Written for District 14's monthly challenge. Prompt: Gambling. A special thanks to my great beta, AnneTheV! Thanks for making my story better! :)
Ezra Reynolds walks, brown hat tipped downwards, his rough, old jacket hanging from his shoulders. He had just come from The Hob, where he was sharing a drink with his friends, and now he was on his way to the reaping. He still had a glass of whiskey in his hand. He didn't particularly like the reaping, but attendance was mandatory. Although he would've skipped it anyways if not for his daughter.
Skye is entering her sixth reaping today. She is Ezra's neglected daughter. They barely ever interact, considering Ezra is always drinking, or gambling over something at The Hob, so he leaves Skye to care for herself.
Ezra arrives at the reaping, a cloud of dust trailing behind him from the dry roads. He searches for Skye's face in the crowd, and just stands and stares at her gray eyes for a second. Then he shakes himself out of his thoughts and continues walking; right past Skye, not bothering to look so he won't have to see the saddened look on her face.
He finds his friends standing over by the seventeens section and makes his way over to them.
"Caldwell. Minster," he greets them by their last names.
"Reynolds," the nod in return.
"So, eh, let's get to the gambling, shall we?" Minster suggests. He is the older one, and he's always broke from gambling his money away. His unkempt gray hair and soiled clothes are there as if to prove it.
"Right," says Ezra, "the gambling."
"I betcha it's gonna be the older ones this year, maybe seventeen or eighteen," Caldwell insists, "I can feel it in my bones!"
"No, no, no, you've got it all wrong, it'll be one of the younger ones!" Minster argues.
"Whadya think, Reynolds?" Minster asks Ezra.
Caldwell is usually always right, and since Ezra can't afford to lose anymore money, he agrees with Caldwell. "No doubt it'll be the older ones," He says cooly.
Minster shifts around angrily, "Well, we'll see who's right when the reaping starts!"
They look on in anticipation as the Mayor and Escort conclude their speeches, and the reaping officially begins.
"Our female tribute," the escort's voice rings out,"will be Skye Reynolds."
Skye emerges from the seventeen year olds section. The look on her face is one of pure terror. She looks at her father pleadingly, for any kind of sign that he cares. He averts his eyes from the situation, and instead speaks to Minster.
"Hand over the money."
Ezra is at Minster's house in The Seam, his old brown, lumpy, stinky couch had finally been cleaned, and Ezra isn't afraid to sit on on it anymore.
"Who's up for a drink, hah?" Minster asks, though it is clear he is already drunk.
"I am," Ezra says shakily. He needs a drink today. He can't bear to sit through the coming event sober, unable to do anything.
"I'll take one too," Caldwell wails in reply.
"There's some good boys!" Minster cries.
He brings them the spirits and Ezra drinks and drinks and drinks. He needs to, for the bloodbath is airing today.
The three of them watch as on the screen the tributes rise up into the arena. The arena is filled with dry grass hills, and a small lake is a little ways from the cornucopia. There are no trees, which means no protection. Everyone is vulnerable.
"Who are you thinking is gonna go in the bloodbath, huh?" Minster asks, his words slurring.
"Oh, definitely the ones from six. And eight. And three looks weak, too," Caldwell replies.
"No, no, you're all wrong!" Minster says. "The kids from 12 will be the first ones to go!"
"I'm putting my money that the kids from 8 and 9 will die soon," Ezra says. He chokes up a bit because Minster thinks Skye will die.
"10 silver coins says I'm right!" demands Minster.
"Deal," the other two agree, and they shake on it.
They sit and watch as the gong rings out and tributes go everywhere. Then the boy from Six is speared through the heart, and the female from Eight gets an axe through her stomach. Caldwell smirks.
Minster begins raging and yelling, "Come on, Twelve, die!" In his drunken state he is unaware that it is Ezra's daughter he's shouting at.
The two from Five drop like flies as they attempt to run away and get arrows through their chests. The boy from Two shouts in victory at his kills.
