Saxon Klinge

Thud. Thud. Thud. An explosion could go off in the factory and I wouldn't notice. The only thing in my mind is the rhythmic thudding of my hammer against the nail. I put the hammer down and pull out the pop rivet gun, placing one in each corner of my contraption to hold it together.

"Saxon! I swear, you are death!" my head snaps up to see my little sister Renata standing in front of my work bench, hands on hips.

"Oh, hey Renata didn't see you there."

"Obviously" she rolls her eyes "mum and dad are waiting outside, we're heading to the reaping now." I put my work down on the bench, take off my safety gear and follow my sister out of the factory. Our parents are waiting outside for us.

"Saxon, how many times did I tell you not to go to work before the reapings? And look, you've gotten oil on your top." My mother instantly starts fussing over me.

"Calm down mum, I wasn't technically working-"

"But you still went into the factory!"

"Yeah Saxon, you still went into the factory" Renata teases.

"Yeah okay, it's not like I can go back and change it so let's move onto a better topic?" My parents drop it and start talking about my father's work, although Renata looks a bit put out that I didn't get a real telling off. Renata and I both love each other but nothing can stop sibling rivalry.

I tune out of the conversation and think about what I will do after the reapings. I think first I'll go home for lunch and then go back to the factory to work on my invention. Work is always cancelled on reaping days but to me it is not considered work as working on inventions and building stuff is my favourite past time. I spend most of my spare time making my newest invention at the factory where I work constructing various electronic gadgets.

My newest invention at the moment is a device to scare away burglars since there has been a large outbreak of crime in our neighbourhood recently and mum has been getting very worried about it. It involves a trip wire that causes a heavy box to swing forward and into whoever sets it off. I would get something to send of an electric shock but I would have no source of electricity, so this will have to do.

"Ouch!" I yelp as Renata punches me in the arm- quite hard for a thirteen year old might I add.

"Well I was getting sick of your deafness. Now are you going to check in or get in trouble for being too dumb to hear anything around you?" I ignore my sister's jabs and take my place behind her in the line. I get checked in no problems and make my way to the area for seventeen year olds.

I wave to a few of my work buddies and exchange small talk but nothing much. I don't know any of them too well seeing as I'm always too immersed in my work to chit chat and I spend most lunch breaks working on my own personal inventions.

"Good morning district three!" the bright and happy escort for this year bounces onto the stage, speaking into his microphone.

I drift off as he keeps speaking into the microphone. I go over in my mind how the microphone works. The sound waves would hit the diaphragm and vibrate which would turn into an electrical current that then travels along the cord and busts out through the speakers. I of course know this from constructing various microphones in the factory.

Whack!

"Ouch!" I yelp as the guy next to me whacks me on the arm.

"You just got picked" he hisses.

"For what..." I trail off when I realise just what it is I have been picked for. I notice the whole crowd seems to be watching me and my eyes widen in shock. I was just reaped for the hunger games.

Eyes still wide and slightly disbelieving I make my way up to the stage where the escort waits for me.

"Bit of a daydreamer, aye" the escort winks at me and continues on with the girls reaping. How could he be acting so casual, I wonder. It's then that I realise I am on live camera and try to stay focused and keep a determined look on my face.

When my family enters the room I have been assigned to to make my last goodbyes I am walking around examining the strange decorations. Everything is either a metallic silver or dark blue and seems to have had so much effort put into it for something that is only used once a year for a soon to die tribute to say their last goodbyes to their family in.

I'm pretty sure my father thinks the same thing judging by the look on his face as he enters the room behind my mother and sister.

My mother walks steadily across the room and pulls me straight into a tight hug. She doesn't let go for a few minutes and by the time my father pulls her away she has tears running down her cheeks. Renata is also crying.

"It's okay" I try to reassure her, pulling her into a hug when I know that it most definitely isn't.

My father doesn't cry, but just pulls me into a hug, thumping me on the back.

"I have raised you to be a tough worker. You prove that to me in the arena." He says.

I nod and tell him I will but when my family leaves the room I can't help but feel like I have lied.

Saxon Klinge is by perryperry

blah blah blah same as last chapter blah blah blah creators of characters let me know how I went.

~~Sexichick