The 54th Hunger Games: Jessica's Story

Chapter One - The Reaping
“Another three years and all of this fearing for my life will be over,” I said to myself. This was my third reaping: so far, so good. I’m still alive and I’m still living in District 5...that’s fine by me. I was the first to awake and so I made breakfast for me and my parents. I don’t have any siblings, so it’s pretty peaceful in our household and any noise can disturb whoever’s still sleeping. So, either the smell of frying eggs or the noise of me collapsing onto to floor when kitchen equipment flew into my face, woke my parents up.

“Well someone’s prepared for today!” my father exclaimed.
“Oh, Charlie!” my mother protested. “Leave the girl alone! Can’t you remember how it felt to think that your life is at risk of being destroyed? Or have you been hypnotised by the annual “festivities”, hm? Just, think, for once in your life, about what you’re saying!”
“Thanks, mom,” I mentioned appreciatively. My father always said the wrong things at the wrong time. I don’t know whether he did it on purpose or whether he did it without realising. Needless to say though, despite all the tears he may have caused, he’s my father and I love him.

After breakfast, I went to get changed. I decided to put on a medium length dress, that used to belong to my mom years ago. It was light green, with embedded red, blue and purple flowers going along the hem. I made my hair go into a bun and looked at my reflection for a good ten minutes, checking that my outfit was flawless…

Flawless is not what you get in District 5. I shouldn’t have even bothered checking.

When the time came for me to make my down to the Justice Building, my mother lightly knocked on the door to my room. She entered when I didn’t reply, nor open the door.
“Jessie?” she hesitantly enquired. As soon as I laid my eyes on my mother, a tear trickled down my check.
“I feel unlucky, mom,” I said. “I feel like…it’s going to be me.”
“It won’t be you, darling,” my mother reassures me, grabbing hold of my shoulders. However, I flinch and throw her voluntary kindness back into her face.
“How do you know that, mom?” I scream. “You don’t know what’s going to happen!”
“But neither do you, sweetie!” she protests back. She’s right, of course, but I choose to not acknowledge her.
“I best be going,” I stated and walked out of the house.

The walk to the Justice Building made me think. Was my aggressive towards my mother necessary? Would she forgive me? Does she understand how I feel? She must do. She’s experienced the reapings herself. But then again, so has my father and he seems…well, happy about the whole thing. Does he want to lose his daughter in some horrific battle to survive?
“If that’s how it is,” I murmured to myself. “Then I can sort that out.”

After I signed in, I made a terrifying, nerve-wrecking walk to where the fifteen year old girls stand, in the middle of the crowd. With each sector roped off, the Capitol didn’t want to loose you here. Instead, they’d rather kill you by leaving you no water, or engulfing you in flames or stinging you to death by horrible creatures. The crowd was chattering away whilst I stayed silent; the smells of fear and anticipation filling the atmosphere. The next thing I knew, I was watching the mayor and the District 5 escort walking onto the stage and as they did, everything fell silent. Well…apart from a baby’s cry, that is. The mayor rambles on about the usual story that they tell at Reapings. Why this ‘festival’ happens; what happened to District 13; why it is a honourable thing to do if your reaped. I don’t understand why some people can want to do this. Of course, they’re normally from District 1, District 2 and District 4. The people of District 5, evidently have more sense.

Once the mayor had finished, District 5’s escort was beaming with excitement.
“Happy, Happy, Happy Hunger Games! Well, shall we start?” How could she be so extremely happy? “Ladies, first! District Five, your girl tribute for the 54th annual Hunger Games is…”

The sound of silence filled the atmosphere. It gave me a headache.

“Miss Jessica Cloud.”

That just proved to my, now weeping, mother, that I was right. I was unlucky.

Chapter Two - Goodbye
I was dreading seeing my parents. Not in the way that others might dread seeing their parents, but because they’re down right weird. My father was happy about the Games this morning. How? Is he happy now? Of course he is. Because as the door opens, he strides in with a big grin plastered on his face like a Siamese cat.
“Wahey! Look at my daughter!” he exclaims. “In the Hunger Games! Wow!” My mother on the other hand, was still weeping. I didn’t say a word to my father, but I couldn’t help but reassure my mother.
“Mom, it’s going to be fine,” I say. “I’m going to fine.” In response she nods.
“You just do District 5 proud,” she says.
“I will, mom. I will.” And with that, the Peacekeepers ushered them out and as they did, I felt my young heart demolish into several thousand tiny pieces.

After that, we were forced onto a train. I’d never been on a train before and so, this experience was both exciting and nerve-wracking. The sounds it made were frightful, but the atmosphere that was on the train…

As myself and William, the other tribute, walked onto the train from the platform, we were in awe. The interior was marvellous, compared to the plain and boring exterior. We were introduced to our mentor by our escort, but I couldn’t do anything but look outside the window. The speed of the train…it amazed me. Our mentor was just talking to himself, something that appeared he did often anyway, as William nor me, responded. After a while, he left us and we were left to watch District 5 become just a dot in the horizon.