Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games.
Reapings
District Eight
Amari Edison's POV
"That Clay is so annoying!" Toulouse screamed.
I looked away from my drawing at my best friend. Her sister, Mariah, liked the school athlete, Clay, who reciprocated it too. That really annoyed me. I liked Clay! I wasn't into athletics or sports but I still liked him. However, whenever I tried to speak to him I got pulled to the side. He didn't know about it but still.
"He isn't annoying," I told Toulouse defensively. She glared at me. "Oh is that so?"
"Pretty sure."
She walked over to me and yanked the drawing from my hands. "Oh wow, you're painting Clay's portrait." Elissa and Marquise, my other two friends laughed out. They were sisters; one could tell just by looking at them. Elissa had straight flowing blond hair while Marquise's blond hair were curly. They had the same green eyes.
"Of course he will paint Clay's portrait!" Elissa said teasingly. I turned red at that and snatched away the drawing. "He should understand that Amari is the one for him," Marquise said seriously. "Yes he should," Toulouse muttered, "And he should also leave my sister alone."
"That would be for everyone's good," I thought but aloud I said, "It is more important to be happy. And they are happy." With that I returned to my drawing. I loved art, paintings, music, stories, everything related to Art. It was so beautiful. I was fond of fashion too. I could not understand why some people did not appreciate the Capitol's fashion sense, their clothing. It was so amazing, I loved it! My father had taught me how to use a textile machine at home but I had transformed it into a business. I made colourful, fashionable clothes that people loved. But they were nothing before the Capitol's designs. I wished I had enough money to afford all of it!
The thought of money brought me back to reality. It was the Reaping Day. And I had been chosen to volunteer. I needed the money that I could get if I won. It was a life and death situation.
I got up from my chair and placed the drawing in my cupboard having all my books. The girls got up too. "Guess you should get ready," Marquise said in a low voice. I turned to look at her and saw that she was crying. I felt like crying myself. I took her in my embrace. All the three of them were like my sisters. I did not want to lose them. Elissa and Toulouse joined the hug too.
"Do you really have to?" Elissa asked. "Yes. I have to," I replied quietly. Toulouse released me and walked up to my closet. She fished around for clothes in it and came up with a polo T shirt and black khaki pants. "Put these on. It will make you look good."
I smiled. The girls had themselves made those clothes for me. And they were certainly my favourite. "We'll leave you to it," Marquise said, "Get ready. See you in the Square." With that the girls left the room.
I put on my Reaping outfit. I wouldn't say I was the most handsome guy around, but I did look decent. I had quaffed black hair, hazel eyes which sort of looked good with my fairer tanned skin. I had a sharp jawline and slightly plump lips. I had painted my nails black. I put on some mascara that brought out the colour of my eyes even better. If Panem was going to have me as this year's volunteer, then they should see a pretty version of me.
I dreaded the Games. And hated them. I never hated anything, I always wanted everyone around me to be happy. But I truly loathed the Games. There was no point of this violence. I didn't hate the Capitol though. They had a good fashion sense and sometimes I wished I could live there. Maybe if I won the Games…
I wasn't volunteering for the glory or anything. I was volunteering for my father.
Recently, in district Eight, a deadly disease had spread among the people. We didn't know what it was exactly, but it was bad. Really bad. Hundreds of people were already dead. It took so long to take effect, two or three months, but the pain, the agony, the illness, the weakness and the hopelessness that it brought was like an inhuman torture. The cure was too expensive, there was a shortage of the medicine, and only the wealthy could afford it.
My father was infected.
He had around two months more to live unless he got the cure. I needed the money. I had to save him. My father was everything. My mother had died while giving birth to me; my father had been both a mother and a father to me. He mattered to me the most in the world. And I could do anything for him.
I went to the Mayor for help. Told him my father's condition, begged him for help, promised that I would repay him. He told me that he would give my father the medicine. He would help me. I was grateful to him. But then he put down the condition. If I wanted the cure, I had to volunteer for the Games.
His words were like thunderbolt on my ears. He told me he did not want anyone to be reaped, especially if they were young. The supply of the medicine was low and he couldn't just hand it out to anyone. In short, he had a deal for me, which I accepted. I could very well die, but if my death gave my father a chance to live, death was fine.
And so I was the chosen volunteer. I didn't tell my father about it. He'd never let me do it. But fate had decided it and who was I to change it?
I went to his room to meet him. He was sleeping but he looked dead. He was so weak and frail, he could not even get up. He was almost always sleeping. I suppose he did so to escape the excruciating pain. Two months. He had two months to live…
My eyes turned bleak at that. I closed my eyes and let the tears flow. I felt a hand wipe them away.
"Amari?"
I opened my eyes and looked at my father. He looked anxious and weak. So weak.
"Where are you going?" he asked, "Why are you crying?"
"I am heading for the Reapings, dad. And I am getting late," I replied, avoiding the second question. I gave his hand a squeeze and stroked his head. At my touch, he closed his eyes and I knew he was asleep again. "I'll come back," I whispered. And I meant it.
