District 1 Reapings
~Aluca Romei~
"Aluca?" calls my mother. "Aluca, get up. It's reaping day. You're volunteering today, remember?"
"What?" I groan, rolling out of bed and falling hard onto the floor. Ouch, that's gonna be a bruise on my tailbone!
I shake my mane of light brown hair out of my eyes and draw some water to bathe. As I get in the basin I shiver. I hate bathing, the water is always cold. District One may be luxury, but that means nothing. Nothing.
As I get out of the water, I realize I forgot a towel. Crap. I hobble out of the bath and grab one off of the hook, when I have something hard splatter all over my back. I look down. It's a water balloon. I thought those were only Capitol things for fun and games? Whatever, Otto is going down.
I slide on my best dress and then creep out into the kitchen, where I grab a bucket and fill it with water. I go into Otto's room and rig the trap, then scamper back to my room. It's one of our luxuries. A big house.
15 minutes later I hear a yell that can only be Otto.
"ALUCA!" he screams. I giggle and then my mother calls us to go to the reaping.
"Volunteer, remember?" she says, and I nod.
I'd say I'm pretty well set for the games. I am skilled with the bow and arrow, and okay with the dagger. I'm all set for bloodshed and ruthless murder.
As we get to the square, Otto and I get our fingers pricked and thumbprints taken, as do all of the other District One kids eligible for the games.
As we file into the square, I am parted from my family, but my mother is staring at me with the look that she has perfected for this day. The 'volunteer or I'll kill you in your sleep' type of look. She was in the games, I guess. Happens to everyone.
Once the whole District is in the square the lady picks our names, trilling the typical 'Ladies first' that she does every year. I don't know her name. No one does. She places her hand in the bowl, and pulls out a slip.
"Sabriel Rechitov?" A scared looking 12 year old steps forward as my mother bores holes into my head with her eyes.
I immediately step up. "I volunteer," I say. "I volunteer as tribute!"
"Aha, a volunteer!" the lady trills. "Please, what is your name, dear?"
"Aluca Romei," I say charmingly.
"And there we have it, District One," says the lady in her authentic Capitol voice. "Aluca Romei for the girls, and now for the boys."
She rummages her hand in the bowl and pulls one out.
"Otto Romei," she says. No. No!
~Chrys~
"Otto Romei," says the lady. Oh, that's funny. 2 Romei's! Ok, now's my chance. My chance to volunteer.
I step up. "I volunteer. I volunteer as tribute!"
When the lady asks for my name, I reply with a simple answer. "Just call me Chrys Engrave."