Many years ago when I wore a younger mans clothes, I was 17 I had a year to go before I was no longer eligible for the hunger games. I was born in district 7, the lumber district. My name is Eric O'neele, I'm a lumber jack. I may have looked a little scrawny looking, but I assure you I was as strong as the trees we cut down. The one thing that truly made me different from the rest, I'm a cripple, I lost my right leg when I was 8. I have to walk with a prosthetic and a cane, but I don't let it hinder my work or my life. Not when I was made fun of in school or any other time. I worked hard every day to be as strong as possible.
Wait, I'm getting ahead of myself. It was the day before the reaping, I was coming back from the forest it had been a long day the bus smelled of sweat, wood and cigarette smoke. The ride was as quiet as was the norm because no one had anything to say, are we really gonna talk about how shitty life is or how we have no freedom or how we are controlled by the capital or even the fact that we barely make enough to support our families. With me it's my brother and my father. Jimmy has three little girls to feed, Paul is taking care of his dieing mother, Marcus and Dom are holding three jobs and never get any sleep. The worst of us is Rick he doesn't even have a roof over his head. Yep, we all got it bad but that's life.
The bus stops at the factory and we all rise, pile off the bus and head our separate ways. My walk was quiet, it's one in the morning, the only sound filling the air was my footsteps. I stop for a moment lite my smoke. I took a long drag and exhaled, I watched as the smoke danced in the air. I heard footsteps behind me. I gripped my cane getting ready to fight this fucker if he tried to rob me.
"You know those will kill you right?" It was my younger brother, Robert.
"Yep, but better these than those schmucks at the capital." I replied with a chuckle. He laughed along. "Bobby, does Pop know you're out?" I asked.
He replied, "Yeah, he sent me to walk with you. You've been pulling alot of overtime", in a concerned tone.
"I'll be fine, my leg is holding up", I said in assurance, but Bobby seemed trouble. "What's wrong, Bobby?", I asked.
A frown quickly appeared then he answered in a sad tone. "The reaping is tomorrow.".
I look down taking another drag. "Bobby, you remember what I told you?", I asked.
"Yeah, if I get picked you will volunteer."
"And?", I replied.
"If you get picked I best keep my mouth shut or you'll knock my teeth out before I even utter a word."
"Good boy.", I said. We stood there in silence. "Let's get home, we don't want to keep Pop worried."
"Ok", and we wondered home in silence.