Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games.
District 10 Reapings
Aries Browning (14)
I lead my little brother, Lark, into a girl named Gemma's room. There's a little gold nugget on her bedside table. We tiptoe around the bed and check to make sure she's still sleeping. I slip the gold into my pocket and nudge Lark toward the door. He willingly walks out with me close behind him.
I take him up to my room where I put the gold in a drawer. No one will buy it today, not on Reaping Day. Lark's only 9, so he doesn't have to worry about it. But I do. I have other siblings too. Peregrine is my sister. She's 11. I have a brother, Stag, who's 17. But Peregrine and Stag are the goody two shoes type. I love them of course. We four kids have to stick together, but we haven't really matched since they moved us to the community home after our parents died.
I guess I used to be a good kid. But nobody really cares what the community home kids do. So I just did a thing or two and got away with it. Then I did more and it just kind of... took off. I'm not ashamed or anything. I need to get things for myself and sometimes Lark. It's not like anybody really needs these things that we steal. Even if they did, I wouldn't care.
People are starting to wake up. There's the usual scuffling around that comes in morning. Suddenly I hear a dismayed scream. I guess Gemma woke up. Oh well.
When we all walk to the square, Gemma is sniffling. Peregrine has her arm around Gemma and I remember how close they are. I guess Lark and I will keep our little outing hushed up.
The square fills up quickly, because the whole community home is here now. Stag and I make our way to the registration tables. His brow is furrowed and he appears to be looking through me. I shift uncomfortably. It's like he's reading my mind about this morning.
I gratefully file off into my section. The reaping begins.
"Aries Browning!"
Me? Surely not me.
I walk up to the stage and look out, hoping for a volunteer. Maybe even Stag. But when I find him in the crowd, he has a look on his face, like I deserve what I'm getting. But I don't want this. No! I don't deserve this.
But it looks like I'm going to get it anyway. They're moving on.
Nicko Beak (15)
My sister comes into my room perfectly ready for the Reaping. I look at my alarm clock and jump out of bed. I hate being late to things. Jayla, my sister, knows this of course, so that's probably why she woke me up. Jayla's my twin and we know each other almost too well. We're inseparable. The only thing that could separate us is the Hunger Games. That's a reason why Reaping Day makes me so nervous.
My sister is like a part of me. She's the only one I work well with. That was fine when we were younger. We were always partners and things. But Jayla is one of the most popular girls in school and she always has friends to partner up with now. New people make me nervous though.
My family walks together to the Reaping. Jayla sees friends when we get there, but she doesn't run off with them like usual. I think Reaping Day gives us all an ominous feeling.
Eventually we have to leave each other's side. I stand nervously in my section as the girls are reaped, but thankfully Jayla isn't reaped.
"Aries Browning!"
A boy standing close by me in the 14 year old section makes his way to the stage.
"Nicko Beak!"
I look frantically to Jayla. She looks horrified, but there's obviously nothing she can do about it.
*In Good-Byes*
Jayla rushes in after my parents leave. She's obviously been crying, but she looks like she has something to say.
In her hand, she clutches a comb.
I look at her with a question in my eyes.
"We don't have much time," Jayla says.
She presses a small button on the handle and the comb transforms into a knife. I gawk at it. She presses the button again and an innocent comb lays on her hand that she's holding out to me.
"Better to go in with the chance of having this. If they find out, you never knew 'bout the knife, kay?" she asks.
I nod, dumbfounded.
Jayla hugs me tightly.
"I love you. Please be careful," she says as she leaves on the verge of tears again.
Simon Carrier (12)
Mane and I have to wake up early to take our cows out to pasture. Usually its a chore, but on Reaping Day, we just have to take our own cows. Because there are only five put together, Mane and I just fool around the whole time. Mane's my brother. He's 16.
When the cows are in the pasture, we walk back home and get dressed for the Reaping. While we're walking to the Reaping, Mane's best friend, Coug (who's a girl), meets up with us. She walks with us until we go to register at the Reaping.
My friend, Peter, who's my age, stands in the crowd and I go to join him.
Our escort, Zed, doesn't hesitate to get started. He wasn't our escort last year, he was a District 11 escort, so I guess they moved him up. He starts with the girls and calls a name I don't know. Then he yells out,
"Cougar Smelton!"
I look over to my brother's friend and see her mount the stage. I turn to Peter and see him looking equally horrified. There are a lot of people in District 10, so it's not a big chance for someone you know to go up.
Another girl is called and Zed moves on to the boys. Two boys mount the stage, only one left.
"Simon Carrier!"
My first Reaping? Going in with Coug? You've got to be kidding me.
Cougar (Coug) Smelton (16)
Most girls would be really prettying themselves up on Reaping Day, but not me. I'm not really interested in clothes that much, completely opposite from my sister (I'll get to her later). All I do is comb my short, kind of spiky brown hair and grudgingly put on a nice outfit that my mother forced me to wear. I'd rather be working with animals.
