District Seven
Clara Maggins
I pull the soft blankets over myself as the sun filters in through the window. The blankets are warm and so is the room. I glance out the window, and am greeted with the sight of our lovely backyard. It's one of the best in the District, but I'm still waiting for Daddy to fix the broken branches on the tree. Hopefully he'll do it after the reaping. I'll make sure to remind him over breakfast.
I allow myself to rest in my comfy bed slightly longer before pushing off the covers. My nightgown has hitched up to my waist during the night, but when I stand up it falls back into place. The floor is slightly cold, so I slip my feet into the pink bunny slippers Daddy bought me last year. I shuffle out into the hallway, enjoying the warm hall and smell of Mommy's cooking. Normally I would have been up hours ago to go to school. But today I can sleep in and Daddy gets the whole day off to spend with me.
I skip down the stairs, and am greeted with the sight of Daddy sitting on the couch reading a book and drinking something out of a mug. He smiles when he sees me, and places his book aside. He stands up and holds out his arms for a hug.
"Good morning, darling." He says, and I gladly hug him. When he lets go, I glance into his mug and see a murky brown liquid.
"What are you drinking?" I ask, curious. Daddy glances into the mug.
"Hot chocolate." He replies. "Your mom has some in the kitchen if you would like to drink some." I love hot chocolate, so I walk into the kitchen. Mommy has created quite a feast this morning. Mommy is at home almost the entire day since Daddy makes enough money without her working, so she took up cooking to pass time a few years ago. Now she always makes the best meals, especially on good occasions. Today she has piled on the counter plates of eggs, bacon, toast, berries, fruit, fresh jam, and oatmeal.
I walk over to the counter and admire her work. Mommy hands me a plate to stack food on, and I begin loading it up. I take some of everything, but frown when I realize something is missing.
"Where are the sausages?" I ask. Mommy looks very guilty and ashamed, which isn't a good thing.
"Well, we ran out of sausages last night." She says carefully. I feel anger boiling in my chest as I contemplate the lack of sausages.
"Then why didn't you buy more?" I inquire.
"I was going to, but the walk to the store is too far to do in the morning…" Mommy says weakly. I stand still for a moment, then begin hopping up and down, screaming for sausages. Mommy backs up, panicking, as I continue my tantrum. Daddy rushes over, watching without surprise as I begin banging my fists into walls. When I fling a jar of jam at the wall, Daddy wraps his arms around me, preventing me from throwing anything else.
"Clara, honey, calm down, calm down." He whispers in my ear as my screams begin to die down. "I'll go buy you some sausages right now if you want, okay?" My voice halts to a stop, and I slowly nod, wiping tears from my eyes. "I'll be back very soon with the sausages." Daddy says, as he lets go of me. I watch as he grabs his overcoat from the coat hook and runs out of the house, not even wearing shoes.
I giggle at the image of him running down the street in his bathrobe and overcoat, without socks, much less shoes. This betters my mood, and I find myself able to sit down at the table with my plate of breakfast. Mommy hesitantly begins to sweep up the shattered glass and spilled jam from when I threw the jar at the wall.
I gnaw on a piece of bacon while I walk over to the television and turn it on. I sit back down at the table, twisted to watch the television. I love Capitol TV, except when the Hunger Games are playing. I flick through the channels (all discussing the anticipated reaping) until my favorite Capitol soap opera turns on. It's a love story between Emilia Rivertrance, a less fortunate girl from the outer Capitol with her hopes set on being an escort for District One, and Hektor Meadowhaze, the son of the President, who I personally think is extremely handsome.
I've just delved into the drama of Emilia's long lost twin, when Daddy arrives with a bag of sausages slung over his shoulder. He's panting heavily and his bare feet are dirty. He sets the bag down on the table, and Mommy begins looking through the sausages.
"You know, I don't really want sausages any more." I realize, my eyes fixed on Emilia and her twin, Euphrasia.
"Yeah, that's okay, sweetie. I just sprinted to the butchershop half-naked for nothing, but whatever makes you happy." Daddy says, plopping down on the couch. Mommy checks the time and gasps.
"Clara, it's almost time for the reaping!" Mommy exclaims. I ignore her, and she glances at the television set. She snatches up the remote and shuts off the TV. I gasp in shock.
