District 11 reapings

Amina Hambly, 15

I wake up to the sound of my brothers, Demont, Devon, Damon and Deval (please don't laugh) arguing. Demont is my oldest brother and is 20. We playwright a lot, which is what made me so good at had to hand combat. Devon is next, and is 18. He's really quiet usually. Except this morning I guess, because he's making a ruckus. And Damon and Decal are seventeen year old twins. They're troublemakers, like me. Except I guess I'm a little more hard core. After all, I grew up with four brothers and a father as my only company, none of which seem to really like me thatch. My mother died in childbirth with me, which is sad, but also good I guess, because otherwise she would've just kept having kids, and I have enough trouble with four older brothers. I could NEVER deal with more. Today is reaping day, so I'm going to sneak down to dads butcher shop and see if I can maybe steal a few knives for an hour and practice knife throwing, a skill I've been working on since I learned to steal. So basically my whole life. I grab some clothes; baggy jeans, a white tank top, and worn shkes, and quickly dress. I'm not in the mood to slowly comb my frizzy black hair, so I just put on a black cap. It causes a shadow that makes my chocolate skin look even darker. Good, it gives me a mysterious look. I walk downstairs into dads shop. Lucky for me, he is busily chopping some meat for a customer. I silently grab two knives and sneak off into the woods, my favourite place in the world. This is where I practice knife throwing, and sleep high in the trees among the birds and leaves. I live the smell of the air here. Since I live near the border of district eleven, we get a lot of smog from factories in the district's that surround us, but in the forest, the air is clean and pure, and I can almost smell the moist soil, fresh from last night's rain. If the reapings weren't today, I would probably spend the whole day here, but I need to get right to business. I think the games are horrible, frankly I despise them and the people who created them. But I've trained myself a bit,just in case I do get reaped. I expertly climb a tall tree and look around me. I choose a knot to aim at and ready My first knife. Whoosh. I hit my target directly in the knot. I throw the other knife and it lands right next to it. I crawl across the limbs of the of the trees like a squirrel and gather my knives. I work on throwing for a half an hour. I know I won't get reaped,but at least I feel confident in my skill. I climb back down the tree and run home, making sure to put the knives back exactly where they were. I hate the capital so much, really I do. I'm not sure why I always have trained. Its not like I would actually participate If I got reaped. I could never actually kill someone. But I've trained anyway. Maybe it's just because if I did get reaped, I want to show the stupid capital and their stupid games that us outer districts are good too. Better than them. I hate them. They're sadistic, cruel people. And what's more, they do everything how they're told, they're brainwashed, and in return, they get everything they want. I,for one, don't follow other people's rules. I follow my own rules, which, trust me, Are very different from the set I'm given. I guess I'm rebellious. Its just, what's the point of living if your whole life is spent being stuck up in a prison, bound with rules and threats and cruelty? It doesn't make sense. Still, even though I hate the capital, I've got to go to the reapings. S peaking if which, I really need to go now.

"Devon, Damon, Deval! We should probably go." I shout impatiently. I hear a series of hushed whispers and groans. Finally I give up and just go alone. When I get to the town square, I have to wait in line and sign in. (Come on, the capital is so advanced, there's gotta be a better way to sign kids in then to stab their fingers and smear their blood on a paper. Stupid capitalites.) Once I'm 'signed in' I head wander around inside the gates for a while and then head to my section just as Neville Meville, our strange escort, walks onto the stage. I am disturbed when I see that the furry thing on his shoulder is a squirrel. And its alive. What's up with that? Probably just an idiotic capital fad. That poor squirrel.

"Welcome, Welcome, Welcome district eleven!" He says it as if he's expecting applause. Sorry to ruin your dreams Neville, but WE DON'T LIKE YOU. "Welcome to the reapings for the 80th annual hunger games!" Again as if he's expecting applause. These people never learn, do they. He's plays the usual stupid capital video. Cone on capital, were not that dumb. We know that district thirteen doesn't look like that anymore, so stop trying to make us think it dies. Then he trots over the the girls reapings bowl. "And our lucky, lucky volunteer is... Amina Hambley!" I look behind me at my family, and am shocked to see them smiling. What? I guess it's a good thing I trained. But I'm not going to kill anyone. I'm not going to be their pawn, a piece of their games. I will stay strong. I walk up to the stage and glare at Neville. It seems like everyone hates me these days.

Julian Bird, 17

Bzzzzt- bzzzzt- bzzzzt- I reach my arm over and turn off my alarm. I'm totally exhausted. I was working in the harvest until about midnight last night. Why does today, of all days, have to be the reapings? I step off my cot and look at my tiny, rusty watch. Whoa, I need to get ready. But first I run and wake up my two year old sister, Veronica.

"Ron, you need to get up. Ron!" She opens her big, Brown eyes and smiles at me.

"Buthy! Buthy!" I smile at her nickname for me. Actually, she isn't my sister, she's my older brother, Kudzu's daughter. I used to live with him, because our parents died in a fire when I was little, but last summer he and his girlfriend just disappeared, so now I've got Veronica. I have no idea where he is, but knowing him, he'll be back at some point. I love Veronica so much though, she's like a baby sister to me. I pull her off her little cot and hug her.

