Corinna Alcantara, 29, Capitol Broadcaster

"Good evening, Panem, and welcome to the broadcast of the 138th Annual Hunger Games Reaping! Yes, it's already that time of year again! Let's kick off what is sure to be an exciting week by meeting our tributes for the very first time!"

A colorful graphic shows the seal of Panem before fading to an aerial shot of District 1, arguably the most beautiful of the districts. Clean paved roads, immaculate landscaping, and crowds of happy people celebrating such a joyous event always gives the most enjoyable atmosphere to the viewer, compared to the other districts. The poorer districts act as if a funeral or flogging was to occur the same day.

After proudly proclaiming she was volunteering, a beautiful girl with the usual blonde hair and green eyes of District 1 makes her way to the stage.

"Here's the first lucky tribute, Vinna Hegarty, age eighteen. Vinna is giving off an air of confidence and… superiority, I should say. She's eyeing down a few young ladies in the crowd, and they seem to be quite scared of her. I would watch out for this one."

The male's name is called before a tall, broad shouldered boy with tanned skin and curly hair by the name of Armahni jogs up the steps, taking his place next to Vinna.

"Armahni is so tall! He has to be over six feet. Surprising considering he's only sixteen."

Next is District 2, looking as militaristic as ever. The vibe is more serious than District 1, be. fitting these honor-bound people. Some might say the lack of light-mindedness that is often present in Careers from One is the reason they are the winningest district. Others say they need to live a little. Me. I say that.

A girl with flowing brown hair and ghostly pale skin volunteers, slightly stuttering. The camera follows her to the stage.

"The girl, Coilee, looks to be strong as usual for the tributes from this district, but something about her seems... off. I can't put my finger on it, but she seems hesitant to accept such a huge responsibility. Could just be Reaping jitters, or something else. We will find out soon!"

The boy makes me gasp. He is covered in scars, and I can't tell if they're battle-scars or self-inflicted. Either way, he makes me shudder, and even Coilee steps back from him.

The program shifts from an applauding District 2 to the streets of Three. The cinematographer was smart to include only the most picturesque parts of the city. Underneath the bright neon signs, it was no secret that Three is a dark place.

The first Reaped tribute came in the form of a somewhat petite girl named Sophia with pale blonde hair and icy blue eyes. She looks ready to burst into tears, and I don't blame her. The boy, however, catches my attention.

Albert, blonde-haired and stormy eyed, already looked horrified before his name was called. He rushes to the stage, a rare occurrence for outliers.

"Albert Hade, age 16, is holding hands with his district partner as she starts to weep! How touching. Either he's doing a kind act for a complete stranger, or these two already know each other. I'm betting on the ladder."

The lovely beaches of District 4 fade into view, and I can almost smell the saltwater through the screen. How I would love a vacation to Four! I think I've earned it after five years of being the host of these Games. But no, according to Aemilia, "The Games are a year-long event, and as long as I'm privileged enough to be in this position, I shouldn't spend it doing frivolous activities."

Since when is relaxing frivolous?

The girl, Azure, reminds me of a mermaid with her light brown hair and vibrant blue eyes. She is smiling from ear to ear, clearly pleased that this exciting day has finally come.

"Here is Azure Copenhagen, age 18, a lovely young lady who will definitely represent District 4 well! She seems to be very confident, judging from her immaculate posture."

The male is a different story. Rather than radiating the energy of a shining sun like his partner, all I see in him is darkness. His rustic blonde hair and tan skin looks typical for his district, but his eyes strike me as having seen too much already in life. Most likely the result of a dark past.

"I can't read a single emotion on young Aslan's face! He seems to be very tough, and I have no doubt that this icy-veined boy will do well."

District 5's sultry square comes into view, and I can feel how hot the attendants of the Reaping are even through my air-conditioned studio.

Pontiki, the female tribute, seems incredibly irritated as her name is called. She looks ready to curse out the escort.

"It's understandable that Miss Pontiki is not pleased with the way her day has turned out. But don't worry, Pontiki, I promise that this week will be the best of your life! Sponsors, maybe you can cheer her up!"

The male, Ethan, looks ready to collapse. I'm shocked at the state of this boy, a poor twelve-year-old, who is in desperate need of a good meal.

