Inarticulate

(1) The Reaping

My eyes begin to open slowly and I am confronted by the cold air. District 5 is very cold in the mornings but I need food. The fridge was empty, but I lived on the outskirts of town, making it easier to maneuver in and out. Especially when hunting. The markets are never open on days of the reaping. It's a law.

I slip on my dark mucky boots which are stained a deep brown and my trousers which are very loose around my compact body. I take my knife and bow and arrow and head out. I would take more of my weapons though, but there's no need.

"This weather is cold enough to get me killed." I mumble. I would rather be full, than freezing to death. The winds were brutal here, icy. Send chills down your spine. District 5 is always cool, and the wind is always rough and cold. I would be used to it, if it wasn't so off and on.

I step over the small fence which divides the district and the open woods.

The woods is full of many creatures. Birds are more of a treat but a squirrel will always do. I can always go to the bakery and buy some bread along with trade some minced meat for some eggs.

I skip over the fence running to get out of safety. Getting caught would be the last thing I want. The last thing my family would need.

I run for a solid minute quickly pushing my limits and my stomach begins to growl, waiting anxiously for a meal.

I see a squirrel and I wait.

It climbs up the tree and waits, for what?

I throw my knife at it. It lands in its neck and ruthlessly it falls to the ground. I walk over to it stretching out my hand.

"Scarlet!" Jaxton smiles and he scares the soul inside of me. I hate when people sneak up on me, and he knows better. "Why are you here Jax?" I ask with an apparent attitude in my voice.

"I have bread." He smiles while holding out bread with berries in it. It is always a treat having these breads.

"Ooh. Did your father make it?" I ask Jax who currently is inhaling the hot steam.

"No, I did. Happy Reaping, Scar." He smiles at me and breaks off a pieces of bread handing it to me. My body is cold and feels almost numb but the bread makes my face warm and I feel my mouth becoming wet as I begin to produce more saliva.

I bite into it and it tastes sweet and he hands me the whole thing.

"Your family. Is my family." He wraps his arms around me.

"I have to get ready, for the reaping Jax." I remind him. I am sixteen and Jaxton is only a year older. He is a trustworthy boy and after we met he made sure my family never went hungry. Jaxton cares significantly about me and my family.

"Do you want to tribute this year?" I ask with sarcasm and smile appears on his lips.

"Actually yes. It'll be fun. Are you?" He asks smugly.

"No...Wait What?" I ask as the realization that he is going to be ripped away from me.

I want to tribute. That's right. You aren't stopping me Scarlet." He snarls. I eat another piece of the bread in mh hands.

"Please...Jax." I plead. The reapings carry many innocent kids to their deaths and Jax has been saved once from a older boy two years ago. He lost his life.

"Get ready Scar." He hugs me and I want to sob, but I don't no way I am crying.

"Bye Jax." I mumble.

Maybe forever.
************************************
My pastel,pink dress is big on me and my sisters stand behind me.

"Paige, Jade and Mia stay quiet." I mumble. I am not the eldest but my brother lost his life when he was twelve, to the hunger games. Ever since, the games have been a travesty.

The winds are strong and my sisters shudder. My blonde hair sets me apart from anyone else. It's blonde, but a little brown, carrying my mother's genes. I am developing the darker hair, which will soon help people avert their gaze to the different haired child. Since I realized I will never stop getting weird stares for my looks, I gave up on caring really. It was almost becoming stupid.

I am rather short for sixteen, I carry brown eyes and blonde hair with long eyelashes and long legs. I have small fingers and a soft voice, I try not to yell, but I do, sometimes hurting my vocal chords. I am a pretty girl, they so called me. I get my looks from my father. He was handsome, he used to be fought over. Now he's dead and women wish they got a night with him. He was a blonde haired  man, with the greenest eyes. He looked clean, and always kept us looking beautiful and graceful.

Mia is six years old and is not like me at all. Blue eyes like my mom and brown hair. Jade is six and identical to her twin except she carries the trait of which is rare. The green eyes. Their the color of the most beautiful emeralds. She's reminds me of him. In so many ways.

Then there is Paige. Paige is slender and has hazel brown eyes. Carrying from our grandmother. Her hair is brown and slightly curly, making her stand out as I do. When people look at our family, they laugh. We all look so different, yet we all are so closely related. Paige is twelve years old, and now eligible for the games, but there is no need to worry. Her name is only in that bubble once.

District 1 has been winning for a while now, district five has a handful of victors, but most districts have more than us.

My sisters shudder as the winds make them cold. The sky was grey, bleak. I can't see Jaxton but I am scared. It felt as if the winds were going to sweep all of their thin bodies away.

"Happy Reaping day." Mayor Mallory says in the Capitol voice which makes me gag.

"File yourselves." Jamison Keene butts in.

I send Mia and Jade to mother while Paige slips into the twelve crowd. I look back at her, and I can see her staring at me. 'It'll be alright' I mouth, before stepping forwards. I just wanted to hold her hand, I know how scared she felt.

I slip into sixteen and I am amongst taller teens who are bigger than me. I can feel a lump growing in my chest and I nearly choke. I hate reapings. I hate it all.

He reads the big paper of the history of Panem and I begin to heavy breathe. I hate being scared. I hate having fear, hate it.

We have 12 Districts that must provide 1 girl and 1 boy for our struggles. Game makers create the game, it can be anything. Toxic wasteland to a frozen Tundra. It can be simply anything. Over several weeks they fight to the death. The last person standing wins.

This is their way of showing us that no matter what,or how we do something, we always are in their grip because they control us.

At the end they always tell us if we object we die. Simple.

He reads the list of all the winners of The Tributes and I nearly vomit all over the withered away floor. I want to cry but nothing is coming out, nor will I let a tear slip.

"I wish you all the best." Mallory smiles. My eyes focus on the bubble which has the girls names in it.

I begin shaking and Jaxton's eyes catch mine and he mouths the words.

'Stop scaring yourself.'

I stop immediately and bite my nails in fear and I can feel my heart beating faster and faster. It makes me nervous. I get nervous normally for these events, but now there's Paige. I'm worrying for the both of us.

My body aches and I want to go home and go escape into the green woods, where everything seems still and quiet. Then I hear it, the tears. Most people break out into tears because they know it could be their kids. We are still though. Still and silent.

Paige is teary eyed along with all the other 12 year old girls. All worrying that their name is on a slip with thousands and is getting pulled.

I place a smile upon my face and begin to face it. It won't be mine I only have eight. Some kids have fourteen.

"Ladies first." Mayor Mallory smiles as he pulls out a paper and widens his eyes.It can't and it won't the odds are in my favor. Nobody will pick me.

I was right, nobody picked her.

They did pick me though.

Scarlet Angel.