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"Quicker Eve! That was lazy, swing like you mean it!" My dad yells "I'm trying!" I yell back "Stop!" He yells and I let my arms fall, dropping my sword "Eve I need you to listen to me." He says kneeling in front of me holding my shoulders "You need to be ready if you ever get reaped I know you've told me" I roll my eyes "Yes but that's not what I was going to say" he tells me I look up at him confused "There's a reason your mother and I make you train and I think it's time you know" he tells me "Because-" I start to say "No there's another reason Eve. Come let's go sit and I will explain" he tells me
My father sits me down in the living room of our small house in district 12. "Eve, your mother and I have lived here our whole lives. And as we grew up, we saw each of our friends get reaped one by one every year" he tells me "What happened to them?" I ask him "They didn't return Eve, they weren't prepared to go into the games, that is why we train you. We want you to be ready, we need you to be ready. If you ever get reaped you have to come back ok?" He tells me "Is that why I'm not allowed to have friends?" I ask He sighs looking down "How about you go sneak around and watch them unload today huh? That sound fun?" He asks me "You mean it?" I jump up "I mean it, go. Just don't tell your mother" he says "I won't!" I yell as I run out the door
Now any little 8 year old would think running in the forest was fun, but little Eve thought it was the whole world. She didn't get to do this often. Her day normally consisted of training, learning about all types of food and how to survive out in the woods, how to hunt, and how to use any type of weapon. Now was she grateful for her parents? yes she was but she also wished she could just be a kid. Cause she never really got that chance.
Little Eve runs through the forest and slows down once she gets to the unloading site trying to stay hidden. District 6 was bringing who knows what in today but I just enjoyed watching it happen.
As I was watching something not too far off to the side caught my eye. I start to slowly walk over and that's when I spot a girl, around my age watching them unload like me. I've never seen her around, then again I don't get out much.
"Hello?" I ask quietly She jumps a little then turns to look at me "Hi" she says with a small smile "Are you from district 12?" I ask her "What? Oh no I'm from district 6, I might have snuck on broad to watch them unload" she laughs "That's so fun! I might have snuck out here to watch them unload" I laugh Her and I start talking as two 8 year olds would for whoever long we were there.
People from district 6 started to get back into the train "I gotta go" she tells me "Will I see you again?" I ask her "Every time they bring things here, I'll be waiting in this spot for you" she smiles "Deal" I say as we shake pinky's before she runs off and jumps on the train.
I sprint back to my parents wanting to tell them the news. But as I run I bump into someone "Oh my goodness I'm so sorry!" I say getting up "No it's my fault I wasn't looking where I was going-" a little boy says as he stands up and looks at me. He just stands there not saying a word after we make eye contact "Umm both our faults?" I ask smiling "Oh yeah sure" he laughs "I've never seen you around are you from this district?" He asks me "Oh yeah I am. I don't get out much because of my parents" I sigh "Oh I'm sorry. Well I'm Flynn! Nice to meet you" he smiles reaching out his hand for me to shake "I'm Evelyn, it's nice to meet you too!" I smile as I shake his hand "Well if you ever want I have a cool hide out just down this path, I'm normally out here hunting if you ever want to join" he smiles "Uh yeah sure, hopefully I can" I smile "I should get going, have a good day Flynn" I smile as I start to walk "Yeah you too Evelyn" he smiles as he watches me run away
"Papa! Mama!" I yell running in "What? What happened?" They both ask kneeling next to me "I made two friends!!" I yell happy jumping around "What?" My mom asks me her color draining from her face "What do you mean you made two friends? Who are they?" She asks me "Well the first ones name is Camilla, she's actually from district 6, she's my age! The second one is Flynn he's from this district!" I smile happy "Um sweetie can you go to your room for a second?" My dad asks "Sure" I smile as I skip off
My smile soon dropped as I heard my mom and dad's conversation threw the walls "Why did you let her go out!" My mom yells "She needs to get out of the house every once in a while! She's 8 for goodness sake! Look I know we have to prepare her and I know you don't want her getting hurt like us but we have trained her from the moment she could walk, and we will continue to train her. But we still have to let her be a person" he tells her "I know I know. I just- I don't want her getting hurt" my mom sighs "I understand, she will be ok. I know she will" is the last thing I heard my dad say
It's been 4 years since I met Camilla and Flynn. Camilla and I don't get to see each other a lot due to being in different districts but Flynn and I hang out as much as we can. I still train everyday, learning how to survive. At this point I can take down both my parents at the same time without a weapon. It's also comes in handy when someone tries to bully me.
This is the first year of the reaping I am in. For Flynn it's his second. "Evelyn come on we don't want to be late!" My mom yells "I'm coming!" I yell back as I look at my beautiful blue dress one more time before running out of my room.
"Welcome to the 66th annual hunger games! As always we will start with the ladies" the person on the stage says I take a deep breath in as I wait for the name to be called "Lilian Cober!" The lady says and I instantly hear people's cry's I watch as the girl who looked about 17 walk up to the stage. "Now it's time for the boys!" The lady cheers I suck in another breath praying it won't be Flynn
"Oliver Blake!" She cheers and once again I hear the cry's of his family as he walks up to the stage, he looked around 15 if I had to guess. "Shake hands" she tells them "Everyone the district 12 tributes!" She cheers as the peacekeepers take them away
Once I get home I sit on my bed taking in the cry's I heard this morning. The rest of the day I felt numb, I didn't know what to think or feel. I lay my head down wondering what would the next year would bring. And I pray the odds would be in my favor.
