Ashley Blake (13), District 11 Female-POV
I soar from tree to tree, the wind rushing on my face and through my hair. My heart races every time I jump from a tree, not knowing if I will make the other. I get to the end of the orchards and climb down to the grass beneath me. I run through the meadow, brushing my hands against the high corn stalks. I can hear voices near me, and I peer through the thin stalks to see who it is. I am covered by the stalks as I am very short and skinny and I can see my younger siblings who are twins sitting on the floor opposite each other talking.
"You know it's the reaping today don't you?" My sister Hayley says.
"Yeah how can I not? Anyway we can't be reaped so we're fine." My brother Kale replies.
"I know but Linden, Lynley and Ashley could get reaped" Hayley says. Linden is my older brother who is seventeen and Lynley is my older sister who is fifteen.
"I think if any of them were to be reaped, I'd be worried for Ashley" Kale looks down in what looks like sadness.
"And why do you say that?" Hayley asks.
"Well... Linden is really big and strong like a typical District 11 boy and Lynley might not be the strongest or fastest but she can climb and she is outgoing and friendly so people would love her. Ashley... she is just really quiet and I doubt she is good at running and climbing; she's just so small!" He looks slightly ashamed of what he has just said, but he believes it and it kind of hurts.
I have to admit, I am really quiet and shy but they haven't seen me in the orchards. I can climb higher than Lynley and I'm faster than her too.
Hayley carries on, "I guess... but I think if any of them were to go, I'd miss Ashley the most".
That makes me feel good; knowing that if I was to go my family would miss me.
"I agree, I'd miss the others obviously but Ash the most, she's the nicest of the three."
I don't hear anymore as I head home to get ready for the reaping.
I walk through the door and my Mother is standing by the door waiting.
"Where have you been?"
"I was... at the orchard" I look down guiltily.
"What did I tell you, I understand being there when you have to work but they're not safe when no-one is there to keep an eye on you!"
"I know Mum I'm sorry," I walk upstairs to my room and close the door. I understand why she is worried, but sometimes it can be annoying not having any trust.
When I was younger, my father was out harvesting in the Orchard. No-one was there as it wasn't technically harvesting season. There was an accident, and my Father died because of it. My Mother get's very worried about her children being there but we have no choice, we have to harvest.
I get my outfit out for the reaping; it's a white sun dress and some brown sandals. My caramel coloured skin glows against the white of the dress. I leave my dark brown hair down and it comes just past my shoulders. I find my necklace I always wear; not at the orchards though, I'd hate to lose it. It's a silver chain and on it is my Fathers ring. The silver ring is engraved with a pattern like a tree's branches; probably to do with the district. I fasten it around neck and I head downstairs.
My family wait by the door, we all look so similar; except for Linden who looks like our Father. The same caramel skin, straight brown hair, big brown eyes and small and thin. I am the smallest, even smaller than Hayley and she is younger than me. We all leave, and I decide I'm not annoyed with my brother and sister for saying what they said, I couldn't be at mad them, I love my family too much.
Brock Stern (18), District 11 Male-POV
I stare at the wall; I've been doing this for days now. Why? I'm not really sure. It could be the fact that I no longer have anything to live for. Or that I have constant regret every day. I can't help but think that I shouldn't be alive right now; that I should be up in the sky looking down on my beautiful family, but the opposite has happened. I don't mind being alone now, there is no-one else alive that I do care about, so what's the point of being with people who I don't care about. I put my head in my hands.
"Oh Malaya, I wish you were here right now"
I can almost clearly hear the sweet sound of her voice replying.
"Stop being silly Brock, I am here with you and you need to get your life back together... you know the reaping is today you've got to go or you'll be in trouble, now get up and go get ready"
I follow her orders in some sort of robotic fashion. I go to my cupboard where I keep my clothes and put on some black trousers and a dark blue shirt. I rummage through a draw to find a comb for my hair and I come across a small bit of blue cloth. It was Theo's.
