Hello dear readers. Here's the first reaping. And I think I might need to explain why I start with District 8. I stole the idea from another SYOT, but in that one the author wrote the reapings whenever a district was filled, so that's what I'm trying to do. I write down the numbers of the filled districts and let one of my family members choose one, which I will then write. So don't expect this to go chronologically. You are warned…

Anyway, enjoy and let me know what you think. I hope I got the tributes right!

Chapter 2

District 8 reaping

Lacey Devereux, 17

Dawn was only just breaking as Lacey quietly slipped out of the house, looking left and right to see if there were any people in sight. There weren't. It would look like she was lucky today. No Peacekeepers, no neighbours awake yet, wondering what that Devereux girl was up to so early in the morning. The odds are in my favour now. Let's hope they last the day.

With that encouraging thought she softly closed the door behind her and started jogging to the agreed rendezvous spot. Any running that wasn't sprinting wasn't something she excelled in, but at least she got warmed up nicely this way. It was cold outside and she shivered, increasing her speed to get the blood flowing nicely. And she had to hurry up if she didn't want to be late. And Lacey hated being late, very much. She was sure her mother knew what she did from time to time, but that didn't mean she approved and Lacey was sure she would get a lecture if she was caught in the act. Best not to get caught there.

There was absolutely not a single person out here, well, no one except that weird, taciturn Victor's guy who went for his daily morning run. But since he never as much as looked at her, he didn't really count. He wouldn't even know what she looked like, so he couldn't give her away to anyone. Besides, it wasn't a crime to be out early. So she ignored him and sprinted the last hundred meters to the meeting place, enjoying the feel of freedom the running gave her.

Jasper and Manny were already there. They were both leaning against a lantern post, both of them looking extremely relaxed.

'You're late, Lace,' Jasper commented. 'What took you so long?'

She glared at him for using that annoying nickname. It always sounded like she was somehow made of lace, which she wasn't as far as she knew. 'You try and sneak out of the house when your mother's having a sleepless night again and you have to get across three parts of creaking floorboards without making a sound.'

He held his hands up in defence. 'Sorry. Here, have some breakfast.'

Manny tossed her something and she caught it instinctively, only studying it once the round object was safely resting in her hands. 'An apple?' She couldn't help but noticing how disbelieving her voice sounded (and how very girly, to her immense displeasure), even when she had the proof of it in her very hand. 'Where did you guys get that?'

Manny shrugged nonchalantly, as if it was nothing, which Lacey knew it wasn't. Apples were extremely hard to come by, especially when you were trying to get them illegally. And since neither of the boys had enough money to buy them, illegally was the only way of getting them.

'Didn't I tell you that the greengrocer's locks don't function that well lately?' Manny grinned at her. 'I am told he's going to have someone repair them after the reapings, so we might as well enjoy it while we can, don't you think?'

She took a bite out of her apple, incapable of remaining angry with either of them. 'You could have waited for me, you know.' There was an underlying tone of hurt in her voice. She knew she was late, but she hadn't been that late and it stung that the boys had gone off without her. It made her feel left out.

'We thought we'd spoil you,' Jasper said, not quite meeting her eyes. 'Since it's reaping day and all that.'

The very mention of the reapings made her want to throw up. Reapings twisted her stomach in tight knots and made her want to hide somewhere until it was all past. Unfortunately that was not an option.

'Thanks for bringing that up,' she snapped. 'I was almost in danger of forgetting.' Like that was ever going to happen. Her mother hadn't been the only one to have had a sleepless night. 'You still could have waited for me.'

'We still wanted to spoil you,' Jasper shot back.

'I'll have you know I'm not some delicate female who needs to be pampered, thank you very much.' Lacey knew that her appearance didn't work in her favour that way. She was relatively tall, but her build was rather slender and people often seemed to think that made her fragile. Her name, very feminine, didn't help either.

'Oh, come on, Lace, give it a break,' Jasper told her. 'It's reaping day today and we know you're nervous. You can go back to being no-help-accepting-I-can-do-it-all-myself-just-fine-Lacey tomorrow, right? Tell me, how many times is your name in that bowl today?'

'Thirty times,' she whispered, the very thought making her nauseous again. Come on, Lacey, pull yourself together. You're not a child anymore. 'Which you knew,' she accused him. 'Because your name is in the boy's bowl just as many times.'

'Not as many times,' he argued. 'Only twenty-five slips of paper this year.'

Only. Unbelievable that they could talk about that as if it normal that they had twenty-five more chance of getting reaped for a game where you were almost certain to die. It would be ridiculous if it wasn't so scary.

Manny misinterpreted her silence. 'Don't worry, Lace. There's a lot more slips in there than just yours. You're always the lucky one, remember? You won't get picked. Now, will you please eat that stupid apple before it goes bad?'

Escher Sunderland, 16

It was still dark when Escher closed the door of his house in Victor's Village behind him. His father was still sleeping and he wouldn't want to wake him. He had a long day ahead of him, after all. By this time tomorrow Dante Sunderland would be in the Capitol, mentoring this year's tributes for the Hunger Games. He would need all the rest he could get.

