Hello everyone, I am ChipetteGirl10.
This is my first Hunger Games fanfic, but not my first fanfic ever.
This chapter took a while to write.
Expect sporadic updates as I am working on a story in another archive. Expect an update every week-2 weeks or so.
I hope you enjoy this fanfic!
The Fourth Quarter Quell: Shattered
by ChipetteGirl10
Reaping
"And now, Panem, for the official rules of the fourth Quarter Quell, the one-hundredth Hunger Games," President Snow announces, live on all TV screens throughout Panem. He takes a slip and reads it out loud.
"For the fourth Quarter Quell, the one-hundredth Hunger Games, all siblings, if any, of the Hunger Games tributes from the previous year, the ninety-ninth Hunger Games, will be entered for the reaping. If there are no siblings, we shall move on to cousins. All siblings and cousins must be the same gender as the family member sent into the previous Games," he announces. The families of all of the previous year's tributes are grief-stricken now. Only one tribute shall have the advantage of having a sibling as their mentor. For everyone else whose child was sent into the Games last year, it is a sick rule change. For twenty-three families, they are sent into deeper grieving. For the victor's family, they are going from sighs of relief to fainting.
This is going to be an interesting year. That is the musing of all of the other safe families.
"This is unbelievable!" snaps Azraela Antreb as she walks down the main roads. She is the only sibling of Keladry Antreb, the female District One tribute from last year, who had gotten killed when a tribute from District Six managed to behead her during the bloodbath at the Cornucopia. Azraela still cannot believe that the tiny twelve-year-old girl from District Six managed to kill Keladry, only a year younger than Azraela, who is now eighteen. And at the bloodbath, no less!
"I thought Career tributes were supposed to win!" Azraela mutters angrily as she storms down the sidewalk toward the town center, where the Capitol representative, Snyder Lindrouse, is waiting on stage with two reaping bowls. The one for the girls contains one slip, while the one for the boys contains five slips. Azraela purses her lips as the five brothers of the killed male tribute from last year come entering the reaping area.
"Happy Hunger Games!" Snyder greets in his odd Capitol accent. Azraela rolls her eyes.
Happy Hunger Games indeed.
"May the odds be ever in your favor!"
After the mayor comes up and reads the history of Panem and the Dark Days, Snyder reclaims his place on the stage to select the tributes for the quell.
"First the girls!"
Snyder takes his time, digging his hand around for that one slip. Azraela rolls her eyes as he fishes her name out of the reaping bowl, ever-so-carefully unfolding the paper, as if unfolding it any quicker, and he would explode right there.
"Azraela Antreb."
Azraela stalks forward and reaches the stage. She looks at the faces of the boys from the male tribute from last year's family. The male tribute last year was Ember Ravencrest, who was killed when he was fighting a District Four tribute in the final three. He left behind a full immediate family: a mother, a father, five brothers, and three sisters. Azraela knew him, too. They went out and broke up one week before the reaping.
"Now the boys," Snyder interrupts her thoughts, digging his hand through the five slips. He picks it up and brings it to eye level.
"Flint Ravencrest!" A thirteen-year-old boy walks forward, onto the stage with Azraela.
"Your District One tributes!"
In District 2, the air is thick with anxiety. Two families go to the reaping area: the Rosemary family and the Handleson family. Two females from the Rosemary family walk forward while three males from the Handleson family walk forward. The Capitol representative, Edolith, steps onto the stage.
"Hello, everyone, and Happy Hunger Games!" Edolith announces overly-cheerfully.
The mayor comes up to read the history of Panem again.
Get on with it. Send a second sister of mine to her death already. We know all of this already; we're required to go to the reaping every year, Emlyn Rosemary thinks to herself. She looks over at the Handleson family to see one of the boys is looking at her. It's Quinlan who's looking at her. She smiles at him and then looks back up at the stage. The mayor is still droning on. Even the Capitol representative is starting to look bored with him.
"Thank you Mayor Overlook. And now it is time to pick this year's tributes for the One-Hundredth Hunger Games! May the odds be ever in your favor!" Edolith finally says, stepping forward as the mayor sits back down.
