The Reaping of the 65th Hunger Games
Riiu
Riiu wriggled under the meager amount of sheets on his bed, groaning as his feet poked out into the frigid predawn air. It was still dark in the dank old one room house. It was too cold to even bother trying to get sleep, so he got up.
Riiu Kolton was 18 years old, tomorrow was his birthday. He would be turning 19. Today was his last reaping. But he wasn't worried. He was a lucky kid. Like the time he nearly got blown up in the mines, he escaped. He suffered bad burns across his back and chest. A few burns went across his cheek bones, like an outline almost. Faint but still there. He was lucky to not have died like many miners. Many miners died in District 12, and he escaped. Very lucky he was indeed.
The 18 year old stretched the second his rough hardened feet hit the floor. He instantly walked towards a small bed in the corner, where the only one he'd ever loved slept.
"Mornin' Sammy." He scratched the young mutts ears with one coal stained hand, and stroked her plump belly with the other. "How're you this morning?"
"Wuff," Sammy woofed, licking his hand with her long pink tongue.
The mutt was pregnant with pups, he'd found her after he recovered from the mine explosion 6 months ago. She was missing a back leg and had burn marks all over her. She had terrible mange too. He had taken her home; later to find out she was expecting pups. He had come to love the mutt and kept her though he really didn't need an extra mouth to feed, soon to be many extra mouths to feed. Sammy was 6 and ½ months pregnant, and he swore to her that he'd take care of all her pups.
"Reaping day, Sammy. Don't you worry though, I'm not gunna be chosen. I'll be back by supper." He grinned then got up, but Sammy got up too.
"No, Sammy, stay!" He commanded.
"Emmm," Sammy whimpered in reply, limping towards the door and only pausing to turn back and cock her head in the most adorable fashion.
Riiu sighed, "Fine, but this is the last day you're coming with me." Of course it wouldn't be the last day; he said it'd be the last day until Sammy's pups were born the day before that, and the day before that. It was kind of a joke at this point.
Riiu and Sammy rounded the corner, watching the poorer half of District 12 doing what they always did. Go off to the mines. Riiu lived in the poorer half, the Seam, but he had taken the day off from the mines. He had busted the person who was in charge of the miner's nose so he could have a day off. It was worth it.
The Hob, which was the black market in District 12, was oddly quiet. Usually noisy it was dawn and no one was awake yet, with the exception of a few traders, the miners, and Gracie Gwane.
"Riiu, what do you want today? A four star hotel? A king sized bed? A buffet?" Gracie Gwane snorted, her dry humor present.
"Ah, I do want those things, and if you had them I'd gladly take them off your hands. But, since you obviously don't, I'll just take whatever's on the lunch menu." Riiu smirked back, his usual fiery attitude as present as her dry humor.
"Fine, that'll be 10 dollars in cash, Mr. Kolton." She joked as her mouth twisted into a grin.
Riiu wiped his dark coal dusted untamed black hair with a hand as he replied, "Ah, alas I only have this." He pressed a small coin into her hand, which was the last of his money until he got more. He would have to put thievery to the test tonight. He could go without supper but he didn't want Sammy to go without a second supper.
"This isn't the right amount, I need more than this. Why would I give you your breakfast if you don't pay correctly?"
Riiu put on his most smug face, "Cuz I'm the closest thing you got to a family and we're not very close so that's saying something."
"Well, that's better than what your family is. Your family is a mangy crippled mutt!" Gracie Gwane retorted.
"Hey, she's not just a mangy crippled mutt," Riiu defended Sammy and slung one arm around his mutt, drawing her closer as he continued, "She's my mangy crippled mutt."
"Ah, for all I care you're both mangy mutts, the only difference is that you're not crippled."
"Why thank you, I always thought Sammy was quite handsome, and if the only difference is that she's missing a leg I must be the most handsome guy in District 12!" Riiu smirked, making Gracie Gwane do her weird smile.
"Fine, take your food, mutt, and beat it." She dropped the bowl of food on the ground and even laughed as Riiu mimicked Sammy; bark, then dive head first into the bowl. They even played a small game of tug-a-war between a scrawny chicken leg. Of course Sammy won.
Riiu jolted awake as a blare of a horn erupted. It was time for the Reaping.
Gah, must've fallen asleep, Riiu thought grumpily, well, I needed it. Not like I get much sleep other than naps…
Riiu plodded heavily up to the square, where the Reaping is held. All the District 12 kids filing single file up to where the Peacekeepers puncture your finger and take your blood sample.
It hurts, Riiu growled to himself deep in his weird little mind.
When he got to the front the Peacekeeper gripped his hand, but right before he could split open Riiu's skin to get to the thick blood underneath he yanked his hand away. It was a good thing the Peacekeeper was wearing thick gloves or he would have pierced himself.
Riiu smirked as the Peacekeeper glowered at him. Then Riiu let the Peacekeeper get his blood, though he was convinced the Peacekeeper dug deeper then he should have and drew more blood than was necessary.
I'll play the capitol freaks little game, the game they do every year. Not the Hunger Games, but the games they live in, Riiu thought to himself.
Riiu stood at the very front of the crowd of kids. The oldest were in front while the youngest were at the back. He had made sure Sammy had gone home and had stayed there, she had finally listened.
