(A/N) More reapings~ At this rate, I might be able to finish them before Christmas :D, heh. Again, don't get mad if the reapings and goodbyes are short, it'll be worth your while when the games start. I might not do blood bath reapings as their own chapter, I'll just put their reaction to the volunteering/Reaping. Hope you enjoy this next chapter~. SPONSOR QUESTION: WHO WAS THE LEAD ACTOR IN 'THE LAST MAN ON EARTH' (The first adaptation). Many thanks to those few reviewers and my beta-reader.
District 4 Reapings, Alcide Mist's POV
The morning sun crept over the ocean as I floated along the salty waves. I glanced around me to make sure I was alone and stared up at the clouds. I watched as they formed shapes in the sky, thinking about how I wouldn't be caught dead doing something like this. Truth be told, I really enjoyed the little things like this; but if anyone found out, I'd be ruined.
I swam back to the sandy shore and made my way back on land. The beach was quiet today, and when I looked around, there was only one girl in sight. She sat on the pier and waved her feet through water, fishing with a little wooden rod. It felt a bit weird to stare at her when it was usually I who girls stared at. I couldn't help but think about how pretty she was, with long hair the color of mahogany and sea green eyes that stared down at the waves. I'm sure she went to my school; I remember her name being something like Coral or maybe Carrie. I hope I'd get a girl that pretty one day, but beauty is nothing compared to a nice personality.
I began to walk towards her, maybe to introduce myself, maybe to get a better look. Something shining in the sand caught my eye. I bent over and pushed the grains away from the object and plucked it from the ground. It was a little golden ring. I ran my finger over the band and noticed that it had begun to rust. It fit over my finger, I decided to keep it. I looked up at the girl on the pier and frowned as she walked away with a boy. It's not like I could've gotten her anyways, no one wants an arrogant hard ass like my friends say I am anyways. I just hope that reputation isn't really accurate.
Before I headed to the square, I stopped by the little fisherman's shack to change into some real cloths. When I left the house this morning, I had packed a button up white shirt and some dress pants to wear to the reaping. I'm sure I would've looked very handsome had my hair not been dripping wet and tousled with salt water.
I would've stopped by the house before I walked to the square, but I knew my dad would already be on his boat and my mother isn't much for conversation. Ever since my sister died, we've both been pretty angry with the world. People just didn't realize how horrible it is to see your newborn baby sister strangled to death by her own umbilical cord. I've learned to forgive and forget, but my mother hasn't spoken more than twenty words since then.
I walked down to the worse part of the district and flipped a few coins to a beggar on the street. Poor guy must have it real tough out here all alone. The square was packed when I got to it, but I found my group pretty easily. My eyes met Tanners and I gave a little smirk. Like usual, he was surrounded by rude girls from our school, each trying to get their fill of him. They stepped aside when they saw me coming, but still awed over us both. We shook hands and bumped our shoulders together; I gave him a brotherly hug and patted his back.
"Hey, man. How's it going?" He said and smiled at me. I nodded and simply said,
"Good." All the girls dug the broody thing I had going on, and it helped keep up appearances with the pack. All the other guys in my group paid their respects by nodding in my direction.
"Out of my way, I need to get checked in." I said and pushed the guys out of the way. I didn't enjoy being rude, but it's the only way to make them know I'm cool. We got checked in and stood in the back of the crowd. We all acted like we were too cool to be here, making jokes about the poor suckers that were chosen to fight in the arena. Our escort was barely audible above all the talk going on back here. The man looked nice enough, with a big smile and kind eyes. He rolled a little film that almost made me cry, but I choked back the tears to keep up appearances.
"Now that we have that bit of unpleasantness out of the way, ladies first!" I struggled to listen. He reached into the bowl and pulled out the paper.
"My, such a pretty name, may I have Coral Tae Moor to the stage?" He asked. I was shocked to the girl from the dock climbing her way to the stage. She held her head up, but I could see the tears in her eyes.
"Can we have a round of applause for this little lady? Good, now for the boys." I waited in anticipation as he pulled out a slip. I felt my heart pounding in my chest, and felt bad for wishing someone else would get picked.
"Welcome Alcide Mist to the stage." I must be hearing him wrong, but no one else went to the stage. I cleared my face of emotion and thought about the ocean as I walked up to the stage. I looked distant and calm even though my stomach was twisting. I walked up to the stage and shook Coral's hand.