I'm back into the swing of things (I think) baby! Here's the District Five Reapings, A Siblings Love! I hope you enjoy!
Opheliah Mae "Sparky" Collins, District 5 Female, 16
The circuit wasn't particularly hard work to make. It was quite simple, just a lightbox, almost insultingly easy for a girl her age, especially one top of the class, but Sparky supposes the teachers wanted to assign some easy work before the Reapings.
It wasn't due in until several weeks after- schools in Five had a tradition of closing while the Games were on, mostly due to students barely being able to work due to anxiety- and Sparky was never usually one to finish work soon after getting it, but the Reapings weren't a regular time. It was better she got it out of the way so she could spend some time with her friends before the Reaping.
Besides, she thinks absentmindedly, there is the chance I could be Reaped.
It's unlikely, of course, she knows that. There are so many children in Five eligible for Reaping, especially with the expanded age bracket for this Quell. But there's always the off chance, and she knows that if she is ever Reaped, she's a dead girl walking.
After all, she wasn't anyone special. She was just a fairly typical girl from Three, with some electronic skill, and God only knows the last time one of those won. There was Astra Lux, of course, who'd won just three years ago, but the only reason she won was because she was the only tribute who could start a fire. The last female Victor before that won before Sparky was even born.
I mean, here she was panicking a bit over the Reapings, which every child has been told never to do, you'll almost certainly never be Reaped, and if you are showing shock is better than showing fear. Sparky closes her eyes. Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out. That was always what Mom would say when Sparky asked. Take a deep breath and think of the beautiful oceans of District Four, or the lush forests of District Seven- because thinking about here was just industrialised hellscapes and endless smog- and tell yourself "everything will be OK."
The words echo in her head. Everything will be OK, in the voice of her mother, her father, her brother Red, her sister Jazzy, never her own. She tries to think of the forest she's seen on TV every year when they show the Reapings, but her mind keeps getting the Arena of the previous Hunger Games, the one with the little girl, and all she can do is hope, fruitlessly, that somehow the Games will stop-
"Ophelia Mae! Your friends are heeeeeere!" Jazzy's voice rings out.
"Jeez, I thought I told you not to call me that." Sparky chuckled.
"Fiiiiiiine, Sparky." Jazzy makes an over exaggerated pout and it nearly makes Sparky burst out into laughter again. "I was gonna Volunteer for you if you got Reaped, pay some respect."
"Don't!" Sparky says, with more venom than she intends. "Don't- don't ever volunteer for me."
Jazzy's expression changes to a genuine shock. "I- I was joking! I'm sorry! Uh, aren't you ready to see your friends?"
Ophelia can't help but admit she nearly forgot about them in the panic. She quickly gets her brown hair into a messy bun, to look vaguely presentable in case she got Reaped, then goes outside to meet her friends.
"So then I told him, eat the WHOLE lettuce- oh, hey Sparky!" Yolanda waves at Sparky. "Ready to walk to the Reapings with us?"
"Sure," Sparky says "but you better not be telling Hunter about the whole incident with Red."
"Guilty as charged." Yolanda laughs before telling a very confused Hunter "It's complicated."
"Well, on a lighter subject," Sparky says, setting off on the half hour walk to the Justice Building. "So, I saw an alley cat near the old tracker jacker nest at Hangman's Alley…"
Riley Sparks, District 5 Male, 10
Riley tugs on the collar of the oversized nightshirt he's wearing, trying not to sit down. It's so tempting, just to sit down and lay down and get some sleep after being so sick he couldn't sleep for more than twenty minutes last night, but you're not allowed to sit down at the Reapings. He's tried, a few minutes ago, but the Peacekeepers pulled him up, gently but forcibly, back to his feet.
He focuses on the conversation the other boys are having to try and distract himself from the growing desire to sleep seeping through his mind. It's simple stuff really, just all layered one over the other.
"I hope I don't get Reaped." and variations are the most common, along with "Dude, I could totally win the Hunger Games, watch me." and "If you Volunteer for me, I'll Volunteer for you." Other boys seemed as alone as he did, not turning to talk to anyone. If only he weren't a year behind due to barely being well enough to go to school, maybe he'd be the one talking to friends, but for now he could only stand and watch.
The cacophony of voices descend into silence as the Escort, a person named Annex Lyte who's dyed a uniform white with what looked like bird wings upon his back. The entire square seems to skip a beat in the second of silence following, before Annex opens their mouth. "Greetings, exalted citizens of Panem. For this seventy fifth anniversary of your sins, the Capitol requires twenty four children from the ages of six to sixteen to be sent as sacrifice- only one of these exalted souls will return. Two of these offerings shall be from your district, but let's not delay any longer."
Riley is well aware that in most Districts, Reapings are done by paper slips, but in Five for several years they have used the more advanced system of generating a random name on a computer. With the press of a button, a name is shown on the many screens dotting the Justice Building.
Ophelia Mae Collins.
A dark haired girl walks up to the stage holding her head high. Annex hands the microphone over to her and she confidently states "I'm Sparky, but I'm sure you know that. You will when I come home!" There's scattered applause from the audience, quiet compared to the overwhelming noise of the square just minutes before. The button is pressed again, and another name comes up.
Riley Sparks.
He hears a scream, and it's not his. It's Jaxon, his older brother, screaming "No!" and "I Volunteer! Please, please, I Volunteer!" and the crowd is pulled into a fury of disorganised rumours when a Peacekeeper opens up a file to check if this is allowed. Finally, she says firmly "I'm sorry, but seventeen year olds are not allowed to volunteer in this Quarter Quell."
"Someone else Volunteer then! Please, please! Don't-" and Jaxon is dragged away by Peacekeepers and Riley is roughly dragged up to the stage by two Peacekeepers. Riley smiles- he knows someone will listen to Jaxon, surely- and he keeps smiling up until Annex quickly says "And there are your Tributes from Five!" and forces them inside the Justice Building, and Riley just can't help but feel if they stayed there a second longer maybe someone would have Volunteered.
He soon forgets the thought, and just starts thinking about how tired he is. Surely no one will notice if he takes a five minute nap on the sofa…
So here we have the friendly Opheliah Mae by EmberLex and the sickly Riley by SongOfFete! Sorry for changing Riley's Reaping very slightly, by the way. Who's your favourite- do you even like any of these tributes? Please tell me- every little bit of feedback helps me mould the Games into a more satisfying experience!
