p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans';"We head to the Justice Building. Every District has their own. Ours is made out of wood to represent our District. 7 is the lumber District. It's how I became so strong. I chop lumber day and night, as does my family. It's what we do for a living, but it doesn't make much money. Not that anything does. All the wood, all our work goes to the Capitol, who hogs it all./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans';"I reach the Justice Building, still crying into my jacket. A Capitol person shows me to a room where I will say goodbye to my family and friends. I have exactly an hour to do it. One at a time, or together if they want, my family and friends will come in to wish me good bye and good luck. I sit on the velvet couch, crying into a pillow, as Jacob and Savannah come in. Jacob has been crying, I can see it. "Why are you acting pathetic?" Savannah bursts out, then covers her mouth, embarrassed. I smirk. "I'm making people think that I'm pathetic and no competition, so they'll ignore me. Then, in the Games, when there aren't so many people left, I'll make a huge comeback!" Then I quickly look around, making sure no one heard, but the only Peacekeeper on duty looks really bored and half asleep. He may have heard, though. For a moment I panic. I said too much, now they know all my years of training and preparing have been for naught. But then, I realize, it's not so bad if they know. I'm only trying to trick my fellow Tributes. It's not so bad if they know, right? No harm done. And besides, it's not like he probably hears, anyway. Most likely not. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans';" "That's a good plan," says Jacob, breaking the silence. I nod. "And I'm good, right? You saw how well I did out there." Savannah grins. "I almost believed it for a second."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans';""Johanna, you can win. I know you can," says Jacob, which somehow is more reassuring than anything else anyone has said. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans';"I hug him. There is nothing left to say. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans';"I've actually practiced my fake cry for years. It's really annoying if someone catches you-and awkward, and embarrassing- but I've almost never been caught. I've practiced crying on command which, actually, is way harder than it seems, sounding pathetic, being pathetic, and taking that smug look off of my face./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans';"I've always known that I was going to go into the Games. I've prepared myself./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans';"I wanted to do it last year, putting my name in extra times, but I chickened out./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans';"I did it this year, at 17, because there was a chance that I might not have been picked, and if I had not been picked, I'd still have next year, when I'm 18./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans';"I know it's dumb. I could have been terrified. I could have only put in my name 6 times./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans';"But I want to go to the Games. I really do. I've practiced so much, exercising for hours in the daytime when I was off of work, jumping swiftly through the trees in the forest at night when the Peacekeepers are asleep, practicing stealth, getting stronger and stronger, lifting make-shift weights, jumping through trees silently./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans';"I need to win. It can't all have been for nothing./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans';"But I'm sure I'll win, I'm positive./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans';"If I won, we'd be rich. If-when- I win, we'll have enough money to have 3 meals a day, and we wouldn't be starving. We'd move to a house with real plumbing, running water, and separate beds./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans';"That's why I have to win./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans';"We sit in silence for the next couple minutes. I glance at the clock. We don't have long. "Guys, if I don't make it back, I just want to know that I love you two. I'll be trying as hard as I can to get back. I might not make it, and if I don't… just know one of the last things I'll think will be of you guys." I start crying, for real now. "I love you! I love you both!" A Capitol guy comes in. "Time to go," he says. "Wait!" Jacob says. "Promise me, Johanna. Promise you'll come back."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans';"That is not something I can really promise, but I nod, silent tears still flowing down my face. "I promise." I manage to say. He smiles and hands me a necklace. At the end of it is a locket. "Open it up." He says. I click a button and it swings open. It's full of pictures of my family and friends. "We'll be thinking about you, too." He says. "Good luck," says Savannah. They both leave, and my parents enter. "Jo, sweetie!" cries my mother, and wraps me in a hug. I sigh, then hug her back. I glance over at my dad. His eyes are wide. "You need to get your hands on an ax. Then you'll win for sure," he says, not making eye contact. I nod. "Don't worry. I'll come back. We'll be rich and famous. I'll come back." I start to let go. My mom spots the necklace that I had put on. "Oh, good, Jacob gave it to you?" She asks. I nod. "I love it. Thank you." My mom smiles. "It's been in the family for centuries, and I fully expect you to return it to us. I know you can." I look at the necklace. It is so beautiful. It is emerald green, my favorite color. If I return it, it'll be stained red from blood. "Time to go!" Sings Kalli from far away, so I expect I still have a minute or so. "I love you guys! I'll do whatever it takes to come back," I tell them. My mom starts to cry. "I love you too, honey! You can make it back! I know you can!" I nod. "Don't worry about me, mom."