User blog:SCREAM4AUSLLY/The 40th Hunger Games: The Reaping

My heart is pounding, my legs are shaking, my hands are sweaty. Its the day of the reaping. I should introduce myself before I go on. My name is Laurel Bobbiesmint. I am 13 years old, and I live in District 4 with my parents and my 9 year old brother, Oliver. I am currently standing in the district square along with everyone from the district. In front of us stands the Justice Building. A stage has been built in front of the building for the reaping. On the stage sits our mayor, Valla the Capitol escort who comes to the district every year for the reaping, this years mentor for the two unlucky kids who will be forced to be in the Hunger Games, Barren Pennet, and the two glass balls that hold the names of the boys and girls who eligible to be in the games. When the town clock strike twelve o' clock the mayor stands up and walks to the microphone that also stands on the stage and starts to tell Panems story. Panem was built on top a country that was called North America. The city that rules the country is the Capitol and surrounding the city, are twelve districts. About forty-two years ago the districts rebelled against the Capitol, but we lost. The former District 13 was bombed and destroyed. As punishment for the rebellion the Capitol created the Hunger Games. The rules for the games are simple. Each year the districts are suppose to surrender one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18 and they are suppose to fight to the death in a arena. The last tribute alive is the winner. The winner of the games becomes rich and the winners district is given gifts which is mainly food. The winner is suppose to mentor the next pair of tributes from their district until that district gets a new victor. Usally the winners of the games come from District 1, 2, and my own district. This is because we come from the better districts where we are well fed and because we train for the games. During the games we usally team up and kill the other tributes before we turn on each other. I had decided that if I ever was in the games I would not be a part of that alliance since we would just turn on each other in the end. The mayor has stopped talking, and Valla has taken his place. "Hello everyone", she says in her hilarious Capitol accent. "Happy Hunger Games and may the odds be ever in your favor", she says. She starts talking again but I don't pay much attention until I hear her say, "It is now time to choose our tributes". She walks over to the ball that holds the girls names and digs around before coming up with one. She goes back to the microphone and opens the paper then says the name. "Laurel Bobbiesmint". My heart stops beating for a moment then starts to work again. My legs are shaking harder than ever as I make my way towards the stage. After I had mounted it, Valla asks for volunteers. I desperatly hope that another girl will volunteer since volunteering is kind of common here, but no other girl says she will take my place. When no one does, Valla moves on. "And now for the boys!", she exclaims happily. She marches over to the ball holding the boys names and grabs the first one she touches. She goes back to the microphone and reads the name. "Micha Bryant". I see a boy shuffle out of the the area that holds the 18 year olds and come walking happily up to the stage. You can tell he is excited to be going to the arena. After he has taken his place next to me, Valla asks for volunteers. No one come forward though. Valla lets the mayor talk again, but I pay no attention. Since I have trained and am well fed I shouldn't worry to much, but I worry. Mainly because since I am only 13, I will be one of the smallest tributes. Suddenly I realize that Valla is telling me and Micha to shake hands. We obey and then face the crowd while Panems anthem plays. Afterwards Micha and I are escorted into the Juctice Building by Peacekeepers, Panems security force. I am dropped off in a room and am left alone. I go and sit on a couch and try to get my legs to stop shaking. A minute later the door opens and my family comes in. Oliver rushes over and sits on the couch with me while my parents stay standing. My mother and father begin to talk about how its such an honor to be selected to go in the arena and to rpresent our district. I let them go on for a while but then I had finally had enough. "Guys what if I don't make it back?" I ask them. "But you will", my father says. "I know you will", says Oliver and my mother nods in agreement. Then the Peacekeepers come back and tell us that time is up and that they have to go. My mother bends down and gives me a hug. "I love you", she says. She releases me, stands up, and leaves the room. My father also bends down and gives me a hug. "I know you'll be coming back", he tells me. "I love you", he says. Oliver has his arm around me. "Do we have to go now?" He asks. I nod and hug him. "I love you", he says. "I love you to", I tell him. Then my dad takes his hand and they leave the room. The Peacekeepers tell me that its time to go to the train station so I stand up and follow them out of the room. We meet up with Micha and leave the Justice Building. We are brought to a car that Valla and Barren are already sitting in. After we had been seated the car starts moving. Valla starts to talk, but I pay no attention to her. It only seems that a minute has went by when we pull up to the train station. Its a mob seen. Reporters from the Capitol are there and when we exit the car they practically trample one another as they try to get pictures of us. I feel frozen standing in front of the train that will take us to the Capitol. But finally I work up my nerve and climb up the steps........ (I hope you enjoyed the story. More parts are to come.)