The 175th Hunger Games
Chapter One
Reaped (Districts 1-4)
District 1 girl
"Wake up Chardonnay!"
I know that voice...I blink open my eyes, but I can't really see anything properly. After a couple of rubs, the sleep dust is gone, and I see the perfect brown hair of my BFF Princess. I sit up straighter and reach for some powder.
"Princess! I don't have any make-up on!" I squeal. Princess frowns at me.
"Yeah, whatever. Your Dad let me in. I just came over to grab that stuff I ordered." she says, looking down at her manicured nails. She's wearing a pretty flowing skirt that reaches to her knees, and a long pixie-sleeved pale pink top with lace down the middle; dressed like a fairy. She looks so pretty, I just wanna hug her tight! But she'd just tell me off for being weird. "What?" I say, getting up and starting to look around my wardrobe for a pretty dress to wear to the reaping.
"Jeez Chard!" Princess clenches her fists and stands up, getting off of where she was perched on my lovely satin and mahogany bed. "I asked you to get your Mum to buy me those stilettos! Don't tell me you didn't get them?" she roars. Oh, I remember now!
"On the cupboard." I say quietly, shrinking a little into myself. I make a motion for her to get out of the room while I change.
"Oh grow up, it's not like you've got anything worth hiding on you." she snaps at me, making a rude flick towards my chest. My chin wobbles, but I turn back to my wardrobe and slip on a short dress with lace down the middle to match Princess's. She doesn't comment on it, so I guess I'm safe.
We walk in silence to the reaping, cos my parents have already gone to work. I spot Jacque, my beautiful boyfriend waving at me as I slip into my section. He walks over to me just before the ceremony starts.
"Now remember, I'll volunteer, and you'll volunteer, don't screw this up for me. We'll win together, and get all that money yeah Chard?" he says, looking fiercely into my eyes. I nod at him and smile. I remember.
The escort reads out a girl's name that I don't know, a little twelve year old girl. My hand shoots up before she's gone anywhere, and I scream in the most polite and charming way I can, "I volunteer!"
The escort beckons me up to the stage, and I take my place in front of the crowd, smiling and waving as they applaud me.
District 1 boy
"Luke, get up. Reaping day." my Father says, shaking me. I'm already awake; I've been awake for ages, I just didn't wanna leave my warm bed. I moan a little theatrically, and he walks off, saying "Reaping day."
Wait, reaping day?!
I shoot out of bed, making the floorboards creak a little, and I hear Father laugh from a couple of rooms away as I pull on some trousers and a white shirt. My and him have been training my whole life for this, and since I didn't volunteer in time last year, this is the year. I'll volunteer, and make my Father, former victor, proud as hell.
I shoot out the door, Father walking calmly behind me, and I stop in my crowd of fifteen year old boys, he stops in the family section. I stare eagerly up at the stage. The escort gets right to it, after the video of the Dark Days, (districts, war, savior, turmoil, glorious, Capitol etc) A girl who's surname, Ader, I remember, leaps up onto the stage. Her smile almost makes me sick. She clearly doesn't know what she's dealing into. Then, the escort pulls out the name of "Lionel Escapade!"
That boy won't get a chance to bring his family honour, like my father brought mine. And like I will for him, and for my Mother. She died a while ago, such a rare disease that the doctors had to send her body off to the Capitol just to identify it. I will make her proud of me, wherever she is.
"I volunteer!" I shout, when he asks for volunteers. Berax, the escort, beams down at me, probably recognising my red hair and brown eyes from my father, and he beckons me up onto the stage. I jump up to show my strength, not bothering to use the stairs. Berax doesn't have to ask my name.
"Ladies and gentlemen, our male tribute, Luke Hades!"
Later, in the Justice building...
"Luke, well done," my father smiles at me, patting me firmly on one shoulder. "Now just remember, the Capitol will love you, just remember I believe in you." he looks me right in the eye, and I feel a shiver of excitement go through my body. It's like looking in a mirror when I speak to him. A mirror that makes you older.
"But, won't you be my mentor?" I frown. He looks at me for a second, before a hearty laugh escapes his chest.
