AN: Hi guys! I'm finally back (after two whole years lol). I'm glad to finally have the time to continue this story that I know and love. I'm going to be changing the writing of things so that the chapters come out smoother and so I don't have to write 18 reaping chapters and 18 train ride chapters. I had already started this chapter, so I decided to finish it, and I hope you enjoy!
Brittney MacDonald: Girl from District 19 (Sports Equipment)
I get up feeling refreshed and ready to kill. I smile, knowing that going into the Hunger Games is just within my grasp. I was officially picked to be the volunteer a few days ago, and now, the reaping has arrived.
I pick out the beautiful dress that my mom bought me to show off myself to the sponsors and to my fellow members of the New District Alliance. They need to know that I'm a force to be reckoned with. That I'm beautiful, and still can pack a punch in the Games. I whip out the black number from my closet, with stiletto heels that can almost be classified as weapons. I laugh as I see myself trying to kill someone with a pair of heels. Of course, in training, we have to prepare for any situation.
The New District Alliance is usually extremely packed, so a few are weeded out in the bloodbath by the Careers or stronger tributes. The Careers are definitely what I'm worried about, considering they are the original pack. Even though they are smaller, they have access to better training facilities, thus less chance of any of them dying.
I walk down the hallway to my kitchen, where my parents and fiancé are sitting, smiling at me.
"Ready to go, babe?" Tavon asks me, pulling me in for a kiss.
"Ready to win the Hunger Games, obviously." I respond nonchalantly. Of course, there is a higher chance of me winning, than some random tribute from say District 12, but there's a lot stronger tributes volunteering than I am. Including my district partner, Waylon. He's very good at what he does, but I just have to be better than him.
"You're going to do great, sweetie." Mom smiles.
"You're definitely going to make your father proud." Dad laughs. He was once a tribute as well, and did win a Hunger Games a while back. I guess it just runs in families. He was a brute force, killing anyone who stood against him, getting only one scratch, which was from a random vine.
Even though I'm going into the Hunger Games, he never lets me watch his Games. Doesn't want me to see him at his worst, but it's probably going to happen to me, so I really don't know why he has a problem with it.
"Can you pass me a muffin?" I ask mom as she does, I take a deep bite into the chocolate muffin. Mmmm, it's warm. "That's really good, Mom."
"Only the best for my champion." She beams. "I can't wait to see you out there."
"You're going to be so hot." Tavon laughs, pulling me in for a hug.
He was going to volunteer this year also, but he wanted me to have a chance to win, so he opted out of going to the Games this year. We are both seventeen, so he'll get his chance next year. He just wants me to do well, and that makes me really happy.
"I wish you guys could come up to the Capitol." I sigh. "That'd be really nice."
"Well, the best we can do is watch you win from home, sweetie." Dad replies, patting my back. "Which is good enough for me."
"It's probably best to go talk to Avara." Tavon says seriously. "It's good to get some last minute advice before you go in."
"That's so true." I respond, finishing up my muffin and the cold milk breakfast. "I better go see her before I go."
"Love you honey." Mom says, washing some dishes. "See you after the reaping."
"Talk to you guys later." I smile, closing the door behind me.
I start the short journey to the Training Center to get some final advice. Even though I'm going to do really well in the Games, I can't go in without some Games advice. I open up the Training Center door to see Avara going into her office. This year she only has me going into the Games, Waylon trains somewhere else in the district. In almost everyone's opinion, she's the best District 19 has.
I follow her into her office, and she smiles at me as I close the door behind me.
"Ready to go in, honey?" She asks.
"I'm completely ready." I respond. "I just need some advice for in the Games."
"It's not always best to completely rely on your Alliance members." She starts. "Get your own stuff first, because you might be run out by Careers. The boy tributes will mostly focus on running out the Careers, you must focus on weeding out the competitors. They could need you do help with some fighting Careers, but they usually want those that are bigger."
"Makes sense." I respond. "Don't want any little weaklings that hide the entire Games to win."
"That's true." Avara responds. "All the work you guys put into training, one of the trained should win. If someone else does win, that means that they have to take down two trained packs of bigger, better tributes."
"Anything else?" I ask.
"The usual I give my tributes." She answers. "Even though you and Waylon have trained together and are from the same district, never trust your district partner, or any of your alliance."
"Thanks, Avara." I smile. "That helps me out a lot."
"Anytime." She responds. "Good luck, Brittney. I can't go to see you off, but I'm proud of your progress."
We hug one last time, then I leave to go to the reaping. I force the heavy doors open again, then start walking towards the square. I get to the booths of Capitol officials, and one meets me at a desk.
