The 35th Hunger Games -- SYOT (WRITER'S GAMES) {Semi-Closed}

Reaping Day -- District Four Female

Amanda Silena Allendsworth, District Four Female! Enjoy, Jeannie and I will post a chapter later on with scores :)

My legs sway lightly as I step onto the shore. Today's the day. The day I've trained for my entire life. Well, the beginning of it, anyways. Reaping Day. Today I will wait for the name to be drawn from the Reaping Ball, and then volunteer. For glory. For approval. And this year I must be quick. Last year my older sister and I were too slow, and my family wouldn't speak to us for weeks. I bustle quickly to my home for preparation. My mother quickly dresses me in an elaborate navy blue knee-length dress. Skintight and frilly. They call it 'presentable'. I call it frivolous. Her skillful hands trace my spine, making sure every frill and fold are exactly as they should be. I start to think as she combs my hair. She's about to send me away like a pig to slaughter. She's had me trained. She's dressed me up. Now it's time. And in a couple of years Eliza would follow. She scares me at times. She's only eight, yet she can throw knives with more precision than most victors. I'm thirteen and I can barely use a slingshot. Yet they tell me that I must compete. Not only compete, but win. To bring glory to my district, to my family. By killing other children. I don't think I'll ever understand why that's reason to celebrate. "You know what to do." my mom whispers, her breath tickling my ear. And then she sends me on my way. Once I'm outside, I take a deep breath. This could easily be the end of my life. It's a lengthy walk to the square from our house, as we live by the bay. I spend the walk making plans of rebellion, plans to end the games. Plans that, of course, are only in my head. They'll never become a reality. As I arrive at the square, I see I'm not the only one to arrive early. The square is packed. There are many girls of my age dressed in very extravagant attire with their hair curled and resting on their chest. Adults and the younger children are off to the side. Children of reaping age roped off in the square. Victors and the mayor onstage, small in comparison to the spoiled Capitol citizen assigned to be the escort for our district. She wears a repulsive, skimpy green dress. And she has whiskers! Ugh. I could never stand the Capitol's insane trends.

"Attention District Four." she begins, in her awful Capitol accent, "Welcome! Today's the day!"She drones on about the history of the games in a manner quite inappropriate for describing war. Perkiness, I suppose, is the closest I can come to describing it. Everyone seems to be ecstatic. The young, the old, and practically everyone in between.And then it's time. Ladies first, as usual. Her polished hand reaches precisely into the ball."Elizabeth Greene." she reads. And then I mindlessly scream, "I volunteer!"