Chapter 6: District Ten Reaping

~The Joker and the Darkness~

District 10- Brooklynn Crystals, 12

"Get up, young lady." I can hear her seething from all the way under my wool blanket. If it was the old me, I would have feel so irritated and the huge need to just stomp her on her foot as I get up, but I don't. I resort to a much more elite ways...

Such as pranks, for example.

I always wake up to her seething voice, telling the young lady to give up. Stupid governess. Big, fat, meanie life destroyer. I wonder why Mommy and Daddy even hire her. Well, I know that they're too busy to be home for me, but I can manage on my own without her! She's so annoying!

I wake up slowly and take as much time as possible in stretching myself because I know that it will irritate her to no end.

"Ah, do come in, Mrs. Callida," I say in my sweetest 'young lady' voice. "I think I need help in getting dressed. I want the best for the reapings, after all." I sneak away from my bed and head to the closet. I take my reaping dress, a simple baby pink knee-length dress with a ribbon tied on the hips, and hide behind the closet's door.

Mrs. Callida then clicks her tongue and enters my room, stomping her way in...

...before she slipped on a soap and had a water bucket wetting her from head to toe.

I laugh out loud and run away as fast as I could. I can hear her screaming something along the lines of "You devil child!" and "I hope the odds are in your favor and you got reaped!" or something. I don't know, or care.

I don't care if she wants me to get reaped, though, because I'm volunteering this year.

Finally. Finally. After six years of miserable life with a demon named Mia Callida, I can get away. I'm eligible for Reapings, and I'm planning to do whatever it is to just... get away from her.

I have no life when I'm with her and I always always resent that fact.

I used to live a life so carefree that it never came to me that I would miss it. Mommy and Daddy are always home, taking care of me and being such a loving family. But it all changed when they suddenly got promoted to manage an even larger barns than what they did before. Sure, it made us one of the few wealthy people in our District, but for a price.

They got too busy for me... and they ultimately have no time for me and they had to resort to hiring the old donkey Callida. Death seems to a better choice than living with her. Or maybe if I can somehow win and live in the Victor village away from her...

That'd be much more spectacular.

I walk into a dark alley, where I will change my pajamas into my reaping clothing, but... I met someone there, talking to himself in such a disturbing manner.

"I want him to die... I want Ace to die... it's not wrong, right? Night?" I clench my fists, but curiosity get the better of me and I press myself against the wall to listen in to the conversation... which was nonexistent.

Nobody replied to him, but he talked again anyways. "I-it's not? But... isn't killing... illegal?" I feel a chill in my spine and I swear I hear him saying with his own voice, only in a much more distorted and cruel one. "Not if I can help it."

Sweat matted in my forehead and I run away as fast as I can. I know who he is. He's Tobias Milit, also known as 'the other Milit' because his brother is so famous in school. He's so kind and humble though. I never expected him to have such a... cruel-sounding voice.

I take a deep breath and went to a random barn just around the corner. I changed into my reaping clothing and walk with a smile to the Justice building.

District 10- Tobias Milit, 17.

I can remember it like it was just yesterday. The day my dark-skinned, red-eyed, and black-haired friend appears before me with a mad-looking grin etched on his familiar face...

He looks just like me. The only difference we had is the fact that I have gray eyes instead of red, copper-hair instead of black, and slightly tanned skin instead of dark ones.

"You should train harder." He says as he throws a very malicious stare towards my brother and his friends. "You should train harder until you're able to kill them off." His lips contorted into a lopsided grin, it scares me. He seems to notice my fear though. "If not to kill them, then at least fend them off. I don't like it when people bully you. C'mon. I'll help you."

"Are you dozing off again?" I turn to Liam, who stands beside me as we hear our escort, Sundara, drones on and on about the Hunger Games. I only nod towards him with a simple smile. "Sorry." I apologize. Liam shakes his head. "It's fine by me, Tobias, but you need to listen to this crap if you don't want the Peacekeepers to come and sack you."

I nod again as I look at my surroundings. I am in the middle of 17-year-old male sections, standing in the reapings as a normal teenager like me should be. Well, a normal teenager with a bullying bastard as father, snobby woman as a mother, and an arrogant asshole as a brother anyway. I really hate my family. They always shove me into the corner and pretend that I don't exist. And my brother, Ace, bullies me so often until I can fend off for myself.

It's such a long story, but I can get through all of it thanks for my friend, Night.

The said friend is now standing right behind me, leaning his back on mine as he waits for the boring reaping to be over. I don't get it but I think other people, not even Liam, can see him. He doesn't seem to mind though.

"Happy Hunger Games! Now, it's time to pick our tributes! Ladies first!" Sundara practically bounce in her feet as she walks towards the reaping bowl and take one name.

"Mary Ann Summers!" There was a shrill crying voice from the 13-year-old section, but then another voice surprised us all.

