MATTHEW'S POV
"Matt, you need to get up...' my dad trailed off. "Okay Dad," I respond. My dad is still a little messed up from my mother's death. It was about three months after the Games, which my brother Keller died in. Anyway, my mother was at work when the factory that she worked at exploded, an exposed wire was electrified and made the building explode. Mother didn't make it.
"Dad, are you going to come with me to the reapings?" I asked him. "I'll come later... " he trailed off again. So I headed outside to my friend Nikki's house. She is my closest friend, next to Paulo Jiminez.I was a few feet from the front door when I heard a creepy voice, I turned around quickly ,"Oh Mattie...OH MATTIE", Nikki jumped out from behind the tree and we started tickling each other and rolling around. "Get a room," Paulo walks up, smiling.
Today, 8:17am
"Oh, shut up, Paulo. We're just trying to have some fun before one of us is potentially sent to a death sentence," Nikki responds. This is why she and I get along. She knows just what to say. "Anyway, we should get to the square." We all walk solemnly to the place where the reapings are held each year.
We had finally just got there when we hear,"Happy Hunger Games!" Says Gaila Pruvius, our escort. "Let's mix it up and do boys first, shall we?" She practically flies over to the boys bowl and She draws a name."Mathew ", she says.
...It cant be, NO!It. was. me.
I, Matthew Carson, brother of Keller Carson, will follow in my brother's footsteps and die in the Hunger Games.
JILLIAN DOE'S POV
I woke up to a beautiful sunny day, to have it only later be dark and dreary. This is the kind of day the old me would have loved, but not now. Not when I could be reaped and thrown into an arena with 23 other living people like me, and most likely die. Oh well... I turn to get up and go over to my sister's bed.
"Penny, you need to get up. It's reaping day," I say, trying to smile but failing. When she opens her eyes, she seems to be in a happy trance. But then she hears what I say,only to collapse and hold on to each other,crying and holding each other in our arms. It felt good to be wrapped in my sisters arms before potentially getting reaped and dieing. My dog, Data, happily comes in the room and jumps on the bed, wagging her tail. She then, sees us crying and starts to whimper. We both, automatically allow our dog in our little circle. When we finish crying, I put on my sister's old reaping outfit and go downstairs to see if Mom and Dad are up. They are.
"Morning Mom. Morning, Daddy."
"Good Morning, sweetheart. Here. Have some toast". When we all were done eating, we walked to the square silently, staring at the cement. When I sign in and get to my section, a boy starts to say how if he gets picked he's gonna kill everyone but everyone is just ignoring him.
I finally get tired of it and turn to him and say, "Shut up, will you? You won't get picked cause you're a rich kid who nobody likes whose name is only in twice. Wanna know how much my name is in there? Well I'd tell you, but it's probably too high for you to count to."
This earns snickers and laughs from his friends. Then it begins. The video starts which nobody watches and finally it ends. This year, Gaila draws boys first. It's the kid whose brother died last year in the Games. The whole audience sighs in unison, all feeling bad for him. "Now for the ladies!" Gaila says."Jillian Doe!" No. There has to be a mistake. How can I be called. I look over to the rich kid who I told off and he snickers. I walk, stunned, to the stage and wave half-heatedly.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girl. Say hello two our district three tributes. And..May the odd be ever in your favor".
