Hi People! Before I start the last chapter of the Reapings (Yeah x10), I have some important stuff to talk about (Boo x10). I'm sorry this is so late but I was out all day with friends yesterday. I will make this quick.
This is the hardest point (gets into begging position) I need more reviews. Well, I don't need I want. I am getting only about 2 or 3 per chapter. I'm not going to say I won't write again until I get 5 reviews but I would really like 5 reviews per chapter.
(Stands up) Now that that is over I have something else for you. Charlotte or Harlie Davidson on here has asked me to advertise her story. She got paranoid cause she heard these types of stories weren't allowed (That would be awful). So if you could go on her profile and submit a tribute to her by PM, that would be great. I usually don't like people trying to get support for their story by asking others to talk about it but I was kinda honored she thought my story was popular enough to advertise hers. If that was not what she was thinking, I really don't care.
IF YOU HAVE NOT BEEN READING SO FAR PLEASE READ THIS! I will be in Chicago on Friday and early Saturday so I won't be posting then. I will also be driving to CT from Monday to early Tuesday. I will have a computer here but since I will be going to places in the day I will be slower update. Thanks for reading all of that and now enjoy the real chapter.
There is one thing I have not mentioned. The 75th Hunger Games did not have all the past victors. It did something that I don't feel like making up.
…
District 9: Kaede Maple's POV
"Scum, get your ungrateful butt down here!" my aunt, Mayci screams. I'm starting to believe it's a morning ritual for her and me as well. She calls me scum, I wish she would die in a freak accident; it's all just one giant mind game for us. Only to her it's a hobby and to me it's a life.
I have about 20 different, insulting comments to yell back but I have learned the hard way that I should real keep them to myself. So instead I roll myself out of bed and prepare myself for another day of weak but still hurtful comments from my aunt. If had been up to me, I would be with two loving parents and maybe a brother. But the cold reality is that my parents abandoned me to live with a heartless aunt and her two bratty kids, Le and Jester.
I quickly give my reflection a once over in my dusty mirror. My raven black hair is kept short so it doesn't fall over my hazel eyes while I hunt. I only wish it could cover my scar over my left eyebrow I got from when I tripped over a root in the forest. I am shorter than most of the kids in my class and skinnier but I don't pay that any mind. At least I tower over my aunt, who is only 5'2. It gives me my only true sense of power over her. I'm pretty much at her mercy the rest of the time.
I decide to go downstairs now and not risk being dragged down by my ear. As I get down there, I see my aunt just casually sitting at the table sipping coffee. My first reaction to her is always instant repulsion but my second reaction is always different. I am always surprised how calm she can get after screaming her lungs out to get me downstairs.
Of course, she loses my surprise when she sees me and prepares her screaming voice.
"Kaede Maple!"
"Mayci Maple," I mimic under my breath. Luckily she is too angry to catch it.
"I take you in like my own child from off the streets where you would have starved and you can't even make us breakfast!" This is always her argument to get me to do everything she says when she says it. It is either that or being out on the streets, although sometimes the streets don't seem too bad.
I go to prepare breakfast for my "family" even though it is 12:03. I don't see Le or Jester so I'm guessing the prince and princess are still in their rooms sleeping. From time to time I envy them but then I just look at their mother.
I finish my cooking at 12:35. I would have finished at 12:13 but according Mayci I kept preparing the eggs wrong. At batch 3 they were "acceptable". I put three place settings out on the table. According to her majesty, I didn't deserve to sit at the table. That's fine with me, though. It would be harder to spit on three separate plates of food when I could just spit on the whole platter.
Le and Jester finally drifted in at 12:45. The Reapings were in just fifteen minutes so I had to manage to slip away to get dressed. I throw on a plain white t-shirt and brown shorts. I grab my lucky rabbit's foot from the first ever rabbit I caught and slip it into my pocket. I only barely make it out the door. I can here my aunt yelling at me to come clean up but I am far enough away to just ignore it.
