Chapter 1- the reaping
It was that time of year again. I hadn't been able to sleep because of the dread that one of my brothers or sisters could be picked for the 59th games. I have 11 little children with another one on the way who I have to look after and it's very hard to keep everyone fed but still would never be happy to have one less mouth to feed if it meant losing them to such a tragic sport. Fortunately, we are not as poor as other families and don't need Tesserae so none of our names have gone in more than what our age cost us. Still, I feared for Sammy, Kim, Paige, Brianna, Reed and especially Charlie who just turned 12 last week. Next year I will have to worry about Innis when she joins the list of who's next to be slaughtered out of my brothers and sisters.
I gently place little Ali down in her coat and tiptoe around the dark house, only lit dimly by the rising sun. It is unusually quite this morning, normally it would be bustling with the sounds of those getting ready for a day of work. My mother and father are normally up by now, putting on their factory jumpsuits and my aunty would be hurrying around getting the children ready for school. My grandmother would already be at work in her office where she sits around all day being pampered; being the mayor gets you that. However, today is the reaping and there would be no working today, only sadness.
I nearly choked on the grief that I knew would come. I knew most of the people in district 8 by name. My friends and family were all around here. We all grew up together and every year at this time is a time for mourning.
I had to see Kinlay before the reaping started at 11:00. I ran through the empty streets and tried to dodge the raindrops that poured down from the dark clouds that mimicked the sorrow felt by all district 8 citizens. A smile, unusual to see on such a day, appeared on my face as I saw a figure waiting at the fence. A heard a low hum emanating from the live wire and made sure to not touch it. "So you have finally arrived," Kinlay greets me with a sly grin.
I rolled my eyes before stopping to gaze upon his face. My lip trembled a little before I forced it to stop. "What if you get picked this year?" I whisper. Both our smiles had faced into something much darker.
"I'll hide somewhere else; maybe I'll go to district 6."
"I'm sure Burien will take you in."
"What about if you get picked, Idding?"
"I can't run away like you. I have family. I'll just have to go." I wasn't even worried about myself going. I would do anything for my family.
After a long silence Kinlay say, "I love you, you know."
"You know I love you too," I reply, sadness tinting my voice. I wished so much that there was no electric fence between us. I longed for Kinlay to hold me right now and sooth me and tell me it would all end up ok and that we wouldn't be separated and my family would be ok. I decided to change the topic from this dreary tone to something more interesting, the last thing I needed was to feel worse then I already was. "So how is everything in district 10?" I ask.
"Same old, same old. I got some new livestock from the neighbours though."
I smiled at that. The new cows would just be little baby calves. Once he bought one of his babies to show me. It reminded me of little Ali.
"How's the baby?" he asked cautiously. It was always a bit of a dangerous topic for us to get onto.
"I haven't seen Kyle for weeks. He always says he's busy at the factory and can't help with little Ali."
"He's a jerk, you know that right? If I was the baby's father I would be there all the time!" Kinlay says with such passion it's startling.
"I wish you were her father, I really mean that."
"Your arranged marriages in district 8 are so stupid."
"It's only because we're richer than the others and my grandmother couldn't afford for me to marry someone poor. And we're not married yet."
"I still can't believe he got you pregnant."
"I didn't really have a choice."
"I wish I could protect you from him."
I smile weakly at his last statement.
"Idding, I got you something," Kinlay said reaching into his pocket.
"Really?" I asked a little confused.
He tossed me a golden ring with both our districts symbols engraved beautifully upon it. I cried when I saw it.
"Will you be mine?" He asked, getting down on one knee. I screamed for joy and giggled excitedly. "I'll take that as a yes."
"Of course yes!"
I heard a loud clanging noise, the hours warning until the reaping begins. I blow a kiss goodbye to Kinlay and start jogging back home.
When I walk in the door my mother quickly embraces me in a tight hug. She's weeping and the rest of my family is standing around me looking equally as worried.
"Where have you been?" My mother screams at me. I felt tears well up in my eyes as I whimper that I went out for a jog. This seemed to relax her a bit and she let me go to my room to get ready. I hated scaring my family, especially when they're already so upset by the reaping.
I see my long black gown waiting for me on my chair. I quickly jump into it and tie up my straight black hair in a graceful bun. I surround my eyes with black and colour in my lips with a deep red. Every year I made my own personal protest against the games by wearing similar clothing of what one would wear to a funeral.
I turn to start heading to the square when I see Kyle waiting in my door way. A feeling of dread fills my stomach as his fat hands reach out to grab my shoulders. He plants his puffy lips upon me and a wrinkle my nose in disgust, a fake smile is plastered on my face though. His brown hair was slicked back with more gel then I had ever seen in my life. He wore the white peacekeepers uniform and the badge to show that he was the head of them. He was rich and that was all my family cared about. He whispered good luck in my ear and I left the room with shivers running down my spine. I covered my face with a black veil after kissing Ali gently on the fore head leaving a bright red mark from my lipstick.
My brothers and sisters who were eligible for the games followed me out into the square and we all registered ourselves. I found my friend Eli waiting for me and I joined her in the massive crowd. She decided to go all black this year as well with the only exception being her blonde hair which she refused to dye because that meant succumbing to the Capitals luxuries.
Within a few minutes everyone was gathered and ready to start. A short clip about the Capital and all its glory and might was showed upon the giant plasma screens. I closed my eyes and refused to watch any of it, thankfully I was out of sight by any of the peacekeepers.
