District 1
Shimmer awoke feeling confident, the way she always felt, her toned body slid from between her silken bed sheets and her perfectly manicured fingers reached assuredly for the fresh orange juice she knew the maid would have left on her nightstand.
Today is reaping day. She told herself. That is a fact and nothing will change it, you should feel confident, you only have 5 entries and you know that the odds are entirely in your favour.
She repeated this mantra 50 times until she felt a reassuring glow of arrogance at being the mayor's daughter, the one who would never need the tesserae and who would reach 18 next year having grown even more beautiful, the world was truly hers.
"Today will be a wonderful day" Shimmer spoke the words out loud as if to ensure the universe knew it's job for the day ahead.
"Darling!" Her father's voice called through the door "Are you awake?"
"Coming! Don't worry, I'm never late for the show!" Shimmer called back to him in a bright, happy voice. The reapings were staggered throughout the day and district 1 would be the first at 9am, she would be sat on the stage with her parents so there was no way she could look anything less than perfect- as if she would ever go out in public looking any other way!
Huf. Huf. Huf. Huf. Andesine panted, he was on lap 40 of the running track which ran around the outside of the school building. Huf. Huf. Huf. He let out a long slow breath as he reached the school door for the final time.
Andesine looked up and saw his best friend Fabien; he smiled "What's up man? You done too?"
Fabien flicked his messy blonde hair out of his eyes "Yup, so come on is today the day?"
Andesine took a deep breath, he hadn't told anyone he would be volunteering this year but it was unsurprising that everyone had guessed, at 17 he was as tough as any of the 18 year olds he trained with and, whereas Fabien favoured a lean physique, Andesine had bulked himself up through weight training and a high protein diet. Well, no time like the present to make the announcement.
He nodded "Yup, I'm ready. Better to do it now when I know I'm at the peak of my game than wait another year, risk an injury and maybe not get my shot at all."
Fabien nodded; he was 16 and would probably wait until 18 like most people before he volunteered. "You're gonna be awesome man, I gotta get breakfast but I'll see you out there okay?"
"Okay. See you" Andesine headed to the gym shower room and grabbed his wash bag. He caught his reflection in the mirror. He tried to view himself as the other tributes would view him. Almost six feet tall, broad shoulders and muscle definition everywhere- he looked menacing.
Good. He thought.
District Two
Pain shot through Dacia's ribs as a shrill voice told her to get up. She stretched out as much as she could in her bunk and knocked out a tune on the bunk above. "I'm up, I'm up" was the response from the next occupant who then knocked on the bunk above her to wake another sound sleeper.
I'd kill for the top bunk. Thought Dacia. I could wake up to a knock instead of a kick. She stood and stretched a little when she heard crying. A new girl had been brought into the foster home last night and she wasn't taking it too well. The beds didn't help, they were triple bunks with no rails so the person on top had to be a still sleeper or they would get a painful awakening on the brushed stone floor. Once a girl fell out of bed in the night and broke her jaw. Maybe it was best to be bottom bunk; she barely noticed pain anymore anyway.
After chores and a mushy, grain breakfast, Dacia showered and dressed in the girls uniform of a grey woven dress, grey woollen knee socks and black shoes. As she dressed she saw that the bruise on the back of her thighs was finally fading to yellow, Dacia had been on potato peeling duty and had made the mistake of sitting down when she thought no one was looking. Mistress Elaine had given her 10 strikes with her cane but Dacia had borne it without crying, weakness would only earn you more strikes and make the ones you already had seem worse.
For a moment Dacia thought about reaping days before she had arrived at the home. Her parents would hug her close and tell her not to be afraid. That was before the accident at the Nut, her father had died in the rock fall and her mother had succumbed to flu the following year so now, at 14, Dacia lived her pale existence with the other lost girls in the foster home. "Ah well" she whispered "maybe I'll be reaped and it will all be over" In a way she found the thought comforting.
Flint was up at 5 as usual. He headed to the gym with his brothers and, as the eldest, set the routine for the morning before they had to be back to get ready for the reaping.
