"Maisie! Wake up!" "Uhhhh. Why?" I moaned as I moved out of bed. Ben was standing next to my bed. He looked really nice. I snapped into consciousness. "Ben! It's reaping day!"
"Yeah. That's why I was trying wake you up," Ben said, "I'm scared. Will you stand next to me during the reaping?"
"I'll try. Yes," I replied.
"Thanks." He said, still looking scared as he ran out of the room. I pulled on a dress, simple but nice looking. See, here in District 8 the clothes are really nice and cheap, because most of us make clothes and fabric. 591Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8XHKnEikQW
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Out in the main room Tia was doing her hair in an elaborate twist, weaving in strips of fabric to match her dress.
"Tia. Do you think that I'll get chosen?" Ben asked.
"Um," She replied as I gave her a look, telling her to be careful, "No, don't you remember? It's only going to be girls chosen."
"You don't really believe that, do you?" He replied.
"Just because no one else in the district believes it, doesn't mean it isn't true."
"Either way, your name is in there once, out of who knows how many." I jutted in, seeing tension rising.
"Oh, look, I better be getting to Lana's." Tia said quickly. Lana is one of her friends, and they always go to the reaping together.
My mom shoved a bowl of oatmeal and blueberries towards me,
"You better eat. There is no way you are going to the reaping on an empty stomach." I ate my breakfast quickly, and pulled my hair into a tight twist, making sure not a single hair fell out.
"You should go." My mother whispered to me. "Come on Ben. Let's go get checked in." I called. He was fiddling with his collar, "it's going to be alright.591Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaK1QQrJGOR
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"Maisie?"591Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO7Az9zvBH4
"Yeah?" The walk to the town center was pretty far, we lived on the outskirts. 591Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYclP5IXc2A
"What do I do if I get reaped?" Ok. That was unexpected. 591Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2h411gUXEj
"Well. Be brave. Be confident. And remember that I love you, and so do mom and Tia." 591Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQTloFbTX7r
"Ok."591Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfkFMdEDbff
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Anika Ellis was standing on the temporary platform. Anika is our district's escort. She was standing up there, wearing a gold/tan dress. It was really laid back compared to other escorts. Even her hair was just left down. But then you saw her makeup. Dark and light, blue and orange, she was surrounded by this odd, invisible haze, only detected by the careful watcher, that made her glow.
Ben and I walked over to check-in, three needles poking at our wrists. Ben on one side, me on the other. We squirmed our way around, so we could stand next to each other. Both of us taking in the colors that only are present at the capitol, districts 1-3, and our districts clothing.
"Welcome to the 71st annual Hunger Games!" Anika's capitol voice rang out through the old speaker system. No one has won in the past ten years from our district, so we have no reason to cheer, though some are compelled, since Anika is actually really nice.
"Now, good luck, and may the odds be ever in your favor!" Her hand reached in the bowl, containing our names, no one knowing whether boys would be picked or not. The long, blue fingernails searched in the bowl for what felt like forever, until they caught a slip.
"Maisie Spencer!"
Now I know other victors talk about how when they were chosen, they didn't realize it, until about forty seconds after their name was called, but that didn't happen to me. I knew my name was called, I knew I had to go up, Tia wouldn't volunteer even if her makeup depended on it, and I didn't have any close friends. No, what was going through my head was this: who will take care of Ben? Who will work more so we can keep our house? Will I miss important things, like Ben's birthday, or mine?
"Be brave. Be confident. I love you." The words of mine rang out in my ear, but they weren't mine, it was Ben, repeating my words. I walked up to the platform. And before anything happened,
"Lilac Hadden!" She took time, but came up quickly. She had friends, it even looked like she was standing with a boyfriend. She took her time, but when she reached the platform, she looked straight ahead, until we were whisked off into some small room. 591Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp19405baeM
"Good luck." I told her.
"Yeah. You too." Lilac responded.
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