I don't own Sucker punch or the Hunger games


I put on my clothing from the day before, retrieve my weapons, and head to the woods. William is already there and appears to have already caught a deer.

"Hey Mari, I got a surprise", he calls to me as he reaches for his bag. He pulls out two fruit.

"Will are those..."

"Oranges, yeah I got some this morning".

"How much were they?" I ask.

"A lot, anyway we need to go buy food for tonight's feast".

Even though the reaping is a sad time everyone celebrates when its over, well everyone except the families that loses there loved ones.

"So were having deer?" I ask while staring at the corpse on the ground.

"No" He answers without hesitating.

"I was thinking we buy chicken, its expensive but we have enough".

"Will we be able to get anything else?" I question.

"probably some baker's bread and if were lucky, some milk".

"Sounds good, and what do you want to get for your dinner?" I ask.

He looks at me with a puzzled expression.

"I was kidding", I laugh.

He joins, but soon he becomes serious.

"Mary?"

"Yeah?"

"How many times was your name entered?"

"Thirty four" I answer.

"That's a lot", he sighs.

"You have yours entered 29 times".

"Yes, but its my last year of the reaping and I have less than you.

You still have two years to go", he explains.

"Well I can't change that, I started with thirty and I can't support Amelin without treasury".

"You could run away" He suggest.

"I could"

"And you could take Ame with us", he adds.

"So now your coming too" I giggle.

"We'd never make it".

"We could".

"I wonder what its like in other district or better yet the capitol", I say, trying to change the subject.

"Didn't you come from the capitol?" Will asks.

"Yes, but I never got to see how amazing it looked, I lived in the part that looks like the seam".

"I wish I could see it without entering the Hunger Games", he admits.

"Same here".

"I have to go" I announce, while grabbing my sword.

"Meet me at the square", he calls to me as I head to the fence.

I put my sword under the oak tree and go inside to see Amelin who was already bathed.

"I don't know what to wear", she says while searching though her clothes.

"Actually I made you something", I announce while showing her the jumper dress.

"It's beautiful", she approves.

"Well what are you waiting for?" I ask with a smile. "Try it on".

She puts the dress on top of her white collared shirt and puts on her black flats. I take her long hair and braid it. I take the braid and make a small bun and leave the rest of the braid down.

"How do I do I look?" She ask while looking into our small mirror.

"You look beautiful", I smile.

She gives herself a long stare in the mirror and smiles.

"You should get ready too", she points out.

I fill our tub with hot water and scrub from head to toe. I put on my mother's dress that is now a dark purple cocktail dress. I take my hair and make a braided crown and put the rest of my hair into two long braids. I Put on my mother's black sandal heel and grab my locket from my room. My locket is my good luck charm. I've had it with me since I was ten. It's silver with a heart shape that has little beads and a real diamond. In side there is a picture of my family. Of coarse we could never afford it, my mother received it from her best friend after her sudden death. I walk back into the room where Amelin is still at the mirror. She instantly turns to see me and her jaw drops.

"You look amazing", she compliments.

"Thanks".

"I need a good luck charm too", she mentions while acknowledging my locket.

I take my locket and put it around her neck.

"You can have mine", I say, while closing the clasp.

"Mari", she breathed.

"Yeah?"

"What if I.."

A horn goes off to tell people that it's time to head to the square.

"You ready?", I ask.

"Yeah", she replies.

"Come on let's go".

When we arrive to the square is crowded with the children from our district. I rush Amelin and I to take attendance.

"Hand", the woman says while catching on to Amelin's wrist.

"No!" She yells, jerking her arm back.

"It's just a prick", I assure.

She holds out her hand and the woman wipes the blood on a sheet of paper. As the girl grabs my hand, I search for William, but it's hard to see him through the crowd.

"Your done", the woman says.

I nod and head into the group. I spot William with Meredith Lazarus, the mayors eldest daughter. She fancies William and hates me for being his friend. I'll have to admit I'm quite jealous of her. Not that there's anything between Will and I, but because he's my best friend and my hunting partner and I don't want that to change, not for some girl. Just as Meredith spots me William turns and signals for me to come.

"Will was just complementing me on my look", mentions Meredith. She does look pretty with her short white dress and her long dark hair back in a French braid.

"He's right, you do have a nice dress", I complement.

Her and Will look shocked by my sudden kindness.

"I'll see you later", she says while walking towards a group of girls.

"That was nice", William mentions.

"Yeah, well everyone is a little friendlier today". "Especial before the..."

It was now two o'clock and a bell rung to tell us to stop talking. Meredith's father took the stage. He starts with his opening speech.

"It is a time for repentance and a time for thanks".

He continues with talking about the two rebellions that have taken place and that the Hunger games are part of the sacrifice we have to make to earn forgiveness. Usually they announce the past victors, but there are none so we go straight to the picking of the names. A girl in a vivid orange dress. She has a black wig and dark make-up to suit our coal mining district.

"Happy Huger Games!" she announces. "And may the odds be ever in your favour".

She steps away from the podium and closer to the glass ball with thousands of paper slips with all the girls names on them. Even though she is picking from the girl's bowl I still focused on the boy's, thinking twenty nine of those slips read: William Leak. She shuffles her hand and finally choses one. She steps back to the podium to announce the name. My hearts starts racing. Not Amelin, not Amelin, I repeat in my head.

"Marianna Lenzy!"

Oh good were safe. I turn to Will who looks pale. He must be scared. I give him a slight smile, but then I notice everyone is looking at me. People step out my way and the boy behind me gives me a light nudge.

"Marianna Lenzy!" she announces.

"Oh no" I think to myself. "It's me".