At 18 he was shorter than all of his 4 younger brothers but what he lacked in height he made up for in determination and ferocity. He began his stomach crunches, calling out for the others to keep up with him. "1...2...3...4...5...6...come on keep up, you wanna win the games or die there? 7…8…9…" Flint looked over and saw Brute flop back onto the ground. "Keep going!" He shouted to the others.
"Brute, what's goin on?" Flint surveyed his brother and took in the sweaty forehead, flushed cheeks and swollen glands.
"I don't feel well Flint, can I go home?" Brute's voice was still high, despite his height he was only 12.
Flint nodded to himself and crossed the gym to the rack of weighted backpacks they used for endurance training; he hefted a lighter one off the bottom shelf and carried it over to his brother easily with one hand. Brute gave out a cry when Flint dropped the pack onto his stomach.
"You keep going and every time you fall behind I get a heavier pack" Flint repositioned himself on the floor. "You get tough Brute or you die. Now come on! 10…11…12…13…14..."
Flint knew he was tough. He wasn't going to die.
District 3
Relay pressed snooze on her alarm clock, she didn't need to rush today, the reaping wasn't until 11 and the family repair shop wouldn't open until afterwards so there was plenty of time to get up.
She looked over at her sister Di who had clearly gotten up early and was now knelt silently, praying on the floor of their little bedroom. Relay reached for her pillow and hit Di on the back of the head.
"What are you doing?!" Di cried "I'm praying for you too you know?!"
"Well thank you very much but I think I'll take my confidence from nice, logical statistics instead." Relay smirked, though they were twins they couldn't be more different in appearance or temperament. Relay was dark haired, top of her classes at school and had an impulsive, creative personality. Di was fairer and struggled to read at times, she said the letters moved all over the place and she preferred to spend her time helping at the local nursery school where she would surely take a job when they turned 18 in 3 years.
Relay's stomach flipped at the thought of the reaping today but she calmed herself when she remembered that they only had 4 entries each. The repair shop did good business thanks to the contract with the peacekeepers for their vehicle and weaponry maintenance, they were woefully underpaid by the capitol of course, but it was enough to prevent them taking the tesserae and to keep them all fed. Relay dressed in her usual paint splattered pants and shirt. She never intended to get her clothes dirty but it seemed that living above the shop meant all her clothes became work clothes eventually! She slid a pair of dragonfly slides into her hastily combed hair and was ready.
Buzz didn't have to wake up to his mother's tentative knock at his bedroom door as he had been awake all night, they all had.
"Sweetheart I've put some clothes out for you" His mother called, her voice caught slightly, she must still be crying a little.
"Thank you!" He called back trying to sound normal. Buzz saw she had laid out the formal pants and shirt he had worn to his cousin's wedding a month ago. He dressed carefully and took some deep breaths to try to alleviate the anxiety pangs which racked his stomach.
When he opened the bedroom door he saw his father's forced smile "Well, don't you look smart?" His father tried to say brightly.
Buzz began to cry again, his mother knelt to hug him and his father embraced them both. They all stayed that way for a long time.
His father broke away first "Right, come on lets head to the square, we can't be late." He put a hand on his wife's shoulder and she broke away from Buzz but kept hold of his little hand.
"Don't worry mum" Buzz said as chipper as he could manage "We'll be okay."
His mother nodded and dried her eyes. His father added "I'm sure these will get easier as you get older, we've good odds, let's just get this first one out of the way"
District 4
Capelin's lean body cut through the water easily, she had tried to head home to get ready for the reaping 3 times but each time she tried to swim back to the beach panic had taken hold and it was too easy to just stay in the water where life was so uncomplicated.
Well maybe not so uncomplicated…the peacekeepers in East Water tower were watching her, guns ready, as if she may decide to swim off into the distance. Capelin often wondered what was out there; maybe there was some distant land which had never heard of Panem and reapings. Maybe she could take one of the fishing boats and sail away. She shook her head; there was no way that would ever happen. The deep sea fishing boats seemed to have more peacekeepers than fishermen on them and the little dinghies would never make it out to sea unnoticed.