I begin my walk to District 9's Town Center. I just started walking, when I heard of very familiar voice. I turn to see, Brinni, my sort of girlfriend. I'm too shy to ask her to be my girlfriends but I think we have silently agreed we are together. She, in my opinion is beautiful. She has dark chocolate colored hair and sea green eyes that always sparkle. I know everything about her and she knows almost everything about me. I still hold back a bit of information that I am embarrassed about.
"How was your morning?" She asks cheerfully. Even on a day like today she can remain her optimistic manner.
"Horrible," I say with a grimace.
"Let me make it better," she says and wraps her arms around my neck. She goes in to kiss me but I move my head at the last minute. I can see her disappointment as she pulls away from me but I can't help it. Every time she tries to kiss me, I get too scared to go through with it.
"So it's Reaping Day," she says awkwardly.
Great, I just made day even more horrible.
Cami Chryso's POV
"I'm sure it wouldn't have been really noticeable if you weren't there," my 20 year old brother, Kale says. I laugh and just shake my head.
"What if I had been called?" I meant it as a joke but I can see his face harden.
"Don't jinx yourself," he says and that is the end of that conversation. Kale is my best friend and my best brother. Well, he is my only brother but still. We are the best hunting team in my opinion and all we've got really is each other. My mother died while giving birth to me and my father has been in a deep depression ever since. I know we are both wondering when he is going to die. I'm very surprised he has held up for 17 years.
"At least straighten your tie, you look like you just came from hunting," I say after 5 minutes of awful silence. I go to straighten it myself. After doing so, I pat down a spot where his hair is standing up. My brother and I could be twins we look so alike. We both have brown wavy hair only mine has red tints, we both have sapphire eyes, and we both have the same child like face that made adults stop to gush over. He is slightly taller than me, he being 5'8 and I being 5'7. He always teases me about it but then I just kick him in the shin and he drops an inch.
"Why should look nice for a Capitol ordered celebration of kids deaths?" There is another thing my brother and I have in common. We both hate the Capitol. However, he is far more open about it and I always fear one day he will be killed for it.
"Hey, I don't like dressing up either!" I say. I subconsciously look down at my own ensemble. I am wearing a short black dress with a black belt that floats down to my knees. I do actually like the dress but I want my brother to stop insulting the Capitol when we are so close to Town Hall.
We walk the rest of the way with little conversations. He gives me hug before sending me off to my section. I give him a wave before he goes to join the rest of the crowd who are all either too young or too old to be reaped.
I am now surrounded by the girls my age. I have talked to a few but I would never consider any of them friends. My brother says I should give them a try but I don't liking have to put my trust in people unless I have to. I just stand there twisting my mother's ring, the one with the gold band and sapphire stone that matches my eyes.
The mayor begins The History of Panem and then goes on to District 9 victors. I always hate this part of the Reapings. I really hate the Hunger Games all together. I find the violence despicable. I have always been anti-violence but if I have to, I can kick ass.
The mayor finally finishes and hands the mic over to Robyn Tori, our District escort. I have never really hated her. I have seen the mentors in some Districts with their flamboyant accents and crazy hair but Robyn has normal blonde hair, normal skin, and only a slight Capitol accent.
"Ladies first?" The only thing about Robyn though is that everything she says sounds like a question. "Cami Chryso?"
I know she just called my name but since she said it like a question I hoped it wouldn't count. But I know I had to go. I made my way to the stage, making my face ooze fake confidence. I only pray it was believable. Robyn asks for volunteers, but of course none come up.
"Boys?" Robyn makes her way to the boy's ball and pulls a name. "Kaede Maple?"
I see a young boy emerge from the 14 year old boys. He made no effort to show his shock and fear. He barely made his way up to the stage before a small tear escaped his eyes. I couldn't help but be repulsed by this Kaede Maple. My District partner couldn't even hold himself together for the cameras. Now all the tributes including myself have marked him as weak.
