Jasmine Littleroot, District 7 POV
My eyes opened drowsily. I got up out of bed and yawned. Trying not to wake up the others, I grabbed some sweats and threw them on. I walked out of the orphanage and into the woods where I spent most of my time.
My life was perfect until my best friend Ingmarie was reaped when we were both twelve. I watched in tears as she was killed on the second day by the boy from One.
Not long after, my mother and father were killed for refusing to pay their taxes. I was taken into the orphanage and had stayed there for over three years. I have always gone out into the woods of the District to relax. I have been invisible ever since, and I like it that way. I only have to worry about myself.
I pulled off my chain necklace and looked at it. The mockingjay pendant in the middle was given to me by my mother the day before she was executed. I fastened it back around my neck and closed my eyes. Today was the four year anniversary of Ingmarie's reaping. I mourned over her and my parents in solitude and stayed silent since.
What would I do if I was reaped? I hate the Capitol. They took away everything I loved. I would try to win, but I would probably just accept my death. I should have prepared just in case, because I think the Capitol is targeting me.
I returned to the orphanage knowing that everyone would be awake by now and getting ready for the Reapings. I hurried over to the showers and hopped in before anyone else could beat me to it. I washed, rinsed, and repeated until I was all clean. I got dressed in a faded pale green dress. I slipped on some black shoes and applied a light coat of makeup. I combed my long dark brown hair and left it down.
Just as I left the bathroom, all of the other orphaned girls entered. I heard them bicker about the shower and I just avoided all of the conflict. I was always silent, but Reaping Day was always the day where I never talked. I ate my breakfast alone and left the orphanage without a word.
Myles Ortango, District 7 POV
"Wake up Miles," My mother kissed me on the forehead. I yawned and sat up, leaning against my headboard. My mother and sister were standing there by my bed. We were a tight-knit family who all loved each other. I got up out of bed and kissed my mother, Roselyn, on the cheek and then her and my sister, Sydney, left the room.
I hopped into the shower and scrubbed my face and body. I thought about the Games and my hate for them. Why can't the Districts self-govern? If I was reaped, my family would be torn apart. First my dad dies in a forest fire, then I get killed in the Games? I just hope that my family doesn't go through more tragedy.
My dad was on the District's Fire Squad. He was killed in a forest fire, making me the man of the house. My parents met through work, since my mother does maintenance checks on the Public Safety Department's equipment. I have always carried a piece of fire hose in my pocket to remind me of my father and how much I loved him. I was glad that he died helping the community.
I got out of the shower and walked over to my small closet. I slipped on some black pants and a green and blue argyle sweater. I put on some black dress shoes and combed through my dark red hair. I curved my lips in my usual upward smile and looked myself in the eyes. They were a sparkling green that had blue flecks in them. They always looked mysterious in the mirror. I walked away from my closet and checked on my sister. I walked into the room to see her combing through her strawberry blonde hair.
"How do I look?" She asked. She was wearing a mossy green dress with black flats. I couldn't help but be drawn to her innocent blue eyes. She got them from my mother. She looked nice for her first reaping.
"Really nice," I answered.
"Really?" She asked.
"I wouldn't lie to you." I answered. We walked out of her room together to meet my mother in the living room.
"Take care of your sister Myles," my mother requested.
"Don't worry," I replied, "she'll be fine." About fifteen minutes of eating breakfast and cleaning our mess, we left for the Reapings.
Jasmine Littleroot, District 7 POV
I arrived before the crowd hit, so I got my blood pricked rather quickly. Two Peacekeepers took me to the sixteen year old section and I just stood there and waited. I looked back to see the rest of my roommates from the orphanage waiting in the line that was now somewhat long. Once everyone filed in, the mayor of our District walked up onto the stage and began his speech.
I didn't want to listen. I didn't want to hear about the Games. They took away my best friend, and that was personal. I was one of the few in the District who had no chance at all of winning.
I looked over at the mentors waiting quietly in their seats. The female mentor, Sequoia Moss, looked like she would be anywhere else but here. I could tell she hated the Games with all her heart, and she only wanted to win to see her family again. She had hated being a victor and mentoring tributes every year.
Sequoia had won the fifty first Hunger Games. All of the tributes she has had so far haven't made it past the third day. Hopefully this year that would change. I felt really sorry for her. Nobody deserves to go into the cruel Games.
By now, our escort, Vincent Greyshade, had walked up onto the stage. This year, he had brown hair with green at the tips. His skin wasn't dyed, thank God, because that's just completely hideous. He seemed like one of the nicer escorts who actually disliked the Games. Because he wasn't too happy when announcing the tributes each year.