The odds aren't in my favor. If I wish not to go, then my sister goes in. If I go in, I have to fight for my life, Emlyn thinks to herself. Then she smiles. Who am I kidding? I've been training for this for years. If she gets picked, I'm just going to volunteer. She's only twelve and hasn't been trained too thoroughly. She'll never even volunteer.
"First the girls!" Edolith says, shoving her hand into the reaping bowl and pulling out a slip of paper eagerly. She holds it up to her eyes and reads out loud: "Griselda Rosemary!" Emlyn's little sister steps forward, gingerly taking her time to walk onto the stage. Edolith speaks into the microphone again.
"Any volunteers for being tribute? Do we have any volunteers?"
"I volunteer!" Emlyn calls out. Griselda smirks at Emlyn as she walks off of the stage.
"You're gonna win," she whispers. Emlyn grins at her and takes her place on stage next to Edolith.
"Tell us your name," Edolith says.
"I'm Emlyn Rosemary and I'm fifteen," Emlyn responds, grinning down at the others in the crowd. She looks to Griselda with a smile and Edolith nods toward her.
"Now we choose our boy tribute!" Edolith's hand goes into the other reaping bowl.
"Quinlan Handleson!" Quinlan steps on stage, looking proud to be a tribute. The eighteen-year-old smiles at the crowd just as Edolith announces, to all of District 2: "Ladies and gentlemen, our District 2 tributes!"
In District 3, the four family members of the deceased tribute from the Games last year, River Forrestor, walks into the reaping area. The four girls, ages fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, and seventeen are all standing together as the family of Reed Darrels enters. There are three boys, ages twelve, fifteen, and eighteen. They all exchange sympathies as they wait for the Capitol representative to begin the ceremony of the reaping.
"I don't want to go into the Games, I'm too young to die!" twelve-year-old Cord Darrels says, looking around at his two older brothers. The other two sigh.
"It's a matter of if you get picked. Mom told us nobody is allowed to volunteer, or else it'll cause her too much grief and give her a heart attack. She already has a fragile heart, don't you forget," the eighteen-year-old says forlornly. Cord sighs as the three of them stand there. They look over at the girls. Cord sighs again.
"I really don't want any of them to have to be in the Games either. Why did we have to have this stupid rule change, anyway? It's bad enough twenty-three of this year's tributes lost a sibling, but to send another in like that and go hard on the parents?" he complains. The other two brothers shake their heads as Winter Floriance walks up onto the stage to begin the reaping.
"Hello everyone, and happy Hunger Games!" Winter says happily, not sensing the irritation of everyone else at his peppiness. He was from the Capitol, and their grotesque source of entertainment was the annual Hunger Games, and their citizens don't even get sent into the Games.
"I wish they had feelings," one of the girls pipes up from next to Cord. Cord shakes his head sadly as the mayor begins on the history of Panem.
Soon enough the reading was done, too soon for the seven teens who could easily be a tribute in the next few minutes.
"And now, time to select our tributes! May the odds be ever in your favor!" Winter says, "First of all, we shall choose our female tribute!" He digs his hand through the reaping bowl with four slips in it. The four girls are standing, waiting anxiously for one of their names to be called.
"Spark Forrestor!"
A fourteen-year-old girl steps forward. Her blue eyes stare at the ground as she walks onto the stage. She looks nonchalant and laid-back about being chosen, but Cord can see in her eyes fear bubbling up.
"And now, we shall select our boy tribute!" Winter announces. He digs his hand in the bowl.
"Cord Darrels!"
Cord's eyes shoot wide open as he steps toward the stage. He looks at his two brothers, both of which are in deep shock. Winter seems oblivious to the heavy mood in the town center.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I give you, your District 3 tributes!"
In District 4, a fog is beginning to set in as two families head down to the town center, outside of the Justice building. Aqua DeAngelo, a thirteen-year-old girl, stalks forward. Last year, this was where her eighteen-year-old sister Ocean, whom everyone thought was safe from being reaped because with her luck she would never get picked, was chosen to go into the Hunger Games to represent District 4. They thought she would bring it home. It was too bad, really. Ironic, too. She came from a coastal district and died by drowning after a coil of rope tied down her foot just as a giant wave of water rushed over her. Since then Aqua told herself that she would win the Games, had she ever gotten reaped herself. And she was Ocean's only sister. It's perfect.