I have to go shake his hand. I purposely grip hard. Maybe that will knock some sense into him.
I guess Kale was right. I jinxed myself.
District 10: Tansy Puit's POV
"Three, two, one!" I pray that my stepmother is counting down to her own death but unfortunately I know I'm wrong. She is counting down for me to present myself in front of her so that I can do anything she says.
"I'm coming Elsie," I yell down but inside I am yelling something totally different. I try to roll myself out of bed but I find my body is really too weak to get up. This was my life as the slave to a she-witch and her twin children. I wake up, do their bidding, and go to bed weaker than I was the night before. One day I'm going to wake up unable to move my body at all.
I finally manage to pull myself out of my weak mind set and get out of bed. I fumble my way into the bathroom so that I can at least make myself presentable. I brush and braid my russet hair and rub the sleep out of my midnight blue eyes. I pinch the color back into my tanned skin and splash my face with water. I rush back into my room and throw on my nicest red dress with the black sash. It is a bit to big for my small, slim body but it is the best I own.
I sprint down the stairs to my awaiting stepmother, who is sitting on the large, green sofa in our living room. She looks at me with her disapproving eyes and just shakes her head.
"Tansy, Tansy, Tansy," she says to me. I want to tell her I know my own name and then something insulting but I keep my mouth shut. I watch as she rubs her temples with her index fingers and sighs to herself. More hurtful comments are brewing inside me. "I didn't have to do this, you know. I could have let you live with your mother but I am a good person." I feel the look of disgust creeping up my face. Elsie and good person are three words never meant to fit together.
However, she does have one good point. She doesn't have to do this. When I was little, my mom cheated on my dad and got pregnant with another mans child. My father left her for Elsie. My mom gave birth to my half-sister, Ressha, who she has devoted all her love to. Luckily my father loved me enough to rescue me from my misery. But then he just dropped me back into a hell house. I now live with my stepmother and her twins, Semini and Cole. My father is hardly home and never stands up for me when he is.
"Now get out of my site child!" I realize Elsie had been talking the whole time. I am pleased I was able to ignore her for all that time.
I walk into the kitchen to grab a small lunch of bread and cheese. I glance up at the clock to see it is 1:47. I was late.
I raced out the front door before my stepmother could yell at me for something else that I probably had nothing to do with. I run all the way to town before I stop to breathe. It is then that I spot my best friend, Kaci Fennezt. She is standing outside of her father's bakery, looking impatient.
"I am so sorry," I say as I make it over to her. She just shakes her head with a fake look of disappointment on her face.
"Where's your bracelet?" she asks me. I look down at my wrist to see my lucky bracelet is gone. I wear it every Reaping. I turn around to run back and get it but Kaci stops me.
"Here, take mine. You need all the luck you can get," she says and hands me the bracelet. I don't know what she means but I take it anyways.
Emmis Gray's POV
"I am hating this," I say to my best friend, Alstair Rolling. We were both standing in the 18 year old section for boys.
"This is our last year, grin and bear it," he snaps at me. I know he is always sick of my "I hate the Capitol" talk but I can't help it. I feel like they are to blame for my parents' death. One day my parents are working to keep my 4 sisters and myself alive and the next day I'm burying them in the ground, leaving me four sisters to take care of and no job. And what was the Capitol doing through all of that. Partying.
But there is a whole other reason for why I hate the Reapings and that is my four little sisters. It doesn't matter if I taught them how to take down a bear with their bare hands; they will still be all alone if I am picked. That is why I never took out a tesserea even though sometimes we desperately needed it.
"It's not like you couldn't win," Alstair says suddenly. I painful urge to kill him comes over me. I know he is right though. I am tall, freakishly strong and pretty good looking with my wavy, brown hair and deep brown eyes. But he knows I can't ever get picked.
"Just shut up," I say and that is the end of that.
