Paradise: The 72nd Hunger Games
Chapter Nineteen
District Twelve Reapings
A/N: Last District, done last. Well, isn't that fitting. Anyway, thanks to chcolate and Persephone Fae for the wonderful Tributes featured in this chapter!
Everest "Eve" Asher –12- -D12- POV
"Arlo, Arlo, wake up," I shake awake my middle brother, the one who was most damaged when Mom and Dad died. "It's time for us to leave." There's no need for us to change. After all, we don't have any better clothes to change into. The orphanage barely provides enough for us. Sometimes, they don't provide enough. Arlo stirs awake. "Arlo. It's Reaping time," I say. He just nods. He's been mute ever since – ever since they died. Not completely mute, but mostly. He stands up and we move out into the hallway by our room, where my other two younger brothers, Timmy, and Petey, wait for us. I'm happy that they aren't old enough to be Reaped yet. This is my first Reaping and I'm already terrified. My friends are also waiting, Beverley, Eisha, Ivy, Tyrone, Jonnie, and Milo. It's Beverly, Eisha, and Jonnie's first Reaping as well. It's terrifying for all of us and our friends. And so, no one speaks. We leave the orphanage in silence. No one asks where we're going, in fact, no one is here. Great care here in District Twelve.
Heller Horvath –14- -D12- POV
I put on my suit jacket – the suit is the only nice thing I own – and look in the mirror. My shoulder-length, shaggy, blond hair is brushed for once, and my hazel eyes shine in the light streaming through the bedroom window. I smile at my own face and walk into the living room, where my sister, Astrid, is waiting.
"Ready to go, maggot?" She asks. "I hope you get Reaped so that I don't have to deal with you anymore. I'd much rather have you dead than here with me."
"Me too," I mutter under my breath.
"What?" She asks, spinning around to face me.
"Nothing. Yes, I'm ready to go," I say. We leave the house. I walk as far behind her as I can.
Everest "Eve" Asher –12- -D12- POV
I and my friends arrive at the Reaping. Silently, those of us who are participating for the first time in this year file to our sections, will our other friends wait at the edge.
"You alright?" Jonnie asks me. "You look nervous." Her brown eyes look at me with concern, her dark skin and brown eyes the perfect contrast to my clear, ice-blue eyes, and olive skin. We have the same tone of dark brown hair.
"I'm fine," I say. "Nervous, but… there's nothing I can do about it, right?"
"Right," she says. "Hey, don't worry." She gives me a hug. Right then, Effie starts the Reaping. I guess that Haymitch finally showed up.
"Everybody, please get to your sections! The Reaping is about to begin!" Then, a few seconds later, "Ladies First! The Female Tribute from District Twelve is… Everest Asher!" I walk towards the stage, shaking off Jonnie's arm around my shoulder. I can't cry. I can't have my brothers see me cry. I need to look confident for them. And for the Capitol. I shake Effie's hand and stand on stage, looking more confident than I feel and without any tears.
"The Female Tribute from District Twelve is Everest Asher!"
Heller Horvath –14- -D12- POV
I arrive at the Reaping and move to my section quickly. I have plenty of people who call themselves my friends, but none of them are. They are all just people that I can manipulate for my benefit. And I don't feel like talking to them today. So I wait until the Reaping starts until I give my full focus to the events at hand. Maybe I'll get Reaped. Then I could win the Games, take the glory and the money, and finally be away from Astrid. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. I see the girl who is Reaped. She looks malnourished, I can see her bones through her shirt. Her skin is covered with so much dirt that I can't tell if that olive is her natural tone or the dirt covering her. I don't think she'll make it far.
"The Male Tribute from District Twelve is… Heller Horvath!" Effie announces. Huh. Me. Interesting. I'm sure that one of the people that I do things for will volunteer for me, one of my 'friends'. But, after I wait for a few seconds, it's clear that no one is volunteering. Not one of my 'friends', not anyone else. Screw them all them. I walk up to the stage, using my anger to stand tall and proud. I shake hands with Effie and then with the tiny twelve-year-old.
"The Male Tribute from District Twelve is Heller Horvath!"
"The Tributes from District Twelve are Everest Asher and Heller Horvath!"
In the Capitol, President Snow leaned back in his chair. It had been a good Reaping day, a very good day indeed. Although the Reapings were truly random, they had taken care of a few troublesome thorns in the sides of some of his underlings. Of course, President Snow himself could not be worried about a few individual people, those things were beneath him. Still, he was sure that his Peacekeepers, especially the ones in District Nine, would be pleased. Yes, it had been a good day. Several anti-Capitol teens sentenced to almost-certain death. The boy from District Three seemed slightly mentally unstable, but, he remembered, thinking back to that 10th Hunger Games all those years ago, sometimes, looks could be deceiving. No, what appeared to be a growing Anti-Capitol sentiment in the Districts did not worry him. Public opinion of the Capitol had always swayed between support and antagonism in the Districts, it always made its way back to the center. The Districts hadn't rebelled before and they weren't going to now. A few protesters did not concern him. What was worrying to him was the report that a shipment of weapons had gone missing in District Eight. An entire shipment, enough weapons for a platoon of Peacekeepers twice over. Missing. And after the riots last year… President Snow grabbed a tumbler from his desk and poured himself a glass of whiskey, drinking the burning liquid with one swallow. He considered the white rose pinned on his lapel. By the next evening, the Tributes would have arrived and have been dolled up for his viewing pleasure. He had a new stylist for District Twelve, Cinna, at Peter Mallard's suggestion. He hoped that this Cinna person would produce better outfits than the previous Twelve stylists. He remembered one last thing before he decided that he should head off to bed. Picking up the phone, he dialed the number for his Head Gamemaker's house.
"Peter," he greeted the man. "In only a few days, the Games will be starting. How are the sharks coming along?"
"They are undergoing the first phase of testing now. We will airdrop them into the Arena and seal it up again tomorrow if all goes well, Sir," Mallard replied.
"Outstanding. Keep up the good work, Mr. Mallard," Snow said. Then he set the phone down, hanging up on the other man. He stood up to head to bed when he heard a knock on the door. "Come in," he said, sitting back down.
The impressive double doors to Snow's office opened and a girl strode in. A teenager, about eighteen, strode into the room, resplendent in her beautiful green dress that brought out her blue eyes and long, blonde hair. Snow smiled at the sight of her.
"Good evening, my dear Lucy. How are you?"
"I am doing just fine, Father. If I may, I have a few ideas for this year's Games," Lucy Snow said.
"Of course," President Snow said. "Please, sit."
A/N: So, the Reapings are over. What did you all think of them? Next, we have Justice Building scenes, then the train rides, then the chariot rides, then training, then finally, the Games. Also, I now have an outline, the Victor has been determined. Twenty-four people… only one Victor. Place your bets now, people. Also, in case we haven't figured it out yet, I'm diverging a bit from canon here. This is probably my biggest divergence so far, but it won't be the biggest yet. Just a warning, there will be more divergences from canon. Not that many here, but some more in my future stories. I promise that Lucy has a place, she was an idea that just came to me, and all shall, eventually, be revealed. As for how a seventy-something-year-old man has a teenage daughter, we'll get to that. All in good time, my readers. For now, we move on with the story of the 72nd Hunger Games…