District 1 Reaping

Incandescence Iscariot, District 1 Female, 18:

I awake to the beautiful sound of chaos. Somebody clambers over me frantically and I barely resist the urge to scold her for stepping on the expensive duvet. She throws herself into my ensuite bathroom and a moment later I hear the sounds of retching. Two more girls follow after her and fight for access to the toilet. Hiding my smile into a throw-pillow, I revel in the chaos I've caused. After I contain my joy, I sit up in my bed and pretend to be confused.

"What's going on?" I ask, feigning concern. Alissa, the best archer I know, weakly lifts her head from the paper bag she has been vomiting into. Her face is pale and streaked with sweat.

"I feel so goddamn sick," she groans.

"Perhaps you ate too many chocolates," I suggest sweetly, gesturing toward the empty chocolate boxes strewn about the room.

"Yeah, maybe," she says before burying her head back inside the vomit bag and retching again. What a shame. I seem to be the only female trainee feeling well… and on Reaping day. This is quite unfortunate for all of the trainees aside from myself.

I'll be quite honest, this was all my intention. I've always lamented the fact that I'd have to compete to volunteer on Reaping day. So I decided to invite all of my fellow trainees to a lovely little "Reaping Celebration" slumber party. Since my parents run the biggest candy company in District 1, I had plenty of access to chocolates and a perfectly good reason for offering so many to my guests. As my guests pigged out on the drugged chocolates, I claimed I was watching my weight and rejected all offers of sweets. My plan seems to have worked flawlessly.

Sequin, who was extensively trained in martial arts in order to become the best hand-to-hand combat fighter in the District, exits the bathroom wiping her mouth with the back of her hands.

"Candy, thank you for throwing this party, but I'm not feeling too well and I think I ought to head home," she whimpers. Several other girls mumble in agreement.

"Of course!" I exclaim, standing up. "I'm so sorry you're not feeling well. That's what happens when you eat too much candy. I've experienced the same thing." I chuckle sympathetically and escort all of the ill girls out of my room. They file out pathetically, clinging to their possessions and paper bags. It's not until I hear the front door shut behind them that I allow myself to laugh in ecstasy.

It's not unusual for my plans to succeed, but it definitely feels good. Not a single one of the girls had the slightest suspicion of me. After all, who would suspect sweet Candy Iscariot of such a heinous act? Would anyone really want to volunteer for the Hunger Games that badly? The answer is yes, but they don't need to know that.

When I re-enter my bedroom, I'm disgusted by the mess left behind. Splatters of vomit coat the floor, and the bathroom is even worse. It's fortunate that this is the last time I'll ever have to stay in this room. When I return after my victory, I'll get an even bigger bedroom in the Victor's Village.

"Jasmine!" I shriek. A moment later, my maid comes rushing into my room. "Could you clean all of this up?"

Jasmine's face falls at the mess in the room, but nods obediently and gets to work. I love when people follow my orders.

I delicately step over the mess on the floor in order to reach my closet. Inside is the beautiful dress I picked out a week ago. I hid it carefully, to spare it from last night's chaos. I pull it out, marveling at the delicate fabric. I decide to dress in my sister Taffy's old room so that Jasmine will have space to clean my room.

Taffy moved out a few weeks ago and moved in with her fiance. I suppose I miss her a bit. It's not like we ever had the best relationship, but I liked when she supported my demands for new possessions. Of course, I definitely don't miss my parents' enthusiasm over Taffy's engagement. That got old pretty quickly. She just got engaged, it wasn't even like they were married. I tolerated the excitement for about a week before I decided to take it into my own hands and put a damper on the excitement.

Taffy's room and bathroom are spacious, even bigger than my own. I would've moved in immediately after she left if I wasn't planning on volunteering in a few weeks anyway. I change into the beautiful mauve dress inside the bathroom, where there's a giant floor-to-ceiling mirror attached to one of the walls. It makes it easier to admire myself. I might be a bit vain when it comes to my appearance, but it's definitely well-deserved. I put in a lot of effort to make sure I'm as beautiful as I can possibly be, and it shows. My fawn skin is smooth and unblemished, my body is dainty and slender with discreet muscles, and my long black hair is always perfectly styled.

