When I crashed through my front door of my house I was so out of breath from running and kissing. I knew I had a very high chance of going into the Quarter Quell seeing as how my name would be in the reaping 20 times. Seeing as how I took out tesserae for me and my mom (little Tulip is only 4 and doesn't need a whole one to herself) and I got Lilac one for 2 years now instead of having her enter her name more times.
When I closed the door my mom came and almost killed me for running out of the house like that. She said that I scared Tulip so badly that she wouldn't go to sleep until I came home and wouldn't take her sleep syrup unless I was there. I was here now and went into her room. She saw me and her face light up.
"Haymitch will you sleep with me so the monsters don't get me?" asked Tulip.
"Tulip I will always sleep with you to keep the monsters away," I told her. She smiled so wide I couldn't help but laugh at her. We curled up under the blankets together and we fell asleep just like that.
The next morning was the day before the reaping. Me and Lilac spent the whole day playing with Tulip. Tulip absolutely adored Lilac and looked up to her. It was a beautiful day out. You could smell the rain that laid on the flowers petals. The grass in the meadow was as green and lush as ever. It was the perfect day and I thought about what Lilac had told me yesterday how every beautiful day is ruined with the Capitol or being in District 12.
She held my hand just like she did the day before swinging it back and forth as Tulip ran ahead of us to pick some flowers to give to Lilac. I thought about how tomorrow could really ruin my life. Me and Lilac would have kids in the future and be doing this for the rest of our lives walking with our kids running ahead of us to pick flowers.
It was getting late and the sun was going down behind the forest. Me and Tulip walked Lilac home and I kissed her before I walked with Tulip in my arms back to my house. We got home and my mom was at work and I knew tomorrow was the reaping but didn't tell Tulip because I feared she would not sleep and she still had a slight cough.
Me and Tulip curled up in bed like we did the day before and fell asleep just like that. I was keeping the monsters away from her even though the biggest and scariest one of them all was one we couldn't fight.
The next morning I went to Lilac's house for a little while before we had to get ready for the reaping. When I came back to my house Tulip was all dressed up in a beautiful green dress with her hair in a simple braid. I told her she looked beautiful and went and got ready myself. When I came out she came up to me and whispered in my ear that I was beautiful too. My mom took Tulip to the reaping and I met up with Lilac. We walked hand in hand just like we always did. We got to the reaping and got in line. They took our blood and checked us in. We got in line with all the other 16 year olds and I was right next to my best friend Tate. Tate and I have been best friends since we were about 3 or 4. Lilac was one of our friends too until we started dating each other.
He was about to say something when the ever so perky escort for District 12 came out. Her name was Venita. Venita wore a brightly colored dress that was almost neon yellow. Her hair was died to match the dress and it was so bright I almost couldn't look at her.
"Hello and welcome to the 50th annual Hunger Games and may the odds be ever in your favor," Venita beamed. "Now this year is special and we will be picking 2 boys and 2 girls to be the District 12 tributes for this year." "As always we will start with the girls." She walked over to the bowl that held all the names and picked two envelopes instead of one.
"The first girl tribute to represent District 12 in the Quarter Quell is Poppy Finch," said Venita. The girl who looked to be about 17 walked up to the front slowly and looked shocked. She didn't have the gray eyes or dark hair like the people in the Seam had so I am assuming she was one of the merchant's kids.
"The second girl tribute to represent District 12 in the Quarter Quell is Maysilee Donner," said Venita. I looked and saw the girl looked to be the same age as me maybe 15 and two girls were right next to her one identical to her and the other one had similar features. I knew this girl from school and that was her twin sister and their best friend. They looked heartbroken.
"And now we will pick the boy tributes," beamed Venita. She walked over to the bowl with all the names of the boys and picked two. My heart started to pound because this was the nerve racking part. She went back to the microphone and opened the first envelope.
"The first boy tribute to represent District 12 in the Quarter Quell is Adam Benckridge," Venita called out. The boy looked about 14 or 15 and he had the gray eyes and the dark hair that most Seam kids had.
"And last but not least the second boy tribute to represent District 12 in the Quarter Quell is…" and I was never going to be prepared enough for the name she called out.