He dipped his hand into the girl's bowl and reluctantly pulled out a name. He read it knowing that a girl's innocence would be taken from her. Please. Not me.
"Jasmine Littleroot." I couldn't believe it. I was stunned, unable to move. I saw all of the girls around me start to clear a path for we to walk up to the stage.
Vincent had reached into the bowl and swished his hand around. He plucked a name and opened the fancy card. I prayed that it wasn't me.
"Ingmarie Redwood." I broke down in tears. My best friend was going into the Games. I couldn't believe it. This had to be a dream, this couldn't be real. She walked up to the stage in tears. She found me in the crowd and gave me a sad look. I looked back and collapsed to the floor and started crying more than I ever had before. I couldn't believe that this had happened...
"Come on Jasmine," the escort called out to me. I snapped back into reality and walked up to the stage, concealing my emotions. I couldn't be seen as weak, I had to come back. Vincent quickly moved onto the boys to make up for the lost time.
"Jefferson Harris." I saw a sickly twelve year old boy walk into the aisle and slowly approach the stage.
"I VOLUNTEER!" I heard a voice from behind him. I looked over to the source. I saw a boy who was about a year younger than me walk down the aisle. He stopped once he reached Jefferson and reassured him. He continued his walk and I looked in his eyes.
They were filled with nobility and fear. He swept his dark red hair out of his face and continued to walk boldly to the stage. He stepped up and walked over to the escort. "What's your name young man?"
"Myles Ortango." He replied bravely. I didn't know him at all, but he seemed like a nice guy. If I didn't win, I hoped that he would.
"I present to you the tributes from District Seven!" He announced loud, but not proud. He walked us to the Justice Building whispering things like "I'm so sorry" and "It's going to be okay" but I knew that deep inside, I wasn't returning to the woods where I spent all of my free time.
Myles Ortango, District 7 POV
Sydney and I arrived at the Reapings just as the line was beginning to get long. I let her go in front of me and I reassured her that she wouldn't get picked. Her name was only in there once, and I knew some girls with their name in there about forty-five times.
"They will prick your finger and then you will go to your section. I'll get you when it's over. Don't worry." She nodded her head but didn't seem fully convinced. As I told her, she was escorted to the twelve year old section with her friends. I then got my finger pricked and was taken to the fifteen year old section.
The mayor gave his usual speech about the Games which I usually tuned out. As expected, I didn't listen to a word of it. Our escort walked up to the stage, and surprisingly didn't look too happy to send kids to their deaths. He reaped a girl named Jasmine Littleroot. She had been orphaned, so I think the Capitol reaped her to get rid of her family completely.
But the most important part of the reaping started now, when the escort pulled out the boy's name.
"Jefferson Harris." I saw a sickly twelve year old boy walk down the aisle. I couldn't help but feel sorry for him.
"I VOLUNTEER!" I shouted. I was nervous, but I knew deep inside that I did the right thing. On my way to the stage, I saw Jefferson. "Don't worry," I told him.
"Thank you," he replied. Who wouldn't thank me for saving their life? I swept my hair out of my face and approached the stage. I announced my name to the District. As we were escorted to the Justice Building, I heard countless apologies from our escort.
Jasmine Littleroot, District 7 POV
As expected, nobody came to visit me during the farewells. I just sat in silence as I thought about what had happened. I thought about Ingmarie, I thought about my parents, and I thought about how I would soon see them. I would rather have someone win who has something to return to. All I had was the woods, not anyone who loved me.
I had nothing to win for.
Myles Ortango, District 7 POV
My mother and sister entered with emotionless looks on their faces. They sat down next to me and let all of their emotions out. We sat together and cried for what seemed like hours as I explained why I had volunteered. It had been the right thing to do. I felt good because if I died in the Games, it would be to save the life of another child, one who deserved to live more than me.
They were removed by a Peacekeeper and the next person who entered surprised me. It was the boy I had volunteered for, Jefferson Harris. He was followed by a man and a woman in their forties. They must have been his parents. They were all in tears as they thanked me for saving their son's life. I told them it was no problem, and I knew that they would want me to come home over anyone else. Hopefully I would be able to fulfill their expectations, or hopes.
I was taken into the train, away from District Seven, my home, only to be slaughtered in an arena full of bloodthirsty teenagers.
Thank you to you-are-reading-my-username for submitting Jasmine. She has been very supportive of my writing by giving me compliments and reviews. And to thank her, I tried to write her character really well. Hope you like her! And to Buttons301 for submitting Myles. Once I get the boy from Eight, I will start to write the District Eight Reapings! Please review and favorite!
-LunarWolfHunter