I scrounge through my sister's drawers to "borrow" some makeup. I'm gorgeous enough without it, but if I'm volunteering, I should apply a bit to look even more beautiful. The more beautiful you are, the more sponsors you get. It's a simple fact, and one that heavily benefits me, much to my delight.

I only join my family downstairs when I look more glamorous than I've ever been. My parents are grouped around the kitchen table being served plates of expensive food by our personal chef, Beam. He smiles at me when I sit down, and immediately begins serving me heapings of pastries, eggs, and some sort of pudding. There's also several boxes of candy on the table, as usual. My dad has quite the sweet tooth, part of the reason he started our confectionery company.

"Want one?" Dad asks, handing me a box of chocolate. I smile politely and shake my head. It wouldn't be the best idea if I ate any. For the past year, several chocolate boxes have been found to contain bits of broken glass. Quite mysterious. Oddly enough, the first victim was Taffy Iscariot, who was hospitalized after she ate chocolates tainted with broken glass. It was given to her as an engagement gift by her own beloved sister.

I take a few bites of the toast Beam served me, but I don't want to eat too much before the Reaping. My nerves are acting up; I'm not nervous, just extremely excited. Pretty soon, I'll be getting crowned as the Victor of the 189th Hunger Games.

Kadan Davis, District 1 Male, 17:

I wrap my jacket around me as I wait in the line to check into the Reaping. I'm really sensitive to the cold, so I'm bundled in a giant fur coat. A bunch of teenagers give me and my jacket curious glances as they pass, but I ignore them. I have far more worries on my mind today.

Today is the Reaping, A.K.A. the most important moment of my life. In three weeks, I'll either be dead or I'll have brought home fame and glory for the Davis family. I can picture the moment of my homecoming vividly; my friends hugging me, the whole District chanting my name, my dad saying those three words I've always wished to hear come from his lips: "I'm proud of you." The thought is almost enough to bring tears of happiness to my eyes, but I choke them down. I need to look tough when I volunteer.

I'm so wrapped up in my thoughts that I don't even realize the line in front of me has cleared until the girl behind me nudges me forward.

"Oh, sorry," I mumble, stepping to the check-in desk. The Peacekeeper seated at the desk grabs at my finger and jams a needle into it. I hiss in pain, but I'm used to it by now. Being seventeen, this is a familiar occurrence for me. When a small bead of blood appears on the tip of my finger, the Peacekeeper takes a small sample.

"Name?" she asks.

"Kadan Davis."

She waves me onward. When I step into the pen, my apprehension only grows. This is it. The moment when I volunteer. The moment when all of my dreams come true. I pass all of the younger teenagers as I make my way to the front of the crowd, to the seventeen-year-olds' section. I take my place on the inner edge of the group, wanting to have quick access to the aisle for when I volunteer. District 1's volunteering policy is very simple; the first one to volunteer gets to go into the Hunger Games. It's not any more complicated than that. If you want to volunteer, all you have to do is be the first one to do it.

My best friend Alexei joins me in the crowd a few moments later, and I'm delighted to see his face. I need all of the support I can get.

"Hey," he says cheerfully. Alexei is short, with curly dark hair and dark eyes. Everyone always thinks we're brothers, since we share those features. I don't mind them thinking that, since I've always longed for a sibling. Alexei is the closest I have to that.

"Hey." I immediately give him a hug, which causes him to tense up a bit. Alexei chuckles under his breath when I pull away.

"What was that for?" he asks. I take a deep breath.

"I'm volunteering today," I explain. "This might be the last time we see each other." Alexei's eyes widen.

"You? Volunteering?" he squeaks. "But… you're not cutthroat or anything. Why would you want to do that? Why would you want to kill people?"

"It's not about that," I sigh. "I just… I really need to prove myself to… to the District. I want to bring home that glory." I didn't say it, but I can see in Alexei's eyes that he knows the real reason. Alexei knows what has driven all of my achievements over the years: training, working hard in school, making friends with everyone… It's all to impress my dad. Alexei nods soberly and pats me on the shoulder.

