I gasped and opened my eyes. My face was covered in sweat. I can't help it, today is the reaping day. Just two years more of this horrible fear. I sit in the edge of my bed and look up to the window. The sky was still orange above the blue foaming waves of the sea. I sigh heavily. I will never get tired of watching this beautiful morning view. I stand up and rush downstairs to the kitchen. There is my dad holding a glass of water in one hand and a spoonful of oatmeal in the other. I smile at him.

"Good morning daddy" I say in a low voice to hide my nerves.

"Morning Annie" he smiles.

We don't speak much during breakfast; he knows how nervous I am. Then he leaves for a while until is time for the reaping. I guess he went to the sea. Where we belong.

Without noticing, I am standing in the warm beach sand, just looking at the wide horizon. Wishing that these days were over, no more Games, no more innocent children dying in the cruel hands of the Capitol. I walk ahead, getting closer to the water and I sit where the tiniest waves cover my feet.

I know he's here too. He might be talking in silence with the sea. We both know that she's there somewhere. Mom always belonged there in the salty waters of the sea and we both are sure she returned the sea when she passed away seven years ago. Since then dad often comes to the same spot to talk to her. And since I was twelve, every year before the reaping he comes to his spot and asks her to protect me from being reaped. He always tells me she's a kind of guardian angel to me. And I believe him. We both know she'll never leave us.

Then, when is almost time to leave to the square, I go home to get a quick bath. I wear a light orange dress and pull my hair back in an orange ribbon. I slowly walk downstairs, there I find dad changing his old jacket for a more presentable one. He offers his hand to me and I take it with no hesitation. Maybe this is the last time I will ever hold his hand.

Together we make our way to our reach the square in a couple of minutes, I let go of my dad's hand, feeling a stab in my heart. Then he kisses my forehead and walks away. I sigh and then I start to walk lifelessly to my group and wait until Talya Vipointe shows up. This year she's wearing a ridiculous purple wig with glitter on the top and a yellow and green outfit. Hundred percent Capitol made. She introduces us the mayor with her disgusting accent and then plays the same video about the Dark Days.

While the video is played in a huge screen, everything is just a blur to me; I touch my neck to find it covered in sweat and my heart is racing. Talya speaks again in her silly accent as the video finishes.

"Ladies first" She smiles and then walks to the girls' glass ball. Her hand begins to swim in the thousands of little papers with our names written down on it, and then she finally grabs one and opens it before everyone's eyes.

"Annie Cresta" she says with a smile on her plastic face.

…

Wait! She just said my name! This can't be happening! Everything spins around me making me dizzy.

And my whole world collapsed.