"Hey!" A voice surprised her all of a sudden. Capelin had reached for a nearby rock and instead had grabbed onto a boy with hair bleached almost blonde and tanned skin.
"I'm sorry" she said as she bobbed around in the water, wow he is cute!
"It's ok I guess, just watch what you're doing, you shouldn't be in the water if you're not concentrating." The boy said with a concerned look.
A rush of rage filled the space where anxiety had once lurked. "I do just fine in the water thanks" Capelin spat at him "Maybe you shouldn't be swimming so close to other people, there's a whole ocean out there, use it."
The boy just smirked. "I'm Bala, you heading off to the re…" A huge wave cut off Bala's question as he was pushed under the water for a moment.
Capelin had seen the wave and dived through it. She laughed as Bala surfaced "You know you shouldn't be in the water if you're not concentrating. I'm Capelin"
They smiled at each other for a moment before the sound of a siren signalled that it was one hour until reaping time. Time to go.
Capeling and Bala swam to shore together. "How many entries do you have?" Capelin asked as she squeezed sea water out of her long, black hair.
Bala kicked the sand. "Enough, I take tesserae for my mum, me and my brother. My dad died when Capitol's Mercy sank. I was 9. You?"
Capelin felt ashamed, she had no tesserae. Her older sisters both worked in the warehouse and her parents worked on the boats, Capelin even supplemented their income by picking rope, it was hard work but at least at 15 she only had the standard number of entries. "I've been lucky so far" was all she said.
Bala smiled at her again "I hope your luck continues" he said.
Capelin was so taken aback by his kind words she could only think to say "Thank you, I hope you beat the odds" but it sounded strange, in fact she was starting to feel uncomfortable stood on the beach, dripping wet, talking to this sweet strange boy. But Bala seemed unabashed "Two more to go" he said. They stood in awkward silence until a peacekeeper shouted to get moving and with a wave they said goodbye.
District 5
Zara awoke to another grey day, it was always grey here. You'd think that the power plants would mean that the town would be brightly lit or at least allow people to have electricity for most of the day. As it was they barely had an hour or two in the evenings for the capitol programming. The fences all had power of course and the homes of the peacekeepers.
Zara peered through the bars of her cell. She had been in the small overnight cells as she had refused to attend school for the last 4 days. She didn't care anymore she just couldn't go back to another day of training for a factory job making circuit boards.
"You awake in there?" A peacekeeper with hard eyes and a wrinkled forehead banged on the bars with his stick.
Zara rolled her eyes "Yes officer."
"Right listen" His tone became more condescending with each sentence "You will get ready and we'll escort you to market square for the reaping, after which your family can have you back. Tomorrow you WILL attend school. Do you understand?"
"Yes officer" Zara's reply may as well have been 'whatever' for all she clearly cared.
"You might think you're gonna keep getting it easy 'cos you're 12 but next time you come to my cells, you'll have no food or water till you're begging to make circuit boards."
Zara scoffed, he thought he was scary did he? He'd clearly never met her father, this cell was a palace compared to the cupboard she was forced to sleep in when her father was drunk or sick of the sight of her, or both.
Zara wasn't scared of her first reaping; the odds were never in her favour. Why should the games be any different?
Zane waited outside the justice centre for Zara, he was 2 years older so his father had blamed him for her arrest and had beaten him for 20 minutes.
"Zara!" he called as the peacekeeper led her out of the door with his hand on her shoulder.
She turned with anger in her eyes but it dissipated as she saw the cut above his eye and the bruise on his jaw. "Zane, I'm so sorry."
"It's okay, are you alright?" Zane fidgeted as he kept up with them and tried not to look at the peacekeeper.
"Yeah, they fed me…." Zara noticed the jealousy in his eyes; dad must have drunk his wages again.
