I squinted up at my window, the bright light blinding me from the edges of the curtains, and got up out of bed. Today was going to be dreadful, as it always was, seeing someone you may not even know and their families crying their hearts out and knowing that they would be losing someone in their hearts, it is horrendous.
Opening the window, I looked up at the sky; the bright blue and gorgeous clouds were extremely out of contrast for this day.
"Annie, you get dressed and come down here now, we leave in twenty minutes!" My mother's voice knocked me out of my trance and caused me to rush to my drawers, pulling out my simple, white dress and throwing it over my head. I ran downstairs and grabbed a fresh handful of berries and munched on them happily, knowing that I had to find Fin.
I ran outside and down the street, jumping over rocks and pebbles. The sun shone down on me as my hair floated behind me. It felt amazing to be running with the wind and made me forget the upcoming events. I dashed into his house and up the stairs to his room and knocked softly on the door.
"Who is it?" A voice called from inside the room.
"Ann-" The door opened before I could finish answering and I was pulled inside. The inside of the room was dusty and cold, but I didn't mind. I had gotten used to the living ways of District Four, as I grew older understanding that we didn't choose our lives; that was the capitals job.
I felt a pair of familiar arms wrap around me tightly, and I clung back on to them, not wanting to let go first.
"Annie, Look." He pulled away from me, looking me square in the eyes, not breaking eye contact. "After the reaping, we'll go right to the lake, okay? Just you and I, catch a load of fish."
"You'll catch the fish, I'll watch." I corrected him, trying to laugh, but all that came out of my mouth was a hoarse cackle. The hits from yesterday had healed into dark bruises and scars and it stung to look at.
"Deal." We shook hands, trying to break the uneasy tension that this day brings for everyone.
"Let's head into town, shall we?" I opened the door for him as we both walked out of his house and down the path, towards the town center, where everyone was gathering together for the Reaping. I gave Finnick a reassuring hug goodbye and walked over to the girl's section of the center. I saw the grief and sadness struck across the faces of all the people I knew, whether or not they were possibly entering the games.
"Simmer down!" A raspy voice called and we all looked up nervously as a tall man stood center stage with two bowls of names in front of him.
"Welcome to the Reaping for the 65th Annual Hunger Games! Exciting, Exciting…" He walked over slowly to one of the bowls.
"Well, no dilly-dallying, ladies first!" I looked over at Fin and saw him looking down; he was praying that it wouldn't be me.
As his hand lifted out of the bowl, I knew that one girl's fate lied in his hand, and many girls were already on the edge of tears.
"Sophia Ross." A mix of screams, sobs, and weeping spread through the crowd. I looked over at Finnick and he shot me an apology smile, which I just returned back with a sad glare.
Sophia walked up to the stage, her head held up high, a grimace etched on her face. I had not known Sophia well, but seeing anyone face death's door was sad. Her mother was in the back row sobbing, along with her little sister, who was trying to run to the stage, but kept getting blocked off by angry peacekeepers.
"Come up here Miss Ross, How are you? Let's see who will be accompanying you to this years games." The announcer spoke clearly, as if he didn't notice all the crying people.
"Let's just pick a name, here we go." The screaming in the background, made me unaware that he had already picked a name out of the clear bowl.
"Finnick Odair."
Suddenly I felt weak in the knees and faint in the head. There was a buzzing in my ears and a child was wailing in the crowd, I was getting a little annoyed, until I realized I was the one screaming.
I ran towards the stage, reaching out to him, and I saw him herded up the stairs to the building. Two peacekeepers blocked me off from contact, sweeping me away and back towards the otherwise now silent audience. I could only cry out his name one more time before all went black.