Kinnie Duff's POV
I didn't hate them from the beginning. Really, I never even thought about the Capitol. I lived a happy life with my family, made plenty of friends. My cousin Drina played with me, told me beautiful stories. She was my best friend.
And then such a sweet innocent cousin of mine was reaped for the Games. She died two years back in the Games. From that day onwards I hated the Capitol, the Games, everything about them. I became their foe. My cousin had grown up with my mom and step dad. She was my sister. The Capitol snatched away my sister.
I was brought away from my thoughts by mother's voice calling me. "Coming mom," I called back. I ran over to her in the kitchen. "Today is the Reaping day, dear. You should get ready," she said sadly. A single tear rolled down her cheek. I knew she was trying to be strong for my sake. I grinned at her. "I'll come back mom. Keep that tomato soup ready for me when I do." She nodded faintly and turned away.
"I'll go get ready," I said and went back to my room, slamming the door shut. I kicked the closet hard angrily. Why did I have to…! I yanked it open. It shook a bit, threatening to fall on top of me. I tried to find a dress to wear to the Reapings. That was the problem. I had only one dress, the same dress I wore last year. I didn't like it. I didn't like dresses. This silver dress belonged to Drina. It brought back painful memories.
I was a tomboy. I loved sports, running, causing mischief. I only owned boys' shirts and trousers and pants. It wasn't as if I didn't behave like a sweet little girl. I appeared to be quite innocent and shy but nobody apart from my dear ones knew how athletic and strong I was. I loved being funny and cracking weird jokes, always having strangest of ideas which were good in an epic way. And I loved myself the way I was. I was gentle, yes, and I loved making friends, but innocent and shy? Not so much.
I had short light brown hair which were always messy, and that was how I liked them. They went well with my pale skin. I had a dash of freckles on my nose. I had a pretty face that radiated innocence and harmlessness. I was too plain though but I was still pretty. People thought I was shy because of my soft and gentle voice. Maybe it was my face or maybe it was my voice that saved from being executed.
After losing Drina, I sort of went in a mad fury. I had to avenge her. I just had to. It just so happened that I became friends with Sabine, whose brother had also died in the same Games as Drina. Hearing her story made my resolve even stronger. The two of us joined a rebel group. We had one goal. To start an uprising.
We started at a small scale. A few robberies, messages in graffiti. Slowly we made progress. We moved on to vandalising shops and public properties. We stole from Peacekeepers. We threw stones at their homes. We threw trash at their doorstep. I continued to write the graffiti messages on the walls of important building. We blocked roads and caused chaos.
And then the leader decided that we should destroy the unused houses of the Victor's Village. I didn't want to take part but he persuaded me. And so all of us planned an attack on the houses.
Little did we know there was a traitor among us.
I did not even know him. He told the Peacekeepers everything about our plan. So when we arrived there, they were already waiting for us. We tried to flee but almost all of us got captured except four or five of us, who got away. Sabine was among them. She could have helped me. I was so close. But she didn't.
I saw all of my friends getting shot right in front of my eyes. I cried, I begged them to stop, begged for mercy, promised that we would never do any of it again. But it was in vain. When everyone was dead, one of the Peacekeepers put a gun against my head.
"Please! Please don't!" I pleaded with my soft voice. "Jordan," one of the Peacekeepers said, "Don't shoot her. She's young."
"She is old enough to know what she is doing," Jordan snapped. I knew he wanted to pull the trigger. The other Peacekeeper came up to me.
"She is an innocent little girl," he said, "You won't shoot her." With that he pulled Jordan away and said something to him. By the time he had finished, Jordan had a satisfied smile on his face. He walked back to me and grinned.
"You are young, yes," he said, "Okay girl, I offer you a deal. You stay alive, and we kill your entire family."
"NOO!" I screamed, "Please don't! They don't even know I was involved in all of this!" It was the truth. Nobody in my family knew. My little sister Floss suspected me but I had handled her.
"Relax, little girl. There is an alternative," Jordan said in a mocking way. He was enjoying himself. I wanted to slit his throat. But I couldn't do it. I was powerless.
"If you want them to live, you will have to volunteer for the sixtieth Hunger Games."
My voice refused to work. My ears went numb. My brain went silent. Volunteer for Hunger Games…? I fell to my knees. There were no tears in my eyes. Nothing. Just a silence.
"You have one minute to decide," he said, a smirk on his face. I could not let my family die. Especially not Floss. No, not her.
"I will volunteer," I whispered. The Peacekeepers looked as if they had won a war. "Good," Jordan said. They dragged me away and I decided then and there. I would win, return, and kill every one of them.
I was snapped out of my thoughts by a knock on my door. I opened it and found Aymee, Robert and Fearn standing outside. They were my friends. They were all funny people, amazing to be friends with.
"Really?" Fearn said, "You are going there in a silver dress and… trainers?" Finding sandals was too much work. Trainers ruled. "What about your hair? At least comb them!" I put my hand on my head and ruffled my hair making them even messier than before. Aymee sighed.
"Come on people. It's time we went."