"That's enough, get along to the square" The peacekeeper lashed out with his taser stick but Zane dodged it, he'd had plenty of practise dodging attacks.
He scampered on ahead. "See you soon, good luck!" He called
Zara started to call back but the peacekeeper shocked her with the stick, she wished him luck though as the world went black.
District 6
Deltic and Cess met up at the market as they always did on the day of a reaping. Their parents had good jobs maintaining the train lines so they always had money for the tiny little café near the main station. Deltic loved it in the café, it had comfy seats and premium ingredients because it was next to the train stop where any capitol citizens would stop off on their way through the district.
Kids from the district wouldn't normally be allowed in the café but everyone knew their parents so the barista would let the girls come in and buy a hot chocolate to share. Then they'd sneak into one of the many engineer sheds and hide away.
Deltic held the cup, warming her hands; her face had gone even colder as her tears had dried. "I guess we'd better go?"
"Yeah" Cess said morosely, they hugged and Deltic breathed in the dried lavender her best friend always smelled of. "Every year Deltic we say we'll tell everyone"
"I know, but we're only 17, they'll say it's a phase or force us apart, after we become adults we can live together and no one will know…" Deltic wondered why she was bringing this up now; didn't they have enough to deal with on reaping day?
"I don't want to pretend Deltic!" Cess pulled away "I want the world to know I love you"
They kissed, the warmth of their lips made the cold seem so far away. "I love you too" said Deltic
Cess smiled "Don't be so afraid, we don't need to apologise to anyone for who we are" and with that she opened the door, the wind whirled her hair out behind her and the snow blew in. She held out her hand "Come on, two best friends can hold hands if they're scared about being reaped." Deltic put her black mitten into Cess' grey one and she wished she was as brave as the girl she loved.
Goyle chose his outfit carefully, he liked to look good but it was easy when you were tall and slim, with heavy lashes over blue eyes.
His mother gave him a beaming smile when she served him his breakfast "Eat up you need your strength."
Goyle looked down at the unappetising mush before him which was the only grain they could afford, he ate it for his mother's sake but he'd go out before the reaping and flirt with the bakery girl to get a bread roll or muffin. He never had any trouble talking to girls and, with this being reaping day, there was a nice sympathy vote as well. He smiled at his mother but he wanted to scream out his hidden thoughts I'm volunteering today!
Goyle was sick of eating mush and wearing second hand clothes, he wanted a house on victor's row with heating and electricity. He didn't want the same dead end jobs as his parents. He wanted the best and the only way to do that is to win the Games. His mother would be upset at first of course, but once she saw him on the screen winning, she'd realise how much this would help them all.
"Last reaping today darling, its nearly over" His mother gave his shoulder a squeeze.
"Yes it is" Goyle kissed his mother's cheek and ate his mush.
District 7
Fern got up and made breakfast for her family, she warmed up a stew and made bread using the dough her sister had kneaded for her.
Fern was lost in her thoughts when she heard the kitchen door scrape open, it startled her and she dropped boiling hot stew onto her right arm. "I'm sorry" her mother said as she dabbed away the gravy "I didn't know you were in here."
"It's fine." Fern looked down at the skin which had started to blister but there was no pain, she had felt nothing in that arm for years, since she and her friend had snuck into lumber yard 3 at night. Fern had been leaning against a log pile when it started to give way and had been trapped under it for hours while her friend went home, too scared to tell anyone where she was. Fern had been lucky that night as she had lived but her right now arm was now strapped to her side, useless.
Her mother gave her a hug. "Breakfast looks wonderful, thank you darling."
They hugged for a while before Fern wiped away a tear and tried to smile for her mother's sake.
"Don't worry about me, we'll be ok." She smiled sadly. "Lets eat up and go"
Chop, Chop, Chop. Bear worked steadily, he did everything at the same pace with the same high level of concentration.
"Okay, think we should knock off now and head back, you need a quick wash before we head out to the reaping." Bear's father looked at him square in the eyes when giving instructions.
