Jason Grace, 16, District 5 Male
I wake up and immediately feel a pit in my stomach. Today is reaping day, and I am sure that either me or my sister will be reaped. We had been living on our own until our mom returned from somewhere. She is not the same, and she keeps saying that she has done something wrong. My sister, Thalia, thinks that she tried to do something to rebel against the Capitol but she got captured and tortured into almost insanity. She's been healing, though, and it would really affect her if one of us gets reaped. I sure hope that our theories are wrong and we will both still be here by the end of the day.
Thalia knocks on my door and pushes it open saying, "Come on, Jason! Time to get up for the big day!"
"Ugh, don't remind me." I mumble.
"Someone's in a mood today. Well, get up and help me make breakfast.", she says. She leaves me to get dressed and heads downstairs.
Once I am dressed, I walk downstairs and see that Thalia is making eggs.
"Where did you find those?", I ask her. We haven't been able to afford eggs in ages.
"I went for a walk this morning and found a nest. I also grabbed some herbs for seasoning."
"I'm sure breakfast will be delicious, Thalia!"
Usually we just have oatmeal for breakfast, as oats are quite cheap. We have both had to take out tesserae, as our mother left when we were too young to get a job, and our father has never been around. Luckily, Thalia and I were able to get a job earlier than most kids, and we've been just surviving ever since. It has been especially hard since our mother came home because she is in no state to work.
Once we have finished eating Thalia's delicious breakfast of eggs, we begin to get dressed for the reaping. We don't have very nice clothes, and I wear some dusty brown clothes that are quite similar to my everyday wear, while Thalia wears a thin, brown dress that used to be our mother's.
We meet each other downstairs, and I say to Thalia, "You look nice today!"
She responds, "Thanks, Jason! You look pretty good yourself!"
"Thanks, sis! Is mom ready to go?" I ask her.
"Yeah, I got her dressed and brushed her hair for her."
"Alrighty then, let's get this over with."
Thalia Grace, 17, District 5 Female
Today is the day of the reaping. I woke up early so I could gather something, anything for my family to eat for breakfast. Both my brother and I work, but it's still hard to afford meals sometimes. My mom is apparently a war criminal, and she was tortured in the Capitol before the rebels rescued her.
Jason and I have talked, and we think that one of us might be reaped because of what my mom did, whatever it was. I really hope that is not the case. I don't know what I would do without Jason, or what he would do without me. We really depend on each other.
I am really lucky, as I find a nest of eggs that I can bring home for breakfast. I also gather some herbs to season the eggs with, as well as some healing herbs we are low on. I head home, and start cooking breakfast. Then I wake Jason up. I'm going to try to keep a positive attitude today, and hopefully Jason and our mom will be able to do the same. Reaping days are always tough. Luckily, Jason and I only have a few more years before we'll age out.
Once Jason is awake, he helps me make breakfast, then we call Mom down to eat with us. We quickly eat breakfast and rush upstairs to get dressed in our best clothes. We don't have showers in our house, so I clean myself up as best as I can with the tap in the bathroom before pulling on my only nice clothes—a dress that belonged to my mother.
Jason is still changing—he always takes forever on reaping days—so I get Mom ready. She is still sitting at the kitchen table, fearfully muttering about something.
"Come, Mom." I beckon from the stairs. "Let's get you cleaned up."
She walks up the stairs and I sit her down on her bed. I wet a washcloth in the sink and use it to wash her face. It is so dirty that the washcloth turns brown. How long has it been since she washed? And when I run a brush through her hair it is so knotted that I can hardly get the brush through one inch of hair. We really need to take better care of her.
It takes a while to brush through her hair, but it's worth it. She looks so much better with just a clean face and brushed hair, wearing her nicest dress. I hold her hand and we walk downstairs.
Jason nods, seeing we are ready and puts away his knife and a block of wood. He enjoys whittling and has started a small business out of it in his spare time, although we both spend most of our time working in the factory.
We head out the door and walk to the reaping. We live in one of the farthest houses from the reaping, but I like that it's close to the forest so I can scavenge for some extra food whenever possible.
Once we have finally reached the reaping, Jason and I get into line. He greets some friends, but I don't see anyone I know in this sea of unfamiliar faces. It seems to take forever to reach the registration table, but eventually we make it. I hold out my finger and they poke it to take a sample of my blood. Then I'm ushered off to the section with 17 year old girls.
I try to keep my head up, but I must be sending out a message that I don't want to be talked to because everyone keeps their distance. That is, until there are too many people and even I am squished into here like I'm in a can of tuna.
After another interminably long wait in the heat, our escort finally comes. We've had her for several years.
"Hello, ladies and gentlemen and everyone in between! I'm Purmenia Evergreen and I will be your escort this year!" She giggles. I can hear many people muttering that she's been the escort for several years, and will likely be the escort next year too, but I'm too nervous to participate.
"Do you all remember why we have the Hunger Games each year?" The crowd groans. "Well, I'm going to show you!" She gestures broadly with her arm at a screen on the stage where a video starts playing.
I wish the video would distract me from my thoughts, but they are just too strong. What if I get reaped? Jason will be all alone, how will he survive on his own with Mom? And to have to watch me die on camera? That would be horrible. And what if Jason gets reaped. I gulp, unable to even entertain that possibility.
I almost jump as I hear Purmenia's shrill voice begin speaking again. Almost.
"Everyone, it's time for my special job!" She sounds way too excited to be choosing which child to sentence to their death. "Time for me to pick the female tribute!"
She reaches her hand inside the bowl and swishes it around. I can feel butterflies in my stomach. I want her to get it over with and also never choose at the same time. Please let it not be me. Please.
"And our lovely female tribute is…" She unfolds the paper. "Thalia Grace!"
My heart sinks. I knew this would happen. Despite the fear racing through my limbs. I do my best to hold my head high as I walk up to the stage. Everyone near me clears out of my way as I purposefully walk to the stage.
"Nice to meet you, Thalia!" She genuinely looks thrilled to see me.
"And is everyone ready for me to pick the boys?" Purmenia pauses, seeming to be waiting for an audience response. After a silent pause, she rushes on. "Well, I sure am ready!" She reaches her hand into the same glass bowl as before until someone hisses across the stage, "Not that bowl! The other one!"
"Oopsie!" Purmenia covers her mouth and scurries across the stage to the boys' bowl. She reaches her hand in, feeling the paper slips. Please let it not be Jason. I would give anything for it not to be Jason. We can't both be reaped. Purmenia removes her hand from the bowl.
"And let's see! We've got the one, the only…Jason Grace!"
Everything she says next is blurred in my ears as I try to comprehend what just happened. No. We were both reaped. How will our mother survive? Tears prick the corners of my eyes and I force them away as I see Jason walking to the stage.
I need to stay strong. For Jason and for my mother. And for me. I can break down later, but for now I shove down my feelings.
"Ooh, are you two siblings?" Purmenia practically squeals. We nod, to her delight. "You look so similar!" I almost roll my eyes at this statement. We look almost nothing alike.
"Shake hands, then! Go on!" We shake hands, I try to squeeze Jason's hand comfortingly. It will all be okay. Except it won't. At least one of us will die, most likely both of us.
Once again, Purmenia's voice stabs through my thoughts.
"Everyone, I am so very pleased to announce your tributes! Thalia and Jason Grace! Give them a huge round of applause!"
The audience gives a smattering of applause and we are taken into the justice building, surrounded by peacekeepers dressed in their white uniforms.