Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games :( If I did I wouldn't be writing this now would I, silly monkeys!
Chapter 1: Day of the Reaping (Nadia POV)
I'm woken by the sound of my father shouting for me to get up. It's the Reaping. It's finally here. For four years I've trained every day and never been Reaped, never had the guts to volunteer. "If you don't come down here now-" he was yelling up the stairs but I had cut him off. "I'm coming!" I pulled on a long sleeved green dress on, to hide the disgusting purple bruises that ran the length of my arms. I ran down the stairs and came face to face with my father. "Sit, eat." He growled at me. My mother pushed a piece of bread and a glass of milk to me. She was shaking, scared of what he would do to me. I wasn't scared of him, I'd grown stronger all the years he was training me, braver. I glanced out the window at the glorious ocean. I remembered going there when I was little to play in the waves, now the only reason I must go there is to train. I was brought back to the present by the sound of my sisters' feet skipping down the stairs. It was Sara-Beth's first Reaping, she was so excited. But as for Lily and Anna they were not old enough. Lily had 2 years to wait and to train, Anna had 6. Sara-Beth couldn't sit down so she hopped about the kitchen eating her breakfast. I shot a quick look at the tiny window near the door, people were heading towards the Justice Building. This year I would volunteer no matter who it was, I had to.
I opened the front door and my sisters pushed past me and started to run up the street. How can anyone be so excited about certain death? I walked slowly but making sure I was out of my parents way. I didn't want him going over and over killing strategies or which weapons were the best. I only wanted to volunteer so they would stop, stop going on at me. If I won the Games I wouldn't ever have to go back in. If I enter, either way they'll stop. I will die or I'll win. Before I'd realised it we were in the crowds outside the Justice Building. Ammie Crowning stood on the large stage outside its doors. She was looking ridiculous as usual this year her theme colour was a sickly green. I ran ahead to find my sister. I reached Sara-Beth and held her hand. It was shaking, she had just truly realised, she might be going into the Hunger Games. I knelt down in front of her as waves of people pushed past us, "Bethy, it'll be okay. They won't pick you. You'll be fine." Her sweet green eyes were glistening with tears. One of her friends skipped by, grabbed her and started to drag her over to where the others their age were. She shot a worried look at me and whimpered. "Go" I said to my sister and she shakily followed the other girl. My go. I turned away and got in the queue. They stick my finger and point to a roped off section for my age. Ammie clears her throat into the mike and giggles. "We are going to show you a very important video from the Capitol!" God she was annoying. The Capitol seal appeared on the screen behind her, then it showed us the history of the first rebellion and that the Hunger Games was our punishment. Then it went on to explain about the second rebellion. The Mockingjay. Her friends, Gale, Madge, Cinna, Haymitch, Finnick and Annie. My great grandparents. They were allowed to live till they were almost 90 but were tortured. The second rebellion failed also. The video ended. Ammie stepped back up to the mike. "The time has come to pick one courageous young man and woman to compete in the Hunger Games. Ladies first. May the odds be ever in your favour!" She reached into the big glass bowl stirring it with her overly decorated hand, teasing us. After a few minutes of this, she stopped and picked a name. "Sara-Beth Sterling." My sister. My sister, oh my God. Before the shouts could start I ran to the stage "I volunteer!" This wasn't about my parents nagging me anymore this was about my baby sisters life. Sara-Beth was staring at me in shock from her place climbing the stairs to the stage. "What?" ,She breathed, "Nadia, no." My sister was silently crying trying to hide it. District 4 was a Career district, we were meant to be used to this. My father hurried to Bethy and flipped her over his shoulder walking back to the crowds. She cried and screamed, when she saw that he wasn't putting her down she gave up and crumpled quietly sobbing into his shoulder. Ammie motioned for me to join her. Once on the stage she said to me "And you're name would be?"
"Nadia Sterling" I murmured
"Well, meet District 4s female tribute, Nadia Sterling!" She was the only person clapping. Half the audience scowling, they wanted to be tribute, the other half looked sad. But they were all silent. "And now, for the boys!" She fished around in the other bowl. "Nathan Willis." a boy I'd seen standing a few people away from me in the groups stepped forward. His bronze hair shimmering in the sunlight, his emerald eyes- God snap out of it Nadia! You're gonna have to kill him soon! I'd known him when we were younger but he disappeared when I was 14.
FLASHBACK
I swim out in to the ocean. To relax. My third Reaping is coming up and I've been training for years. I don't know why I have to train, Nate doesn't. He has met me by our rock near the waters edge almost every day for 6 years. He tells me stories of how him and his father go out in their boat and fish in the stormy weather. Of a world outside my fathers of training and the Hunger Games. Nate was my best friend, until last year. His third Reaping. After that day I hadn't seen him once.
END OF FLASHBACK
I had envisioned seeing him again one day, but not like this. Not for the Hunger Games. As I began to refocus on the real world I noticed his hand was stretched out to me. Recalling other tributes I'd watched do this I shook his hand and the way he looked at me I knew he remembered.
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