Chapter 1: The District 1 Reaping
Bright Lazuli pecked his mother on the cheek and hugged his bigger sister Amethyst hard. Tears glistened in the older girls eyes as she ducked down to Bright's height.
"Is your hand OK?" She asked. He nodded slowly and flexed his left hand in Amethyst's direction. He had injured it last week during an intensive training session with Amethyst. Usually his older sister was goofy and light hearted but when it came to Games training she really pushed Bright hard. He remembered the sharp jolt of pain as Amethyst's drill sword had come down too hard on his wrist. It hadn't been movable until yesterday.
"You don't have to do this." She whispered to Bright. Bright looked over at their little sister Sparkle miming sword strokes in the corner. Her tattered dress dark against her pale complexion.
"I have to. If I come home alright Dad will be free of debt and Glitter doesn't have to take tesserae." He sighed. Amethyst looked like she was about to say something when she heard large, solid footsteps reverberate towards them.
"Hi, Dad." She muttered darkly. Their father, Silver had never really liked Amethyst, no matter how hard she had tried to please him. Silver was all eyes for Bright. It was Bright who had got to go to the Academy and train for the Hunger Games, it was Bright who Silver had bundled out first when the fire alarm went off. It was Bright who Silver actually knew the name of.
"Hi Annie." He replied, tasseling his dark hair.
"Its Amethyst." She replied, a tone less monotone masking the bubbling anger at her father.
"Now, now." Their mother, Glitter intervened. This hadn't been the worst of the fights between the two and Glitter wanted to stop it quick before it got to bad. "Let's just look forward to the reaping, shall we?"
As the family marched out the door towards the town square, Bright walked shakily as he thought about what was coming. In District 1, there is an Academy that children can go to provided their parents can pay. Each year, out of hundreds of children training for the Games, the mayor chooses one female and one male to volunteer if they wish. This year it had been him. Part of Bright knew he had only been chosen for his looks and his youth. But the other part longed to believe he was chosen for his skills - but he was good, not the best. With this thought on his mind he stumbled forward, a decision already made up in his mind. He would volunteer - whether it got him killed or not.
oOo
Justice Jennings flexed her hands experimentally and flicked yet another knife straight into the the bullseye. She steped back a few paces and repeated the hard earned perfection. Without slowing Justice whirled around on the tops of her toes and readied an arrow to her bow. She fired several shots in the time that the first arrow took to reach the target. She smiled devilishly as she threw a spear backwards behind her. She heard the rewarding thud of metal on wood as the spearhead sliced into the target.
oOo
"She's too good." Ruby Jennings whispered harshly to her twin.
"Way better than we are." Replied Dani. Worry was etched on their faces as they watched their sister throw spear after spear.
"She's going to volunteer." Confirmed Ruby.
"But what if we are reaped? There are ten sets of available siblings. Us making up three of them."
"We may have taught her a lot, but she wants to make this family famous. Wether the family has five members or three."
"You know Ruby, I heard her say to Father that she was glad the Academy chose her this year. She wants to see the look on siblings faces as she slaughters the first - then the second."
"She is just so damn cruel." If Justice had overheard their conversation the sisters both knew that she would agree with every single statement.
oOo
"Ooh do you two love each other?" Justice cooed at the identical manikins.
"Oops?" Laughed Justice as she hacked away at the first manikins head.
"Are you sad?" She pouted. "Well let me put you out of your misery!" In the space of a few seconds a second head was rolling on the ground. She felt a light tap on her shoulder and whirled round to face the possible threat. She relaxed slightly as she saw it was her mother.
"Hey Mum." She said.
Shimmer Jennings' wrinkled face looked up at her tense daughter. Shimmer was a frail woman whom their father had at first only married for her looks and her household tasks expertise. But over time Shimmer and Mario had grown closer until their love was truly true. Ruby and Dani bother loved their mother dearly, but Justice had no respect for the little woman.
"Clothes?" Murmured Shimmer.
"I need something that will go 'pop!' Something that will make all the Capitol stop and say 'That Justice will be the victor for sure!'" She cried.
"Like this?" Shimmer brandished Justice's best dress.
"Mmmm - no." Justice stalked away to her parent's room, Shimmer trailing along behind. She strode right up to Shimmer's wardrobe and selected a silver garment with glittering gems embedded in the hem. It was one of the most magnificent dresses - even for Capitol standard.
"This one." Justice smiled maliciously as she pulled on her mother's wedding dress. Originally Justice had planned to take Dani's best, but she felt that her mother needed to be put right back in her place. She bounced off out of the room before her mother had time to object.
oOo
The final ends of the video trailed away as the Capitol music blared. The District 1 Capitol representative, Whilamena Soprano stepped up to the microphone, a pink beehive swirling up above her head. She steeped forward and crooned into the microphone.
"My oh my! Who first I wonder?" She chuckled. "Eeeny Meeney Miny Mo! Well I guess its the siblings!" She stepped forward to a bowl with ten tiny slips of paper. There were six different families included in that bowl - Having more than one child was not big in District 1. Whilamena picked out the top piece of paper and flicked it open.
"Ruby and Dani Jennings!" She called. The two sisters made their way shakily to the stage as Whilamena made her way over to the the fuller boy's bowl. She repeated the process and read out the name.
"Cord Ki-" she was cut off as a cry came the crowd.
Bright pushed his way through the crowd and made his way towards the stage.
"I volunteer!" Bright scrambled up the steps and stood shaking slightly on the stage.
"And you're name is?" Whilamena inquired.
"Bright. Bright Lazuli."
"Oh - how exciting! A volunteer! Now - onto the girls!" As Whilamena reached her hand into the bowl Ruby and Dani were whispering furiously amid frightened tears.
"She wouldn't-"
"She would."
Justice's voice rang out from the crowd as she stepped maliciously towards her sisters, smiling wickedly. "I volunteer."
A big shoutout to Jakeb19 for contributing the Jennings Sisters and to District 9 Tribute for Bright! We still have heaps of spots left in the SYOT, so it would be awesome if I could get more entries. After the SYOT closes I was hoping to do something like 'Choose Your Own Adventure' type fan fiction. As the story progresses I'll be asking you questions like Who should die in the Bloodbath? and Who should get the highest training score? If you have any ideas for what the arena should look like or what like tributes should wear in the parade please PM or review!
