Where do you want me to start? The games, which is so hard to describe? The events that occurred after or the reapings which made me scream every time? Guess I'll start at the beginning; that horrible day that started my life truly; the reaping of District 7. The year that my name; Johanna Mason; was pulled from the ball and was sent to my fate.

Life in District 7 is not as horrible as 12, but truly name me a district that isn't full of poverty and hopelessness? Our export is lumber. Everyone chops trees, drags them to trucks, and plants more trees so we can cut them down. There is no reason for us to stop working. The entire district is trees and forest. The day of the reaping was hard.

My mother dressed me up into my finest clothes, which wasn't much, a pale blue dress. I combed my hair through my fingers, I wanted to look horrible. If I was picked, which I was almost sure I wasn't going to be picked, I wanted to be sure that when they replayed my face over and over for years without end, that they would see my face the way it was every other day of the year. I walked up onto the platform, made of wood. I was friendless so I stood with my age category; 14. No one to cling onto. Here comes our escort; happy Tabia Tatter. It's really a stupid name. She is getting herself all pretty in that lime green wig. First, our mayor tells the story of the Games and then up comes Tabia. She doesn't waste introductions just some kind of chant "Luck, luck, every see to your kind luck."

She reaches into the big ball that contains all the boys names. She pulls out some kid I don't even really know. I don't bother to know him either. I will stay as far away from if I can, his family to. I don't want to get caught up in this. Then her hand goes into the ball for the girls. Her hand grabs the paper and out of her mouth are words I never wanted to hear the lime green wig wearing lady say:

"Johanna Mason."