"I will won't I? Well then, I'll walk you to the train. But have this." he gives me a crinkled piece of paper, with a picture of me and him on it, when I was far younger. On my left side, is my mother, smiling proudly, back straight, hands together. She was beautiful, but I have only seen her once or twice, since she died when I was quite young. I don't remember her much.
"Thank you." I say quietly, and we walk in silence to the station.
"Baby, I don't care, just get us a huge house, make us famous, and come back." Jaque repeats for the gazillionth time. I'm crying a little bit, but I wipe the tears away.
"Why didn't you volunteer?" I say, so quiet I don't think he can hear it. He makes a sound like an animal, a growl.
"I told you, I just didn't get there in time before that stupid Luke got on stage." he says. I'm confused now. I saw that he didn't. He didn't so much as put his hand up to join me. He rushes out, and I reach for him just as my Mum comes in, on the phone of course. She just gives me a little peck on the cheek before handing me a piece of purple satin. It makes me want to cry, and hug her, but she gives me a sympathetic look, and runs out again. No one wants to talk to me, and I feel like I'm about to burst into full blown weeping. Princess doesn't even come to say bye, and before I can ask for her the Peacekeepers are dragging me away to the train station.
District 2 girl
My eyes blink open, my vision all fuzzy as I adjust to the dark of my bedroom. A slit of light comes in through my blinds, and I swing my legs over to the side of my bed, glancing at the pile of clothes ready on my dresser. The wall next to my bed is covered with my drawings, and a ghost of a smile twitches on my face as I skim over the weapons drawn with intricate detail, their shadows long and short depending on what time of the day I was in the training hall. There's the odd drawing of an apple tree, or a girl looking out of a window. She always looks a lot like me; straight auburn hair, light blue eyes, a hint of freckles. I shake my head.
Not important.
Grabbing a simple shirt and combat trousers, I say a quick goodbye to my Dad and three brothers, skipping breakfast. I want to get to the reaping as soon as possible, and they'll leave any minute anyway.
I slip into the fourteen year old girl's section, talking to none of the excited and bored teenagers among it. They're all either too stupid to understand the games to their full extent, or don't care to be in them, and get everything they have to offer. I have been training all my life for this TV show, to get a house in the Victor's Village, give my brothers and Dad everything they want. And I will win. I'll kill, and hide and starve to get there, but I will win.
"And our female tribute is..." Not me, not me, not me... "Harmony Elatta! Any volunteers?"
"I volunteer as tribute!" I almost scream, trying to maintain some calm and composed posture as the escort smiles and I walk up the stairs to the stage.
"Ladies and gentlemen, our female tribute is..." I whisper my name in her ear, spotting my father smiling proudly up at the stage while I do so.
"Luna Grim!"
District 2 boy
"Jecado, wake up."
My sister, Fludia jogs me softly. Of course, I've been awake for hours, and she knows it. I'll bet she didn't get much sleep either. I don't think anyone does on reaping day. She helps me get out of bed, and I see that she's laid out some simple clothes for me, the ones with the least holes in them. She must have been pretty quiet for me not to notice her shuffling around in my dresser. Of course, she sleeps next to me while my Dad works the nightshift, so she must have managed to get up without the bed creaking...maybe I did fall asleep for a couple of minutes.
My Dad looks tired as we walk into the kitchen together. I sit down to eat share a slice of bread with Fludia, but Dad waves us on.
"You're late, you don't have time lovies." he says, barely opening his eyes.
"What about you?" I ask him. He's had no time to sleep since he came home, (about five in the morning) since he would have been worrying about us. Or nightmares about Mum. She died of cancer while I was still young, and all I know is that she didn't die peacefully, and he still wakes screaming from time to time. That's where me and Fludia come in, always there to help. My Dad just waves us on, and I assume he'll catch up later.
"Fludia, I have to tell you something." I whisper, as we part ways when we split into different crowds.
"What?" she says, lingering next to my as the video starts.
"I'm going to volunteer,"
"What?!"
"We need it, need the money and the house. We're well off, but not for much longer. Dad's ill, and we both know it."
She's silent at this.
