Chapter 3
And your male tribute is...
"Finnick! Get up its reaping day!" My brother calls stepping on my small sail boat. "I see you slept on your boat again." he chuckles. "Whatever gave you that impression." I laughed. "Come on we have work to do before the reaping." He says and just like that I know are joking is over. Are work at least for today is training for the games. I had ways known the basics of both weaponry and survival but since Wyatt's death I was almost an expert. I was good with survival skills but I was better with weapons. I could wield anything but my favorite was a trident. With a spear and knife I could manage but with a trident I was deadly. "Hand to hand combats what you need the most work on. What would you do if you were in a fight and didn't have a knife? Lets see shall we." My brother said as are dance began before I could make since of what was happening I was pinned to the ground. "That was to easy little brother. Again." I pounced at his words as are fight began again. Five times I was victorious and five times he was. Fifty fifty wasn't bad but if it was real those odds were all too real. Lets see how you would handle two against one. Shall we?" My father asked. As they circled around me Merrick pounced first and I dodged it effortlessly. This time they pounded together my father snaked his arm around my neck as Merrick rolled onto my legs crushing them into the ground. I bit my fathers hand as I elbowed him with all my might. I grabbed fist gulls of Merricks hair throwing him off me. My father tackled me from behind but i quickly had him in a head lock. We all panted. "Not bad. But I think that's enough for the day." Father says. "Would you look at the three of you. Tsk Tsk whatever will I do with you. Come now get some food in your belly's I won't have my boys looking scrawny and underfed for the reading." My mother says ushering us in. "Finnick you hair is caked with sand and salt water! There's not enough soap in all the district to get it out." My mother says in horror. "I'll go get my sheers." She says as I cringe. Her sheers that means a hair cut. Merrick and I only got two hair cuts a year one at the beginning of summer & one the day of the reaping. In some ways i despised the hair cuts more then the reaping. After my mother cut my hair I changed into my reaping clothes. A pale blue shirt with rolled up sleeves & tan shorts. Without checking my appearance I head to the kitchen. "You look nice." My father says. "Thanks." I said. "I know we have are differences but I want you to know. I hope it's not you. But if it is I know you'll make it. Your stronger then the other boys your age and your smart. If its you Finn you have to come home. For your mother." He said as my mother and Merrick walked into the room. "Are we ready?" Merrick asked. "Wait I have something for you." Are mother says as she slips white pooka shell necklaces in our hands. "I made these for you. Just in case to remind you of home." She said stroking are faces crying softly. "Let's go. It'll be starting soon." My father says. And we make are way to the square. Merrick and I go though the same motions we go through every year. I go stand with the fourteen year olds as my brother stands with the sixteens. Xavier Flinderson bounces to his stage. He looks dreadful his skin is died a pale blue and his hair and beard are a disgusting lime green. He walks to the microphone and claps his hands together. "Welcome! Welcome! What a pleasure it is to be back in your charming district. Now lets get to it shall we? Ladies first!" He cheers in his sing song voice. "Your female tribute is...Kia Caspian!" A tall tan girl I've never seen before leaves her place in the seventeens and takes her place on the stage. She looks downright mean. There's nothing attractive about her but I see some of the victors nod approvingly. It's clear she's a career trained to kill and I have no doubt she will. "And your male tribute is...Finnick Odair!"