The 25th Hunger Games

Chapter 1

Sara pulled out her old reaping dress and handed it to me.

"Last year," she said, "better look pretty." I take the sparkly pink dress and look into her honey brown eyes in awe.

"You're giving me your Capitol dress?" I ask in shock. My 23 year old sister Sara would do anything for me, but this pink dress made in the Capitol is her prized possession.

"Of course. You're my sister." She pulls me into a hug. "I love you. Now, go out there and give 'em the scare of their life." I laugh a little, but it's hard not to be afraid. This is my last year in the reaping; no one wants to be chosen in their last year. It feels like a betrayal from the Capitol.

"I love you too," I break away from her, "but I gotta go. The reaping's starting soon."

"Good luck baby doll." She gives me a quick hug and I run out the door to my certain death.

"Happy Hunger Games," District 12's overly Capitol escort says into the microphone, "and may the odds be ever in your favor! We have a very special reaping for you this year seeing as it is the first Quarter Quell. Just to recap, this Quarter Quell was made special by the fact that each District chose their tributes. Everyone was given a ballot and they were to write the names of their choice for female tribute, and male tribute. We counted all of the votes, and the results are in." she smiles wickedly before continuing. "First, we have the men." She pulls out a slip of paper and her smile widens as she reads the name. "Ash Dodez!"

A scared looking 14 year old walks up on the stage in a daze. How could the people of 12 ever choose to send him into the Games? It just isn't right. If people could put him in the Games, they'll have no problem sending someone like me in.

"And now… the girls!" she pulls a piece of paper from her pocket. It feels like hours pass before she calls out, not a name, but a death sentence. "Monika Huney!" I stand there, surrounded by all the people who voted for me. Who just sent me to my death and all I can think is 'Screw them'. I walk up to the stage. Shocked. Scared. Angry. I cry inside as the escort forces me to shake Ash's hand. I weep to myself when Sara screams that she wants to volunteer for me. And I cry a single tear when the Peacekeepers slash her with a whip and tell her to get back in the area for the spectators.

I thought that would be the last tear I ever cried. I did not cry as we boarded the train that would take us to the Capitol. I did not cry as I sat at the dinner table and forced myself to talk to my escort. I did not cry when Ash grabbed my arm and begged me to kill him quickly. Then, I lay in bed watching a recap of every one of Districts' reapings. I see the strong careers from 1, 2, and 4. I see the slightly weaker tributes from 3, 5, and 6. My heart breaks as I watched scared kids from 7, 8, 9, and 10. Then, my heart stops as I see the tributes from 11. I gasp as a 12 year old girl with dark brown hair and sea green eyes walks up to the stage. When she suddenly bursts into tears, I cry just as hard as her. Because, on the TV in front of me, my little sister is crying for her life.

i know it's a short chapter, but I'm really not that great at this kind of stuff. Reviews make me happy BTW :)