I woke up to the sound of my own heartbeat. The room is cold and coal dust lies apon everything. I stretch my hooves and make a yawning sound. My sister, Rose, turns in her sleep. Light fills the room in our tiny abode as I recall what day it is. Today is the day of the drawing. Every foal will line into the plaza and a filly and colt gets picked to compete inside of the "Hunger Games".

I roll over and stand up as I trot to my coat on the rack and grab it. I place it over myself and begin to wake my family. They begin to get dressed. Rose dresses in a old shirt that my mom used to wear, and a skirt. The back of the shirt is untucked and leans out like a duck flap. I laugh at her and help her tuck it in. I braid my mane inside of a one line braid.

I look over to my mom staring into the mirror with that sad face that she's had since my father died. He was blown up inside of a coal accident. There was bad air in the mine and he was caught inside of the explosion. They never recovered all of his parts.

We head out of our house and head towards the plaza. We line up into our spots. Three sections. One for fillys. One for colts. And one for adult ponies. I stay inside of the filly area and wait for the announcer to announce the years contestants. The speaker trots to the stage and begins to announce the tributes.

"Fillys first!" the announcer blurts out with a smile. She dips her foreleg into a bowl and reaches for a piece of paper with her hoof. She grasps one and pulls it out. She unravels the paper and smiles. "Rose Evergreen."

My mind goes into a breakdown as I begin to have flashbacks. My little Rose. My sister I nursed as my mother never cared for her after the accident with my father. She went into a deep state of depression. I had to care for the family. Gather all of the food. Take care of all family business. When the accident happened I was 10 years old. I couldn't sign up for grain (oil and supplies to make bread for another piece of paper with your name on it into the bowl) so I had to hunt. My father and I used to hunt all of the time with my father. He made me a bow out his own two hooves. I always used the bow for hunting, but it never always worked out.

As I gain a little bit of consiousness, I glance over to my hunting partner, Tail, as my mind slips back into flashbacks. I remember the time that we met. I was 12 and I was wandering through the forest searching for prey. Even though hunting inside of the forest was punishable by death, I realized that it would be better to die by a bullet to the head instead of starving. I was searching for prey as I noticed a snare with a mouse hanging from it. I grasp it with my hooves and study it.

"Hey," I hear a voice, "don't touch that." I turn around and see a pony I always saw during school. He was 14 and strong, He was nice looking, but I never would have a chance.

"I was just checking these nice snares out," I reply. He walks behind me and begins to study me. I stand there awkwardly. He ends infront of me.

"So what's your name?" he asks me.

"It's uh..." I begin. He nods for me to go on. "It's Poniss, Poniss Evergreen."

"Okay Lonelyniss," he begins to laugh. I blush with embarressment.

"It's Poniss!" I exclaim. He chuckles and begins to ask me if I want to hunt with him. I accept and we begin to hunt. I have a great time and we slowly begin to be friends. Over the years, we become friends and begin to support eachothers herd.

I blink back into reality. I didn't notice that I was screaming. She trots by my section as the Civil Keepers keep here from running away. I burst out of the section and begin to yell.

"I volunteer!" I yell. Everybody begins to peer at me. "I volunteer to take her place!" Instant death sentence.

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