Hey guys! Squintz here! Just updating the Quell once again :) I have a feeling this SYOT is going to last! Anyway, I only have FOUR spots left. District 9 needs both, District 11 needs a male, along with 12 and 8.
DISTRICT 4 REAPING
Holly Roads-
Lillie jumps on the edge of my bed, yelling my name and stomping on my legs every once in a while. I groan, then pull the pillow out from under my head, flinging it at Lillie. She tumbles backwards, landing on the floor. I laugh, sitting up.
"Didn't Mom always tell us to keep our feet on the ground?" I ask, tilting my head at her as I crawl over to the edge of the bed.
"Ha. Ha. Very funny." Lillie rolls her eyes, standing and fixing her hair.
She's already dressed in her Reaping outfit. Her light brown hair pulled into a ponytail, a bit damp from her shower. I can almost guarantee she was training with our father.
Lillie is my younger sister. She's like my clone, but without my red hair... Her hazel eyes give off a sweet vibe, like my mother. My mother died when she was giving birth to Lillie. Lillie reminds us all so much of her, and her having the ability to calm my father when he's mad. In other words, Lillie is similar to me, but she's extremely sweet.
Just then, Chace waltzes into the room. His hands are tucked in the pockets of his blue Reaping trousers. He whistles nonchalantly, leaning against the door frame.
"Okay girls. Red head, Lillie, get into the kitchen. Dad made breakfast. And... Red head..." Chace nods his head at me, a playful smirk creasing into his lips.
"Do something with..." He gestures to me, his arms opening, "All that." He laughs, walking over and giving me a noogie.
"Just teasing. You know I love you, little sis." He assures me, picking up Lillie and carrying her to the kitchen.
I sweep the sheets off my legs, then spring from my bed. I walk from my room, passing the kitchen, and arriving at the bathroom. I scoop my Reaping outfit from the cabinet above the sink, where my family kept all their special occasion outfits. It was a simple outfit, matching District 4. A blue skirt, a blue shirt. It matched District 4's fishing, blue. The color of water of course.
Now, to do something with my hair and make-up. My curly red hair cascades down to my waist, taking me a while to brush it out. I brush out the tangles, making sure to keep the curls. I trot from the bathroom, picking up my Reaping shoes that are carefully set in the hallway. I walk into the kitchen, pulling out a chair, sitting down, and slipping the shoes on. They're soft, worn, but comfortable.
My father sets a plate in front of me. A few pieces of toast, some scrambled eggs, and a glass of water. I fill myself on the good food, chugging down the entire glass of water. Lillie stares at her food, poking at it.
"I don't think I'm very hungry..." She says quietly, sliding the plate away.
She stands up, then sits down on the couch a few feet away. I frown. My sixth sense begins to tingle. In my head, I can tell she's lying, thanks to my amazing ability that I was so kindly given as a child. I can predict whether someone will be trustworthy or not. And if they're really telling the truth. I don't pay much mind to Lillie, though. I know during the Reaping days people are more solemn. The sick feeling churns in my belly, and I sigh, standing.
Scooting the chair back into the table, I look up to my dad, who's cleaning off dishes in silence... I remember when he was happy... And full of life. But that was before Lillie came along... 'What am I thinking?' I scream in my mind. How could I blame anything on Lillie? I shake my head, then walk out the front door.
I call over my shoulder, "Dad, I'm going early. I'm going to catch up with Katrina and Maxxie!" I hear a faint reply in response, then shrug, heading out the door.
I round the corner of my street, then see Katrina and Maxxie walking side by side. I run after them, catching up quickly.
"Hey guys." I say quietly, seeing the grim looks on their faces. Maxxie gives me a fake smile, and I can tell he's trying to at least be positive for my sake.
"Hey, Holly." He gives me a quick hug, then continues walking after Katrina, who is completely silent. Even though Katrina's my best friend, she can be totally different on dark days like this one...
I'm pulled from thought as Lila taps my shoulder from behind, forcing me to turn around. I smile.
"Hey Lila." I laugh, pulling her under my arm.
I'd been friends with Lila for a while, but ever since I started training for the Games, we'd drifted. That's when Katrina took her place as best friend. Maxxie had always been a best friend, though. And he was fantastic. Maxxie, being the most ferocious, feisty, and brave Career I'd ever seen, was only 17. He decided he would volunteer next year, seeing how I had already announced in the training center that I was volunteering this year. The special thing about Maxxie, is that he's gay. But, he's the most amazing friend you ever met.