"I might not win, but maybe I can, I'm ok with my fists and knives y'know." I whisper to her hurriedly. I have no time to say anything else, because a Peacekeeper hurries us along. The video plays, a girl volunteers. She looks sharp and focused, and I shiver to think I might be against her. That is, if I can get past the Careers. A boy's name is called, and when they ask for volunteers, I shout before our escort is finished speaking, "I volunteer!"
His eyes find me, and he smiles. I jump up onto the stage, easily pushing myself up onto the platform.
"Ladies and gentlemen, our male tribute,"
"Jecado Kresha." I tell the microphone. I hear my voice projected throughout the square, every face in the crowd staring up at me, and the girl too. I breath heavily while they applaud, wondering what I've just got myself into.
In the Justice Building...
"Luna!"
My three brothers run in to my waiting room in the Justice Building, my Dad trailing behind him.
"Hey guys." I say. I just want to get off to the Capitol. I don't have much time with them anyway, and it'll be quite a while until I get back.
"Good luck out there. I have to go to work and take the kids with me, but I'm proud of you," my Dad beams at me. "Win for us, ok?" his smile vanishes, and instead, there is an anxious gleam in his eyes. I nod, and almost smile at him.
"I will Dad. Promise."
The door bangs open as my sister runs in.
"Why the hell would you do this to us?!" she shouts. I lean back and prepare for a mental slap in the face. Honestly, I can't help it. We could use a beautiful house, and I would love the honour and glory.
"You know why," I say. She folds her arms. "Why didn't Dad come with you?" I tell her. She looks down. We sit in silence for a while, and the Peacekeeper opens the door.
"Just, don't die Jecado, ok?! Don't you dare die!" she screams at me, before I'm also grabbed by my arms, and dragged to the train station.
District 3 girl
"Are you kidding me?" I laugh at Eela, and she cringes a little, her cheeks matching the colour of her nose in the cold.
"No way I'm ever gonna volunteer. What about you guys?" I fold my arms and shoot curious looks at my two closest friends. Iona laughs, a grim, harsh laugh.
"I bet you, I'll get reaped. Then no one'd volunteer for me, and I'd die in the bloodbath."
"What a lovely view you have on things, huh Io?" I chuckle. "Eela?"
"Never," she says, and then immediately hesitates. "Well, if one of my sisters got reaped, then maybe. I dunno." she shrugs, shrinking back into her big coat.
"I know I'd never do that kind of a thing. Just stupid, getting yourself killed like that," I snap my fingers, making a click that makes Eela flinch. I roll my eyes. Sometimes, she's just too scared. And sometimes, Iona's just plain depressing. What a group we are. All together, I guess we're the perfect mix.
"Come on, it's reaping time." Iona says, and we all shuffle along in our furry coats towards the square, where the reaping will begin any minute.
I slide into my section, the twelve year old girls, and breath in and out, watching my breath come out in white puffs. The video plays about the Dark Days, and the rebellion, the Capitol painting themselves as the stupid saviors of it all. Of course, they weren't. It was their fault the rebellion started anyway; treating us like dirt, never feeding the poorer districts, like mine properly. Never letting us do anything we want, killing twnety-four of us every single year. It sucks.
The escort digs her stupid, make-up covered hand into the giant glass bowl, and grabs out a name.
"Feonna Grennich!" she smiles, her face skin stretching. My smile vanishes. She said my name. I'm reaped. I'm gonna die.
I look around for volunteers, but all the faces stare back at me, unchanging, unwilling. Eela lets out a little cry, but Iona squeezes her on her leg to shut her up as I walk up the stairs to the stage, on wobbly feet. I look to my parents, and my twin brothers, who are still play fighting, and have no idea that their sister has just been sentenced to death. Iona looks and me pityingly, with an honestly distressed look on her face, while Eela is just crying silently.
But what's worst, is that my mother's crying. And my father has his arm around her, but has silent tears streaming down his face too.
District 3 boy
I twiddle with a wire on the side of the rocks as the other guys chat. So far, I seem to be making a man with a sword, but I don't have enough to put in real detail on the armour. I look to my friend Garth, who smiles weakly at me, handing me a little circle of wire without me even opening my mouth. He looks tired. We all do. Everyone gets up early in District 3, so we've been awake for a while, and now, it's only five minutes until the reaping starts. Garth turns to me, and walks over to check out what I'm making.
