The Hunger Games [COMPLETE]

1: Reaping Day

Emily's POV

It's that day that everyone fears. Reaping Day. But this year is even worse. It's the fourth quarter quell. 

Even though they say it won't be so bad, it's always a lie. This year's games has more advanced killers. Every district has had training for this year's games. Except for District 12.

District 12 caused the second rebellion, so this was our punishment. Every teen here had to either train themself, or not train at all and be slaughtered when they enter this year's games. That's what I have been doing. Training myself to kill.

I am not very good, but I can at least use a knife. In total, I have probably killed twenty animals. But that is not good enough. Others have killed over fifty, and I have only twenty. But every time I kill, I have to sell what ever the animal was for money or food. If I kept it, that animal wouldn't have even lasted a day. Not even a deer. And I have killed a couple of those.

"Emily, get yourself ready for the reaping! It starts in less than an hour!" My mother yelled at me from the living room. I was in the kitchen eating some berries had picked, and I realized I wasn't even close to being ready.

Before the reaping, every teen has to be bathed, groomed, and dressed nicely. So I had to quickly do all of it. Bathing was the worst part.

Since our district is very poor, plumbing did not exist. If you had to shower, or use the toilet, it all was done outside. And it got cold here every once in a while. And it was a little chilly out.

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I walked through the streets, and all teens were crying to their parents. Unlike me, they had someone to cry to. My parents didn't really care if I got reaped or not. It would be one less mouth to feed if I died. So I walked to the reaping alone as usual. It was my third year being reaped since I actually had to start at the age of eleven. My birthday fell in a weird place. Since it was the day after the reaping, I still had to go. Every once else but me was twelve or older at the time.

I had my finger pricked, and the lady who did was glaring at me. I didn't know why.

"Miss, your glasses must be taken off for this event. You have to look formal." The lady growled at me then took my glasses. She threw them on the ground, and completely smashed them. I didn't really need the to see, but I did when I was younger. I actually traded a squirrel, deer, snake, and goat's milk for them. I was as blind as a bat as a kid.

After giving the lady a glare back for smashing my glasses, I took a seat in my suppose to be age range. I was sitting with fifteen year olds, but I was only fourteen. I was a special kid. So that was kinda cool.

But when I was about to sit, I saw the most unbelievable thing.

My parents were in the back row with other parents.

This had actually ticked me off. They come this time to the reaping, but they never had before. Did they actually want to see my name get called? What was is that they came for?

I headed straight for them, and I got right up in their faces.

"Why did you come here? You never have before, what makes this day any special? Are you dying for the day my name gets called? If my name gets called, then you would love to watch the games. You'd be able to see me die on national television. Probably by a stupid career. Then once I am dead, you both can just sit back and laugh. Laugh the rest of your lives because your only daughter gets slaughtered by a career. Is that what you want?" I yelled in their faces. But their faces weren't mad, or happy. It was sadness. Pure sadness.

"No, we were here in case your name gets called, so we would be able to say goodbye to you. We realized how selfish we have been. If your name gets called, we want to get the chance to say final goodbyes if you get killed." My mother sighed as she began to cry. But I didn't believe her for a second. I went to hit her, but guards grabbed me before I could.

"You bitch, you never cared about me before! You are a damn liar!" I shouted at her as I carried away. I didn't mean to say that to my own mother. I love her, I do. But was just full of rage at the fact that she actually showed up this year.

The guard carried me back to my age group and they set me down on  the bench.

"Now listen here little girl. If you don't want to be reaped automatically for that little outburst, then I expect you to behave for the rest of the reaping. If you are just going to attack people, then we can automatically put you into the arena for that. Do you understand?" The guard growled in my face. I pouted at him and nodded, then he walked away.

They have stupid rules for District 12. If you fight at anytime, they can automatically reap you. Use foul language, they can automatically reap you. Talk badly about someone, they can automatically reap you.

It completely unfair for us teens in District 12.

"Welcome everyone. Welcome to the reaping for the fourth quarter quell. The 100th anniversary of the Hunger Games. May the odds be ever in your favor. Before we pick our courageous young man and woman, we would like you all to take a look around and look at your peers. Because after today, one man, and one woman will be put into that area for a fight to the death with twenty-two other tributes." A crazy looking capitol lady smiled.

We all looked at each other, and I had caught glimpses of a couple people I recognized. Their was a girl named Cierra, a boy named Cole, another named Chloe, and another boy I recognized, but I could not remember his name. If any of them gets picked, I will probably be sitting in class, staring at the empty desk that once once theirs.

"Alright everyone, it is time to pick District 12 male and female tribute. But for this quarter quell, we are going to pick boys first." The lady spoke, the went over to the glass ball that contained all the names of the boys. Cole's name is in there. He has been my friend ever since we were babies, so I hope every year his name doesn't get picked. 

She had a named picked out, so she opened it up and read the name. And I felt my heart break when I heard who's name it was.

(Ignore grammar please.)