Across the way of the town center, Aqua could see the three brothers of the male tribute from last year, Sander Diegonas. The three boys' names are Reef, Finn, and Pier. Reef is the one Aqua knows best, since they're in the same grade and they are the same age. Finn is fourteen, and Pier is the seventeen-year-old and now the oldest of the family. Sander would have turned eighteen this year, but had to go down by the hand of someone from District 9.
"Hey guys," Aqua greets.
"Hey Aqua," the three boys chorus.
"Do you guys feel confident about going into the Games?" Aqua asks.
"Yeah, we've trained for this for years. I feel pretty good. I'm gonna take down District 9 for killing my brother if I'm chosen," Pier says with a smirk.
"If I'm going in I'm doing the same," Reef says.
"Not unless I volunteer for you," Pier responds.
"Nobody is going to volunteer for me. I'll do it myself. Pier, I need to prove myself a worthy adversary against these people if I wanna be a contender," Finn says to both of them. They are about to argue when the Capitol representative for the district, Cossus, takes the stage in a ridiculous outfit: aqua-colored tuxedo, white polo shirt, sea green tie, aqua-colored pants, white shoes. His usually rusty blonde hair is dyed an ugly shade of blue.
"Ladies and gentlemen, Happy Hunger Games!"
The mayor steps up and reads the History of Panem, which all four of the possible tributes already know. It seems like forever until Cossus retakes the stage with a grin so irritating Aqua felt like slapping him.
"Now, it is time to choose our tributes for the fourth Quarter Quell! First, we shall do the girls!" Aqua contemplates whether or not to walk on the stage without being called, since she already knows she's going to go into the Games. She stands in her spot anyway as she waits for Cossus to dramatically dig around in the bowl until her paper is pulled.
"Aqua DeAngelo!" Cossus calls with excitement. Aqua walks onto the stage, trying to hide her annoyance.
"Now, we shall choose our boy tribute!" Cossus digs around in the boys' reaping bowl before pulling out a slip of paper.
"Finn Diegonas!" Aqua's green eyes flit to Finn. Finn, who said his brothers couldn't volunteer for him. Finn, who would take down District 9 out of revenge. Finn, who Aqua would have to kill.
"District 4, I give you your tributes for the fourth Quarter Quell!"
Switch Frankle is now sixteen-years-old and an only child. His older brother Roscoe was killed last year by one of the Careers from District 4. Switch never got over it and he still hasn't. He walks slowly, dragging his feet, toward the area for the reapings. He knows he's going to get sent in, being the only male Frankle sibling left. He looks over to see the sisters of the deceased tribute Jersey Ploan. The Ploan sisters are twelve, thirteen, and fifteen. The twelve-year-old is Idris, the thirteen-year-old is Nikita, and the fifteen-year-old is Ventura.
"Good afternoon everyone, and happy Hunger Games!" a loud voice booms from behind the stage. Raymus Jorgen comes onto the stage to begin the reaping ceremony. Switch rolls his eyes as Raymus introduces mayor Ransted. The mayor begins the History of Panem, which they do every year. He looks over to the three sisters. Idris, for only being twelve, seems nonchalant about things. Nikita is fidgeting nervously, this being her second year. Ventura looks quite bored with the entire thing.
"Now, time to pick our tributes! May the odds be ever in your favor! Now, let us pick our female tribute!"
Switch looks at the three girls.
"Ventura Ploan!"
Ventura is about to walk onto the stage when everyone gets a huge shock.
"I volunteer as tribute!"
It's Idris who says it. Ventura looks at her and then Nikita. Nikita's jaw is dropped wide open. Switch covers his mouth to keep from saying anything. Ventura sighs and lets Idris run onto the stage.
"Sweetie, what's your name?" Raymus asks.
"Idris Ploan."
"And how old are you?"
"Twelve."
Raymus looks shocked before shrugging.
"Alright then, good for you Idris, you brave little girl! Now it is time to pick our male tribute."