"Hey. What's that?" he asks me quietly, while Farlan and Mitch carry on talking about the best chances any of us have in the Hunger Games.
"Just some guy." I say, my fingers skimming over the other pieces swiftly, as I add a shield with intricate patterns, and which all fits in the palm of my hand. I start curling another piece to make something random, and then I add little bits that Garth hands me to make the sides spiky, before I add stuff, anything I feel like. Garth's father works in a wire factory, so he's got spare pieces all the time. He's my closest friend. We've been friends since nursery, always got eachother's backs. I'm more quiet, he's more outgoing.
He watches me for a little while, before the bell rings out across the District, and we walk a couple of metres to fit into the fifteen male section.
They go through the video, and a girl is chosen, a girl with reddish brown hair, pale skin, a high forehead and what the cameras show to be shocked green eyes. I have to look away. I hate the reapings, because I hate the look on the tribute's faces. That devastated, my life is over look...the one that I see on the boy who's been chosen now, on the giant screens. He looks like me, light brown skin, black hair that drops in the way of his eyes, chocolate brown eyes to add to that, muscular, and-
"Turan. It's you." Garth stares at me as if I'm someone from a far away place, instead of his best friend for twelve years. What does he mean 'Me'? I turn to see a crowd of people staring at me from every angle, and I stare back. That's my face. My face visible to the whole of Panem, on every T.V worldwide. I stumble towards the stage, hurrying up and moving my legs with surprising speed.
"Ladies and gentlemen our tributes for District 3, Feonna Grennich and Turan Radish!" the escort holds our hands up, and my wire soldier and spring drop to the floor, still in my hands from days ago, no minutes ago.
Mere seconds seem so far away now that I've been reaped.
During the final goodbyes...
"Feonna, I'm so sorry." my mother sobs, her chest heaving as she presses herself against me, and the twins, Jak and Jayk grab onto our legs. My father gently joins in, and I savour that second, when I'm altogether with my family.
"Fight all the baddies Fi!" Jak shouts, tumbling on the floor with Jayk.
"Yeah! Beat 'em up and win!" Jayk laughs.
I almost wanna shout. They have no clue what's happening. Maybe one day, my parent's will explain. But for today, I am alone. We sit on the sofa together, all huddled until the Peacekeepers come and drag us our separate ways, and I hold back the tears until we get on the train.
My brother Nayan rushes in with my parents, and hold me tight for a couple of seconds, still smelling of home. Nayan's too old to be reaped, but he still gets nervous every reaping day. Well of course he does. Everyone does.
"You...you..." he tries to think of something I guess, but can't find the words. My mother takes over, her familiar smell relaxing my tense muscles for a while.
"Whatever happens, remember that we love you, and if you're careful, you can make the Capitol love you. You got in you, just make it work." she says, staring deep into my eyes.
"I will Mum. I swear, I'll make you proud. Whatever happens." I stutter. I'm still shocked from the reaping, but I don't have the energy to cry. I've been awake most of the morning.
They leave, and Garth comes in briefly, but the Peacekeepers don't let him in properly. He just manages to throw the wire soldier that I made on to the luxuriously carpeted floor for me to pick up, before I am taken away. Off to the Capitol.
District Four girl
Shink!
Another knife hits my homemade bullseye.
Shink!
It's fun to throw knives. Relieves a lot of stress. I am kinda good at it. I can't take on the proper Careers, but I'm best in my year out of the girls.
"Bethany! It's reaping time, come on!" my Mum calls.
"Coming!" I call back from outside the house, plucking my knives and putting them in my pocket on my belt.
I rush back inside the house, and my mother smiles at me, cups my face in her hands, and kisses me on my cheeks.
"Good luck." she says. My parents are about average for District 4. They're ok about the games. It would be amazing if I could win, and bring home all that fame and wealth, but I haven't really been properly trained, and sure, they'd be scared for me. I think if I ever was reaped, they'd send me off with a smile, which is why I am positive as I say goodbye to my parents, and they crowd into the side streets, and I slip into the sixteen girls.
