The Hunger Games: Peeta's Point Of View

the hunger games: peetas pov

I wake up and look around my dusty chalky looking room. the walls are a blackish color from the ash. most men in district twelve mine for coal. it smells up the whole district and covers it with a black mist. but this morning theres more to worry about than coal. i took a deep, shaky breath knowing today was that day. that one day of the year where they pick inoccent children to fight eachother to the death. why? why do they have to scare me half to death every year. im not scared ill get picked im scared katniss will get picked. i havent said a word to her but i know i love her. i feel like i have to protect her. and shes

beautiful, her brown hair, beautiful eyes. i clear my mind, get dressed and walk to the bakery to make some last minute pastries before the reaping.

i stay at the bakery for a few

hours and then go back home and get ready for the reaping. i button up a light blue shirt and and put on some light khaki pants. i comb my blonde hair in place and look out the window , wondering what life would be like without this, would i actually talk to katniss? better yet let her know how i feel. i tell myself this is nonsense, i slide on some old dark brown loafers. i open the door to my house and see the petrified look on each and everyone of those poor faces and i get a deep knot in my stomach that makes me feel nauseous. i walk to the station to get my finger pricked,

the peacekeepers get the dab of blood they need and i find some guys my age to stand with. i peer around the crowd and find katniss she is looking at another guy. gale? i think thats his name. clop, clop, clop, clop, the sound of a pink outfitted, fake wigged, Effie trinket walking on the stage shocks me back into reality. the reaping is about to start and thats when i start trembling.

The anthem starts to play and then president snow comes on the screen.

i get the chills when i see his evil snake like face. how could he do this to us? the presentation about how our country (panem) came to be what it is today carries on. it talks about the dark days and how our punishment for retaliating is the annual hunger games. president snow ends it by saying happy hunger games! and thats when Effie steps forward to the large glass reaping bowls. she turns on the mic and says in her squeaky capitol accent "ladies first" i hold my breath please let it not be katniss, please. Effie's dainty little outstretched fingers reach into the reaping ball. she mixes them up, i get a lump in my throat. please, i keep thinking, please. not her, not her. Effie's bony fingers pluck a

small piece of folded up paper from the ball and she reads out the name. its not katniss.

"PRIMROSE EVERDEEN."

its her sister.

oh no i thought as little 12 year old prim slowly walked toward the stage. suddenly i hear a loud shriek "PRIM,PRIM!!!" i look around to see who it is. its katniss! shes trying to get to prim while fighting off two peacekeepers. pushes them hard, very hard and i can see crystal like tears forming in her sparkling eyes. its ok katniss i wish i could tell her "im here for you" i wanted to hold her in my arms and comfort her to keep her safe.as soon as she keeps control

of the peace keepers that are trying to contain her. then, she screams "I VOLUNTEER!....I VOLUNTEER AS TRIBUTE! no katniss, no! my knees buckle and i feel like im going to drop to the ground. my hands go cold and my heart stops beating. i can feel my emotions boiling up inside me. how can i protect her now,i cant, i just cant.

"lovely!", beams Effie. as katniss makes her way to the stage, stunned.

i cant believe this is happening. my heart feels like a deep pit i dont think it will ever stop aching. as katniss steps on stage Effie asks her what her name is. "katniss everdeen" she says unsteadily. i can tell shes trying to keep it together shes doing quite well. about this time a drunk man named haymitch comes staggering across the stage. he throws his arm around katniss and says "look at her. look at this one." he sways using her small shoulders to keep from falling. "shes got.....spunk!" he says with a slurred voice. he giggles "...more than you!" he points to the crowd. he walks away from katniss and starts to to stagger left and right, and falls flat on his face off the stage. a stretcher comes to get him. i turn my attention back to a shocked katniss.

"what an exiting day!" Effie says happily. "but theres more excitement to come... its time to pick our male tribute!" i take a deep breath. effie swiftly places her tiny hand into the bowl and pricks a small slip of paper out of the shiny, glass ball. she brings it close to her bulging eyes and says a name.my name.