(Clay POV)

"Sooo... Clay! Ready for Reaping Day?" Asked my mother, Cattail Brown. She's over 18, (obviously) and she didn't care about me. She abandoned my siblings and I, and my twin brother Reed and I took charge. We were all better off now, but I was the only one who felt hurt that Cattail didn't need us.

"Cattail. Don't you DARE torment Clay like this." Said my sister Pheasant fiercely. She was the third oldest, at least... at least now that Crane, my other sister, had died in the Hunger Games last year.

"Come on, Clay, you have better things to do than talk to that snake." Said Umber inspirationally.

I sighed. I suppose he was right.

"Yeah, time for the reaping." Sighed Sora, my youngest sister. Together, we walked to the Capitol building in our district.

About ten minutes after we got there, the Capitol citizen and announcer was almost done her speech. And I was scared.

See, Marsh and Umber, my younger brothers, had just turned twelve. From 12 to 18, your name is able to be reaped. So Reed and I were 17, Pheasant was 15, Sora was 13, and Marsh and Umber were 12.

So they might be reaped.

"Good luck, and may the odds be ever in you favour." Said the announcer. "The female is... Crocodile Muddale. And the male is..."

"Clay Brown!" My sibs gasped in shock and pain. Oh no. Oh no no no. Reed opened his mouth to volunteer, and then closed it. He knew it would hurt us all to see him go instead.

Then one of Pheasant's friends, Crocodile, stood up.

"Hello!" Said the announcer as we reached the stage.

I didn't know Crocodile Muddale.

But I was going to the Hunger Games.

Just like Crane.