Bear nodded. He didn't say much, he just laid his axe down and started to walk away.
"Hang on!" His father called "Come back and pick up your things to take with you. Put the axe away in the shed."
Bear nodded and shambled back, his huge shoulders hunched forwards and his toes dragging ever so slightly in a way which wore the front of his work boots down.
Back home, once Bear had cleaned up, his father reached up to give him a pat on the shoulder. "We're going to the square now. Okay? Same as last time, you need to let the lady prick your finger when we sign in."
Bear started to tremble and shake his head. Why did the lady want to hurt him again? There had been trouble last year when 4 peacekeepers had had to restrain him in order to sign in, he hadn't meant to hurt the capitol worker but he didn't like the shock of the little needle.
"Shhhhh" His father said soothingly "This is the last time okay, next year you'll just be watching like me."
Bear listened silently. He'd do what his father told him like a good boy, and then next year he only had to work. The men in the lumber yard were kind and treated him well, they gave him clear instructions and weren't angry when he didn't understand. Bear didn't like school, they called him 'big and dumb' and the little ones poked him and ran away.
He smiled at his father "Yes"
District 8
Mili rubbed her eyes and put her glasses on, focussing on the tiny stitches was making her eyes hurt but her embroidery was worth a lot to her family so, reaping or no reaping, it had to be finished in time.
"You done Mils?" Her sister called "Come on, lets get ready."
"In a second" Mili barely looked up from her work. She was embroidering a baby blanket for the Mayor and the pay would mean they could eat for at least 3 days. Once she was done with her last few stiches she stood and let Angelina brush and style her hair before putting on one of her sister's hand me down dresses.
"How do I look?" Mili asked quietly
"Beautiful as always Mils." Angelina smiled sadly and started to take in the waist of the dress with a few pins, money had become much scarcer since their father had died and, despite her factory job, Mili had to take tesserae as well as her embroidery work just to keep them alive- it was a lot to have on her slim shoulders at 13.
"Do we have to go now? I only have the flowers to finish off; if we take it with us we might get paid tonight." She asked hopefully.
"Sure, we've got half an hour if you like." Angelina had barely spoken the words before Mili turned her attention back to her work, her forehead wrinkled with determination and her little fingers stitching deftly. She asked "I'll make you some tea if you like before we go?" but there was no answer, no one could lose themselves in a task like Mili so Angelina just closed the door quietly and left her to her work.
Bolt slid his body into one of the storage units between two huge rolls of green linen. They'd never find him here.
"Boy! We saw you come in, get out here or you'll be dragged out!" A deep voice echoed throughout the machining floor beneath him. Bolt steadied his breathing and tried to make no noise.
Footsteps drew closer and he heard Master Facing call him "Every year Bolt! Why are you such a worthless coward? Everyone else will be in the square already!"
Better a worthless coward than a dead tribute. Thought Bolt, he had tried to hide on reaping day for the last 2 years and they always found him eventually and dragged him to the square then beat him before they left as a message to any other prospective runaways. Bolt didn't care, they could beat him each year but he had to avoid the reapings somehow. Other children might be scared that their parents would pay for their absence with whippings, prison or worse but Bolt didn't have any family to worry about him and he would love to see one of the foster home Masters be beaten for a change.
"Bolt!" This voice was squeaky, a child's voice "Please come out! They're going to beat us both!"
Bolt heaved a sigh, dirty tricks, his best friend Awl was a good boy, always did what the Masters wanted and even gave his bread to Bolt when he was given starvation punishment.
Bolt slid out, running his hands along the fabric as he did so. "I'm coming."
He climbed down the spiral staircase to the factory floor. Awl was stood with his arm twisted behind his back; a peacekeeper and the Master were stood behind him.
"I'm sorry, I'll come wi….." A sharp pain in the back of his head and it all went black.
District 9
The rain dripped down the back of Palea's neck and down her shirt; she shrugged it away as she worked. Tending the fields was hard but Palea found it satisfying, she enjoyed being out in the elements and treasured the knowledge that what she did was truly important.