"Mommy, we just found out that Euphrasia also loves Hektor!" I shout indignantly, and reach for the remote control, but instead fall out of my chair. Mommy snatches the remote up and sets it in its usual position, by the television. I sigh as I'm forced to return upstairs to get ready.
I sort through my closet, trying to find a good outfit. I want to stand out and look spectacular at the reapings, so I pull out a knee-high blue dress with sequins. It's sure to draw the attention of any Capitol citizens who may be looking for someone to star in the latest drama series. I yank off my nightgown and kick it across the floor, into the growing pile of laundry. Mommy will do it soon. I pull the dress over my head, and adjust it so I look fantastic.
I walk into the bathroom to fix my knotted hair. I grab hold of a comb, and begin brushing through it, untangling all of my hair. When my hair is long, curly, and silky I let it fall around my shoulders. I look great, but I need one last touch. I skip downstairs once more, ignoring my parents praises on my appearance, and find one of the leftover berries. I mash it up, and rub the juice over my lips, making them red. Perfect.
I'm ready for the reaping.
District Seven
Ash Owens
The woods are peaceful and dead silent, except for the occasional bird tweet or rustle of leaves in the gentle Spring breeze. Normally all the lumberjacks would be out by now, cutting down all the trees. But today is the reaping, and considered a "vacation". Now every lumberjack is at home, and there will be no trees getting chopped down today.
I'm technically not in the forest, since there is a large electric fence blocking everyone out. The only way in is through a large gate, heavily guarded by Peacekeepers. What I'm in is a scatter of trees just outside the fence. I've climbed so far up, I'm above the fence and can easily look through to the other side. I suppose I could attempt jumping to the next tree if I wanted to be inside so easily, but I'm not that desperate.
I sit against one of the thicker branches and gaze out across the tree line. In the distance, I can see the sun beginning to rise above the treetops. Right now it bathes me in a pink-orange glow, making me remember that this District is sometimes beautiful. I've forgotten that since my parents died, and more recently my grandfather. Heavily guarded by security, I can't help but think of District Seven as one of the harsh and brutal Districts.
I switch my gaze from the sunrise to the visible houses. Most of these belong to lumberjacks. We're still technically in the forest, which is why the houses are so frequently owned by lumberjacks. Townspeople refer to this area as "The Forest" (I know, super original) and look down on anyone who lives in it.
I've suffered a lot of unwanted attention at school from being from The Forest, despite my efforts to stay under the radar. My plan is I try not to talk to anyone, and in turn they don't bother me. Unfortunately, it ends up being more like: I try not to talk to anyone, and inevitably end up bothered.
I can see my own home from here. I live with my sister and her husband, Max. I wouldn't say I love Max, but he's not the worst person in this District. And that's not even including Peacekeepers.
I ran through the Town Square, looking in shock as Grandpa was whipped- I shake the memory from mind. I'm still haunted by the gruesome image. My sister, Willow, says it will fade from mind, but I'm not so sure. My parents death are still imprinted, and it's been almost a decade since they died. Or were murdered.
Willow says I have a tendency to not let things go, or to just flow with life. I suppose she's right, but there's nothing I can do about it. I'm still forced to be reminded of these things every day. It's not like I can try to throw out the whipping post constructed in Town Square, or else I'll end up being the one tied to it.
"Ash!" I hear my name, and look down, startled, at Willow. She's screaming my name from the doorway of our home, breaking the silence. I realize that it must be time to get ready, and I begin to scramble down the tree. I reach the bottom and run towards our two bedroom house, which is not too far away.
By the time I arrive, Willow has already retreated inside. I haven't eaten breakfast yet, but the thought of the reaping makes me lose my appetite. Sure, the chances of me being picked are slim, but this year my name is entered more times than ever. I've finally reached eighteen, and I had to take out more tesserae since my Grandpa died. I assure myself that if I can hang in for a few more hours, it will all be over and I can continue my life without the possibility of being reaped.