"Poor Ethan! Whoever was in charge of making sure he ate his vegetables did a poor job. He will probably die and go to food heaven when he gets a taste of the many Capitol selections that will be waiting for him on the train."

Shots of speeding shinkansen fill the screen, before fading into a shot of District 6's plaza. I'm very thankful that there are less and less addicts every year. Trying to sugarcoat Six's longstanding drug problem has never been something I enjoy doing.

Aston Shinjin's name is called, and the girl almost drags herself to the stage. Her light brown hair is curly, almost fuzzy, making her look youthful in her lacy white dress.

"Now, here is a girl I don't see making it past the bloodbath. Short, fragile-looking, only fourteen years old. Who knows, she may surprise us!"

The boy joins her, looking somewhat aloof and carefree, but still afraid.

"Indy seems quite laid back. One might call him a 'bro', as the kids like to say. I see his boy as having a potential run deep into the Games but anything close to the finale will be pure luck."

The beautiful pine trees of District 7 overtake the screen, and the wooded square shows crowds of children looking as frightened as ever. The female tribute, Magnolia, on the other hand, is angry. They hiss at the escort, going on about everything they have done for the district.

"It has come to my attention that Magnolia is a firefighter," I tell the audience. "A very noble and brave profession. The Games will be a change for them, going from saving others to having to save themself instead."

The boy does a strange run to the stage, his arms behind him and his head down. He seems almost too energetic considering exactly where he is running to.

"Garrett sure is quite adorable. Glad to see he's as excited as we are!"

Esther, the girl from 8, catches my attention. She seems mischievous, like she's plotting something.

"Miss Esther seems quite the wild card. She almost reminds me of a sneaky cat, or a fox!"

The boy, upon hearing his name, cried harder than I've ever heard a Reaped tribute cry. I desperately blink back the tears I feel forming, masking it behind another wide smile to the camera.

District 9 produces an interesting pair. Nerezza almost reminds me of a spirit, graceful in her movements and with a sort of aloofness to her. When her name was called she just raised an eyebrow and scoffed before stomping up to the stage and crossing her arms.

"People seem to be somewhat afraid of Nerezza. She will certainly get a chance to make more people fear her!"

The boy, a twelve-year old named Altaïr, is wearing a somewhat mysterious-looking white hood, which reminds me of something out of a fantasy. He walks stiffly to the stage, frowning.

"Altaïr will have to tell me where he got that white cloak of his. I can already hear my nephew demanding for me to get him one."

Cow and horses nap in the balmy summer day, unattended for the time being, until the children whose names aren't drawn are able to return home.

Salalai cries out before having to be dragged to the stage. Strangely enough, she begins to have an argument with herself, it looks like, going back and forth with herself.

"Poor girl. I hope she goes quickly."

Ryker is a more impressive spectacle. Tall and slightly muscled, he towered over his diminutive partner.

"Ryker seems like perfect underdog material, though his image of strength may make him stand out to the Careers. If he can lay low, I think he will do well." I already knew who I wanted my nephew to spend my sponsor money on.

The girl, Sixtine, was already running even before her name was called. A psycho burst into the square, screaming at her just as her slip was pulled out. Once Peacekeepers detained the man, who claimed he was Sixtine's father, her day managed to get even worse. She stood motionlessly as Andrew is Reaped, and he joins her onstage.

"What a dramatic day here in District 11! You never know what to expect during Games season."

Finally, the eyesore that is District 12 is shown, and it provides a Reaping nearly as upsetting as Eleven's.

At first, the girl, Lilac, fires some quip at the escort, Rakim, who is annoyed with her, though the smile collapses off her face when a boy with the same last name who I can only assume is a relative or sorts comes to the stage, pale and afraid.

"Oh, you just hate to see this. Lilac and Damon Rafflesia, brother and sister, will have to look out for each other like they never have before. The bond of siblings is one of the strongest out there, so it is a comfort to go into the Games with someone you trust that much rather than a complete stranger."

Still… I think to myself, I couldn't imagine having to watch my sibling die. Or even worse, having to kill them.

That thought sticks with me long after the conclusion of the Reaping broadcast, and will probably stay until the twenty-third cannon sounds.

Reaping recap! Next will be train scenes. Either 2 or 3 POVs on the train or brief POVS for all the POV tributes, haven't decided yet.

Trivia question : What color was Aston's dress?

Thank you for reading, and be sure to review!

-Aemma