Switch rolls his eyes as Raymus sticks his hand in the bowl and feels around for the slip, knowing how obvious the actual spot it's located in is. Idris and her sisters are beginning to look irritated with Raymus too. Finally, Raymus pulls out the slip, the white slip sending Switch into his death cage, from inside of the bowl, rendering it empty.
"Switch Frankle!"
Switch walks up to the stage and looks across to Idris. Idris looks into his eyes before looking down at the ground. Switch looks at Idris's two sisters and knows that all of District 5 is watching them.
"Ladies and gentlemen, these are your District 5 tributes!" Raymus says.
Barena Amrenk looks around the town center. She's only fifteen, and has no business being reaped in her opinion. She looks at her four sisters, fourteen-year-old Neltara, sixteen-year-old Mantinique, seventeen-year-old Hazadra, and eighteen-year-old Oberona. She wishes she wasn't here, and that Peonia is still alive. Peonia would have turned fifteen this year. She was Barena's twin sister. Barena sighs with a shake of her head and looks over toward the boys from the Malteso family.
Wesell Malteso would have turned seventeen this year, had he not been killed last year. He left behind four brothers, left Peonia left behind five sisters. Wesell's four brothers are thirteen, sixteen, seventeen, and eighteen. Lachlan is thirteen, Tynan is sixteen, Denly is seventeen, and Zivon is eighteen.
This is insanity. Either I'm being sent to my death, or one of my sisters is. I cannot believe they can do this, Barena thinks to herself dismally. Her normally outgoing personality was thrown out the window last year after her sister was killed by tracker-jackers, a sight that's burned into the back of Barena's mind.
"Hello everyone! Happy Hunger Games!" a voice interrupts. Barena looks up with a glare at the Capitol representative for District 6. Her name is Sisenna. Her blonde hair has streaks of gold running through it. She's wearing a gold dress with 2-inch heels of the same color. Barena rolls her eyes at the outfit as Sisenna introduces the mayor, who then begins reading the history of Panem.
"Okay, now it is time to pick our District 6 tributes! May the odds be ever in your favor! Now, we must pick our female tribute!" Sisenna says fifteen minutes later. Barena looks up to see Sisenna's hand digging through the reaping bowl. That's me. That's Neltara. That's Mantinique, that's Hazadra, that's Oberona. Barena's mind is abuzz with thoughts that she almost doesn't catch what Sisenna says.
"Barena Amrenk, please come forward!" Sisenna announces. Barena almost falls over with shock. She takes wobbly steps toward the stage. Sisenna looks at her with a smile. You deranged freak! You're smiling about sending me into my death! You're a nutcase!
"And now we must pick the boys!" Sisenna says, oblivious to Barena's feelings. Sisenna drops her hand into the boys' reaping bowl. Before anyone could register the shock of the twin of last year's tribute being sent into the arena, Sisenna is already announcing the name.
"Tynan Malteso, please come forward!"
The sixteen-year-old Malteso boy takes steps up to the stage. Sisenna is beaming at him, like being a tribute is something they should want, something that should thrive to be. Barena tries not to let her anger show through, because she knows she's on camera, being broadcast to all of District 6, and eventually all of Panem.
"District 6, I give you our tributes for the fourth Quarter Quell!" Sisenna practically shouts, grabbing Barena and Tynan by the wrist and holding their hands above their heads. Barena exchanges glances with Tynan. He smirks, and for the first time since her sister died, she smiles at him.
"This is a sick rule change they've come up with. I can't believe I might be going into the arena!" seventeen-year-old Beverly Freenta complains, throwing her hands up. It was only last year when she watched her older sister Ainsley get hacked to death by the tribute from District 5 in a brawl for Ainsley's ax that had been lost in a scuffle at the feast last year.
"Just stop reflecting on it. It's done, over with," Beverly's fourteen-year-old sister Kimberly says snippily. Beverly rolls her eyes. Ainsley, who had been fifteen when she died, was the peacemaker between Beverly and Kimberly. It had been chaos from the moment Ainsley died.
"Whatever," Beverly responds, walking ahead of Kimberly into the reaping area. The family of Chaney Arlponty was already there. There were only two boys, just like the Freenta family. Their names were Silvius, who was fifteen, and Lindley, who was sixteen. Chaney was killed by one of the District 11 tributes by a stab to the heart.
