The Hunger Games New York | Chapter One

"From Ward One, Theta Yule and Titus Whishart."

I stood awkwardly between Ward Three and Ward Five's tributes, my shoulders bumping into the male's beside mine, his sharp green eyes boring into the side of my head. "S-sorry.." I murmured, . I had only turned twelve this summer, and here I was standing here, a tribute for my Sector's amusement. The 12th Annual Hunger Games. Somehow, I was born into a year where the Hunger Games started. My older brother - thank God he left before the first Reaping - and fled our distraught and war-torn nation, hiding somewhere where the Sector couldn't find him.

He would be devastated to learn of what we've become.

"From Ward Four, Wren Baxwoll and Balthar Galloway!"

Hey... that was me! Wren Baxwoll! I stared at the screen which showed my face, pale and wide-eyed, standing next to my sixteen year old Ward partner, Balthar. I was short, and one of the youngest Tributes since the first Hunger Games. The second twelve year old ever to compete in these 'games' hosted by the Sector for their crude and horrifying amusement. Our five "wards" circled the Sector, which was only protected by high walls and Peacekeepers with guns our wards were not allowed to have.

We - the Tributes - were collected that morning, our Reaping to happen within the Sectors. It had been this way since the sixth Hunger Games, when parents threw themselves at their children, begging with the Sector and Peacekeepers to stop... they understood what they did wrong, they didn't need to continue to take their children and force them to kill each other. Instead, the Sector ignored them, put them in prison, and continued on with the Hunger Games.

"With that, my audience, we've concluded our public Reaping! May the odds be ever in your favor! Until the Games, this has been public speaker Iberis Selkirk!"

The microphone cut, as did the screens, and we were all escorted off the stage and into seperate rooms along the hallway. Balthar and I exchanged fleeting looks before we too were broken up, and ushered into seperate rooms, apart from each other to meet with our families one last time.