It took us a while to get to the Square. I took my place in the fifteen year old girls' section. There were fewer people present there and a loud silence prevailed. There was a disease in our district. Too many children had died because of it. I was glad I didn't have it.
"Welcome to the Reapings, people of District Eight!" Grace said. Even though he was an escort, he was pretty normal, wearing no makeup whatsoever apart from mascara. Grace was quite young, no more than twenty two with red hair and brown eyes.
"It's great to be here, really. And I really hope to have a victor from among you. Let's start with the boys."
No fumbling, no digging. Grace pulled out the boy's name without wasting a second.
"Jamie Jones!"
"I volunteer!"
There was a pin drop silence at that. Someone gasped. A tall boy from the seventeen year old section walked to the stage. He had a determination in him that told me he would be a valuable ally.
"A volunteer! Amazing! What's your name, you brave young man?" Grace said, a soft smile on his face.
The boy took the mic from him. "The name is Amari Edison. And I will win this thing!"
Grace clapped at that. "I hope you do. Really." With that he took to the centre of the stage. There had been no reaction from the audience at Amari's statement. "Okay, now, the ladies!" He pulled out a name and read it. "Sabine Hart!"
Sabine! She'd been reaped?! A part of me decided against volunteering. She had run away. Why should I save her? But then the thought of my family flashed in my mind. I had to volunteer.
"I volunteer!" I yelled and ran towards the stage. The place became even more silent if that was possible.
"Wow! Another volunteer! And that too so young! May I have your name?" Grace said. "I'm Kinnie Duff. Seeing my performance, you will see I am tough. I can fight things when situations are rough. And when I return, with pride your hearts will puff!"
What did I just say?
Somebody clapped at that. A few people joined in. They actually liked that idiotic stuff?
"So people of District Eight, here are our tributes! Amari Edison and Kinnie Duff!" I grinned at my district partner who smiled back as we shook hands. His eyes fell on my trainers and his expression became puzzled.
"Style, buddy. Style."
After that we were taken to the Justice building. I waited for my family to come in, or my friends. But the only person who came in was Robert. I looked at him quizzically. "They didn't allow anyone else to come in," he replied softly. I punched the wall angrily. Those Peacekeepers! How much I hated them!
Robert grabbed my shoulders and then hugged me. "You have to win, okay?" he said. "I'll try. But the Capitol wants me dead, Robert. What will I do?"
"Use that brain of yours," he said, "And use the fact that people underestimate you. I will be waiting, Kinnie. We'll all be waiting." With that he pressed something in my hand. It was a piece of crystal. "Floss sent this," he said, "As your token."
I squeezed the crystal and then put it in my pocket. I hugged him again. Suddenly the door opened and the Peacekeeper took him away. And just as suddenly Sabine ran in.
"I'm sorry Kinnie! Please forgive me!" she cried as she threw her arms around me. "I panicked! I didn't know what to do!" There was no point of being angry now.
"It's okay," I told her. Before she could say anything else, Jordan came in. he smiled at me evilly and sent Sabine out. "Congratulations, little girl," he said mockingly, "You have just volunteered for your own death."
Amari Edison's POV
My father could not come to meet me. He did not even know. But the girls were here, crying into my shoulders. "You will have to return!" Toulouse said in a tone that suggested that she was chiding me. She put a necklace around my neck. It had symbols of a rainbow, a knitting kit and the number eight on it. I loved it. It was pretty artistic.
"Thank you…" I said and hugged her even more tightly.
"We'll look after your father, Amari," Elissa said, "And I'm sure you will return."
"I will," I told her. I could feel it. I could do it. I would meet my father on returning home. He would be fine. Cured.
"Amari," Marquise said, "I think you should become allies with Kinnie." My district partner. She was… weird. What she said on the mic, her dressing sense, everything seemed out of place. But I was sure she was strong.
"Time's up!" a Peacekeeper announced. I looked at all the three of them. "If anything happens to me," I said softly, "Do tell Clay that…"
"We will," Elissa said, "But as far I'm concerned, nothing will happen to you."
"And remember," Marquise said, "We love you brother. And we always will." With that we shared one more hug and they left. I sat down, suddenly very tired of everything. No matter what though, I had to return. Alive.
I want to thank OddOrb and Seahorse8 for these wonderful tributes! It was amazing to write about them!
To WizardDemigodGladerGatekeeper: I'm glad you liked Carlor! It is okay, one can't really like all the characters that one reads about, right? I hope you like this chapter too!
To Sakura-Fiction: Thank you for the advice! I'm glad you liked them. Yes, it is pretty bad when your luck runs out like Carlor's did. Hope you like these too!
To Seahorse8: Thank you for the review! Do tell me how I did with Kinnie.
To maliceismyname: Yes, Ciera is a good character! I'm happy you liked her.
To CreativeAJL: I'm really glad that you liked both of them. Yes, running away would be the most natural reaction. Poor Carlor… Hope you enjoy this chapter!
To Mystical Pine Forest: It's alright. I'm happy I was able to do her justice. Glad you liked Carlor. Thank you for reviewing!
Have a good day everyone!
