Acer Deluca,17, District 3 male
"Weslon...you're ok…you're ok." I mumble to myself as I look at Weslon through a glass panel outside of his hospital room. He's asleep right now, but I can still see his chest rising as he inhales and exhales, he seems to be ok, but still I just have to keep checking on him to make sure nothing goes wrong.
"Acer!" I hear my mother's voice and it causes me to jump a little.
"M-mom hi." I stutter as I try to posture up my stance.
"Did you show Mister Graham his scans yet?" She asks trying to balance a large amount of papers in her arm.
"Uh no, not yet…" I admit.
"Acer I need you to focus alright? What you did was completely out of line, but we have the rest covered from here, now please get the scans and show it to Mister Graham." She tells me and I nod.
"Y-yeah I'll get to it right now." I try to straighten up my rather oversized lab coat and walk over to my mom's office where I see the scans she wants me to take to Mister Graham and I read them for a moment.
Mister Graham just got a 3D scan on his heart, he suffers from hypertension so it's important he gets his heart examined often. From looking at the scans, I can see his heart is slightly enlarged, but it's nothing serious, he'll have to continue his medication and eat much healthier though, for now, I'll go and relieve his mind.
I know firsthand how evil the brain can be, always envisioning the worst case scenarios and yeah it's real stressful to say the least. Mister Graham's room is only right down the hall from here but I nearly bump into another intern here at this hospital and she's about my age, She claims to be a huge fan of my mother. You see my mother is the district's most well regarded surgeon in this district and is also well known for inventing/innovating surgical tools to make operations go much more smoothly, like the scalpel with a built in laser to make incisions more accurate.
The intern's name is Noel and she constantly flirts with me…
"Hey Acer, you looking nice today, well like you always do." She runs a finger across my cheek.
"W-w-well t-t-thank you N-oel, that's v-very nice of you." I nervously stutter. I usually do stutter a lot when I'm nervous, especially whenever I talk to her.
"Stuttering again, oh that is just so cute!" She pinches my cheek and I tighten my grip on my clipboard.
"Uhh yeah t-thanks, I have to go Noel." I dash away from her and she calls me back but I just pretend I don't hear her and thankfully Mister Graham's office is right next to me so I waltz in there and breathe a sigh of relief knowing that Noel won't follow me in here.
"Acer! Oh I've been waiting ages, please let me know everything is fine, the suspense is literally killing me!" Mister Graham pleads as he lays across his hospital bed.
"I apologize for the wait Mister Graham, after examining your cardio scan, I've discovered that your heart is slightly enlarged." I inform him and he immediately bursts into tears.
"Oh no,no oh no! I'm going to die! What am I going to tell my children, my grand children!" He weeps but I walk over to him and put an assuring hand on his shoulder.
"Mister Graham, as scary as this sounds, I can assure you it's nothing to be concerned about as long as you continue to eat healthy and take your medications." I tell him and this seems to cheer him up a little.
"R-really? You mean I can still live to see my grandkids graduate high school? Probably until they even get married?" he asks as he raises his eyebrows a little indicating that he's in a better state and I give a friendly nod.
"Absolutely Mister Graham. Actually most people can live a completely normal and healthy life with an enlarged heart, obviously some protocols must be taken like cutting back on unhealthy foods and keeping your blood pressure at a healthier level but other than that Mister Graham, you should be fine!" I assure him and he lets out a sigh of relief.
"Oh thank the gods! That means I get to leave now!?" he sniffs.
"Absolutely, I'll just prescribe a refill on your medications and you'll be good to go!" I smile.
"Oh thank you!" he hugs me and I hug him back.
"You're such a talented boy Acer, you have a lot of your mom in you oh and I heard about how you saved that boy's life, I know your mom wasn't happy that you did this behind her back but, you saved a life! That's what doctors do after all right?" he pats my shoulder.
"Yes…that's right." I respond while I type up his prescriptions on the computer that's in the room with us and once I print out a copy of his prescription, hand him the paper.
"Ok Mister Graham, you're good to go. On here is also the date that your follow up is scheduled, eat healthy, take your medications and I promise you'll have nothing to worry about I assure him and he hugs me again.
"Thank you Acer, Yes I will continue taking great care of myself!" He promises me before leaving and I put away the clipboard before I head out into the hall again. I was going to ask my mom something but I see she's being mobbed in the hall by a bunch of other surgeons asking her when her next presentation is and I just walk away before they spot me and drag me in as well. As I said before my mother is a well regarded surgeon in this district and even word of her spreads around to other districts.
Medicine ran in my blood apparently so I was destined to work alongside her. When I was first born, it was discovered that I was the twin who was supposed to be absorbed but ended up surviving instead. As a child I was pretty clumsy and I still remember all the bumps and bruises I always managed to get on myself. I was a school nerd to put it bluntly and I was even skipped a few times but I always found time to read some of the many medical books my mother kept in her room and I realized I wanted to follow her footsteps, to be just like her or even better. I began interning at her research lab that was also a hospital and ever since I've been working on my own project.
You see, my mother had some breakthroughs in follicle regeneration and that immediately grasped my attention and was my focus. I started working on my own project soon after called Skin, Ligament, and Muscle Salvation Serum or just SLAMSS for short. It basically increases the potency of my mother's serum and if perfected, can be used to rapidly heal minor through mild superficial wounds. It's still in it's prototype stages however and wasn't approved so this is why she's pretty upset with me for using it without her consent.
