Chapter 1

Bug Pru-Lee

The reaping is today, the reaping is today, the reaping is today.

That is all that comes through my twelve year old mind, as I chase my little sister around our minuscule house.

I am Bug Pru-lee. And it is my first time having my name in the reaping.

I wasn't exactly scared for the reaping, I mean I'd only been put in three times. (for food) It was my very first reaping, and I was almost excited to see what it was. Almost.

"I lov yoo Bug!" says my two year old sister, as she runs towards me. Boy, do I love her. She's by far the best out of my five siblings that I'm sandwiched in the middle of, and she's only been around for two short years.

"Nissa, Tommy, Bug, Cero, Myracle! Time for dinner!" Yells mom as she urges us to our tiny table.

I scoop up Myra (Myracle) in my arms, and we walk to our tiny wooden table.

"And may the odds be ever in your favor!" Says Nissa in her best Capitol accent. Nissa is my nineteen year old sister. She was once pulled in the reaping, but some power hungry other person volunteered, to our family's relief. Now we all agree to not put our names in more than twice extra.

We all nod, and try to laugh at Nissa's joke.

"ADD IN FAVA!" screams Myra as she stomps her tiny fists on the table playfully. We all laugh and slowly eat what tiny portion of food we have.

"Mommy, I don't want to be pulled when I'm in the reaping." Says five Cero, my five year old little brother.

"Don't you worry my little flame of sunshine! You have no need to worry about that." Says my mom as she patted his head.

"The only people that have to be worried this year are me and Bug. I have my name in about ten times, and Bug had three." says Tommy. He's about seventeen, and can be a huge jerk sometimes. Once, when he was ten, he stole the whole family's food, and we were hungry for days.

"I no want Bug in hunga gams!" Cries Myra. I shoot Tommy a bitter look for scaring her.

"Don't worry Myra! Look! I'm here now!" I say as I make a funny face, Myra giggles and eats her only dried carrot.

Nissa rolls her eyes, and looks at our creaky old clock.

"Eat up people, it's almost time to go." Nissa says sadly. As she probably prayed for nobody to get pulled.

———————time skip to the Reaping—————————

When we arrived at the reaping, I couldn't decide if i was fascinated, or terrified. Little bit of both I think.

I'd always liked to know what was going on at all times. So I was interested to know what it felt like to see someone get pulled up close.

Entel I saw the Peacekeepers. That was when I wanted to turn back.

Their whips and weird uniforms were more terrifying than my worst nightmares. I was almost completely sure things couldn't get any worse, entel I saw the fingerprics.

I HATED needles.

Ever since Myracle had her asthma attack at birth, I hated seeing blood or needles, cause it brought back horrid memories. That's why mom named her Myracle, cause she was our little Myracle.

When it was my turn to get pricked, the only thing that made me step forward, was the Peacekeeper's push.

"Bug Pru-Lee." The person said, right before she pricked my finger, and smeared my blood on a tiny piece of paper with my name on it. She did this three more times, till all my papers had blood on them.

I let out a tiny squeak as I walked forward with the smallest kids. Even though we where all the same age and gender, I was by far the shortest, and stuck out in the crowd.

We all waited for about twenty agonising minutes, entel a lady with a bright orange wig, and weird clothes walked out.

"Hello hello! I am Effie Trinket, and before we begin, I must show a little tape of how the 91st annual Hunger Games is here today!" She said in her weird accent, as she pressed a little remote, and a huge screen played that anthem.

There was a five minute long video, that claimed that the Hunger Games wasn't as horrible as it was.

When it ended, Effie Trinket gave us all an anxious smile, and said: "well then, ladies first!" she said as she made her way to a giant pot, with thousands of pieces of paper inside. Three of which I knew had my name on them.

She shook the pot, and put a gloved hand in the pot. She grabbed one of the pieces suddonly, making everyone in the group tense.

She brought the paper up to her head, and said the name.

"Bug Pru-Lee!" the women screamed.

The world seemed to stop right then and there. There were screams everywhere you looked. One was mom's, one was Nissa trying to volunteer, the other was the most recognisable, Myra's cry.

All the younger kids made a path for me. I backed away, but the peacekeepers just picked me up and took me to the top of the platform.

I screamed and kicked, tears running down my cheeks.

The peacekeepers threw me onto the platform, I bumped my elbow on the cement, and heard my bone crack.

I cried in pain, as the peacekeepers held me up, keeping me from running away.

Effie looked at me with pity. "Now for the boys." said Effie sadly.

She pulled the name of an eighteen year old boy named Arti Blofes. The boy high fived his neighbors, and happily walked up on the platform without any trouble.

He growled at me, and I stopped staring.

"Any volunteers?" said Effie, as she outstretched her arms.

My sister was jumping around in the audience, trying to lie about her age so she could volunteer.

"Okay then." Effie said. "And may the odds be ever in your favor! Now shake hands." Effie told everyone.

When me and the boy shook hands, I felt like he was going to crack my knuckles.

We walked into the house, me cradling my broken swelling elbow.

I was doomed.