At home, I change into my sky blue satin dress. It is the most beautiful thing ever. It has a low neckline bordered by small yellow flowers (which match my hair). The fabric is gathered at the waist and then flares out again into a knee-length skirt. The sleeves go down to my elbows and, like the neckline, are bordered with yellow flowers. I will look very good on the stage.
The reapings are staggered so that everybody in each district can watch all of them. District Seven—being in the middle—has the reapings done at 1:00. There are no cars in most of the districts. I think a lot of people have them in One, and only the richest in Two, but in Seven, the only means of transportation is wagons pulled by horses or oxen. By the time I am dressed and ready, Father has dragged our rarely used wagon out of the shed and attached it to our old horse. He helps Mother into the front and then swings me up onto the wooden board I use as a seat in the back. I am still light enough to be picked up. At fourteen, I am only 5'3" and weigh less than 90lbs.
The ride to the Square is an hour of bumps, ruts, and potholes along the almost completely overgrown road. Since this road is only used once a year for most people, it isn't necessary to keep cleaning it off. But as we approach the Square, the grass is cleared away, and the road becomes level. More houses appear, but they aren't all made of wood like mine, some have foundations of stone and the streets around the square are cobbled.
I can hear the quiet chattering of the families that have already arrived from the center of the Square. Father helps me and Mother down from the wagon and ties the horse to a pole with the other families'. I am herded to the fourteen-year-olds' section and I see some of my friends from school. They greet me quietly and without emotion, but I'm very happy today, so I give a big smile in return, which they look confused about. I look over to the seventeen-year-olds' section and I see Arboren's head rising up half a foot above everyone else. She is staring straight ahead.
Keep reading...