Flesh and blood

Chapter one

    "You're only twelve, your names only in there once out of the thousands of other names, you're going to be fine kid" My dad says but it doesn't help, Today is my first reaping, my name is Harper Abernathy, and my dad is convinced I won't get reaped, but he has spent the last year preparing me for if I do. "Even if you do get called, I'll be there with you every step of the way to the arena and after that I'll do everything I can to get you sponsors during the game." He continues, placing a hand on my shoulder. I still can't shake the feeling that the note Effie Trinket will pull out of the bowl will say my name "Now come on we don't want some peacekeepers coming after us, because god forbid someones 5 minutes late" He chuckled a bit trying to lighten the mood I just smiled half-heartedly as he fixed the collar of my shirt. Then we left for the square.

    When we got to the square, we were separated when I had to join the other twelve-year-old girls. I was close to the front of the section. I saw my dad sitting in the last of three chairs near the door, next to him were the mayor and Effie Trinket they were all waiting for the kids to be shuffled into the square. I look around seeing kids from school. I noticed one of my friends' sister Katniss, shes one of the older kids, I think 15. She hunts and sells her game, Shes one of the few people from district 12 who would have a good shot at surviving the games, if she were reaped.

    I turn my notice back to my dad who has found me in the crowd, he just gave me a reassuring nod as Effie trinket steps up to the microphone on the front part of the stage to pick the tributes "Happy hunger games and may the odds be ever in your favor" she says her voice sounds fake and pretentious, just like her smile and hair, as she dips her hand into the bowl of papers, there are thousands of them, and one has my name on it. She unfolds the paper delicately and reads the name.

   "Harper Abernathy."

   I freeze, feeling like sobbing and vomiting at the same time. I look towards dad for help and he's just as shocked as I am. He tries to get up in protest, but he's pulled back down to his seat by the mayor who whispers something to him. "Harper Abernathy?" Effie calls again and I turn, shakingly making my way to the isle she waves me towards the stage I can't quite make out what she's saying, but by the time I'm on the stage she's already pulling the name out for the male tribute I look over my shoulder to my dad who is now hunched over with his hands clasped together bouncing his leg, obviously he is tense, ive never seen him shut down like this. We were ushered into the justice building and separated into different rooms for goodbyes to our loved ones I didn't know the male tribute he was older probably 16 or 17 tall and muscular I think he was the butcher's son, he would most likely make it to at least top 5, thats if he didn't win. Then there was me, a skinny 12 year old who had about a year's worth of preparation but not nearly enough to survive. I was pacing around the room I was put in when Paxton, one of my best friends, came in. I was expecting my dad first but was happy to see him despite the circumstances.

   "I'm so sorry" he said, pulling me into a hug, he was my age. We have been friends since we were 8. "You can win I'm sure of it!"

   "Hey, it's not your fault it's not like you pulled my name out of that bowl, and I'll try I promise, they can't get rid of me that easily '' I smiled trying to make him laugh but also, so he didn't see me scared no scared isn't a good enough word I was terrified. I got a smile out of him that's good. If this really is goodbye, I want his last memory of me to be a good one. Peacekeepers came in. That was his sign to leave. I got one last hug before he left. Next was my dad. When I saw him my confident front for Pax came crashing down. He pulled me into a hug "I-I don't know what to do, I don't know what to do, what do I do, what do I do dad" my voice broke into sobs.

   "Hey,  look at me, look at me kid" he said pulling away slightly so I could see him "It's going to be okay," I shake my head no. "Yes, it is, you wanna know why it's going to be okay it's because you have me alright, I'm going to be there every step of the way every step till you're going up the tube into the arena, okay."

  "I'm the weaker tribute from the weakest district I can't win" it takes a second for me to realize what that meant. I'm going to die in that arena, I'm not going to grow up, I'm not going to fall in love or have children, hell I probably wouldn't either way there was no way I was going to subject any child to this, I wasn't going to see Pax or Prim ever again, Pax would never know about my crush on him,I don't even know if its a crush or not, I'll never have the chance to know, my death would be televised everywhere, it would probably be put on some sort of top ten list of tribute deaths if I were lucky. Dad would have to see it... He would have to watch his little girl die, unable to do anything to protect her. "I'm sorry" I say through sobs.

  "Don't say that you're going to win, okay you're going to survive." He nods his head holding back tears of his own that's when the peacekeepers came back "it's not time we still have a few minutes left" Dad said confused as to what was happening the peacekeeper said something but i couldn't quite tell what he said but it made dad angry "the hell do you mean by that, shes a district 12 citizen thats not fucking fair, shes my daughter and i'll be damned if i cant fucking mentor her." The anger in my dad's voice startles me, what scared me even more was the peacekeepers pushing past him and walking towards me every step they took seemed like certain doom inching its way closer to me, one of the peacekeepers grabbed me by the arm, I try to pull away shouting.

   "Hey, let go of me!" I try to pull away harder when he grabs my other arm and lifts me up "Let go of me, Dad help" I shout louder kicking my legs up in the air trying to get the peacekeeper to let go of me.

   "It's going to be alright, June-bug. It's all going to be okay; I love you" June-bug was the nickname he used for me, I was born in June, that's why I was his June-bug. He turned away from me, trying to hide the tears that started to drip down his face, he wasnt successful.

   "Goodbye papa" I say tears pouring down my face as the door closes and the peacekeeper drags me down the hall I could hear my father beginning to sob and the sound slowly fade as we went further down the hall, the peacekeeper carried me out to the roof, setting me down in a small hovercraft and shutting the door behind him, he slams the side of the hovercraft signaling to the pilot that he was good to go, tears still pouring down my face, I wipe my nose. I have no idea where they are taking me, but I know that it wont matter, my death warrant has been signed, and the reaper will come to collect in a few weeks.