"Well… here's looking at you, kid," he sighs. I can't help but smile at the quote. Alexei and I have always been obsessed with watching old movies from the pre-Panem era. It's kind of been our thing. We have to keep it on the down-low, because showing interest in anything pre-Panem can be interpreted as rebellious. Alexei and I have no care for rebellion, we just think it's fun to watch things other than kids murdering each other and the Capitol's cheesy soap operas. But some people might think we're plotting something. Simply watching war films implies that we want to start a civil war.

Feedback squeals and I jump a bit. Up on the stage, our escort, Bonnie Winterlife, is preparing to speak. The crowd of teenagers falls quiet as she clears her throat.

"Welcome, District 1, to the Reaping for the 189th Annual Hunger Games!" she excitedly announces. She receives a moderately loud round of applause, with a few whoops from particularly eager trainees. "This year, I believe we will have the best Games ever! Before we begin, I am excited to announce that I recently released my latest makeup palette. If anyone would like to purchase any signed boxes, I will be available for a half-hour after the Reaping. You can buy them for 50 roses."

I wince at the price. 50 roses for a makeup palette? That's outrageously high, especially considering the rumors that Bonnie uses really cheap materials for her makeup. District 1 might be the richest District, but I doubt Bonnie's going to have any luck selling her makeup today.

"Now, let's move on to the part of the Reaping that everyone loves… the drawing of the tributes!" Bonnie walks over to the girls' bowl first, as she usually does. She doesn't bother carefully selecting the slip of paper as I've seen some escorts do, probably because she knows whomever she chooses will quickly be replaced by a volunteer. "Jade Winsley."

There's a long beat of silence where we all wait for someone to volunteer. I raise my eyebrows in surprise. Usually girls are fighting over each other to be the first to volunteer. Are we going to have a reaped female this year? A blonde girl, whom I presume is Jade Winsley, begins to step out of the fourteen-year-olds' section, looking shocked. Finally, a sweet voice chirps up.

"I volunteer."

Jade breathes a sigh of relief and runs back into her section. I try to stand on my tiptoes to see who volunteered, but I've always been short and I can't see anything lower than the stage. The heads in front of me block everything. I finally see a tiny but gorgeous Asian girl step onto the stage. She has a sweet smile on and my eyes widen. Is this who I'm going to be competing with? She doesn't look like a typical ruthless Career. What the hell is she doing volunteering?

"What's your name?" Bonnie asks, offering her the microphone.

"Incandescence Iscariot," the girl says. "But you can call me Candy." Candy winks at the crowd.

"Alright. Now, for the boys!" Bonnie announces and she makes her way over to the male bowl. Bonnie grabs a slip randomly. As she unfolds it, I take a deep breath. "Lucius Frieze."

"I volunteer!" I immediately shout, pushing myself into the aisle. As I speak, I hear a few other boys start to volunteer, but their voices trail off when they realize I've beaten them to it. I hear one eighteen-year-old curse. Relieved, I can't help a small smile that creeps onto my lips. Step one is done. I've got myself into the Hunger Games. Now all I have to do is win.

I make my way onto the stage, where I take my place on Bonnie's right side.

"What's your name?" Bonnie hands me the microphone.

"Kadan Davis," I say simply. I expect Bonnie to take the microphone back, but she's not done interviewing me yet.

"Why did you volunteer, Kadan?" she asks. I inhale sharply. How much do I reveal? Should I really tell the truth about why I volunteered? I decide against it.

"Carpe diem," I finally say. Bonnie looks at me blankly.

"I don't speak Spanish."

"It's not–" I trail off. "Nevermind."

"Well, here you go, District 1! Your tributes for the 189th Hunger Games: Candy Iscariot and Kadan Davis! May the odds be ever in your favor."

One down, eleven to go! What did you guys think? Was the length okay? Obviously I couldn't fit every detail about these characters in a single chapter, but you'll definitely be seeing more of them later on. This was just a little taste. Did you like them? Who did you prefer?

NOTE: I'm not sure if there's an official Panemian currency, but I just went with "roses". If you hear that mentioned in my story, it's about 5x as much as an American dollar.

If you have any critiques of my writing, don't hesitate to let me know! I'd love to hear criticism so that I can improve.