The mayor steps up and begins to speak. The minute the first word slips out of his mouth, I mentally shut my ears off. I can't listen to the rise of our said beautiful Capitol. It has outer beauty but inside it probably looks like the ruins of District 13.
I tune back in when our escort, Pearl Paisley, takes the mic. I am not joking when I say that she is pink. Not just pink hair, but pink clothes, skin, and just about everything else. She is quite the joke in our District and others.
"Yeah, District 10!" I swear I here sarcasm in her exclamation. Ten isn't exactly one of the premium Districts. "Ladies first!" She takes her time finding the name. "Tansy Puit!"
I see the girl coming from the 14 year olds. She is small but by the looks of how put together she is, she is a fighter.
"Volunteers?" I feel bad now for the girl. Not only is her applause weak but no one cared enough to volunteer for her. However, I would be surprised if anyone did.
"It's the boys turn!" She takes less time to pull out a name. "Emmis Gray!"
I see all the eyes turn to me. They all know me and are intimidated by me. I push past the boys in front of me and make my way to the stage. And the rest is a blur.
I feel myself shaking the girl's hand. I don't care if she is my new partner or not. All I can think about are my sisters.
District 11: Jack Sheen (mine)
"May I be the first to say you are completely and utterly insane," my twin sister, Wes says to me from across the table. We are currently eating a quick lunch before heading for the Reaping.
"Volunteering is not that insane. They do it all the time in 1, 2, and 4," I say, trying to reason with her. I now regret telling my sister my plans of volunteering.
"That's because it's 1, 2, and 4!" Wes exclaims. My sister ruffles her deep red hair that is the exact same color as mine. We also have the same brown eyes but the resemblance stops there. She is fairly small while I have been described as a giant at 6'7. I am not very buff but at my height it hardly matters. My sister also has pale skin while mine is more of an olive. My mother had been from town and my father, a farmer. They both died of heat stroke.
"What would you have done if we weren't 'invited' to the Reaping?" she asks me. That is the big thing in District 11. Being invited to the Reapings. District 11 is so big; we can not fit everyone into the Town Square. So a certain amount of kids and their parents are invited to the Reaping and get to skip a day of harvesting and planting. It is really a bittersweet thing. There is a rumor that they already chose the tributes before the ceremony but no one knows if that is true or fiction.
"I would have gone anyway," I explain.
"Why are you doing this?" I know this is the question she has been itching to ask me. Why?
"Because I don't want to see an innocent 12 year old get speared to death by some Career," I say in a soft voice.
My sister doesn't respond after this and we just eat in silence. By the time it is time to go, not a word had been uttered for at least thirty minutes.
"I wish you wouldn't do this," my sister whispered as we were leaving. I grab my lucky ring my father gave me that looks like it is covered in vines. It will be my district token.
"I know," I say simply. I know.
(AN: Tell me what you think of him. I don't know if I should make him blood bath or not)
Rose Iris Landit's POV
"Reaping Day, Reaping Day, Reaping Day!" my 3 year old sister, Violet squealed. She was far too young to understand that Reaping Day pretty much meant Death Day to us here in District 11. However, my best friend Adam was laughing right along with her like it was the funniest thing in the world.
"It's not funny," I say through my premature giggles. Soon not only was Violet and Adam laughing, my twin sisters, Lilac and Lily, my brother, Clover, and I were all in fits of laughter too.
"It kinda was," Adam says when he finally regained some control. Adam has been my best friend since before I could remember. He helps me keep my sisters grounded and under control. Since my parents both work full time to keep us living, I'm about all they've got.
The rest of the way to the Reapings was full of giggles and avid conversations. We stopped quite often to say hi to all the townspeople. My family is loved by pretty much everyone in District 11. I think it's my sisters and brother, but Adams says it's me. I wouldn't call myself the most gorgeous girl in District 11 but I do have beautiful, long, wavy, brown hair and soft green eyes. I am not scrawny and I am at a good height of 5'6.
