Skinny Love

Clove Greenleaf

Hi... My name is Clove Greenleaf and I've lived here in District 2 my entire life. I was born on the night of January 25, 2198, currently making me 17. My eyes are a bright green, like my Mother's, and my hair is a dark brown, nearly black, like my Father's. My older sister, Ella, lives a few houses away from my Mother and I. Ella decided not to work in the Training Center like Mother and work in the bakery with her soon to be husband. They want to wait to see if her or I get reaped for the Games this year. I have two years left to be reaped. Just two years. Two years until I can have a family and be happy. Two seemingly long years until I'll finally be able to relax when it comes to the Games, at least until my children are old enough to be reaped... Ella only has one. One year left, just like our Father did. She has a chance to get married and be happy... I'll take her place if she gets reaped. I want her to be able to get married. I really do. I want her to have the life that I don't think I'll ever be able to have.

Mother had me when she 18. The Capitol made an exception to no longer have her name be put into the reapings as long as she worked at the Training Center once we were old enough to be left alone or with our Grandparents. I think that I was about five or six when that time came. I remember one day asking my Grandfather why the Games started. He told me that it was because of a rebellion that the Districts started years before, when he was young. He even went into details about how each District was united as one against the Capitol, fighting for their freedom and fighting to be under a better government. He told me that he had fought in that war and tried his hardest to do as much as possible to help, including burning down the Training Center with his friends. I never knew that it had been burned down in the war. The damage of the war was never given to us in details during classes. Every time that I visit my Grandfather and Grandmother, I learn more about the war. I thank him for that. He's showing to me that the Districts can work together to try and achieve a common goal.

I grew up without a father. Why? Because he was killed in the Games the year I was born. He was only 18 in those Games. It was his last reaping. His last chance at being forced into the Games that could end his life. The final reaping before being able to spend time at home with his family. But of course, the District rigged the reapings, like always, so he was forced to go into the Games along with my Mother's childhood friend. That was the 56th Hunger Games, six years after the second Quarter Quell. This year is going to be the 74th Games, a year from the next one. All I have to do to be safe this year is to make sure not to step on the Mayor's toes and keep my head down. Yes, I am at the top of the class for girls in my age group, but that doesn't mean I want to fight. I've trained for as long as I possibly could with throwing knives. The Games always has at least one tribute a year using a weapon they've never used before. It could be me of I get reaped... I can't have that... Not at all...

I despise the Capitol for everything that they have done. They created the Games that have killed my Father before I got the chance to know him or even see him face. Those Games killed my only aunt, leaving my uncle to be heartbroken. They might have protected us and given us food, but that does not make a difference. What are we to be protected from? What is left out there that they are not telling us? Who is left out there? Is there anyone that can possibly help us end the Games once and for all? If there is, where are they? Why don't they help? These are questions that will never be answered. Ones that will stay locked up inside my head forever...