As the rain finally dried up she saw the sun had climbed higher in the sky, time to go.
Home was only a little shack really but in it were her favourite people, her loving parents and 2 brothers, she could smell stew cooking when she got outside the front door and could hear the scrabbling sounds of a large family getting ready in a small house.
"You're shoes are on the wrong feet!" Her father called as he tried to get the boys ready for the reaping.
"Palea come and have some lunch before we go" Her mother ladled out a thin stew made with the dandelions which grew behind the house and some unnamed meat she bought from the toothless woman who traded in the square. She sat down and ate it happily, hoping it never changed.
Brush ran her fingers playfully through her hair as she smiled with her friends. Ace knew she knew he was watching her and tried to catch her eye- when he did she winked at him and turned away.
He strutted towards her with a confident grin "Hey baby, walk you home?"
"Sure" Brush gave a wave to her friends and walked close to him as they headed towards the better end of town, her father was chief inspector for the mills and they lived in a house as large as the mayor's own.
Ace took her grocery bags and carried them easily. "You got something pretty lined up for the reaping?"
She scoffed "What are you saying about what Im wearing now?!"
They laughed at the flirty banter that had gone back and forth for weeks.
Ace took his shot "So what do you think? Can we stop playing now? You know how good we are together."
Brush took a deep breath and cocked her head to the side. "Look Ace, you're cute, the cutest, and that'd be great for now but we finish school this year and I've got no intention of becoming 'Mrs. Field Labourer.'
It was like a shot to the heart. "So I'm too poor for you?!"
She had the decency to blush "Well, yeah. I love my life, I love having nice food and clothes, and I'm not giving that up." They reached her doorway. "I'm not saying this to be cruel but me and you can't happen because we're too different, I'll always be up here and you'll always live at Field Edge." Brush took the groceries and headed into the house.
As Ace trudged home his mind raced, he saw himself in reflection of the bakery window, and at 18 he was strong from his work in the fields and mills each afternoon. He wanted Brush so badly and being poor wasn't going to hold him back. He knew what to do, he'd win the games for Brush and they could live together in Victors Village. Ace picked his head up and walked home happily as he planned his life with his love.
District 10
The smell was the worst thing about the cattle sheds Mika decided as she slopped the mop along the floor; it wasn't so much the smell of the animals as it was the smell of the disinfectant they used to clean the floors. As she cleaned the mop off under a tap her boots slid on a puddle of water and she landed heavily, tipping her mop bucket onto herself.
She gave a little moan. Yep this is the worse thing about the sheds.
"Hahaha! Look everyone Stinky is having a bath!" Lowe, a boy from her year who was on feeding duty laughed and pointed so loudly that everyone who hadn't noticed her fall now looked over.
Stinky, the nickname had come from her first tour of the slaughterhouse with school when she was 9, Mika had peed herself when she saw a cow being stunned before slaughter and then vomited and passed out on the floor in a pile of dung. The teacher had told her to 'toughen up' and refused to let her change out of her soiled clothes for the rest of the day, since then the kids had been cruel and no one would play with her. At 14 Mika had simply tuned them all out.
Splat! A cowpat hit Mika on her shoulder. "Here you go stinky, some perfume." Lowe smirked at her.
Mika tried to comb it out of her hair with her fingers; yep this was definitely the worse thing, spending time with losers like Lowe who took so much joy in bullying her.
"Hey Lowe!" She flicked some of the dung at him just as the teacher arrived to escort them to the square for the reaping.
"Mika! That behaviour is disgusting, its bad enough you are rolling around on the floor but flicking waste at others is not acceptable! You will not be allowed to shower; you will remain in those clothes as punishment for this behaviour." The school mistress turned on her heals and left the shed.
Yep that was the worse thing about the sheds.
District 11
Rosy's back cracked as she stood up. "Ah!"
"Get back to it! Shut up!" The peacekeeper shouted to her and made a cruel motion with his guard stick.