I had to hand my siblings over to my parents when we reached the square. This was the moment I had been dreading. The minute they wave good bye, I feel my happiness drain out. Now I have to face the chance I might be reaped.
"Don't worry," Adam whispers in a gentle voice. He then pulls me into a tight hug that I don't want to end. But it has to end. We wave half hearted good-byes and join our own sections.
The mayor is a plump and whole-hearted man who is sweet to everyone especially me and my family. He tries to make the History of Panem and the part about our victors go as quickly and as pleasantly as possible. When he is done he hands the mic over to Cherry Valentina, our name matching haired escort.
I hear her talking about something to do with our District but I have feeling it is either brainless or offensive. I snap back as she says "Ladies First!"
"Rose Landit!" Rose IRIS Landit! They always forget the…oh crap that's me. They just called my name. I feel myself going into premature shock but somehow I make it up to my spot on stage.
"Congratulations," I hear her say to me. In the moment where my shock reaches an all time high, I feel myself clapping…for myself. This is not how this is supposed to work I hear myself scream think.
"Okay…" I see that Cherry doesn't know what to make of a tribute clapping for themselves. "Gentlemen!"
"Todd Lyon!" A boy with an almost ghostly expression appears from the twelve year olds. He is already crying by the time he is making it up the stage. Not fair! I should get to cry too! I scream think this too.
"Volunteers?" Cherry asks. I don't hold my breath for the poor boy.
"I volunteer!" Everyone in the square gasps all at once. No one in 11 ever volunteers. They all search for the angelic boy who was about to replace the small boy next to me. A giant boy from the 18 year olds comes up the side of the stage. He directs the younger boy off the stage. I feel myself looking at him with admiration. Not only did he do a noble deed, he was huge and could maybe, just maybe get us home.
District 12: Marina Melitta's POV
The knife kills the squirrel quickly. It was not my best shot, it went through the stomach, but if Zac asks I'll say the squirrel moved.
I pick up the squirrel and add it to my collection of the day: one bunny, two other squirrels, and one fat beaver. It was a pretty weak haul but I slept in so I got out here late.
I store my knives under the roots of my usual tree and head towards the fence. I listen for the buzz of the electric fence but I hear none. It usually isn't. I am about to slip under when I hear a voice from behind me.
"Nice haul, today," Sky Loret tells me. She limps over to where I am standing and observes my catching.
"Not awful but I wouldn't call it good," I say. I have always liked Sky. She is one of the children of a wealthy man here in District 12. I usually am not a fan of the wealthy but Sky is sweet and loves the wood almost as much as I do. She has a slight limp from a fall when she tripped over a root but still enjoys coming here. I admire her for coming back because that is exactly what I had to do. My parents supported us by hunting when my brother, sister, and I were little. They were later caught and whipped to death. My father had taught me how to hunt but it took my awhile to come back. And then after watching my sister come so close to winning the Games the year before Katniss and Peeta won, I also took awhile to come back.
"I'd call it good," Sky says approvingly. I would never tell her, but I long for her approval. She seems so old in years even though she is only my age of 15. I am always a bit jealous of her. She has beautiful golden locks, giant sky blue eyes, cream colored skin, and a tall stature. I have the Seam look of olive skin, long black hair, and grey eyes. I am small for my age, for I am only about 5'5.
Our conversation ends there. She slides under the fence first and I pass my bag to her. I then slide under. We then walk back to my house.
My house is quite small and when I first brought Sky here, I thought she would be disgusted. But she took it as her second home and now she is always here.
I put my bag down on my small table. I see a note left by my brother, Zac saying her left early. I realized I should be leaving soon too and that I didn't have time to trade.
"You need to get ready," Sky said bluntly. I just notice that she is already wearing a white and silver dress and her hair is curlier than usual. "I'll help you."
I dress in my favorite green dress that goes past my knees. Sky puts my hair into a complicated but elegant bun but leaves a few strands left in the front to frame my face. I give her a hug when she is done. "Thank you so much!"