"Hello everyone! Happy Hunger Games!" the Capitol representative, Georgina Tranville says cheerfully, oblivious to the gloomy mood. Georgina herself seems excited for the Games, and quickly introduces the mayor. The mayor, one who does not like being rushed, makes the point of taking his sweet old time reading the History of Panem. By the time he finishes, Georgina seems too bouncy.
"Now it is time to select our wonderful tributes! May the odds be ever in your favor! First, we shall choose the name of our female tribute!" Georgina says, excitement dripping into her tone. Beverly suppresses a snort of irritation.
"Beverly Freenta!"
Beverly's eyes nearly bulge out as she hears her name called. Kimberly cups her hand over her mouth as Beverly walks onto the stage, still in deep shock.
"Now we shall choose our boy tribute to go into the arena with this lovely lady!" Lindley and Silvius look at each other nervously. Georgina plunges her hand into the bowl and pulls up a slip of paper.
"Silvius Arlponty!"
Silvius steps onto the stage. Georgina smiles at them.
"Ladies and gentlemen of District 7, I give you your tributes!"
Almira Drazael is the dressmaker's daughter. Almira Drazael was a younger sister with an older sister she adored. Almira Drazael is now an only child who knows she is being sent into the Hunger Games directly after her sister Yorie was killed in a double-team by last year's District 12 tributes. Now Almira stands in the town center all by herself, besides for the other only child going into the Games, Beau. Beau's older brother Almiron was killed by a rain of fireballs.
Beau stands off by himself, reflecting on the death of his older brother last year. Almira, now sixteen, turns to face Beau, who is eighteen. Beau's hands are jammed into his pockets in his good Reaping Day pants. The two look up to the stage as the Capitol representative Dativo walks onto the stage, keeping an air of importance.
"Hello, everyone, and happy Hunger Games!" he says.
Must we go through with this? We already know we're going into the Games, Beau thinks to himself.
The mayor steps up and reads the History of Panem. Beau and Almira take this time to look at each other, knowing they'll both be going into the arena together. Almira flashes him a friendly ghost of a smile before the wary look resumes her expression as she glances back up at the stage, where Dativo returns.
"And now, District 8, it is time to reap our tributes!" Dativo announces happily.
He can't just call us up to the stage? We're the only eligible tributes here, Almira thinks, looking up at Dativo curiously. Beau seems to be thinking the same thing, wearing the same expression.
"First, we shall reap the girls!"
Dativo sticks his hand into the glass ball containing one slip of paper and immediately grabs at it.
"Almira Drazael."
Almira swallows and walks up to the stage. She looks at Beau, who is waiting impatiently for Dativo to get on with it, to call his name since he was already the only boy eligible for the Quell.
"And now we shall choose a fine boy!"
Dativo is still taking his time with it. He reaches into the very bottom of the reaping bowl and his fingers pluck Beau's slip of paper from the clear glass.
"Beau Kantanki."
Beau steps up on the other end of the stage from Almira.
"District 8, your tributes!"
Fourteen-year-old Zea Aleharada feels on top of the world. She is the only sister of Grainne, the victor from the previous year's Hunger Games. Grainne, who turned nineteen this year, would be mentoring Zea, while someone else mentored whoever would be chosen out of the pool of siblings of Barric Jendzel, who was killed during the bloodbath on the first day. Barric had three siblings, eighteen-year-old Granger, sixteen-year-old Vannes, and fourteen-year-old Dagan.
"I'm going to win this Game, just like Grainne did," Zea mutters to herself happily as she walks into the down center.
"Hey Zea!"
Zea turns to see Dagan running up to her with a grin on his face. He sweeps her into a hug before finally setting her down again.
"Zea…are you sure you're actually happy about going into the Games? I mean, seriously. I know your sister won last year and I'm confident you'll be good, but you're only fourteen years old. She was eighteen," Dagan says, smile vanishing. Zea rolls her eyes with a smirk as she turns away from Dagan.
"Please, I have the advantage of having someone very close to me as a mentor. What more could you ask for, to ensure a guaranteed win?" she responds cockily. Dagan rolls his eyes and grabs Zea by her shoulder.