He's sweet, he's funny, and he's kind. You can talk to him whenever you want and he'll listen. He gives fantastic advice, too. Lila, on the other hand, is okay when you want to talk, but there's not guarantee she'll listen... Katrina is good with talks. She can give good advice. But none of them can rise to Maxxie when it comes to advice, drama, and just plain old conversations.
We continue to walk in silence, occasionally scraping one another's arm as we collide in our tiny, close knit group. When we get to the lines, we split up, branching off to join the different ages groups. The only one staying with me is Katrina. Her brown hair is pulled into a braid, and her brown eyes are just empty voids of sadness. I examine her, standing by her in the group, trying to read her emotions. I'm almost positive it's because she knows I'm going into the Games today...
"Are you okay, Kat?" I ask, tilting my head.
She turns to me, her eyebrows knitted. "Sure, why not?" She practically spats, and I can see the jealousy in her eyes.
She turns away, the twinge in my head beginning to ring. I shake it away as our District Representative, Tizz Spark, stumbles up on stage. She's pretty young, and it's evident she's new. The way she trips over her own 10 inch platform heels. They're bright green, like the rest of her outfit.
"Welcome! Welcome people of District 4! Fishermen, Tributes, Victors!" She claps her tiny hands, her head bobbing up and down.
Her curly, bright green hair moves along with her head, taking on its own character. Her smile disappears, and her enthusiasm temporarily dies off with it. She looks down at all of us, then smiles again. I can tell this one is fake.
"Anyway, before we begin, we have a special video that comes to you from the Capitol!" She exclaims, her Capitol accent becoming more obnoxious by the second.
After the video, tenseness sets on the restless crowd. People shift positions, trying to escape the anxious behavior that falls over us all. In this Quell, anyone is up for grabs as a Tribute. Any age. Chills run down my spine.
"Let's start, shall we? Ladies first, as always." Tizz smiles, then strides over to the bowl.
She hesitantly sticks her hand in the vortex of names, picking out an undesired slip. She trips back to the microphone, unfolding the slip quickly, then announcing the name into the microphone.
"Annette Tawny." She says, a smile on her face. The attention in the crowds shift to an old woman, stuck in the back of the female group.
I feel a pang of guilt, then charge through all the girls, catching Katrina's attention. I step into the isle, staying tall.
"I volunteer as Tribute for District 4!" I announce loudly, running up on stage.
Tizz claps, turning to the crowd. "Let's have a round of applause for our female Tribute..." She trails off.
"What's your name, love?" She asks, tilting her head.
"My name is Holly Roads. I'm 19. And I'll be your Victor this year!" I holler, hearing all the cheers and applause from the crowd. If there's anything that cannot heal tense behavior, tell me. Arrogance must be the key...
David Pierce-
Mason sings in the hallway, the words to the Capitol video. "War, war! Terrible war! Widows, orphans, a motherless child! This was the uprising that rocked our lands! Brother turned on brother until nothing remained-".
He's cut off by my sudden yelling. "Could you be more obnoxious, Mason?" I ask, covering my head with my pillow.
Mason laughs, rolling his eyes. "C'mon, David! Wake up! It's Reapin-"
He's cut off again. "I know, Mason, I know. Reaping Day." I grin, sitting up in my bed.
Mason comes and joins me, sitting at the edge of my bed. My little brother kicks his feet against the side of my bed, making a quiet thumping noise.
"Excited much?" He laughs, punching my arm with his little fist.
"Totally!" I exclaim, ruffling his hair as I stand up, slip on a shirt, and walk into the kitchen.
Mason follows me, trailing behind. My sister, my older brother, and my parents sit at the table, scarfing down breakfast. My mother, Amy, was a Victor one year. For the 436th Annual Hunger Games. It was a brutal year. I watched the video with my brothers and my sister when I was only 15. But that was 2 years ago.
Sara looks up at me, her bright blue eyes sparkling with excitement. She'd always had a different view on the Games than me... Her, having always been excited just to see the Tributes. Me, I was just excited to have the stupid Tributes fall into my clever traps. She smiles, brushing her black hair from her eyes with a small, nimble hand.