The only part of my outfit is the part I wear everyday, (not underwear, I know you're thinking that) my locket. It's on a ratty old black string and the locket itself is a circle made with wood, and there's not even a picture in it. But I love it and I've had it since I was born.
Now, my sister. I actually have two sisters, but the one I was talking about earlier is Jagy (short for Jaguar). She's 17 and she's my opposite. She hates outdoors and she can't stand the animals of District 10. She thinks they're gross and they'll make her gross. She's definitely a girly girl and I'm a tomboy. She looks kind of like me, but her hair is long and her eyes are chestnut brown. My eyes are a mud green.
Then there's my younger sister, Owl. She's only 9 and I love her to death. She's not self-centered at all; everything she does is something sweet to benefit someone else. She works really hard, but she's really humble and modest. She looks like Jagy, but her hair is really dark brown and her eyes are the color of mine.
I go to breakfast where my mother exclaims about how nice we all look, the it's off the the Reaping we go.
Halfway there, I see my friend Mane and run over to him. We walk together to the Reaping, just joking around like it were a regular day.
After we register, I go to my section and start talking to my girlfriends. But they start the Reaping really fast this year.
Girls go first and someone I don't know mounts the stage.
"Cougar Smelton!"
I pause for half a second, but I'm already strategizing and I know it won't do to freak out. Another girl and two boys come to the stage. The the final name,
"Simon Carrier!"
You've got to be kidding me! My best friend's little brother. The Games are not fair. The odds were not in my favor.
Scarlette Thomas (18)
I tie my strawberry blond hair back in an elegant hairdo. Then, I put on my heart anklet and carefully apply my makeup. Finally, I put on a gold dress that brings out the gold in my gold-green eyes.
Reaping Day is the only day I can actually look pretty. Usually, my hair's back in a pony tail all day and I'm wearing and old t-shirt and ratty jeans. That's kind of how it is in District 10. As much as I love my family's small private ranch, there's really no point in dressing up any day that isn't a special occasion. One trip to the barn and it's ruined.
I walk to the kitchen and eat a small piece of toast. I hate Reaping Day. Thank goodness today is my last one.
On our way to the Reaping, I see my horse, Outlaw, grazing at the edge of the pasture. I make my way through the tall grass to him, but my family calls me back, saying things like, "You have to look nice!" and "You'll see him after the reaping."
I sigh and walk back to the road. Lots of boys whistle at me as we get farther into the center of town. I flip my hair at them, in a stupid way that only attracts them more. I'm good at flirting, but today's just not a good day.
I stand right next to the stage in the eighteen year old girl section. My best friend, Pepper, is already there. Pepper and I have been friends since we were really little. We started getting to know each other when our parents worked together before we even started school. There's not a thing about me Pepper doesn't know.
The Reaping begins.
"Cougar Smelton!"
A sixteen year old walks up to the stage. Her hair's really short, it looks like it's never been styled.
"Scarlette Thomas!"
Me? I can't go into the Hunger Games! The hand that I was holding has gone limp. I look at Pepper and she's regaining consciousness. Apparently she fainted.
I walk up the stairs and again hear the wolf whistles. Honestly? Won't they show some respect for a girl who's about to go into the Hunger Games?
Another girl is reaped and I find myself hoping for a gentleman to be reaped who will be my hero and help me win the Games, then come home by my side.
Then the boys are reaped. A fourteen year old. Great. He's looking at me longingly. Even better! A fourteen year old who's in love with me. Then a fifteen year old. And finally... a twelve year old.
The girl beside me gasps almost inaudibly. Has she never been to a Reaping before? Twelve year olds are reaped sometimes.
The Peacekeepers usher us into Town Hall. I feel hot tears in my eyes and wipe them away with frustration. No alliances with my district will work, so I have to aim higher. I'll ally with the inner districts and they will NOT see me cry. But I am upset that I never got to see Outlaw.
Melanie Niles (17)
I put my dark, wavy, brown hair back in a tight knot. My dress is floral with a dark red background color. I walk out into my brother, Evner's, room. Evner yells at me to get out, so I do. I put his dress shoes by the door. I'm really sensitive. If someone's yelling at me, I'm done being in their presence. Evner knows that and he uses it to his advantage.
Evner is a bold, fifteen year old boy. He runs into the kitchen and starts eating more food immediately than I will all day. He wouldn't do well in the Hunger Games. I shudder as I think of him going into the Games.
We all walk to the Reaping where I see my boyfriend, Kenny Collins, and go walk with him. We check in together.
I walk to my section and wait impatiently for the actual reapings to begin. Two girls are called up.
"Melanie Niles!"
My heart drops to my shoes and one thought overcomes me. I'm going to die.
Sorry it's been a while. I'll start working on the District 11 reaping soon.
There are still a couple tribute spots open. Submit quickly!
-TheUglyDuckling492