"Name?" He asks.
"Brittney MacDonald." I smile as he pricks my finger. His device clicks and shows my face on it.
"Good luck, Brittney." He smiles.
"I've gotta try." I laugh daintily and move into my assigned section.
I get a lot of congratulations on being picked from fellow trainees, I thank them, and now focus on the mayor's speech, with our 15 victors piling out onto the stage. I'm going to join the 8 girls up there in being a victor. I can't wait for that moment. I continue to have similar thoughts like this, when the mayor stops his speech, and our escort, Unta Millian, runs onto the stage to get the reaping started.
"Welcome, District 19, and may the odds be ever in your favor!" She yells excitedly. "Ladies first!"
She plunges her hand deep into the glass bowl, then picks from the top of the bowl.
"Teretta Jolfsen!" She shouts.
"I volunteer!" I shout, then walk up to the stage with about as much sass as I can muster.
"What's your name, miss?" Unta asks.
"Brittney MacDonald." I smile brightly after saying it.
"Onto the boys!" She yells again, throwing her hand into the bowl.
She dips into the bowl, picking from the very bottom of the bowl.
"Johnny Indictus!" She yells.
"I volunteer as tribute!" Comes from a boy, which soon reveals himself to be Waylon Masterson.
"What's your name?" Our escort laughs.
"Waylon Masterson." He says with conviction, smiling slightly.
"Here are your tributes from District 19, Brittney MacDonald and Waylon Masterson!" Unta yells brightly.
We are forced into our meeting rooms by the Peacekeepers, and my family and fiancé is already waiting for me there.
"We can't wait to watch you in the Hunger Games, sweetie." Dad smiles. "I hope you can make a few friends while you're there."
"It shouldn't be too hard, since I'm collaborating with six other districts." I laugh.
"That could be a bad thing, babe." Tavon sighs. "That means they could be your competition in the Arena."
"I'm going to be fine." I counter. "It could be nice to have people to pawn off to fight the Careers. It's going to work out."
"We'll miss you, Brittney." My mom starts crying. "It's going to be a while before we see you again, but we can manage."
"Well, I hope so." I sigh. "But at least I'll get us some family glory!"
"Times up." Says the Peacekeeper that forces himself into the room.
"We love you Brittney!" Everyone shouts. "Good luck!"
"Love you guys, and I'll try my hardest!" I shout, just as the door slams behind me, leaving me in a room full of emptiness.
I can't wait to finally do what I've dreamed to do. I'll finally get to show off my skills in the Hunger Games, and with some luck, win them too.
Waylon Masterson: Boy from District 19 (Sports Equipment)
I roll myself off of my bed, basically unable to get up myself due to the grogginess. Going into the Hunger Games can get to you. I'm not exactly like my counterpart, Brittney, who thinks that this Games is easily going to go in their favor. I'm just hoping for the best, which could end up in a Games victory. There's always some tributes that shock you, but almost every tribute has some easy way to put them down.
I force myself into the reaping outfit that my mom thought would be best for me. A robin's egg blue shirt with some black slacks, nothing too extravagant. After that, I saunter my way down my hallway and into the kitchen, where the savory smell of bacon wafts from the stovetop.
The bacon is extremely crispy, and pairs well with the omelet that my parents provided.
"Ready for your big day, Waylon?" Mom asks with a smile.
"About as ready as I could be." I respond, smiling as I continue to eat my breakfast.
"You're going to do great, son!" My dad thunders. "You're training is going to really come in handy when dealing with some of those weaklings!"
My dad worked at a training center for a very long time, and always had a sore spot about the Hunger Games, considering he wasn't picked to participate in the Games. Once I was picked to volunteer, however, his spark for competition was rekindled.
"That's true, Dad." I sigh. "It's just I really never expected the reaping day to actually come."
"That makes sense." Mom says. "But you've been preparing for this day, you'll do just fine."
"You should probably talk with your trainer about the Games." Dad brings up. "He'll give you some last minute advice before you go into the Games."
"I should probably get going if I want to do that now." I respond.
"We'll see you after the reaping, Waylon." Mom smiles.
"May the odds be ever in your favor!" My dad laughs, booming throughout the house.
I leave my parents behind and head over to the Training Center, to talk to my trainer Amal about the Hunger Games and what to in the arena.
Everyone is staring at me as I continue to the Training Center. I guess word has gotten around that I've been picked to go in. Must either be jealous or just curious about what I'm going to do.
As soon as I enter the Training Center that I frequent, I notice all of the emptiness of the place. True, there are some dedicated younger kids training for their future Games, but I've never been into it when it's been this empty. It's almost haunting to experience, and I assume this is what the arena will be like once it gets to the final few that is left.