Rosy leaned down and searched the orchard floor for more apple windfalls. Her arms were burning and she felt ready to drop but the peacekeepers were relentless and any unscheduled stop was met with verbal abuse and physical pain. She missed being in the treetops picking the fruit, when she turned 15 last year she had finally grown too tall for the job and it was given to one of the little ones, now she spent her days bent double staring at the orchard floor.
A whistle gave the signal to stand and head to the meeting point. Capitol officials awaited them and took their blood to register their attendance at the pre-reaping draw. District 11 was too large for everyone to be in the town square at once so they had sub drawings in the morning and those who were not drawn worked the rest of the day. Rosy queued patiently, the way she did everything, she saw the officials direct those in front of her, if the machine beeped when it took your blood you were sent to the square for the official reaping and if it stayed silent you went back to work. A disturbance behind her made her turn.
"Get off me! I only took one!" Eli, a boy from her street was ripped from the queue.
The apple in his hand said it all, Eli had made the foolish decision to steal, the apple looked wormy and unappetising but stealing was banned. There and then the peacekeepers pulled out their guard sticks and beat him until he could no longer scream. They dragged him to the front of the queue and thrust his finger onto the datapad- once they heard the beep they threw him into the cluster of people waiting to go into justice square for the reaping.
Rosy realised that, if he had not been selected for the main draw, Eli would have been hanged for theft- at 15 you became eligible for the death penalty. The hunger games may have saved his life!
"Left please" The official repeated. Rosy looked down and came back to reality, the datapad had beeped and she was being herded towards Eli's group. Oh God, she thought, I just want to go back to picking apples.
District 12
"Get back here!" Ginny called as the boy sped away from her stall, he clutched a parcel of goat's cheese to his chest. A peacekeeper gave chase but no doubt he'd just keep the cheese if he caught the boy.
Great, that's money down the drain. She groaned as she thought of how her parents would punish her when she got home. The square was starting to shut up now, traders with fresh produce had opened up shops and stalls early as always but now it was mid-morning and everyone was getting ready for the reaping. Lots of merchants didn't open at all on reaping day but Ginny's parents had insisted that they try to sell some of the cheeses which were on the cusp of going bad.
Ginny had been happy to try as she hated eating food once it had gone bad and that was all they ever seemed to eat these days.
Workers were climbing up ladders hanging bunting and flags to demonstrate the patriotism of district 12, they couldn't leave them up all year or someone would steal them and sell the cloth at the Hob.
Ginny got home to find her parents working in the vegetable garden, they were angry about the cheese but she didn't get a slap. They must be feeling sentimental today, she thought. Ginny dressed in something threadbare but smart and ate some of the unsold cheese.
She sat in silence in her room looking around, wondering if this was it, the last time she would look in her little mirror or run her hands over her bedspread.
After an hour or so of wringing her hands and waiting, her father knocked at the door. Time to go
Baulk ran as fast as he could, clutching the cheese to his chest. The peacekeeper was losing stamina; he was one of the older ones who'd rather be drinking another glass of sprits than chasing yet another miscreant.
He reached the Seam and hid amongst the shacks, panting and listening for the sound of approaching footsteps but none came, a good job as Baulk's stomach rumbles were so loud they would surely have given him away.
Baulk got back home to find his mother bathing one of the little ones in a bucket whilst his father slept on the chair; the mines were shut on reaping day so he had worked through the night. His mother smiled when she saw the parcel of cheese and patted his shoulder when he added his other misbegotten wares from a morning pinching from market stalls, two apples, a small bread roll and a fish. His father would sometimes scold him gently for stealing from merchants but they were all too hungry to really complain, there were 5 children and his father's wage paid for very little. Tesserae and theft were the only reasons they hadn't starved. His mother cut the apples, bread and cheese up into little portions and handed it out. Baulk looked around at the gaunt faces of his family, he would go out later and try the bins at the back of the merchant streets, perhaps then they could eat another meal tonight, maybe just once they would sleep without the pain of hunger. He could hope at least anyway.