"Amanda, hey!" I shout, spotting my best friend, a blonde eighteen year old. I slink into her section quickly, and she smiles at me.
"Heyar." she giggles, using our signature greeting. "Good luck out there ok?" she adds.
"May the odds be ever in your favour!" I chime in a Capitol accent.
"So, ladies first again!" the escort bubbles, in her bright yellow outfit that is genuinely hurting my eyes. She digs her hand into the massive pile of names, and pulls one slip out, carefully unfolding it, as she reads in a shrill, high pitched voice,
"Bethany Ott!"
What?! No way. Surely someone wants to volunteer..? It's District 4 for hell's sake!
But no one's hand shoots up, and I am forced to wobble up to the stage and take my place next to our escort, who is actually scarier from close up. I didn't think it possible. It's the Hunger Games, it'll be fine, I tell myself. I might just win this thing.
District 4 boy
"Hyah!" I shout, as the trident leaves my fingertips, and sticks straight into the centre of the straw target board.
"Nice one!" my sister, Cordelia shouts from across the training hall. She was a victor, won four years ago. In the Hunger Games, I mean. She and I have always been competitive, and I swore to her that I would win this games. The only way to top her, is to during a Quarter Quell, so that's precisely what I'm going to do.
My father and mother are close together, watching me train with the guidance of my sister. She walks over to me, grabs another trident, and lets me get into my throwing stance.
"Now, adjust to a running throw," she asks me, and I shift my legs to a more deft position that I can run in. "Great." she says, only moving my pinkie finger back a little bit, to make my grip a minuscule bit looser. I run along the wall, moving with the shadows, quietly and quickly, and roll just before I launch the trident from about fifty metres away, shooting it with such force that it doesn't drop a centimetre before it hits the target. Dead on again.
Cordelia laughs. "We'd better get to the reaping." she says, hurrying off after checking her watch, me sprinting right behind her. I push people gently out of the way until I get to the seventeen's section, and I stand and wait for my turn to shout. Some girl wobbles up to the stage, and I find it kind of strange that no one volunteered for her. She gets her act together by the time that a boy's name is called, and I shout out those famous words,
"I volunteer!" before he really gets anywhere. I run up to the stage, so that if someone else volunteered, I'd get up before them anyway. The escort announces us the official tributes for this year's games, and I spot my family in a huddle, cheering up at me, so I grin down to the crowd and pump my fists in the air.
Tributes of the games, Caspian Orman is coming to get you!
In the so called Justice Building...
"Beth, this is a good thing, I'm telling you." Amanda pats me on the back, and fishes in her pocket for something.
"I know that, and I'm gonna win this thing!" I repeat for the millionth time.
"You just looked kinda rough on stage. Anyway, I gotta run. Just, take this from me, ok?" she hands me a beautiful silver, heart shaped necklace. I look up at her as she walks out, saluting me goodbye.
"Bye!" I shout. Before my voice has finished echoing off the walls, my Mum and Dad come in, all in a fluster, and they say all sorts of things; congrats, good luck, I love you. I feel like a Career, but I don't really want to be one. Just as I walk out, I realise though, that this is going to be fun. And that's the end result.
My parents come in, then Cordelia, then Crystal, who's only a year younger than my family mentor, and is 23.
"This means I'll be your mentor!" Cordelia shouts excitedly. "What a pair we'll make!" she laughs, tilting her head up to the ceiling. I smile, a smile that spreads over my face, warming my body and peaking my mood.
"Good luck. We know you'll win. If your sister can do it, so can you." my Dad shakes me proudly. He hands me a shark tooth on a string, and smiles at me.
"It has a story behind it...something about some girl running away from District 4." he shakes his head, smiling, and pats me on my shoulder.
"Go on Caspian!" Crystal shouts triumphantly. Then, as suddenly as they came in, they go out, and it's just me and Cordelia, being escorted to the Capitol.
OMG THAT TOOK FOREVER TO WRIIIIITEEEEE XD
Next time, I'll only do certain tributes a chapter -_-
Tell me if you think I should change anything, and Districts 5-8 should be up within the next week...hopefully...
It's two in the morning, so um...yeah...*falls asleep with head on thekeyboard*
