Something Worth Living For [THG] // Finnick Odair

III

**Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal.**

- Henry Ford

After we are settled in, Brutus calls us to watch the reaping of the other districts. I'm both scared and excited about it. I want to see who will I face in the arena, and as I think about it, I can't help but wonder, who will kill me? And how?

The screen is on and it shows District 1. I see the video calmly, trying to hide my anxiousness to see the tributes. Tabitha and Kellen. Tabitha is eighteen and Kellen is sixteen. They look really strong and confident, unlike me.

Up next is District 3's reaping. A brown-haired boy named Brayen was reaped, and a blonde girl named Angelique. She looks like an angel. So innocent. They both are seventeen.

District four is next. Another career district. Both tributes are extremely beautiful, with golden hair and blue greenish eyes and tanned skin. Divya and Kade. She is eighteen and the boy is seventeen.

By now I ignore all they showed us in the videos of the reaping, the ceremony and the speeches and all that, the whole thing lasts about ten minutes per district. So I only pay attention to the tributes. Luciana and Xander are the tributes from District five. He is sixteen and she is eighteen.

Rhiane is also a beautiful girl. Coming from District six, that is uncommon. She has beautiful red curly hair and blue eyes, while her partner, Lev has brown hair and brown eyes. They both are sixteen.

The tributes from District 7, Delaney and Jett are seventeen. As well as District 8 tributes, Ira and Blith. And Carlieana and Jenoah from District 9.

Serena and Alec from Distric 10 look a bit less intimidating. Serena looks like the caring type and Alec is very charismatic and attractive. She is seventeen and he is sixteen.

Maisha and Zane look more intimidating than all the other tributes, even Ryle. They both are very tall or so they seem and very muscular, even the girl. She looks more like a guy with a girl's face. Their dark eyes scare me, even when I am only seeing them through a screen. I bet District 11 haven't had such good tributes as them in so long. And they both are eighteen.

Finally the last District. Most of the tributes of District 12 are the ones killed first, almost never making it to the last eight or so. This year a blonde girl, Delilah, and a brunette boy, Caius, were reaped. She is sixteen and he is eighteen. And they actually don't look that bad. The boy actually has a muscular body and the girl looks very strong too.

At last, they show us our own reaping. Something I have kind of forgotten or at least tried to. I see how Enebry called my name and it seemed like I was on my own little world. I didn't move a single muscle for a minute or two. Then people turn to look at me, I am called a second time and that was when I start to walk. But I still seem like I am lost in my own world.

It is weird seeing myself on the screen. So small, so young, so hopeless. Especially when Ryle stood next to me. He is tall, more than 6'0, and I am no more than 5'6, which is actually quite tall for my age but I am way too skinny so I look smaller than what I really am, next to Ryle at least.

And as I am seeing myself shaking hands with Ryle, I realize something important and to me, very bad. All the tributes are no younger than sixteen years. They all looked strong and quite intimidating, and that's only on the screen. I am already in disadvantage. There are always some twelve or thirteen year old kids, at least two. But not this year. Just my luck.

"The careers don't look bad at all." Brutus comments as the video ended. "We'll talk about an alliance with them soon. As soon as training starts."

My heart raced. An alliance. They wouldn't want me. They would probably just look after me the whole time. It would keep me alive longer but they would kill me eventually. If my own parents are sure I'll die, why would other people think I have a chance and make an alliance with me? Another disadvantage, I will be alone. No one to watch my back.

"We'll see their skills and then think what we can do." Lyme says. "Those tributes from 11 look... alright. They could be a threat. Maybe we can work an alliance with them too."

I stand up quickly and walk to my room and sit by the window, watching out the window. I notice Angelique and Braylen are just arriving. The tributes from District 3. I panic even more. Like if watching them on real life, not on a screen, kind of assures me this is real and I will be dead in less than ten days. I think it would be easier to just die now. Much simpler than train and being mentored all this week, and seeing my opponents - no, opponents is not the right term, since I'm not threat to them, possible killers is more appropriated.

As soon as the tributes see the reapings from every district, I'll become their first target. I'm the youngest out of the twenty-four tributes. They'll think I'm easy to kill, even when I'm a career. And no one will help me. I'm more than doomed. Even the tributes from the Districts 11 and 12 have more chance to win than me. And that's saying a lot.

As I try to not completely freak out about all of this I try to figure out why people volunteer. It's not uncommon to have people volunteering in a couple of districts, especially when younger kids are reaped. It's like an honour to be the ones going to the Hunger Games. And a bigger honour if you win.

Why? I will never truly know. Because all I want is to go home right now. I'm terrified and I don't seem to understand how going to a place where you might possibly don't leave alive can be an honour, or how killing innocent people can be. And not just normal people but kids. Some are just twelve years old and they are sent here to kill or be killed.

Killing. Something I'm sure I wouldn't be able to do. I have done some training, shot some arrows, thrown some knives and spears and fought with a sword before, but actually killing someone seems like an impossible task for me. Another disadvantage. The whole point of the games is to kill.

Hours pass and I refuse to leave my room. I continue to stare out my window, looking carefully at the people from the Capitol, at their clothes and fashion. Everything is so bright coloured and weird here. I wouldn't ever wear something like that or dye my hair a bright green colour and use make-up like they do. It's just not natural. And it looks weird, but to them, we look weird.

The sun is almost gone by now. And as I stare at a big-purple-dyed-dog with an owner with the same hair colour I see some of the other tributes arriving. I look down and pay more attention to them.

Those tanned faces could only be from one place, District 4. The two blonde tributes, that are also careers, follow closely their mentors. A man, also tanned with blondish hair, I can't see more details from my window, there's also an old woman with white hair. She must be one of the oldest victors alive, she must be between seventy-five and eighty years old.

When they get out of view, I walk to my wardrobe and open it, it kind of impresses me how many clothes were put in there and they all are for me. I wasn't poor, never was, but I have never had so many clothes in my life. And they are also so different from what I'm used to, the people here would obviously love the outfits but I just feel overwhelmed and a bit confuse, what should I choose? I have a hard time finding what to wear, I need something normal and comfortable so I could sleep in them. I finally find some blue shorts and pink shirt, the shorts are a bit too short but it isn't like someone is going to see me.

I have no appetite at all, I am probably going to get scolded but all I want to do now is sleep. I get into my bed and instantly fall asleep, it doesn't even take more than two minutes. I am not even bothered when someone bangs on my door an hour later.

**Please vote, comment & fan!**