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans';"Kalli arrives in the doorway. "Come on, Johanna!" She chirps. My parents start to leave. "Good luck," says my dad. I nod, and they leave./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans';"I follow Kalli outside. She leads me into a car. I take a seat next to Wayne. On my left is a Capitol person, also known as a Peacekeeper. On my right is Wayne, and next to him is a Peacekeeper, too. They will prevent us from escaping if we try. Not that we will./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans';"We start moving, and I remember to act weak. I cry on the way to the train station. When we get to the station we'll board the tribute train that will bring us to the Capitol./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans';"When we get to the station there are cameras everywhere. My face is on a screen. My eyes are puffy and red and I look, well, pathetic. Perfect./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans';"We board the train. It will take a long time to get there. Kalli shows me my room. It is as big as my whole house. The bed is huge and looks very comfortable. There is a closet as big as my house's kitchen, and a huge bathroom with hundreds of different buttons. Kalli calls me for dinner. I head to the dining room./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans';"Wayne and Blight are already there, too. I spot the table and the meal makes me gasp./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans';"There is a whole chicken, covered in creamy orange sauce. There is a bowl full of rolls that could feed my family for a week. There is a pitcher of lemonade, which I have only had once in my life due to its extreme cost, a salad, and much more food that I have never seen before. I take a plate and load it up with a little bit of everything. Then I start to eat. As we eat our meals, Blight asks about our strengths and weaknesses. He says 'weaknesses' with a very pointed look at me, which makes me almost roll my eyes until I remember to be weak. I wonder why he is even asking us. Wayne obviously won't say his weaknesses, or strengths, so there is no point asking. To my surprise, Wayne speaks up. "I'm very strong. Good with an ax. I've been using them my whole life," he says. Blight nods. "Good. And what about you Johanna?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans';"I have to remind myself to act scared. 'I-I don't know," I whimper, "i usually let my siblings do all the lumber things." Blight sighs. "Ok, that's ok. Nobody's perfect, right?" I nod, staring down at my plate. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans';"After we finish lunch we watch the recaps of the Reaping in other Districts. The Career Districts volunteer, as always, and they all look very strong. Well, duh. They trained their whole lives./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans';"No one else really stands out./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans';"After we watch that, I head to my room. All this crying has worn me out./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans';"After a while, I let the train rock me to sleep./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans';"I reach the Justice Building, still crying into my jacket. A Capitol person shows me to a room where I will say goodbye to my family and friends. I have exactly an hour to do it. One at a time, or together if they want, my family and friends will come in to wish me good bye and good luck. I sit on the velvet couch, crying into a pillow, as Jacob and Savannah come in. Jacob has been crying, I can see it. "Why are you acting pathetic?" Savannah bursts out, then covers her mouth, embarrassed. I smirk. "I'm making people think that I'm pathetic and no competition, so they'll ignore me. Then, in the Games, when there aren't so many people left, I'll make a huge comeback!" Then I quickly look around, making sure no one heard, but the only Peacekeeper on duty looks really bored and half asleep. He may have heard, though. For a moment I panic. I said too much, now they know all my years of training and preparing have been for naught. But then, I realize, it's not so bad if they know. I'm only trying to trick my fellow Tributes. It's not so bad if they know, right? No harm done. And besides, it's not like he probably hears, anyway. Most likely not. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans';" "That's a good plan," says Jacob, breaking the silence. I nod. "And I'm good, right? You saw how well I did out there." Savannah grins. "I almost believed it for a second."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans';""Johanna, you can win. I know you can," says Jacob, which somehow is more reassuring than anything else anyone has said. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans';"I hug him. There is nothing left to say. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans';"I've actually practiced my fake cry for years. It's really annoying if someone catches you-and awkward, and embarrassing- but I've almost never been caught. I've practiced crying on command which, actually, is way harder than it seems, sounding pathetic, being pathetic, and taking that smug look off of my face./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans';"I've always known that I was going to go into the Games. I've prepared myself./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans';"I wanted to do it last year, putting my name in extra times, but I chickened out./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans';"I did it this year, at 17, because there was a chance that I might not have been picked, and if I had not been picked, I'd still have next year, when I'm 18./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans';"I know it's dumb. I could have been terrified. I could have only put in my name 6 times./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans';"But I want to go to the Games. I really