Escher looked around him for signs of his familiar shadow, but she wasn't there yet. He hadn't really expected it either. He was earlier than usual. Nunally would still be asleep somewhere in the District, wherever it was that she lived.

He pondered that girl's strange behaviour as he started jogging. He just didn't understand it, which was surely why he was thinking about her so often these days. That must be the reason, because Escher didn't think about other people a lot, at all. He didn't have friends. It was just him and his dad. And Nunally then. Ever since he had saved her from those wannabe rapists about a year ago she had become his faithful shadow, never far from him whenever he was outside.

But there was no sign of her now. Escher wasn't disappointed or pleased. He hardly spared the girl a thought anyway. Nunally just was there, no matter what. Sometimes Escher did wonder if she even had a life besides watching him.

It was still slightly chilly, but the exercise made sure that Escher was soon sweating. He knew he was fast and there was no one out here, so he wasn't in danger of literally running into someone. Except for that brown-haired girl that was. Escher had no idea who she was, but she was up and running before the sun had even risen most days. But she hardly spared him a glance and he never wasn't one for greeting either. They had this weird ritual of looking at the other from the corner of their eyes and then going on as if they hadn't noticed the other one. Today he passed her on the way home. He was earlier than usual, because on a normal day he would meet her on the way from home. But then, she was rather late. Dawn was already breaking. She must have overslept today.

He looked at the worn watch at his wrist. His father would be up by now. If they would skip breakfast there would still be time to spar a little before reaping. After today he would be on his own until the Games had ended and he wouldn't have anyone to spar with for the entire period of time. He had better get in some last minute practise while he still could. And that attitude would most certainly please his adoptive dad. And Escher knew he would do anything to please his father, even when they weren't related by blood. Or maybe they were. Escher didn't know. Dante had never told him who his parents were or how he had even ended up in that orphanage. Maybe he didn't know. Escher didn't care much. Things just were the way they were.

Lacey Devereux, 17

The sight of the Justice building made her stop dead in her tracks. As much as she hated the sight of it and what it represented today, she feared it even more. The knots in her stomach increased in tenfold, making her want to throw out everything she had eaten today. But that would be a waste of that delicious apple and she forced it back.

Don't be such a baby, Lacey, she told herself sternly. You are not going to make a scene of yourself, do you hear me?

She searched for her mother's face in the crowd and gave her an encouraging smile. I am not afraid. I'll be fine, that smile was meant to convey. Lacey just suspected she did have some communication problems, since the worry on her mother's face increased in tenfold.

You're not going to get reaped, she ordered herself even though she knew perfectly well she had no control whatsoever over that. You're all she's got. Dad left, but I won't. Or she guessed he left. She didn't really know. He had been gone before she was even born and her mother didn't really talk him, at all. Lacey didn't even know his name.

She forced herself to take deep breaths and concentrate on something else, like the fact that her mother had made her wear a dress for example. She even looked girly now what with the skirt ending at some point above the knees. At least it was brown, not a too attention demanding colour.

Lacey forced herself to keep a mental rant at her mother for making her wear this throughout the film and the escort's silly chattering. Roman Jewel was an idiot with purple hair and matching eyes who seemed to think the Games were the best thing in the world. To top it off he also had an annoyingly high, girly voice that irritated her to no end. When all this would be over, Manny, Jasper and she would laugh themselves sick trying to mimic it.

So, focus on that, Lacey, she told herself. Focus on after, not on now.

But her plan went right out the window as she saw Roman Jewel walk over to the girl's bowl, reaching his hand in it, searching for the slip that would please him.

He finally found one and walked back to the microphone. 'Are you as curious as I am?' he squeaked. There really was no other word for it.

Will you just get it over with already? Just a few more seconds and she would be able to breathe freely again.

Or maybe not.

Jewel opened the slip and read out the name. 'And the lucky one is… Lacey Devereux!'

She blinked. And she blinked again. The world seemed to have stopped moving, as was only appropriate as her life had just officially been ended.

Escher Sunderland, 16

The girl's name didn't ring any bells to him, but when she walked up to the stage, he knew who she was immediately. It was the running girl, the one he had seen almost every morning for the last three years. Her face was wiped completely blank and Escher could tell she was not going to make a scene. She was far too controlled for that, he knew. Se controlled her emotions well. It was impossible to decide what she felt.

He saw his father's eyes measuring her and he didn't seem too displeased. In his place Escher wouldn't be either. She could run at least and she looked like a fighter. She might just make it past the bloodbath.

In two years that's going to be you on that stage, was the thought that went through his head. That was the Plan, after all, the only reason his adoptive father had taken him in all those years ago: to grow his own Victor to make the best Games that had ever been played in Panem.

He would make it farther than the girl, Escher decided, but she might do well for a while, depending on the opposition and how well her alliances were. A lot came down to that, he guessed.

He glanced in the direction of the sixteen year old female section, catching Nunally looking at him. She quickly averted her eyes, flushing all red. Strange girl.

Roman Jewel was finally done rejoicing over the fact that he had reaped a female tribute and now walked over to the boys' bowl. 'And now we all want to know who the male tribute will be this year, of course.'

