jealous teenagers that wanted to volunteer this year. We arrive at the justice building and stand in our spots. The mayor blabs on about the dark days and all that stuff. I have learnt to tune that stuff out, it's boring! I just wanna get to the reaping. The mayor invites the escort on stage, her name is Pliny Greenlaw. She is just so bubbly about all these people about to die in The Hunger Games. It sickens me. She has an atrocious green wig on and gold sparkles everywhere on her face. She walks up to the microphone.

"Hello, district 1, are you ready for this year's amazing Hunger Games?" There are some cheers. "As always ladies first," Pliny walks over to the lady's bowl and fishes her hand inside the bowl for a while. She finally pulls out a name and walks back to the microphone.

"Emerald Hazelette!" She booms into the microphone. That's my mother! I volunteer almost straight away. She screams at me no and grabs my arm. I shrug her off and walk to the stage with a strong face.

"Name and age?" Pliny says.

"Diamond Hazelette and age 20," she appears shocked.

"I presume that was your mother you volunteered for, that is just so sweet," she says almost in tears. Realising that she has made a fool of herself on public television, she quickly says,

"Men next!"

Cryson Hazelette

My wife got reaped and my daughter volunteered for her, what could possibly get worse! Oh wait I'm going to volunteer and have to kill my own daughter. I'll ally with her but only for the sponsors. I am brought back from my thoughts when I see Pliny pick a name out of the men's bowl. I know a lot of the other men want to volunteer, so I waste no time to scream,

"I volunteer, I volunteer as tribute!" I stride to the stage with a proud grin on my face.

"Name and age?"

"Cryson Hazelette, 45," Pliny lets out a gasp.

"Are you her father?" she points at Diamond. I nod,

"This just might be the best Hunger Games yet" she squeals in excitement. The mayor then reads out the treaty of treason and we shake hands. I can see it in her eyes, she wants to kill me. What she doesn't know is, that I have a little something up my sleeve.