"Wait! I volunteer!"

I can hear a shrill voice coming from the 12-year-old section. And a very pretty girl with flaming red hair and blue highlights being escorted by the Peacekeepers. I know who she is. Her name is Brooklynn Crystals, the only daughter of the famous barn managers. She's very famous around the neighborhood for her capricious pranks. Why would she volunteers?

But I don't see any fear or regret as she walks to the stage, looking very cheerful and bubbly. "Eeeh? I think there's something with that girl that we don't know about, Toby." Night says as he whistles. I only nod, agreeing.

"Onto the boys!" Sundara grabs a slip of paper from the boys' bowl. I don't think it's me. My family is quite wealthy and I don't take tesseraes. It should be fine.

"Tobias Milit!"

But, it seems that I'm wrong. It shocked me, and Liam's face practically turn white as I make my shaky steps to the stage. There's only one person who smiles like it was a good thing.

"Well, at least you can escape your family. If you win, you leave to the Victor Village. If you lose, you won't be seeing them again, right?" Night says as he walk beside me to the stage. "But... killing is scary..." I say with a frown. Night slips his hand into mine and a maddened grin crept up to his face. "Not if I can help it."

Goodbyes

District 10- Brooklynn, 12

My goodbyes went by like how I expect them to.

Mommy and Daddy come in bursting with tears. They ask me why did I volunteer and so on. That is when I have a sad frown on my face and tell them what has been going on in the six years of my life.

Mommy cried harder and Daddy only look stricken. I know they must've not expect that coming from their cute little Lynn. It's just sad, but I don't feel that much anymore. Only empty.

But this guy. This guy in front of me is the one I don't expect to be here. He is the very prime example of the life I lost because of one Mia Callida.

Skip Ryder.

We met when I was 10. I was outside, trying to find some leaves for the Science project. I hate science so it was kind of hard for me. And then a very cute guy helped me until I finish my project. "I'm Skip Ryder. You?" He had said that as he offers me his hand. I smiled happily as I grab his hand in a friendly handshake. "I'm Brooklynn Crys-"

Mia Callida interrupted us and slap his hand off. She drags me by the collar and the lock me in the closet just for 'befriending an unknown person'.

I smile. "I'm Brooklynn Crystals." I say as I grab his hand in a friendly handshake. He smiles sadly at me. "So that's who you are..." He says sadly. "I don't know you enough to ask you why you'd volunteer. But I'm here to say that I'm rooting for you." My eyes widen as he says that. Nobody has said that they're rooting for me. Not even Mommy or Daddy.

When he turns to leave, I call for him. "Skip!" He turns back to me. "Thanks for that science project. I got an A with that." He nods. "You're welcome, Lynn." But he looked really sad when he says that.

District 10- Tobias, 17

Liam and his parents barge into the room, shoving the Peacekeeper out of the way, looking like they want to cry. I smile at them as I sigh. "Please don't be sad..." I say with a certain amount of reassurance in my voice. "I'm happy about this. I'll escape my family either way." Liam and his parents look positively stunned. They always say that I'm part of their family, and I really think so.

"Goodbye, Liam." I hug Liam, who finally sobs on my shoulder. I comfort him to the best of my capabilities in case that this would be the last hug we ever share.

Night scoffs, telling me that he won't ever let me die that easily. I ignore him and tighten my hug around Liam. "Thank you for being there for me." I say, directing my gaze towards Liam's family. "In case I... die. Please bury me near your house..." They nodded sadly. Liam's mom hugs both me and Liam and Liam's dad nods sadly.

When their three minutes are up, Liam reluctantly leaves with his parents, still crying and screaming "Good luck!" to me.

The next one to come is... my family. I don't expect that, neither did Night.

"You better win." My father says as he stares down at me. "I would be able to do so much things if I gain the status of a Victor's family." More like he could bully more people.

My mother chimes. "Imagine me, living in a Victor village in riches! My friends would be sooo jealous!" She says with shrill voice. "Yeah, Toby, you better win." Ace says mockingly.

I laugh. "I disowned all of you a long time ago. Who are you guys? You're not even my family. If I do come back, I'll ask Liam's family to move in with me and you guys could all just die in a gutter!" I can feel Night cackling at the sofa as my rage and anger goes vivid.

My family is silent, so I continue my rage. "I should've fucking yelled at you guys a long time ago! Thanks for ignoring me, Mother and Father. Thanks for bullying me my entire life, Ace. Now get the fuck OUT OF HERE!" I make a very rude hand gesture with my fingers and then slumps down in the sofa as they leave, not sparing them another glance as Night compliments me with a very mad grin.

I had a life I need to do yesterday so I couldn't update, sorry.

And these two characters are so... interesting to write. Are they interesting to read as well? Please review to tell me about it :)