do. I've practiced so much, exercising for hours in the daytime when I was off of work, jumping swiftly through the trees in the forest at night when the Peacekeepers are asleep, practicing stealth, getting stronger and stronger, lifting make-shift weights, jumping through trees silently./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans';"I need to win. It can't all have been for nothing./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans';"But I'm sure I'll win, I'm positive./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans';"If I won, we'd be rich. If-when- I win, we'll have enough money to have 3 meals a day, and we wouldn't be starving. We'd move to a house with real plumbing, running water, and separate beds./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans';"That's why I have to win./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans';"We sit in silence for the next couple minutes. I glance at the clock. We don't have long. "Guys, if I don't make it back, I just want to know that I love you two. I'll be trying as hard as I can to get back. I might not make it, and if I don't… just know one of the last things I'll think will be of you guys." I start crying, for real now. "I love you! I love you both!" A Capitol guy comes in. "Time to go," he says. "Wait!" Jacob says. "Promise me, Johanna. Promise you'll come back."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans';"That is not something I can really promise, but I nod, silent tears still flowing down my face. "I promise." I manage to say. He smiles and hands me a necklace. At the end of it is a locket. "Open it up." He says. I click a button and it swings open. It's full of pictures of my family and friends. "We'll be thinking about you, too." He says. "Good luck," says Savannah. They both leave, and my parents enter. "Jo, sweetie!" cries my mother, and wraps me in a hug. I sigh, then hug her back. I glance over at my dad. His eyes are wide. "You need to get your hands on an ax. Then you'll win for sure," he says, not making eye contact. I nod. "Don't worry. I'll come back. We'll be rich and famous. I'll come back." I start to let go. My mom spots the necklace that I had put on. "Oh, good, Jacob gave it to you?" She asks. I nod. "I love it. Thank you." My mom smiles. "It's been in the family for centuries, and I fully expect you to return it to us. I know you can." I look at the necklace. It is so beautiful. It is emerald green, my favorite color. If I return it, it'll be stained red from blood. "Time to go!" Sings Kalli from far away, so I expect I still have a minute or so. "I love you guys! I'll do whatever it takes to come back," I tell them. My mom starts to cry. "I love you too, honey! You can make it back! I know you can!" I nod. "Don't worry about me, mom."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans';"Kalli arrives in the doorway. "Come on, Johanna!" She chirps. My parents start to leave. "Good luck," says my dad. I nod, and they leave./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans';"I follow Kalli outside. She leads me into a car. I take a seat next to Wayne. On my left is a Capitol person, also known as a Peacekeeper. On my right is Wayne, and next to him is a Peacekeeper, too. They will prevent us from escaping if we try. Not that we will./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans';"We start moving, and I remember to act weak. I cry on the way to the train station. When we get to the station we'll board the tribute train that will bring us to the Capitol./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans';"When we get to the station there are cameras everywhere. My face is on a screen. My eyes are puffy and red and I look, well, pathetic. Perfect./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans';"We board the train. It will take a long time to get there. Kalli shows me my room. It is as big as my whole house. The bed is huge and looks very comfortable. There is a closet as big as my house's kitchen, and a huge bathroom with hundreds of different buttons. Kalli calls me for dinner. I head to the dining room./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans';"Wayne and Blight are already there, too. I spot the table and the meal makes me gasp./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans';"There is a whole chicken, covered in creamy orange sauce. There is a bowl full of rolls that could feed my family for a week. There is a pitcher of lemonade, which I have only had once in my life due to its extreme cost, a salad, and much more food that I have never seen before. I take a plate and load it up with a little bit of everything. Then I start to eat. As we eat our meals, Blight asks about our strengths and weaknesses. He says 'weaknesses' with a very pointed look at me, which makes me almost roll my eyes until I remember to be weak. I wonder why he is even asking us. Wayne obviously won't say his weaknesses, or strengths, so there is no point asking. To my surprise, Wayne speaks up. "I'm very strong. Good with an ax. I've been using them my whole life," he says. Blight nods. "Good. And what about you Johanna?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans';"I have to remind myself to act scared. 'I-I don't know," I whimper, "i usually let my siblings do all the lumber things." Blight sighs. "Ok, that's ok. Nobody's perfect, right?" I nod, staring down at my plate. /p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans';"After we finish lunch we watch the recaps of the Reaping in other Districts. The Career Districts volunteer, as always, and they all look very strong. Well, duh. They trained their whole lives./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans';"No one else really stands out./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans';"After we watch that, I head to my room. All this crying has worn me out./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; color: #333333; font-family: 'Open Sans';"After a while, I let the train rock me to sleep./p