Riiu raised an eyebrow as a lady with very high and almost vertical heels walked up on stage. What was no doubt a wig was a bright pink with red firework like highlights. Her face was powdered with so much makeup her skin looked as white as snow. She had fiery pink eyeliner and a frilly pink and red dress. She had a big dot of bright pink lipstick on the middle of her lips.
"Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor!" She trilled.
Riiu knew her from last year. Her tributes last year hadn't had the odds in their favor to begin with because they both died within 27 seconds of the blood bath.
This woman's name was Effie. Effie Trinket. She was the obnoxious lady that had been announcing the Reaping since last year. Riiu thought she had jinxed the tributes last year by saying 'may the odds be ever in your favor' to them.
"Now it's time to show why we have the Hunger Games!" She cheered happily, an icy silence shrunk her cheering.
Riiu noticed that a Peacekeeper standing nearby shuffled his feet awkwardly.
Huh, a Peacekeeper that finally reacts to the Capitols stupid happiness, Riiu snorted, he knows they don't know what it's like to have your kids stolen from you to fight to the death. He knows it's nothing to be happy about.
The movie started, speaking of the wars between the 13 Districts and the Capitol, stressing how the Districts revolution was unjust in a discreet way.
…Then an Era of Peace began but… The movie continued,
...And so now one brave young man and woman is chosen from every District every year to fight to the death in the Hunger Games to… Riiu mouthed what the movie was saying while rolling his eyes. He'd heard this since he was born and he was sick of it. He knew every putrid word of the movie.
Now we have peace? Yea, right, forcing small children to fight to the death, wow, a lot of peace and prosperity there.
Riiu uttered the word 'finally!' as the movie ended, causing a small ripple of nervous laughter.
"Oo, that movie just sends chills right up my spine!" Effie squealed, making Riiu puff out some air in an aggravated way.
"Now's time for the Reaping," Effie said, "now, ladies first!" She reached her long gloved hand into the bowl, digging through it until she plucked out a name.
"Blaire Charity," Effie's voice rang across the square. Riiu really didn't care about this; he didn't know this Blaire girl.
His eyebrows rose as he turned to see who had started walking down the pathway to the stage on which Effie stood on. The girl was from the richer side of the District, the merchant area, it was usually people from the Seam that got reaped because they had to put their names in the Reaping bowl extra times to get food and the such, so a Merchant girl being Reaped was strange. The pretty Merchant girl's platinum blonde hair danced beautifully in the sunlight as the wind blew.
As Blaire walked past Riiu he whistled a long fading whistle then spoke loud enough for her to hear him, "Oh, tough luck." He was smirking as she glanced almost angrily at him.
Merchant kids… almost as bad as Capitol freaks…
"Come up here dear, there. Now, for the gentleman!" Effie squealed.
"Hah, stupid rich girl won't last the blood bath, can't believe she got Reaped." Riiu said to a random guy, "Tsk tsk, poor guy that's going with her, she won't be much of a partner. Heh, bet she can't even-" Riiu was abruptly cut off as Effie snatched out a boy's name from the bowl holding the slips of paper and read it off.
"Riiu Kolton!" She did a little thrilled jump after she read the name.
Riiu was stunned for awhile before he started shrieking, "NO! NO MY BIRTHDAY IS TOMORROW, THIS IS MY LAST REAPING! I WILL NOT BE REAPED!" The Peacekeepers grabbed his shoulders and hauled him towards the stage.
"GET YOUR FILTHY CAPITOL FREAKAZOID HANDS OFF MEEEEEE!" Riiu swung around, his feet hitting both Peacekeepers in the shin but they were wearing armor.
They dumped him on stage, but he deliberately let himself land wrong so he fell off the stage. He quickly crawled deep in the crowd.
"Find him, Peacekeepers! No don't look at me like that, find him!" Effie called.
Riiu smirked, but apparently District 12 liked his guts. Because all of District 12, even the kids he was hiding between, put three fingers to their lips, and held it out. It was like a salute. Except for one thing. They had all turned to where he was crouched hiding on the ground, and they were saluting directly at him while forming a wide circle around him.
"YOU IDIOTS, THEY'LL SEE ME!" Riiu screeched, the Peacekeepers instantly dragging him back to the stage.
What the- they're smirking! THOSE DISTRICT 12 TRAITORS, THEY DID THAT ON PURPOSE! THOSE LITTLE-
The Peacekeepers practically tossed him on the stage this time. Riiu stood up and glowered at Blaire, who was looking smug. Since he had been almost mocking her with the 'oh tough luck' it must've been like sweet, sweet revenge.
"Now, shake hands!" Effie said.
Riiu held his hands firmly behind his back.
"I SAID SHAKE HANDS!" Effie roared and for a second Riiu thought he saw a spurt of fire blow out of her mouth as Effie grabbed his and Blaire's hand and forced them to shake.
"Merchant freak…" Riiu muttered.
"Seam scum…" Blaire shot quietly back.
"Spoiled brat…"
"Thieving skunk…"
Riiu tightened his grip on Blaire's hand until he was sure her blood couldn't circulate. He grinned as she yanked her hand quickly away.
Happy Hunger Games Blaire Charity, and may the odds be never in your favor.