It was my last year. My final year, surely, I think as I pull a dark red dress over my head, that I would not get chosen. I was the youngest in my family, the last to be eligible for reaping. My brother had made it through without being reaped but he also didnāt have nearly theĀ amountĀ of Tessaraes that I do. I have the maximum allowed for a four person family. After my father fell ill, it fell to me to feed our family.
Ā I stand among my peers, peacekeepers crowding all the eligible teens in a large group. A sharp pain shoots through my side as a peacekeeper jabs me with a baton, yelling at me to move closer to the stage. The group shifts forward while my heart pounds as the eccentric woman from the capitol steps onto the stage.
We watch a video, President Snow telling us how well we are doing and why we must give up two of our own for this slaughter. I begin to get nervous as I look over to where my parents and my brother stand. The woman walks to a rolling bin, a huge smile on her face as she spins it. The entire crowd silent as she waits for the bin to stop, reaching in and pulling out the first name. I donāt really notice the name, just that it is not mine, a wave of relief washing out of the entire crowd. A girl, just a year younger that I, stumbles to the stage. The woman congratulates her and hurries to pull the next name.
She glances down at the slip of paper and reads off the name. Caitlin Wallaceā¦ the name sinks in slowly, my heart stopping. She says it again, looking to see if she pronounced it wrong. Someone pushes me out of the crowd and into the narrow walkway to the stage. The womanās voice is grating as she calls out a congratulations to me. I walk, dazed, to the stage, a wave of recognition flooding over me as I stand next to my fellow tribute. I look out to my father in the crowd, his face is stony, as it always is. A pain wells up in my throat, burning tears. I blink them away as much as I can, staring out into my district. I begin to say goodbye to all the things I loved about my home. The people that I barely know are watching me with such pity and sadness. I have a flash of anger, I donāt want their pity, just my freedom.
We are pushed from the stage into cramped rooms in the Common House. I sit on a desk in a locked room when my parents and brother are ushered in. My mom hugs me but not a tear leaves her, my brother seemingly bored as he leans against the door frame. My father is the only one who speaks. Sisā¦ he saysā¦ be strong, remember all I have taught you. Keep your faithā¦ he tucks a soft, small leather pouch into my hand. It was a gift from me when I was little. A good luck charm filled with minor trinkets and blooms of peach trees. My lips tremble as I hug him, a tear sliding down my cheek as the guards call for them to leave. One of the guards hits my fatherās side and he lets me go, a tear falling down his weathered cheek. Stay strong Sis, I will see you soon.
I sink to my knees on the ground, slipping the thin leather cord of the bag around my neck. I sob silently, knowing that I may never see my family again.Ā
I stand there, just like everybody else does, just wishing its not my name thats called out. I look around me and see terror on the faces of familys that have children in the reaping. Then i stop on my mothers face, she is fixated on my little brother who has just turned 12 so is now eligable for the hunger games this year. He was always her favorite, no matter what i did to help protect and feed our family i was always the disapointment of the family. All of a sudden i see my mothers face drop and her starting to sob, I looked around to see people looking at me with looks of shock, sadness and sypathy, whats going on? āKendra? Where are you?ā My distict representitve repeats my name once more before it regesters in my head. While i was thinking about my mother and my brother my name had been reaped. Figures.
I put on foot in front of the other and slowly make my wat to the stage. Emptiness was all i felt untill i started to get pissed off, of all the things i could have be thinking of was how much of a disapointment i was to my family. By the time i get up onto the stage im majorly pissed off, and when the district rep starts talking to me i snap. āHow are you feeling you lucky thing?ā she asks? āOh my god did you really just ask that? I mean please, how stupid can you get?ā I cross my arms, I can hear gasps from the crowd who are blatantly unimpressed by my attitude. Our rep quickly proceeds with the reaping and before i knew it i was ushered off stage and into a small dismall room, and then i just waited.
My mother was the first to come in, disaproving look upon her face. āThat was very stupid Kendra, you wont be coming back you know that? Not after that stunt.ā Ouch that was a bit harsh, i mean thanks for the boost of confidence. āGood at least that means i dont come home to you.ā I reply instantly regreting saying it. She leaves before i can say anything else. I want to run out the rooma and tell her i love her and im sorry for everything but i know i cant. The rest of my family dont come to say goodbye to me, which snt a surprise after what i had said to my mother, but to my surprise my best friends Maisie and Paige enter the room. They dont say a word they both just embrase me in a hug and leave which to me spoke a thousand words. This is it, goodbye district 11.