"You don't know how strong or big those people are. And a lot of them are probably out for revenge on your sister, so they'll go after you," he says. Zea brushes this off as the Capitol representative comes onto the stage. Her name is Starcha Weetneel. She clears her throat, grabbing the attention of not only the four possible tributes, but all of District 10 who is watching.
"Happy Hunger Games, everybody. I hope you're all just as excited as I am," Starcha says, "and now, Mayor Fielder will read our History of Panem." The mayor steps up and begins reading, while Zea looks at her sister, who is sitting on stage smiling at everyone proudly. Dagan rolls his eyes from behind Zea, an action unnoticed by Grainne. By the time Starcha steps back up, everyone is looking bored.
"And now, District 10, time to reap our tributes!" she says cheerfully, walking over to a table with both glass bowls in front of her. Dagan crosses his arms as she loudly announces: "First, we shall choose our girl tribute!" She delicately reaches her hand in, draws the name out, and brings it to eye-level.
"Zea Aleharada!" Zea walks up onto the stage, feeling proud, which Dagan and his brothers found considerably odd. Usually, only being proud comes from the Career-heavy districts.
"Aren't you the sister of our victor from last year and newest mentor Grainne Aleharada?" Starcha says. Zea nods and smirks at the cameras with a wink.
"Well then, good for you and I hope you will follow in your sister's footsteps!"
Dagan didn't know whether to take that as a slap in the face for all of the other tributes, including the male from this district, but he brushes it off as Starcha returns to the matter at hand.
"Now, we will select our boy tribute."
Starcha dips her hand into the boys' reaping bowl and Dagan could see now how nervous is brothers really were about getting picked.
"Granger Jendzel!"
Granger steps onto the stage, looking quite forlorn. He was so close to not getting reaped, just one more year and he would be ineligible.
"I volunteer," Dagan says, stepping up onto the stage. Granger shakes his head.
"You don't have to do this," he responds. Dagan glares at him.
"I have to."
Granger sighs and steps down, allowing Dagan to get on the stage.
"State your name, sir," Starcha says. Dagan sucks in his breath.
"Dagan Jendzel."
"Well then. District 9, I give you your 4th Quarter Quell tributes!"
In District 10, the air is thick with anxiety. There are only two eligible tributes in this district.
Jadyn Hoontreep is seventeen. Her sister, Neviah, was killed last year during the initial bloodbath at the Cornucopia. Neviah was fifteen at the time, and Jadyn swore to get revenge on the District 2 tributes, because their siblings killed hers. She's not alone in the cause, either. Erno Ranwatt is also seventeen. His younger brother Marrim was thirteen when he was reaped and was killed by District 2 tributes as well, and now Erno is out for revenge.
"I am not letting the District 2 tributes win this year. They are not. I don't care if they lost siblings too, but they killed mine!" Jadyn snarls.
"Easy Jadyn, easy. We have to formulate a plan to get them first. Okay?" Erno tries to relax her with his futile attempts. Jadyn is about to say something back when the Capitol representative for District 10, Garren Holder, walks on stage.
"Hello District 10, happy Hunger Games!" Garren says, grinning at the two tributes.
Don't smile at us like that. We're going into the Hunger Games, and everyone already knows it, Erno thinks irritably as Garren introduces the mayor, who then proceeds to read the history of Panem. While the mayor reads, Erno and Jadyn exchange annoyed glances. Garren is sitting on the edge of his seat waiting for the mayor to finish, ready to spring up any time to announce this year's tributes.
The mayor does finish and Garren does just that. He leaps from his seat and walks back up to the podium.
"And now, District 10, it is time to reap our two tributes! May the odds be ever in your favor!"
What odds? There are no odds here. There's one name in each bowl. We know we're going in, Jadyn thinks.
"First the girls!"
Garren reaches his hand in and picks out a slip of paper. He takes his time unfolding it. Jadyn is annoyed with him and it takes every ounce of her will power to not slap him right there.
"Jadyn Hoontreep!"
Jadyn steps on stage. Her mind is beginning to work on a plan to take down the Careers before they can take her down.
"Now the boys!" Garren says, reaching into the boys' bowl. He pulls out another name.
