District 7- Scotch Pine and Bouddica Rhannag
Hack, thwop, kaboom. The sounds of my axe hitting the oak tree reverberates through the forest. I can hear my brothers' and father's axes sounding too. Soon it would be time to quit for the day, to go home. "I'm sure Mom and Victoria have cooked up something nice for us," I think. My stomach growls. Realistically, I just hope there is food at home.
I think about what life would have been like had my family stayed in District 4. I would be a fisherman, not a lumberjack. That's a different picture. For years now, I've been hacking away at trees to help my father and older brothers bring home food to the family. When we moved here, I was only 10, but I started working. I was pretty smart and ahead in school anyways, so it was fine by me.
What I didn't like was how we got here. Back in District 4, we were pretty well off. Dad did well in his business and life was great, but then something happened. From snippets of private conversation I learned that Dad had stumbled onto something even bigger, a government black market. The capitol forcibly moved us here to District 7, and we had to change our last name. The way I look at it, I was blessed to get to live in District 4 at all.
You might say that I'm a go lucky kind of guy, smart, funny, humble, and determined. I'm average height and weight, with brown hair and blue-green eyes. I have a good family, a great best friend, Jules Henderson, and romance isn't too important to me. My life isn't too bad if you look at it optimistically. Sure the reaping scares me, but it scares everyone.
"Quitting time," shouts my father.
Time to go to the home where my family can all be together. That's a blessing in and of itself. My brothers, father, and I all walk home. I whistle all the way.
Reaping day
"Thanks so much mummy!" I squeal as she hands me the new butterfly hairpiece.
I pin it into my long black hair which is in its customary pigtails. How exciting! A new outfit and a new hairpiece! My short green dress which brings out my green eyes and now the surprise of the hairpiece almost makes up for the fear of my first reaping day.
"I love you so much darling!" says my mother with genuine affection.
My mum is amazing. She is quick-witted and smart and I have no doubt she could have won one of the games had she been reaped. She is the one who makes life as easy as it is for us. My father has been distant for most of my life, so my mum is the one who provides. We aren't rich by any means, but we have a good life and don't have to worry about necessities. Or tesserae for that matter.
As my mum walks up to the check-in with me she comforts me, "Just enjoy today honey. Enjoy seeing your friends and wearing your new outfit. Remember, the odds are very much in your favor, you only have one slip in that giant bowl," she says with a smile and points to it. I can tell she is still a little nervous though.
"Thanks mummy, I love you!" I say as I head for check-in.
I go to my own section full of frightened twelve year olds. Then I remember that not all of them are as lucky as me. Some, if not the majority, probably had to take tesserae, which comforts me even more.
I talk to my friends cheerfully, although I think I am the only one who actually is cheerful. They all compliment me on my pretty dress and hairclip. I wish all of them could feel as pretty as I do right now.
"Hello and welcome to the reapings of the 51st Hunger Games!" says our escort Lavinia Lane enthusiastically. I start to get just a little nervous.
After the customary video, Lavinia heads to the girls' bowl.
"Boudi…boudi… boudicca… rhan…rhannag, Bouddica Rhannag" she says, stumbling over my name.
"It's ok," I think to myself. Be brave and be strong like Mum. I put on a smile for the cameras and head to the stage.
Boys reaping
A girl's name is called. It's a girl from the 12 year old section, with no one to volunteer for her. "How innocent, but how brave," I think as she heads up to the stage. Her long black pigtails bobbing against her back.
"Very good!" says Lavinia.
"And now it is time to draw from the boys," she says with a smile.
"Jules Henderson," she says triumphantly.
My best friend's face registers shock. He won't stand a chance in the games. I know what to do. "I volunteer as tribute!" I shout.
"No!" he says.
I hold him back and say, "Its ok Jules, I know what I'm doing." The 15 year old section parts for me as I head up to the stage knowing that I did the right thing.
"Oooh! A volunteer! Tell us your name!" says Lavinia.
"Scotch Pine."
"Well Scotch, that must have been a very brave and hard thing to do!" says Lavinia.
"No ma'am, I did what I knew was right. Bravery is a thing for extraordinary men. Men who prove their worth in acts of valor, all I did was walk up to the stage, it wasn't too hard," I say.
I get some chuckles from the audience.
"Well then, shake hands you two," says Lavinia with a real smile on her face.