Theo was my son. Malaya and I had him when she was fifteen and I was sixteen. Even though he was an accident, I couldn't have loved anything more. I met Malaya when I was twelve and I loved her the first time I saw her. The way her brown eyes shined when the sun hit them and how she could run for miles or climb to the top of the highest tree. We didn't mean for her to get pregnant but after she had Theo we couldn't have been happier. My life was perfect but then it all changed during the rebellion. I was out fighting against the Capitol and I thought my family would be safe at home; but I was wrong. The capitol dropped a small bomb on the road we lived on and it destroyed it. I returned from the war, to find my parents house and my own wrecked. Malaya and Theo had been in our house and they were killed as well as my parents. I didn't know what to do with myself and I guess I've taken to imagining Malaya as kind of a conscious to get me through everything.
"Now, you need to go to the reaping and I'll see you soon" her voice fades into a whisper and she is gone.
Ashley Blake (13), District 11 Female-POV
I stand at the reaping, surrounded by a few girls crying. Luckily, them crying draws attention away from me and I can stay unnoticed. Our escort, who if I didn't know was from the capitol and she didn't have the obvious things that capitol people have I would of thought she was from District 11. She has dark caramel skin but it has swirls and patterns painted in gold across it; which actually look nice.
"Hello District 11, here is a message from your president!"
Once the message is over she picks the male tribute.
"Brock Stern"
A boy comes out of the eighteens section; you can't really call him a boy though he looks more like a man. He looks just like a typical District 11 man, dark skin, tall, big built and strong. Brock has black hair and light brown eyes but he seems so sad. He walks up to the stage straight faced and he looks kind of angry. He then just stands on the stage staring; not even showing a tad of emotion. The escort then picks the female tribute.
"Ashley Blake"
I hear a group of gasps as I make my way to the stage. I begin to cry and once I start I can't stop. I feel myself gasping for air as I can't stop crying. Hayley and Kale were right; I'm going to die. How am I going to survive against all the other tributes? What if there big and strong like my district partner? I reach the stage and stand wiping my cheeks. I swear I see Brock look at me with some pity but I can't be sure seeing as my eyes are blurred from my tears.
"Here are District 11's tributes-Brock Stern and Ashley Blake"
I wait in the room I was given in the justice building. My family walk in and wrap me into a hug.
"My little girl can't go into them games" My Mother says tears running down her cheeks.
"I'll be fine Mum; I'm going to try my hardest to get home for you guys ok?"
They all look at me like they don't believe me. Why would they?
"We're going to miss you so much Ash!" Hayley says also crying.
As they leave the room I make a promise to myself. I'm not going to just try to make it home for them; I will make it home for them.
Brock Stern (18), District 11 Male-POV
I stand among the other eighteen year olds. I feel so much older than them; they haven't been through as much as I have, for sure. My escort walks onto the stage glowing with gold paint. I wonder what it would be like to live in the capitol. If I did, my family wouldn't have died and I probably would be overly excited about the Hunger Games. It's weird when you realise how different your life could of been if you lived in a completely different environment. The escort puts her hand into the bowl to pick one of our fates.
"Brock Stern"
I keep a straight face; I can't show my true emotions. I feel like shouting, punching a wall, anything to let out my anger. I walk up to the stage and stare out into the crowd. I see Malaya standing there holding Theo. She looks at me pitifully and hugs Theo close. I just want to go and see them, one last time.
The escort then picks the female tribute.
"Ashley Blake"
A small girl walks up to the stage gasping and crying. She looks a bit like Malaya when she was younger, but so do all the other girls in District 11. She looks at me with her tear filled eyes and I look back but I turn away quickly. I can't feel pity for this girl; especially if she might be killed in the next few weeks; and it's most likely looking at her. She seems so small and weak like she couldn't hurt a fly.
"Here are District 11's tributes-Brock Stern and Ashley Blake"
I sit alone like usual in a room in the justice building. I press the little bit of cloth I found earlier which was Theo's to my cheek.
"I miss you so much" I whisper.
Malaya appears in front of me holding Theo.
"We miss you too Brock" she says smiling.
I run over to her and pull them both into my arms. I feel tears appear in my eyes; I've never been so happy to see them.
I press my forehead against hers, "I love you both so much" I say.
"And we love you too, good luck Brock"
And as if by magic, they both fade away. I miss them straight after they disappear and I decide I can't bare another second without them.
"I'll see you very soon, I promise."