"Erno Ranwatt!"
Erno steps on stage, trying not to let his irritation at Garren show through. Garren smiles at the two of them before proudly announcing to all of District 10: "District 10, I give you your tributes!"
Estelle Pinktrank had been fifteen years old when she was reaped for the Hunger Games last year. She hadn't been a contender and wound up going into the top five. District 11 tributes never really did that well, considering her district partner Preston Opanikee was killed in the bloodbath, like many other years for the district. Estelle left behind five sisters; twelve-year-old Celeste, thirteen-year-old Rayna, fifteen-year-old Sabra, sixteen-year-old Hayden, and eighteen-year-old Whitney. Preston left behind two brothers; fourteen-year-old Lawson, and sixteen-year-old Basil.
"I'm scared to do this," Rayna says to her sisters. Rayna's sisters all shake their heads.
"All of us are. Our parents just lost a daughter and now they're running the risk of losing another. It must be hard for parents of only-children whose sibling was in last year," Sabra says sadly. The other four sisters agree as they head to the town center. When they get there the mood is dreary. Basil and Lawson are already there, waiting for the Capitol representative, Poppy, to get there.
"Hey guys," Whitney says.
"Hey," Basil responds. Lawson is quiet, most likely reflecting on last year. Rayna recalls last year. Lawson was distraught when his brother was killed and almost went and committed suicide. Had Rayna and Hayden not found him in time, things could have been disastrous. The Peacekeepers still weren't aware of it, and neither was anyone else but them. And it is still that way.
"Are you guys ready for this?" Celeste asks nervously. Celeste has always been uneasy about being reaped. Rayna knows they had been "normal people," those who are normal enough to not get reaped and get sent into the Games. But ever since Estelle was sent to her death, Celeste had been worried.
"What if we go into the Games next, Ray?" she had asked last year after Estelle was killed by one of the remaining Careers.
"We won't be, the odds of a family member going in the year after another did are highly unlikely," Rayna had responded, hoping Celeste would not catch her lie. Celeste luckily didn't notice and took it as reassurance.
Too bad that Rayna was dead wrong.
"Hello everyone of District 11, and happy Hunger Games!" Poppy Gatestale greets from the stage. The seven possible tributes look up at the stage. Poppy is wearing a cranberry-colored dress and a white jacket. Her graying hair has streaks of cranberry in it and her makeup looks ridiculous. Poppy introduces the mayor, who then proceeds to read the History of Panem.
Everyone is silent as the mayor finishes some amount of time later, and Poppy returns to the podium.
"Thank you, Mayor Rasee. And now it is time to choose our tributes for the Games! May the odds be ever in your favor!" she says, walking over to the table with the two glass bowls.
"First, the girls!"
Poppy drops her hand into the bowl where one out of five slips will be chosen. Everyone is waiting with baited breath for the name to be read. The five sisters are gripping hands, their knuckles turning white, when the name is read.
"Rayna Pinktrank!"
Rayna seems almost frozen for a minute, face registering the shock of being reaped. Slowly, she makes her way up onto the stage. She puts on a brave face as Poppy nods toward her.
"And now the boys!"
And that is it. Rayna knows now nobody can volunteer to take her place. She, only thirteen, is going into the Hunger Games. Uncertainty takes her over as Poppy fishes out a slip of paper from two in the boys' reaping bowl.
"Lawson Opanikee!"
Lawson seems uneasy himself but does his best to hide it as he steps onto the stage. He looks down at the ground, rather than up where everyone in District 11 can see his face. Poppy ignores this and smiles at the both of them before announcing cheerfully: "District 11, I give you your tributes!"
In District 12, nobody is happy. Victors Katniss Everdeen, Peeta Mellark, and Haymitch Abernathy look at the three possible tributes. There is one boy, who is eighteen, and two girls. One girl looks about thirteen while the other seems to be fifteen. Katniss sighs.
"I just want to bring home a victor this year," she says. Peeta squeezes her shoulder.
"We can do it, Katniss."
