Chapter 2: Reaping Day.

I AM BACK! To be honest, this is the worst thing to ever upload the day after Valentine's Day... but I upload when I'm bored.

Still own nothing except: Eve, Matthew and Owen. I also own Zach.

Yesterday, I woke up at 7:00AM to the birds tweeting. Today, it's 4:00AM and Peeta's screaming. From instinct, I bolt upright as Peeta runs into my room and basically jumps on me, tears running down his face.

"What's wrong?" I asked, slightly moody. What!? It was 4:00AM!

"It's reaping day," he replied, still shaking hysterically.

"I know. You're not in it yet, I'll be perfectly fine and no offence to Matthew, but it won't be the end of the world for me if he goes." I added. "My name's only in there five times. Not forty-two." Sadly, that's near-enough the amount of times Gale's name is in. I don't want to sound like a clingy girlfriend or anything; I wouldn't know what to do if Gale got picked.

Peeta then just looked at me. "Eve, if you do get picked, promise you'll try to come home?" He's still trembling.

"Of course I will!" I answered. Yeah, I know Peeta used to think I would leave home if we got into an argument as I am so damn stubborn... just it kinda hurt that he thought I would commit suicide if I actually went into the Games. Everyone comes out a little different to when they went in. Finnick Odair began sleeping with half the Capitol when he won. So did Cashmere. Enobaria ripped someone's throat apart, the when she won, she got her teeth filed into fangs. Johanna Mason pretended to be really sweet and shy a couple years back. Final three left and she annihilated both of the competitors. And didn't Titus what's-his-face turned into a cannibal in the arena last year? I know Titus wasn't a victor; it's still a textbook case of what The Hunger Games can do to you. "Peeta, how 'bout we get some sleep?"

"Can I stay with you?" He asked. I nodded and he climbed into bed with me.

Now I woke up to the birds tweeting. I also woke up to Peeta kicking me in the stomach and my mum screaming for us to get up and get changed. Peeta then went back to his room and I got ready in mine. I know The Hunger Games is an important part of everyone in Panem's culture and all, but why in the name of the lord did it have to start at 8:00Am every year?!

When our family arrived at the town square, Matthew walked over to the twelve-year-olds; Mum, Dad, Owen and Peeta walked over to the audience area, I went over to the thirteen-year-old girl section. Across the square, Gale gave me a supportive smile. I was actually more worried about him than I was about myself. Effie Trinket, our escort, walked up on to the 'stage' of our Justice Building. "Hello everyone and welcome to the reaping for the 69th annual Hunger Games!"

Or what Gale and I most commonly called it, the annual Slaughter Games. Well, it's pretty accurate.

She shows us the film about the creation of The Hunger Games (you know, the one that makes you die of boredom?) and then walks over to the glass bowls full of innocent children's names. Two of them will be dead in the next two weeks.

"As always, ladies first," She exclaimed happily. How any of the Capitol could be happy about this, I won't ever understand. Oh yeah. That's right. It's because none of their children ever go in The Slaughter Games. Well, maybe the odds are in my favour today.

"Evangeline Mellark!"

Of course they aren't! They never actually flippin' are so the Capitol escorts can shut the hell up about them being in anybody's favour! As calm as I possibly could be in that situation, I walked up onto the platform and stood next to Effie. I then took that time to look around. Matthew and Owen looked devastated, Dad and Gale looked like they were about to cry and Mum and Peeta were actually crying. Like a robot without any human emotion, Effie called out the next poor victim that was gonna be sacrificed in another week or so.

"Zachary Olivers!"

A boy, like sixteen-ish or so, walked up on to the stage and stood the other side of Effie.

"Happy Hunger Games and may the odds be ever in your favour!"

She cried out one more time before she led us to separate rooms for our families to say goodbye to us. First in my room; Peeta. He cried like there was no tomorrow. Peeta then ran straight up to me and tried to hold back his sobs. Instead, it came out as a choke. I sat down with him next to me and he cuddled into my neck. "Look, Peeta. I will do my best to come home." I said.

"You promise?" He said. I then nodded before a Peacekeeper came in and took him out. Then, my parents and my other two brothers came in. They weren't as upset as Peeta but still badly upset. Then, in came Gale. At this point, his eyes were as red as mine from all that crying we'd done.

"Look. You can do this. I believe in you," Gale said.

"I know," I responded. I quickly kissed him on the cheek before Peacekeepers dragged him out. Damn Peacekeepers. I don't even know how they're called Peacekeepers because they were never peaceful. And I doubt they'll ever be.

A next set of Peacekeepers pulled me out of the room and onto a train that was going to take me to the Capitol. Today was my last day in District 12.