I kick off my dusty boots and walk into my bedroom, which is barely bigger than a walk-in closet. I don't have much fancy clothing, and I don't see the reapings as a very special occasion, so I just choose a pair of overalls to wear. I place them over my shoulder as I walk out back to grab the metal tub we use when bathing. I use the pump outdoors to fill it up halfway, then drag it out behind the house where nobody can see me. We're supposed to take it inside, but I'm not strong enough to.
After checking that I'm hidden, I pull off my shirt and pants and slide into the cold water. I grab the bar of soap and quickly scrub it into my short curly hair and body. I wash it off as fast as possible before jumping out of the tub. I pull on my overalls after toweling myself dry and empty the tub by tipping it over into the dirt. The dirty water sloshes around, soaking my feet and hems of my overalls. I pick up the empty tub and bring it back indoors. I set it by the door, so everyone knows where it is.
Inside, I take the dusty boots I was wearing earlier and slide them onto my feet. We don't own any mirrors, but checking my reflection in the glass window, I decide I look okay.
I call out to Willow that I'm going to the reaping, then head out of the house.
District Seven
Clara Maggins
When I arrive at the long line for the check-in, I decide that I don't want to put up with waiting, and push passed everyone to the front. People complain, but no one is feeling in the mood to challenge me. I thrust my hand at the surprised Peacekeeper (at least I assume they're surprised, I can't see their faced through the helmets) who takes it and jams the needle into the tip.
"Ouch!" I shout, and yank back my hand, which has begun to bleed. The Peacekeeper gestures at me to give them my hand again, and I hesitantly give it to them. They press my fingertip into the booklet, where it leaves a red mark. They scan it, and push me into the pen. I frown at the rudeness, but get over it quickly.
I walk down the aisle until I arrive at the seventeen year old section. I squeeze into a group of female, who are all clearly intimidated from my superiority. They move away from me, to my relief. As I wait for the reaping to begin, I examine my surroundings. As I expected, I clearly stick out with my dress. I wave hello the the camera on top of the Justice Building. I bet right now a casting director is watching, and immediately picked me out. I'll be the next biggest movie star in the Capitol in no time.
I turn my attention back to the stage when I notice a fancily-dressed man walk on. He must be our new escort, since our last one died last year. He is wearing a big blue suit with gold designs along the edges. His skin is pasty white and he is wearing bright blue eyeliner, lipstick, and wig.
"Good morning, District Seven." He begins, talking in his Capitol accent. "My name is Leon Parshener and I am your new escort! I escorted for District Eight for the past eight years, and before that I spent fifteen years in District Eleven! I am very excited to be in your District! I must confess, it's one of my favorites." He then chuckles as if he said something amusing. "I would love to cut out the boring stuff and go straight to the name drawing, but we always have to honor your lovely Victors!"
Leon then lists every one of our Victors. I believe we have the most of any outer District, at a whopping fourteen. While I like the Victors, I zone out while Leon talks about them since they are so boring. I also zone out while Leon plays a video about the dark days for us. They show it every year, and nobody ever enjoys it. They make great television, so I don't understand why the video is always so awful.
"Now, we finally get to choose the tributes!" Leon says when the video ends. I search for my parents impatiently while Leon begins walking over to the girl's bowl. I give up hope of finding them, and turn back to Leon, who has now chosen a name. He walks over to the microphone and slowly unfolds the slip of paper. "Clara Maggins." He reads. I'm shocked, but then begin to feel anger bubble in my gut. The girls have parted a path for me now, but I don't plan on moving.
"Volunteer!" I shout at the girl next to me, and she recoils looking shocked. "Somebody volunteer!" I scream, tears beginning to pour down my cheeks. I continue shouting at people to volunteer, until a Peacekeeper blocking the aisle comes over and grabs hold of me. He drags me by my elbow up the stage next to Leon. At this point I'm sobbing uncomfortably. As soon as the Peacekeeper lets go, I try to dart away, but he grabs hold of me again. This time he doesn't let go, but keeps me in position. Leon, looking unnerved, returns back to the reaping.
"Now for the boys!" He says, and struts over to the boy's bowl. It's hard for me to see through the tears, but I watch him grab a name and return to the microphone. He unfolds it, and reads: "Ash Owens". A boy from the eighteen year olds section begins walking toward the stage without any protest, but two Peacekeepers surround him, trying to make sure the same situation doesn't happen as it did for me. Ash looks very angry next to the Peacekeepers, but doesn't fight them as he is led up to the stage and next to me.