I wander around a little bit before I find the office that is assigned to Amal and I knock on the door and ask to enter to talk.
"What do you need to know?" Amal asked.
"I just need some advice," I respond. "I know I'm ready to go in, I'm just a little apprehensive."
"Of course, Waylon." Amal says. "If someone isn't a little apprehensive, then they really aren't truly human on the inside."
"That is a problem with quite a few trained people, Career and NDA alike," Amal continues. "They really don't feel anything when they go into the Games, and they enjoy what they do to other people. I know you see it as necessary, but you don't actively seek out killing, do you?"
"I haven't killed anybody yet," I chuckle a little. "I don't have a sick obsession with it, but I see it necessary to prove myself and my district proud.
"Exactly, you have the right mindset." Amal responds. "Another mindset that is commonly in tributes from Districts like 1, 20, and 22 is that since they are pretty and beautiful that they deserve to win and that it will come on a platter, and unfortunately I think that Brittney shares that mindset with them."
"Yeah, definitely," I roll my eyes. "From what I've been around her for, she's very stuck up and pretentious."
"My advice in a nutshell," Amal continues. "Is to train with what you have been training with to show not only to the Gamemakers but to your alliance that you can compete with them, and potentially against them if you have to, and that includes Brittney."
"Thank you so much for everything, Amal." I respond. "I'm going to try to make you proud in the Games."
"You don't have to try." He laughs. "You'll do great."
"I'm going to go to the reaping." I laugh with him, giving him a hug before I leave.
I leave to go the sign-in centers that are set up in front of the Justice Building to get pricked.
"What is your name?" The Capitol employee says.
"Waylon Masterson." I respond as I get my pointer finger pricked for the blood test.
"Ok, go on to your age group." The man replies.
I walk into the 18-year-old boys group while lots of people congratulate me. I have to say, it feels great to get this much appreciation for my work, and I hope to fulfill what they want. Another District 19 victor.
Our mayor steps out onto the stage to start delivering the speech about our district, and introduces our fifteen live victors, seven men and eight women. Listening to the speech is definitely the most boring part of the reaping for us, but I can see in other districts that it's delaying the inevitable for two kids to get sent to their deaths. I start feel a little guilty, then the speech ends. Everyone claps out of respect for the mayor, then the reaping continues.
The escort for our district, Unta Millian steps out onto the stage, looking as gaudy as ever.
"Capitol people are so ugly." One boy near me snickers, with a lot more agreeing near him.
"Welcome, District 19, and may the odds be ever in your favor!" She yells excitedly. "Ladies first!"
She plunges her hand deep into the glass bowl, then picks from the top of the bowl.
"Teretta Jolfsen!" She shouts.
"I volunteer!" I hear an annoying voice yell, followed by Brittney walking with her head as high as you could possibly raise it.
"What's your name, miss?" Unta asks.
"Brittney MacDonald." She smiles largely at the escort.
"Onto the boys!" She yells again, throwing her hand into the bowl.
She dips into the bowl, picking from the very bottom of the bowl.
"Johnny Indictus!" She yells.
"I volunteer as tribute!" I yell from the back of the crowd and walk up to the stage.
"What's your name?" Our escort laughs.
"Waylon Masterson." I say with conviction, and I smile slightly to make myself look really confident.
"Here are your tributes from District 19, Brittney MacDonald and Waylon Masterson!" Unta yells brightly.
We are then escorted a little forcefully into our rooms where we meet the people that are going to say goodbye. I see that my parents and Amal are waiting outside as I sit on the couch in the room.
They come in with the Peacekeepers waiting outside, with one saying a few minutes only in a very deep tone of voice. We really don't need that much time, however, as I give each of my parents one last long silent hug and Amal a hearty handshake.
"We love you, Waylon," my mom gushes. "We'll miss you, but we will be waiting for you to come back."
"We'll be with you every step of the way." Dad booms. "We'll try and help when we can."
"You got this kid," Amal pats me on the back. "Just remember your training and what we've talked about."
"I will," I respond, I don't know why but I'm getting a little emotional. "I'll make you all proud."
That's when my parents and Amal leave, right before the Peacekeeper makes sure that we are done, then Brittney and I are escorted onto the train.
AN: Thank you for all of your patience! I should be back posting a lot more now. However, with the current schedule, I wouldn't get to the actual Games for a long time, so I'm fixing that now. For the rest of the reapings it will be a Capitol broadcaster analyzing all of the reapings. I will try to come up with something for the train rides as I go along. What's your favorite new district idea? Leave your favorite in the reviews!