Ezra opens his mouth in horror as the girl from Three repeatedly stabs the boy from Nine in the chest, and then proceeds to do the same to the boy's District partner.
The rest of the tributes get away, either injured or unharmed, and the Careers stand on their own, counting the meager supplies.
"Dammit!" Minster yells. "Dammit, dammit, dammit!"
He hands the ten coins to Caldwell, who splits it with Ezra evenly, five coins each. Ezra takes another swig of his drink in victory. Ever since Skye has been reaped, he'd been doing well and winning a lot of money. Half of him hopes that she wouldn't come back.
"S'okay, Minster, maybe you'll win next time…but I doubt it," he says coldly, and smiles as he finishes off his drink.
Gathered in the town square standing next to Minster and Caldwell, Ezra takes large gulps of his drink. They are in the Town Square because it is what is thought to be the last day of the Games, considering the fact that there are only two tributes left.
It is the last time that he can gamble in these Games, to bet on who is going to win. They haven't revealed who the final two are yet, because in the last night four people have died, but they haven't shown it yet as to keep everything an "exciting" secret.
The Seal of Panem flashes and the anthem plays as the the screen parts to reveal the arena. It looks windy and barren; the tributes must've been hiding or sleeping, for it was early morning.
Then they flash to the tapes from yesterday, and Ezra and the rest of the people of Panem watch as the boy from Two is beheaded by the male tribute from Seven, who had the cut the female from Four into pieces.
The female from Two takes a swing at the girl from Seven, and manages to chip off a bit off of her, but she is quickly slaughtered by the raging girl from Three, and now all who remain are the girls from Three and Seven. Seven doesn't waste any time, hurriedly thrusting a spear into the other girl's stomach before darting away.
"So, she's the Victor?" Minster yells loud enough for everyone to hear.
But then the tape flashes to the girl from Twelve, Erza's daughter Skye, who is sleeping soundly tucked behind the hill. Ezra gulps.
"Alright then," Minster says to his two friends,"Who're you two bettin' on? I think I'm bettin' on that Seven girl!"
Ezra's pained face strains to hold back a sob. He is sorry for all the times he never spent with his daughter. Everything he missed, he is sorry. He truly does love her, despite any way he may act otherwise.
Caldwell sees the look on Ezra's face and he decides he can lose this, just once, so he gambles his money away in saying: "I think I'm gonna go for the girl from Twelve."
Ezra nods, making the same choice, "Me too."
Minster starts laughing hysterically. "Ahahahahaha! That's 50 coins you'll both owe me!" He does a jig around the square. Ezra holds his head solemnly.
Then the trumpets blare and they all turn back to the screen in the Square.
"Good morning, tributes! As you know, there are only two of you left! There will be a 'feast' of weapons and food at the cornucopia, and if you don't show up, be prepared to suffer the consequences!" a voice calls through the arena.
The girl from Seven is already at the cornucopia, so the camera sticks to Skye's face, which is clearly baffled and terrified. She takes her knife and leaves the jug of water- she won't be needing it anymore-before reluctantly heading towards the golden cornucopia.
A good amount of time later, Skye arrives at the cornucopia. She wields the knife carefully, and starts walking cautiously towards the girl from Seven. The girl from Seven makes her way towards Skye, axe in hand. It was already clear who was going to win.
They reach each other and just stare off for a minute, until the girl from Seven whispers, "I'm so sorry." Then she swings the axe upwards, towards Skye. Ezra turns his head away and covers his ears.
When he turns back towards the screen, minutes later, Minster is cheering and yelling and screaming in gleeful triumph. Ezra knows why. Johanna Mason had won, and not his Skye.
He is done with gambling. He'll never do it again. He gives Minster a pat on the back and begins walking away. He is sad, but also possess a sort of half-hearted happiness that his friend would be receiving money. Yet, he's terribly angry, too.
Minster just had to win this bet.