This is one of my better Reapings, I'd say.

I'm sorry you had such a long wait with this one. Our school just started its spring musical and I'm the Freshman director! The first boy they've had in fifteen years.

The way I initially wrote Gath was definitely not his character. I didn't like it, he didn't react how he should. I picture him kind of like Lennie from Of Mice and Men and what I wrote was much darker. I think this describes him better. I get that this isn't my best writing, but I made an effort. Life's been hard and complicated and busy lately, so please bear with me.


-Marlee Judah, District 5-

"Marlee! Marlee, get up! You can't lie in bed all day!" Grig roughly grabs the pillow out from below my head, lifts it up behind his head, and swings it hard down on me.

"Hey! You can't hit me! I'm a girl!"

He returns the pillow to the air and playfully whacks my head a couple more times. "Oh, really? With the way you treat people, I for sure would've thought otherwise." A sarcastic, menacing smirk crosses his lips as he drops the pillow to the floor and crosses his arms.

I smirk right back. "You know you're just insulting yourself by saying that guys are bad people?"

"She's right." Bridgbree stands in the doorway, arms pressing against the walls. Always there to support her older sister.

"That's my girl." I tussle her hair as she walks next to me, the same shade of reddish-brown as mine. She stands proud, contemptuous, and then plops down on my bed.

"You can't both go back to sleep! If you miss the Reapings you're dead. Literally." Grig rolls his chestnut eyes and stumbles out of the room, displeased.

"He needs to stop worrying," Bree mutters to herself. She crosses her arms and huffs quietly to herself, forgetting I'm right next to her. "I don't wanna go to the Reapings! I'm not even eligible!" Bree rips the sheets she just previously layered herself with and storms out of the room even faster than she entered. "It's not fair! A growing girl needs her beauty sleep!" I hear her yell from the other room.

Once I finally muster the ounces of strength scattered through my bones necessary to leave my bed, I do it. It's too bad I fall to the floor, desperate for sleep. So. Tired.

Thank goodness I didn't trim my nails like I meant to yesterday, or I wouldn't be able to crawl to my dresser on all fours…even though I look kind of like a dying pig.

"Now what in the hell are you doing?" I hear the repetitive stomping of Grig's foot on my floor. Without even looking, I know his posture. Standing straight, right leg out tapping, arms cross, and face just as cross.

Slowly, intent on expressing my true anger, I swivel my head to the side to face him. "I'm getting ready for the Reapings, dumbass. I'm tired as hell okay?

"Just...just hurry up."

"Yes, Mom... Grig! Grig, I'm sorry! I- I didn't mean it. Truly, I didn't!" Hastily, I rush off the grind and over to Grig, placing a light hand on his turned away shoulder, facing his back. He swats it off.

"You know... You know not to just... To just blurt out comments like that! You know how it makes me feel!"

"Grig... Grig, I'm sorry. I won't do it again."

"Just go get ready. We're leaving in twenty."

-Gath Phyllison, District 5-

"Umm, excuse me? Sir? I- I think you, uh, dropped your penny?"

I turn around to face the man, his arm extended towards me with a shiny copper disk tucked in his hand. I feel my pockets. Gone. "Yes! Yes! Yes, it is! That is my penny! Oh, I'm so glad you found it." I grab the bony shoulders of the man and pull him in towards me, holding him with all my might so he takes in all of my appreciation. Still holding tight, I whisper, "I don't know what I would've done if I lost it! It's one of those things you can't live without, you know?" The man returns a blank, lost expression. "Oh, of course you know! Who am I kidding?"

"Um...right." See? See, he agrees with me.

"Well, I'll hope to see you 'round! I owe you one!" After leaning down to pick up some grocery bags and turning away to go back home, I look back to wave at the kind gentleman. He doesn't notice me though. He's too busy in a conversation with a tall blonde woman. Doesn't he realize he's going to get attacked by her cooties! Simultaneously, they both glance at me. The man I just met extends a pointer finger towards me.

Excited for the acknowledgement, I smile and wave. I don't really understand why they look away disgusted though. Whatever.

