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Ch.1

The Reaping

I stalked my prey, bow loaded, I let the arrow fly hitting the goose straight through the eye. "Nice shot, catnip!" Gale ran feet crunching the leaves.

"Gale you're scaring away the prey!" He laughed, holding up two rabbits before adding them to his game bag.

"I think you have more than enough, catnip!" he patted the green bag swung over my shoulder; I stuffed the goose into it.

I shot him a dirty look, "Not if I cant hunt after the Reaping today!" He rolled his eyes.

Today was the Reaping for the eighteen year olds of District 12. Those who are of age will have their name drawn and paired with someone of the sex, they will be hauled into the justice building, married and assigned a new home. In which you are to have a child by then end of your first year of marriage.

I shudder at that thought of marrying a man who will make me stay in the house, cook, and clean. I am lost in thought as I harvest Dandelions for a salad tonight. I add them to the bag with fresh strawberries. I can hear the clock chime from the square, it is about eleven, the reaping is at two. I wave to Gale and head home. Gale was reaped last year, he married, Lori, a seam girl. She's on bed rest my mother checks on her daily and says she will devilry any day now.

I duck under the fence and make the walk to my house; it's a short ways away from my main hunting spot. When I arrive home, I find Prim sorting through a bouquet of wild Primroses, Daisies, Poppies, and my favorite, Dandelions. Dad is sitting at the table with her putting something wrapped in butcher paper into a box. I hold up my game bag and he gets up leaning on his cane. "I got a Goose for dinner, and a weeks worth of rabbits."

He smiles, "Good shooting! All through the eye!" I feel a smile creep up on my face. Mom comes down stares and gives me a light smile, "Its almost reaping time. I ran you a bath, and laid you something nice to wear." My smile falls, within a few hours I will no longer live here. I nod and head up stairs to get ready.

Mom laid a dress on my bed; it's from here Merchant days. It's light blue with buttons. I stare in the mirror, the dress hits above my knee, its fitted to show off what little assets I have.

"You look so pretty, Katniss!" I turn to see Prim dressed in an old school blouse and flower print skirt. I hug her to me, "Not as pretty as you, little duck."

She quacks, earning a laugh from me. "Prim why don't you go cut the vegetables for the stew." Mom is standing in the doorway. A lilac boxes in her hands. Prim gives me one more hug before heading downstairs. Mother sits the box next to me on the bed. She pulls a small gold pot out; inside it holds a red cream, "Lets make you look even more pretty." She applies the rouge to my cheeks and my lips, and then braids my hair into a spiral on top of my head. She steps back to admire her work, and hands me the broken mirror so I can look at myself. I look nothing like me, the hunter, the seam girl. I look like a girl, whom will be given to a man, forced to have his children.

I hear uneven footfalls and a knock at the door. My dad enters leaning on his crunches. "It's time." His voice isn't strong or happy like it always is, he is sorrowful. I nod and follow him to meet the rest of my family. We set off to the town square.

The square was packed with Peacekeepers and citizens. I nervously took a breath and walked a line to check in. Peacekeeper Purnia pricks my finger, presses it to the electronic book to check me in. She gives me a sober look then points to the area I am to be herded like an animal into.

An aisle separates the girls and boys; Groups of friends huddle together but I stand alone, hands wringing another. Effie Trinket the District Escort for the Reaping clears her throat into the microphone. This year she dons a light pink wig, sickly pale sick and a green dress suit. "Hello!" her voice makes me cringe, "Welcome, Welcome! It is that time of year again for our brave citizen's of Panem to be wed and produce a new crop of citizen's." she continues on to explain the reason behind the couple reaping. Years ago before my great great grandparent's time a rebellion took place to stop the capitol and the cruelty of the Hunger Games. In which 2 tributes from each district where chosen then forced to fight to the death. A war broke out to contain those who rebelled; a quarter of the population of Panem was killed, slowing the production of crops and mining. The new Reaping rose from the ashes. Yet instead of killing, they capital forced two people to wed and produce more citizens all while proclaiming it was for the good of the country and will unify the people. The truth being very rarely did couple come from town and the Seam, my parent's being the last exception.

Ms. Trinket finishes the tale with a dreamy sigh, "isn't it romantic!? Now for our first couple!" she reaches into a bowl to draw a name. "Anna Kirkland" a town girl, the grocer's daughter I recall steps forward to the front of the aisle. "Mark Smith" Another blonde head steps next to her, his face is pale and his hands shake as he takes hers. Thirty more couples are called each a pair of ether blonde or dark brown headed teens. There are ten more boys and eleven more girls; one of us will be spared another year.

My stomach is in knots and I've wrinkled mom's blue dress. I hold my breath as Effie takes another slip from the bowl, "Katniss Everdean" my steps are shaky as I line up behind the other couples before me. I give a quick look to my family and gale with his very pregnant wife. Panic steps over me, I will not get my wish, if I had it my way I would never get married or have a child. Now I will be paired with some boy I do not know and forced to sleep with him. I can feel the tears sting my eyes. I slam them shut just as I watch Effie take the boy's slip from the bowl. But the name causes a load gasp to come from my mouth.

"Peeta Mellark."