74th Hunger Games: Marina

Chapter 2

Above picture: Marina's Reaping Dress

I step inside my house and walk to my bedroom to get ready. My mother has laid out a beautiful dress for me to wear. It is a beautiful sky blue with short sleeves and falls just above my ankles with a slit on the right side. "It's beautiful." I say to my mother, who has now appeared in the doorway. I quickly slip the dress on and sit in front of the mirror while my mother styles my hair. She swirls my dark hair into a delicate bun before calling my sister, Beatrice, over to do her hair. Beatrice has the same dark hair and tan skin as me, but has blue eyes unlike me. She is 18 this year, her final year in the reaping. When she's finished with Beatrice's hair, we walk into the kitchen and prepare a small lunch of fish and greens. We have plenty of fish in District 4, so almost every meal consists of it. About an hour passes until it's time. All the citizens of District 4 make our way to the square, and there's the usual air of grimness that is always present on reaping day. I find Breck and I walk over to him. He is dressed in a clean white shirt and black trousers. He looks more nervous than he did on the beach this morning. "It's okay." I tell him, and pull him into a hug. My finger is pricked and then I file into the clump of other 16 year old girls. My eyes meet Beatrice in the crowd, and we exchange a quick nod before focusing our attention to the front. After a few minutes, District 4's escort, Pricilla Shimmers, comes out in a hideous neon green wig and a matching dress. I never understood Capitol fashion. "Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor!" Pricilla excitingly booms into the microphone. They show us a film that just tells us how we owe the Capitol and the destruction of 13. Nothing new. "As always, ladies first" Pricilla walks over to the bowl and takes the slip of paper. She walks back over to the microphone and reads the name to the entirety of District 4. "Marina Kensington."

Authors Note
Well it's more than last time