Escher didn't really do feelings, especially about people that weren't his father, but he came close now. What an idiot.

'And our male tribute is…' He waited for a non-existent drum roll. 'Escher Sunderland!'

That was unexpected. He would only volunteer in two years' time. This wasn't part of the Plan, not at all. But this was how it was now and while disappointed because of him being reaped before the end of his training, he didn't mind, not really.

Escher walked up to the stage, not glancing left or right. His eyes were focused on his dad, who looked a whole lot more affected than Escher himself. The disappointment hit him harder. Or maybe it was anger at his Plan being thwarted, he wasn't sure. But he knew he could do what his father wanted. He had been trained for it since he could walk.

Roman Jewel chattered on a little more and then forced him and Lacey (wasn't that her name?) to shake hands. She gave a hardly visible nod when she recognised him. He wasn't sure what it meant, but he nodded as well. It seemed polite.

Jewel ushered them into the Justice building and into a room where people could say their goodbyes to him, but Escher knew already no one would be coming. His father would mentor him, so he would see him on the train and there were no other people he knew, or wanted to know for that matter.

So he didn't understand what was happening when the door flew open and a girl with messy blonde hair and red tear-stained eyes burst into the room and into his arms. He staggered back and almost lost his balance when she crashed into him. What on earth…?

'Nunally?' he asked when he recognised the girl, trying to get her to let him go, quite unsuccessfully. 'What are you doing here?' His voice sounded cold, detached even.

Maybe that was what made her look up in the end. 'I love you,' she confessed, completely out of the blue.

The impact was as big as if she had crashed into him again; he staggered back. Again. 'I beg your pardon?'

'Ever since you saved me,' she blurted out. 'I've been stalking you, you know.' Oh, I know. 'And I know you can win this. You've been training all your life and you can come home and we can get married and have kids, three of them.'

Escher wasn't easy to surprise, but he had to admit that he absolutely hadn't seen this one coming, no, not at all. She was what? In love with him? The stalking he had known about, but not the part about the love, the marriage and the three kids. His mouth opened, but no sound came out, even if he had known what to say. And he had no idea whatsoever.

'Do you have a token yet?' she asked suddenly.

Well, at least that question was easy to answer. 'No.'

She produced something from her pocket and pushed it in his hand. 'For you,' she told him. 'To remind you.' She had fled from the room before he had the chance to say something.

He looked down at his hand, at the object he was holding. A joker playing card? What on earth…?

Lacey Devereux, 17

The Justice building felt threatening, but maybe that only was because she was so afraid of what came after this. The Games. Her own death. Her stomach was in danger of heaving again.

Her mother's arrival saved her from throwing up over the expensive looking carpet. Lia just held her daughter in a tight embrace, so that Lacey couldn't see her face. But she didn't need to. Her mother's shoulders betrayed that she was crying.

'You win, girl,' she kept repeating, over and over again. 'You win and you come home. Promise me, Lacey, promise me.'

And Lacey did the only thing she could do for her mother now, the last thing she could do. 'I promise,' she said, knowing it was a lie as she did so. There would be no coming back. But her mother needed to believe that she did and Lacey told her what she needed to hear. 'I'm coming back. I promise.'

Lia let go off her and handed District Eight's new female tribute, because that was what she was now, a piece of jewellery, a bracelet. A very expensive looking bracelet, one they could never ever afford.

'Was that…?' Lacey let her voice trail off.

'A gift.' The tone in Lia's voice made it perfectly clear who the gift was from.

'From dad.'

Lia neither confirmed nor denied it, which was confirmation enough. 'Be safe,' she urged her. 'And come back.'

And she was gone, only to be replaced immediately by Manny and Jasper, who caught her in a bearlike hug. 'You can do this, Lace,' Manny told her. 'You just glare at them and they all fall down dead at your feet.'

Maybe this was what she needed, a bit of light-heartedness to forget her fear. So she went with it. 'Then how come you two are still alive?'

'Superpowers,' Jasper said, trying to come across as mysterious, with trying being the operative word. 'Listen, Lace, just stay away from the Careers, avoid the bloodbath and just keep out of everyone's way, and you'll be just fine.'

'And you do have a rather good right hook in case they come too close,' Manny added. 'You practised that one on me last week, remember?'

Lacey could only nod, the nerves returning as she heard her friends' advice, making her realise that this was very real and that before too long she would be in that arena. This is happening. I'm in the Hunger Games. I'm going to die. Because no matter what Jasper and Manny said, that was bound to happen.

'You'll come back, Lace,' Manny ordered her.

And she told them what they needed to hear too. 'Sure,' she agreed, even when she knew it was a huge lie. 'Sure I'll come back.'

All the spots are now filled or reserved, except the district 1 male, which I'm not sure has been reserved. Could that person let me know please? If that one isn't filled or officially reserved by Tuesday, the spot will go open again, so keep an eye on it.

Having said that, I haven't received a single bloodbath tribute yet, so what I'm going to do is this. After reapings I will place a poll on my profile and let you lot decide. I'll go with the majority of votes, unless I have an ulterior motive.

And please review. It makes me really happy to know what you all think.