Soon enough though, I make it home. "Mommy, Daddy! I'm here! And I have the food for you guys!" I pick up all the bags straddling each arm and big-step to my parents in the living room. Both are perplexed by the game board in front of them. "Ooh, ooh! Go! Can I play? Can I play? The bags that were on my arms quickly fall to the floor. Cracks and clangs reverberate around the house. Plastic and paper is pierced by shards and liquids ooze around the wood floor. (My parents don't notice though, they are too busy with their game).

I run towards them with a leap over the mess and land with a thundering bang. My big hands push my mom to the side of the couch. "Okay, okay! Is it my turn?" I rub my palms together, thinking of a move.

"Gath! Hold on! Did you even notice the bloody nose you gave me? You shoved my," she takes a second and spits red up onto the couch, "face into the armrest!" Stewing, she huffs out of the room.

"Okay, my tur-"

"And what is this? You dare call these the groceries, Gath?" Her beet red angry face and black hair make a combination fit for the devil. Her fists and teeth are clenched, eyes shooting daggers right at me. It makes me uncomfortable, so I avert her gaze. "You will look at me, mister! You are sixteen years old, you should damn right be able to not make a mess around is house. Sometimes I wonder why you're so goddamn stupid! My lord! Just go to the freakin' Reapings."

-Marlee Judah, District 5-

"Excuse me. Excuse me! EXCUSE ME! I'm trying to get to the goddamn Reapings! Move the hell out of my way!" The group of teenagers part like the Red Sea as Grig and I pass through briskly. Bree already left us so she could wait alone in the not-eligible-group. That lucky girl.

"Welcome, one and all, to the annual District 5 Reapings! I'm sure you're all just as happy as I am to have the honor to announce one more boy and one more girl to die in the- I mean...act as tributes for the Hunger Games!" Temporarily, the blue haired woman twitched. But then she went upon her business, explaining how the games have come about. Typical Reapings.

"And now...the time you've all been awaiting. The drawing of names!" Like a bunny, she hops-skips-jumps-gallops to the other edge of what some might call a stage, behind two large glass bowls. Her massive blue hair bobs up and down with every motion. "What do you guys say? We start with the women?"

The crowd roars. Not me though, I stand there solemn and waiting.

"Mmmmarlee Judah! Ge up here, girl!" The escort beckons to the general crowd, obviously having not a clue where I may be coming from.

As I make my desperate march to the escort, I realize that maybe this isn't so bad. This could be a good thing for me...for us. Grig, Bree and I won't have to worry about living. Food will come to us; we won't have to buy it. And even if we did, we wouldn't have to worry about the money for it. We'd be well off. Better than we are now. This could be good.

This could be good.

-Gath Phyllison, District 5-

Eww! Ew! Ew! Ew ew ew! This happens every year! Girls! Everywhere! On stage, in the crowds, everywhere. At least we don't need to stand by them. We boys get some safety. But...but on stage. The girl was just called up. And then they call the boy, and he walks to the stage, they grab hands, hug, whatever, and then are held together with hands in the air! How does he not freak out? He's going to catch cooties!

The girl with fiery red hair kept arranged in a ponytail stands strong on the stage. As she should, she's being applauded! Her simple green dress scrapes against the ground, brushing a trail of dirt in her path. She's been holding it up with her hands. "My name is Marlee Judah," the girl says.

"And our boy..." she pauses, "is Gath Phyllison! Congratulations!"

Oh my gosh! Oh gosh, it's me! I was chosen. Woohoo! Yay! Yeah! Naturally, fueled by the rip-roaring of the audience, I sprint to where the girl is. "Outta my way! Outta my way! Sorry! They called me! I was called! I'm being cheered for! I bound up the stairs and grasp the escort all around and give her my tightest bear hug.

Wait... "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH! You! You have...cooties! Get away from me!" Instantly I release my grip and the blue lady collapses to the ground. Her eyes shut and she lays limp.

Cold metal straps around my wrists as they are held locked behind me. A blindfold covers my eyes and fabric stuffs my mouth.

It's dark in here.


Okay, time to tell me what you think!

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