"Okay, Ron, today I have to go to a thing called the reapings. You need to come too, but we can't sit together, so you're going to sit with Pine's family." Pine has been my friend since I was a little kid, and when I took in Veronica, or Ron as I like to call her, she naturally helped me. Ron looks up at me.

"Why canth I thit with you?"

"Because you're not twelve yet, so you're not in the reaping bowl."

"Whath the reaping bowl?" I'm not sure whether to tell her the truth or not, so I just say

"Its a place where your name gets drawn." She is obviously still confused, but I'm not telling her any more. I set her back on her cot. "I need to get ready." I say, walking to my dresser. I pull out tan trousers and a dark brown shirt, a shade or two darker than my skin. I put on my work boots and attempt to comb out my frizzy, curly black hair. The meaning of today finally sinks in. Today is the day when twenty four innocent children will be sent to fight to the death. I could be among them. Pine could be among them. Thank God Veronica is little, and safe from the games. I'm very tall and muscular from years of working out in the fields and trees, and I could probably be considered a threat if I did get reaped, but I can't imagine actually having to kill kids. I mean, I would do it if it meant I could get back to Ron, but I would feel so guilty. I love Veronica more than life itself, I could never bear it to leave her alone. The truth is, I would kill. I would kill, and that makes me feel terrible, the fact that I'd be willing to kill. But I'm not going to get reaped, and after this year and next year, I won't be in the reapings anymore. I go to the cupboard and get the remainder of the bread We have. I cut two slices, one for me and one for Ron. Then I eat hungrily, wishing there was more food. When we're both done, I get Veronica dressed and we head to Pine's house. Pine is from a better off family than me, so we walk to one of the slightly nicer neighborhoods and I knock on her door. I wait a moment and then hear footsteps. The door opens.

"Julian! I was worriedly weren't coming. Its getting late." She smiles at Ron. "Hello Veronica."

"Hey Pine." She veins her cute baby grin. Pine looks beautiful. Her black hair is done in a thick braid down her back, and she's wearing a dark blue dress.

"We should go. We don't want to be late." She says, her voice soft as silk. "Mother! Father!" She shouts back into her house. Her parents come to the door and take Veronica.

"We'll just take care of her until after the reapings. Good luck Pine, Julian." they say. And so we all walk to the town square. Pine and I wait in line and get signed in, and then head to our sections. We wait for quite a while, and then finally our escort Neville Meville comes to the podium. He plays the usual video and then goes to the girls bowl. I look over at Pine and see she is holding her breath.

"And our lucky, lucky volunteer is... Amina Hambley!" I sigh in relief as a girl walks up to the stage, glaring and sneering at Neville. I'm so glad it isn't Pine. The girl who got reaped looks horrible though, I have to say. "And our boy is..." he draws out a name. "Julian Bird!"

I feel really sick.

I just got reaped! I can't believe it's me.

But I know I can win, and I'm going to win, I swear to God I am. I've got to. I walk up to the podium and shake hands with Amina. Its really me. Am I going to die? I don't want to die. No, I need to live. I've got to live. I'm going to live.

Amina Hambley

My district partner is super tall muscular, but he doesn't look like he could hurt a fly. He doesn't have a chance. But I do, I've trained, and I'm confident that I can do this. My dad and all my brothers parade in the door suddenly and I look up at them. They're still smiling.

"Why are you guys smiling? I've been Sentenced to death! Why are you happy about it. Demont, Damon, Devon and Decal smile. So does dad. Then Demont quietly says

"You deserve it."

"What?"

"How has it taken you so long. Are you so stupid that you didn't figure it out? We hate you. We all hate you. You killed mom."

"What? It's not my fault she-"

"Yes it is. And now you're going to die. Its proper, fir you to die now. Then our family will be even." They all spin around and walk out, leaving me gaping and starting to cry. All these years, all these years that I've lived them, and played with them. It was all a lie. They've always blamed me for mothers death, and I never realized. Imvsoory dense, I never figured it out. I start to cry as a peacekeeper drags me to the train. I'll show them. I'll win, and I'll leave them to starve.

Julian Bird

Pine immediately runs in carrying Veronica.

"Julian! I had no idea-" She puts her hand over her mouth and holds back a sob. "Julian, you'll be one of the biggest tributes. You can win." I nod

"I'm going to win. I'm going to win for you and Veronica."

"She'll live with me, I promise. We'll take care of her."

"Thanks."

"Buthy! " Ron shouts. "Buthy, whath wrong?"

"Ron, I have to go away for a few weeks. And... And its possible that I won't be able to come back." I taje her from Pine and hug her tightly. "I'm going to miss you. I love you so much."

"TIMES UP!" I grab Pines hand.

"Pine, if I don't come back... don't tell her that I'm dead. Make up something, but don't tell her." She nods and then is taken away as I'm pushed to the train.

Alright, so there are our eleven tributes. What did you think of Amina's horrible family? Julians sister? PLEASE REVIEW! And now would be a good time to start preordering bb items with your points.