We both here a knock on the door. At first I think it is my brother coming back for something he has forgotten then I here the familiar voice of Sky's brother.
Storm Loret. It's fair to say I have been in love with him since I met Sky at the age of 12. He is my age and to me, gorgeous. He has my same olive skin, curly blonde hair, giant gray eyes, and a tall but thin body. He was just adorable. The horrible part for me is that he thinks of me as only a friend.
We all say our hellos and I also see Sky and Storm's little sister, Amaryllis is here. She looks just like her brother. I think of her as the little sister I never had.
"Ready to go," Storm asks me with his bright smile. I can feel my heart melting but I pull myself together and manage a nod. I slip my sister's letters into my pocket and leave with the Lorets.
Storm Loret's POV
"Come on Storm, keep up!" Sky yells to me. I pick up my pace a bit but then drop it back down again. I am trying to let my friends Cayenne and Cedar catch up. When they finally do, I drop away from my sisters group.
"Hi, Storm!" Cayenne says with an adoring smile. Out of the corner of my eye I can see my sister's friend Marina give her a look. I don't know what to make of it but I don't feel like thinking about it right now.
We began to talk about a lot of thing but Cayenne kept trying to steer it back to my ex-girlfriend. Was I over her, do I miss her, am I getting back in the game, and a whole lot of other questions. I don't know what is up with everyone today. Eventually we joined back up with my sisters and their friend.
"Hey, Marina!" We all turned to see none other than Katniss Everdeen. Marina waved her over.
"Hi!" Marina said cheerfully. The rest of us nodded hellos.
"I though I'd bring you some news," Katniss says. "Effie heard that District 7 does their callings boy girl instead of girl boy so this year she is doing it that way to keep up with the trends."
We all give a faint laugh at Effie's stupidity. No one really cares which order it goes in as long as they don't get picked.
The rest of the walk is full of pointless conversation. None of us are really into what anyone has to say. By the time we reach the stage and go our separate ways, no one had been talking at all. It's all the Reapings fault.
The mayor does his usual History of Panem and our victors: Haymitch, Peeta, and Katniss. Then Effie Trinket stepped up to the mic. She used to be annoyed at the District she was given but after all the attention we got during the 74th Hunger Games, she is delighted.
"We are going to start with the boys this year!" She seemed to be waiting now for some shocked reaction but none came. Annoyed, she quickly fished out a boys name from the ball.
"Storm Loret!" At first no emotion comes. Then they all come at once. Shock, fear, anger, and many more are flooding my brain. It takes a lot of mental and physical strength not to just break down. I make it up to the stage, face free of emotion, and stand in my place.
Volunteers? Not a single one for me. I guess I real am not worth it. I search out Cedar and see him giving me a pained expression. He wasn't going to do anything but I guess he is still upset. I make out Cayenne too. It' s hard to tell but I think she is crying. And with all my emotions running high, I look for my ex. But unlike Cayenne she isn't shedding a single tear.
"Ladies!" Effie exclaims after letting the audience applaud for me. "Amaryllis Loret!"
Now I have lost it. But I can't move. I want to run and go push Amaryllis away but I can't.
"Volunteers?" Effie asks. I know no one will say anything.
"I volunteer," a girl's shaky voice says from out of nowhere. I see Marina Melitta, Sky's best friend coming out of her section. I see she is shaking as she comes up the stairs and leading Amaryllis off.
"And your name is?" Effie asks.
"Marina Melitta," she says.
"Wonderful!" Effie says with a smile. Everyone applaud her not because they were told but because of what she did for a young 12 year old.
The mayor comes back to read the Treaty of Treason. Marina and I are then supposed to shake hands. I hug her instead.
I think this chapter might be my favorite. But I'm still glad I'm done with Reapings. Now on to the good stuff. I'll try to post tomorrow. REVIEW!
-Emma