"Good!" Leon says, then turns to the crowd. "Are there any volunteers?" The crowd is silent, a certain no. Leon looks sort of disappointed, but carries on regardless. "Very well! Shake hands." Ash holds out his hand for me, and I notice the dirt encrusted in the nails. He's from The Forest, I immediately think, and don't move my hand. After an awkward minute of Ash holding his hand out and me refusing to take it, the Peacekeepers grabs my hand and forces me to shake Ash's once. As soon as I can let go, I do. I wipe my hand against my leg furiously.
"Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce: the tributes from District Seven: Ash Owens and Clara Maggins!" Leon says, as our Peacekeepers drag us inside the Justice Building. They shove me into the first door on the right and slam the door closed behind me. As soon as I am inside, I try opening the door but I can't. It must be locked.
The tears begin to return and I curl up in the corner of the room to cry. I'm crying so hard, I don't hear the door open and don't realize my parents are with me until Daddy's arms wrap around me. I immediately hug Daddy back, sobbing into his shoulder. Daddy pats my back but doesn't say anything. Mommy joins in on the hug, and we spend almost all our time hugging. Finally, they pull away. Mommy takes a diamond ring out of her pocket and places it in my hand.
"So you can remember us in the arena." She says, and breaks down crying again. We hug once more before the Peacekeeper comes in to tell us time is up. Mommy refuses to leave, so he has to come in to pry her off of me. As he drags her out, I hear her shout, "I love you!". Then the door slams closed.
I slide the ring onto my finger and promise myself that I will do whatever it takes to win.
District Seven
Ash Owens
I arrive at the reaping later than most, so the line has shortened a little. I only have to wait for a few people before the Peacekeeper asks for my hand. I give it to her, and when she jams her needle into my finger I barely notice. She checks me in, and waves me passed her and into the pen.
I walk down the aisle until I arrive at the eighteen year olds section, and squeeze in at the back, where less people will see me. I'm tall, so I can see the stage pretty well. Our mayor stands alone, tall and proud on the right. On the left, our fourteen Victors are lined up in order of their Victory. I can't see the escort, but he's new since the last one died. It has only been a minute before the escort pops up onto the stage.
He introduces himself as Leon Parshener, and tell us a bit about himself. After he's decided we know enough about him, he moves onto to listing the Victors. This takes longer than most of the outer Districts, since we have more Victors. Luckily, Leon is not the type to drag these out. Next he shows us the video about the dark days. It's extremely boring.
He finally announces that he will choose a female tribute. He draws the name of a girl called Clara Maggins, and she makes a big fuss over walking up to the stage. A Peacekeeper is forced to drag her up next to Leon, and even then she tries to escape. When everyone has gotten over Clara, Leon announces that he will choose a female tribute. He walks over to the boy's bowl, and plucks a slip of paper out. He brings it to the microphone and reads:
"Ash Owens."
I feel my heart begin to speed up in my chest as I immediately walk up to the stage. Unfortunately, two Peacekeepers walk over, obviously expecting me to act the same as Clara. Even though I want to punch them, I keep myself under control as they lead me up to the stage.
I'm put on the other side of Leon, and he asks us to shake hands. Clara refuses to shake my hand, and the Peacekeeper has to force us to. When we're officially introduced as the male and female tributes for District Seven, Peacekeeper lead us into the Justice Building. Now I must say goodbye.
So this is my shortest chapter yet. I do realize that I got lazy at the end, which I'm not proud of. I know these reapings are just getting worse and worse, but the chapters will get better as soon as we're in the pre-games. Right now, I'm just tired of the reapings. If you feel like your character was badly written in their reaping, don't worry! Each tribute will get a pre-games chapter, and I'll get a chance to redeem them.
Thank you to MonkeyPower435 for Clara and fandomsgeorg for Ash! They were both a lot of fun to write for. I hope that I did your characters justice.
1. What is Clara's favorite show about?
2. What is the name of Ash's brother in law?
3. Does District Seven have more or less Victors than the other outer Districts?
- Lilah