"Good morning, sunshine." She laughs, reaching a hand across the table to give me a high-five. I yawn, high-fiving her back, then sitting down. I lean my head against the table, picking my fork at the eggs in front of me.
"Not too hungry, I see." Dan says, tilting his head at me.
"Not really..." I shrug, then stand up, "I think I'll get dressed, then go meet up with DJ and Seamus at the Square..." I say solemnly, walking into my bedroom again.
I can feel the burn of my parents' eyes on me. I frown, then round the corner, the next, and enter my room. I open up the dresser, pulling out my Reaping outfit. White slacks and a blue shirt. I slip them on, tightly tucking in the shirt tail and making sure it fit tight. I examined myself in the mirror, checking how I looked.
My short, swept back, black hair looked nice. I stare into my reflection's eyes, their light brown hue sparkling with the early morning's light that poked through the blinds on my window. I smile, my bright white teeth looking nice with the colors of my outfit. I shake a hand through my hair, then fix it up again, and slip on my silver ring. My lucky token.
With that, I walk from my room, back down the hall, through the kitchen, and out the door. I can still feel the cold stares from my family behind me, even as I shut the front door behind me. I walk down to the Square, jumping in line next to Seamus Gartley, my best friend.
"Hey, Seamus." I smile, tugging on his shirt tail, since it's sticking out from his trousers.
He laughs, turning around and hugging me. "Hey, David. How's it going?" He smiles back, pulling from the hug. My heart thuds in my chest, always being around Seamus made me giddy.
"It's going good. Just a regular Reaping day." I chuckle.
"Really, huh? Nothing special planned?" He asks, elbowing me gently in the rib cage, then turning and letting the woman prick his finger, jabbing it onto the paper.
He stands aside, waiting for me. She draws the blood, then presses my finger to the paper.
"Not really, I suppose. Except for volunteering." I smile, nudging him back as we pushed our way through the crowd, walking over to DJ, who was waving and jumping.
We arrive, hugging DJ and then standing in order.
"Hey, David. Excited?" He asks, patting my back. I laugh, shrugging. My heart starts pounding again. DJ, who had always liked me, and I had liked back, gave me the jitters. He could always cheer me up, or make me laugh every once in a while. He was a good friend, and he often visited.
"I'm pretty excited, yeah!" I laugh, turning to the attention of Tizz Spark, the District Representative.
The way she stumbles on stage, not keeping her balance, tips off the clue that she's a newbie. Plus, none of us had ever seen her around. DJ giggles, elbowing me in the side. I laugh, turning to him and giving him a playful, but gentle shove. He laughs, turning back to the woman. She views us the video, then trips over her own two feet to the bowl on the right. The girls' bowl.
She pulls out the name.
"Annette Tawny." She announces, a smile taped to her lips.
I know Annette. She runs the local store. She sells things from little knick-knacks, to rare, antique furniture. Everyone turns to look at her. Her old, frail features welling up with sadness. And then, comes the girl. She leaps from the isle, clearing out an entire layer of girls.
"I volunteer as Tribute for District 4!" She yells. The crowd applauds, and I join in with DJ and Seamus.
Great. Competition should be tough this year. But she looks the type I can ally with. I tuck my hands in my pockets, tenseness crawling up my legs. I'm anxious to become the Tribute for this year.
"Dan Pierce!" Tizz announces.
My heart skips a beat. 'Dan? No! Not my brother!' I scream in my head, charging from the isle. I not-so-kindly shove aside boys who stand in my path, then scream out.
"I volunteer!" Tizz smiles grandly.
"Fantastic! Just grand!" She laughs, pulling me closer to the microphone.
"What's your name, young man?" Tizz asks, holding my hand gently.
I speak into the microphone. "My name is David Pierce." 'And I have the will to win, too.' I smile stupidly for the crowd, then turn to Holly. She holds out her hand, a grin crossing her face.
"Go on, shake hands, Tributes." Tizz smiles.
I grasp her hand, then shake it. The crowd cheers, then falls silent, and we're shoved roughly by a few Peacekeepers and Tizz into the Justice Building of District 4. I stand in the window of the room they push me into, staring through the glass at the Square. People clear out, even the past Victors... But not my mother... And not my father. Not my sister, or my younger brother... Or my older brother, the boy who was supposed to be the Tribute. The boy who was supposed to win.