Katniss sighs and hopes Peeta is right as she recalls the year they became mentors. Prim was so well-liked in District 12 that before Katniss could volunteer for her in the 74th Hunger Games, twenty-six years ago, some other girl volunteered to take her place. Peeta was never reaped at all. The following year, the 3rd Quarter Quell, it was not past victors, but instead, the official rules where that two people from the same district could win. That year Katniss and Peeta were reaped. They came out victors.
She sighs again.
"I hope you're right, Peeta."
Meanwhile, in the town center before them, Hawk Tranzell stands off by himself. His brother Dustin Tranzell was killed last year, just after double-teaming one of the District 8 tributes with also-deceased district partner Diamond Sarple. Diamond left behind two younger sisters, thirteen-year-old Jade and fifteen-year-old Ruby.
"Hawk?"
Ruby's voice drifts into Hawk's ears and he turns to see her.
Ruby, Jade, and Diamond had the typical town look, blonde hair and blue eyes. Hawk's family came from the Seam, with their almost black hair, gray eyes, and olive skin.
"Hey Ruby," Hawk greets.
"Hey Hawk," Ruby responds, "Aren't you nervous? You're going into the Hunger Games, and it's not easy." Hawk sighs.
"I've seen Dustin die. I've seen Diamond die. I'm not nervous, I'm not excited, and I'm not scared. I don't really feel anything toward going into the Games," Hawk says. Ruby sighs.
"Well, I guess we'll see how we do."
"We?" Hawk responds curiously.
"If Jade goes in, I'm volunteering. If I get reaped, who am I kidding, Jade's not going to volunteer for me when she's only thirteen. She's got a bright future," Ruby says. Hawk nods.
"Alright then…I'll see you in the Games, Ruby."
Right then Effie Trinket walks onto the stage.
"Hello everyone, happy Hunger Games!" she announces. Ruby, Jade, and Hawk all bunch together in one little group in the middle of the huge town center as Effie introduces Mayor Undersee, who then begins reading the History of Panem. Katniss, Peeta, and Haymitch all seem preoccupied with looking at the tributes, who are looking up at the mayor. Effie looks over to the mentors and sighs.
At least Haymitch is sober this year.
The mayor finally finishes the History of Panem, allowing Effie to step back onto the stage.
"Okay everyone, now we shall pick our tributes for the 4th Quarter Quell! May the odds be ever in your favor!" she says. She walks over to the table with the two glass reaping bowls.
"First, the girls!"
Effie slides her hand into the bowl and pulls up a name.
"Ruby Sarple!"
Ruby walks onto the stage, standing with no hint of emotion as Effie walks over to the boys' reaping bowl.
"Now, we shall choose our boy tribute!"
Effie's hand goes into the bowl with one name.
"Hawk Tranzell!"
Hawk steps on stage on the opposite side from Ruby. Effie smiles.
"District 12, I give you your tributes!"
All across Panem after all of the Reapings have been finished, a picture of the tributes from each district, going from 1 to 12, flash across the screen with their name and age.
District 1
Flint Ravencrest – 13
Azraela Antreb – 18
District 2
Emlyn Rosemary – 15
Quinlan Handleson – 18
District 3
Cord Darrels – 12
Spark Forrestor – 14
District 4
Finn Diegonas – 14
Aqua DeAngelo – 13
District 5
Switch Frankle – 16
Idris Ploan – 12
District 6
Tynan Malteso – 16
Barena Amrenk – 15
District 7
Silvius Arlponty – 15
Beverly Freenta – 17
District 8
Beau Kantanki – 18
Almira Drazael – 16
District 9
Dagan Jendzel – 14
Zea Aleharada – 14
District 10
Erno Ranwatt – 17
Jadyn Hoontreep – 17
District 11
Lawson Opanikee – 14
Rayna Pinktrank – 13
District 12
Hawk Tranzell – 18
Ruby Sarple – 15
And with that, the anthem of Panem plays followed by the seal of Panem, and the screens go to black. Meanwhile, the tributes say their farewells, and then are put on the train with a course for the Capitol.
A/N: Wow that took me a long time to write.
Who do you think is going to win?
Who's your favorite?
Who's your least favorite?
I must know.
Expect sporadic updates as I am working on something in a different archive! So expect it every week-2 weeks or so!
See you in chapter two!