Finally, it was time to draw out the names. A woman named Magdalena Gold stepped up to the podium with her bright green hair that grew down to her knees flying around in the wind. Her skin was as blue as the ocean and her gold patterns that were carved all over her skin glistened in the sunlight. She always makes a point to wear a lot of gold just because of her last name. She is by far, the stupidest person I have ever known.
"Ok everyone. I see we are all super excited this year. Let's put a twist on things shall we? Let's go with the young gentlemen first," she trills with her stupid Capital voice. She dips her hand into a glass ball and picks out a name. Everybody holds their breath as the slip of paper is slowly opened. I grab hold of my brother, Charlie's hand. I bit my lip and prayed he wouldn't be chosen, he was so young.
"Fhez Lukas," Magdalena called out cheerfully. I sighed in relief.
Fhez was strong and hardworking but he was violent and would have no trouble winning the games. He came roaring onto the stage with delight. He didn't believe in volunteering but he said he always wanted to be picked so he could show his strength for what it really was. I thought he was crazy for wanting this upon himself.
She then put her hand into the girl's bowl and panic arose in me once again. This time I grabbed Eli's hand. I couldn't bear to lose my best friend or my family. I concluded that I would volunteer if that ever happened. I am the oldest, I should go.
Magdalena took her time picking out the female tribute. My grip grew tighter and tighter upon my best friend's hand. She yelped a little as my nails dug into her hand. I thought of Kinlay and forced myself to try to relax, it would be fine.
"Idding Cherrie," Magdalena called out. Fear and terror exploded form me as I let out the most gut wrenching, ear piercing scream imaginable. I shook my head furiously. I didn't want my family or friends to die but I never thought this would happen to me. I couldn't believe that moments ago I was thinking about volunteering. Peacekeepers quickly came to drag me up onto the stage. I kicked and yelled as they threw me onto the hard wooden floor next to Magdalena who looked extremely startled by my reaction. I wept as Magdalena tried to regain control of the situation.
"Somebody's very excited," she laughs nervously. There was silence throughout the crowd. Sometimes I wondered if other district's reaping's were like this. The ceremony ends and the peacekeepers drag me away into the Justice building. Once inside, full hysteria comes out. I kick the peacekeepers as hard as I could but they kept running toward some. More burst in through the door and I spit wild insults at them. I am mad, in more than one way now. Everything inside me crumbled as I thought of the nightmares that were before me. I didn't think I could kill anyone before today but my reaping had shattered a lot of the ethnics planted inside of me.
When the peacekeepers finally regain control of me I am granted to have a few visitors. Unfortunately I have wasted limited time I had to see them. I thought about Kinlay and how I would never see him again; never even get to kiss him. I was still whimpering when my family walked in. All of the children were crying but I doubted the younger ones even understood what the hunger games really meant. We didn't talk much. My mother handed little Ali to me and that made me cry even harder. I would never get to see my precious little girl grow up. I quickly wrote a letter to her and placed it in her blankets. I told my mother to give it to her once she turns 12 if I don't come back. She nodded as tears streamed down her small face. My next visitor was Eli. We cried a lot and hugged but we couldn't bear to say good bye. I was out of time for visitors and I had to be held back from following Eli out the door.
I boarded the train soon after and prepared myself for the trip. I expected horrid little cages and bowls of food and water but instead they gave us lavish coaches filled with things you couldn't have imagined before. I found myself actually getting excited for the train trip. I knew the next stop was district 6 and district 7 would already be on board the train. We were the second stop. I always wanted to see the other districts because they must be so different to us considering what they all specialise in. District 8 is filled with smoke and exhaust fumes. The air is stale and the water's worse. The only grass I had ever seen was over the fence in district 10.
When we pulled into district 6, we were surrounded by other trains. There was metal everywhere and even more smoke then in district 8. I remembered that district 6 was in charge of transportation. I turned to call over the others to take a look. Fhez was snoring loudly on the couch; obviously the ceremony was too much for him. Gold- I nicknamed Magdalene by her last because it suited her better- was painting her nails gold and I had no idea where my mentor was.
I sighed and turned back to the window. People stood on the platform and stared at me grimly. I nodded at them and they nodded back in a silent message of saying 'we understand each other'. I didn't see the tributes board the train and I looked for Burien. I doubted she could have gotten chosen though, she managed to steal 4 of her 5 names from the reaping bowl and got away with it. We stopped at 12, 11 then 2 and finally after hours we were at district 10's station. I was interested in seeing who got picked and hoping that Kinlay might be on the platform to send his tributes off. I might be able to wave goodbye. A girl with long red hair and stunning features stepped onto the train with a hard expression upon her face. Behind her stood a tall, tan boy who looked to be about 17.
I clawed desperately at the window then rushed to the carriage door. It was locked but I continued screaming and bashing it until Fhez was sent to control me. I shrieked more and more, I needed to get to Kinlay. He was in the games, how could he be in the games. He said he would run away to district 6 and find Burien to help hide him. I wailed desperately. We were all going to die and nothing could be done about it. The rest of the trip was a mixture of controlling me or me locking myself somewhere and wrecking everything in my path. I refused to obey the Capital and their stupid rules for their stupid Hunger Games. I would not die in the 59th annual Hunger Games.