I begin walking towards Weslon's room and I can hear Noel flirting with another intern here, so I peak from the corner and see her back turned to me so I use this opportunity to slip past her before entering Weslon's room whose still sound asleep.
"Hey buddy…" I rest my hand on his while he rests. Weslon is an autoimmune patient and as a result I've had to tend to him many times. He's such a friendly guy though and we can relate to each other. He accepts me for being an awkward nerd and I accept him for who he is as well. We do talk a lot and he even flirts with me often but I know he's only kidding around, a part of me wish he wasn't though…
I haven't perfected SLAMSS and there's been several flops as the serum melted flesh instead of heal it but I had to take a gamble several days ago. Weslon arrived with a pretty heavy puncture wound and him being autoimmune made him much more likely to die from an infection and he literally needed a miracle to survive. I've been practicing more on perfecting the serum and it still wasn't complete but I had to take a gamble, I fought my way through all the doctors who were trying to operate on him and put several drops of my serum on his wound. Thankfully it worked, his wound began healing and he's alive now.
I wrap my hand around the small locket I have around my neck and squeeze it lightly, I always carry this locket with me wherever I go. Inside this locket is a drop of my serum and it'll be enough to heal any mild superficial wounds. I carry it with me because I never know when I or someone else will need it…
Weslon's hand suddenly wraps around mine and I'm a little shocked.
"Weslon, you up buddy?" I whisper but he only continues inhaling and exhaling continuing to sleep.
"I'm just glad you're ok…I am…" I mumble as I hold his hand for a moment more, but let go so he can continue to get the rest that he needs and I figure it's time for me to head home. I almost always keep my lab coat on me which is another testament to my awkwardness, but I don't mind, the coat is comfortable and it eases me whenever I feel nervous.
"There you go! I was looking for you everywhere!" I hear a booming voice behind me causing me to jump as i close my locker and I spin around to see it's my sister Belina who is three years younger than me and she's also the exact opposite of me being loud, outgoing and boisterous. She also happens to be very popular in the district. She's not involved in the medical field but she usually stops by here to remind of the dates she set up between me and one of her friends.
For the longest she's been trying to get me a girlfriend by setting up dates but she doesn't know yet that I'm just not interested.
"B-B-Belina, when did you get here?" I stammer.
"You must've forgot about the date you have today huh? It's time you get a girlfriend so let's go!" She pulls my arm.
"Hey w-wait!" I protest and she looks over at me.
"What? Stop delaying stuff! You'll thank me later!" She grins.
"Belina I'm gay." I blurt out and she only glances at me for a moment before bursting out laughing.
"Ok Acer, you must be real desperate now if you want to make up stuff like that!" she continues laughing but I give her a serious look and her smile slowly fades.
"Wow…so you're not joking?" she raises an eyebrow.
"No…" I bluntly say.
"Well geez Acer, when were you going to tell me this, I would've certainly stopped trying to get you a girlfriend if I knew that!" she scolds me.
"Well I didn't know how to honestly…but yeah." I state and there's another awkward silence.
"Ok…well…wow uh ok so. You're still my brother Acer, none of that changes so don't feel like you need to hide anything from me, ok?" She assures me and opens her arms out to me where I give her a hug. I was always so terrified to tell my family about my sexuality, the way they probably would've judged me…but it really isn't so bad…
"Y-yeah Belina thanks…" I thank her.
"Don't thank me for that silly, now let's get some lunch, and don't worry I'll cancel the date for you, now let's get going!" She starts tugging my arm again and I just feel so relieved now, now if only I can muster up the courage to tell Weslon how I really feel about him…
Emmerane "Emmi/Screech" Vestrat,18, District 3 female
A breeze blows over me as I continue sitting in the cemetery surrounded by the gravestones of the dead, a lot of the departed were tributes in the past where they almost always died in the bloodbath but I lay across the soil and stretch my arms and legs before making soil angels. My gown is covered in soil at this point but who cares?
"Are you laughing at me Spectra? What's wrong with making soil angels?" I curiously ask Spectra but she doesn't answer. I guess she isn't in the mood to talk now as another breeze blows by me.
"Well can you at least tell me what time it is? You don't want us being late for the reapings do you?" I ask but I only get a breeze of air blowing by me as a response.
"Fine don't talk then, but when you want to talk later and I don't answer, I don't want to hear anything!" I snarl at Spectra.
"Uhm may I ask who you're talking to?" I hear a female's voice behind me and I slowly turn my head to see who it is as I'm still sprawled across the soil and it's a girl around my age but I grin at her as my eyes widen and it seems to shake her up a bit. She's holding a bouquet of flowers in her hands so I assume she must be here to visit one of her departed loved ones. I slither to my feet and she starts backing up a bit but I catch up to her quickly.
"Your skin, so tender, so pure, so lively!" I whisper in her ear.
"you're…really starting to freak me out…" she tells me in a very uncomfortable tone but I lick the side of her face causing her to shiver.
"malum amet…" I whisper in her ears and she drops her bouquet of flowers before running off and I cackle before picking up the flowers and sniff them before holding them out to Spectra.
"Aren't they so beautiful Spectra?" I hold the flowers out to her but she's once again ignores me, I lose my patience with her at this point and throw the flowers on the ground.
"You want to act like that? Don't even bother following me back home, you can stay here and rot!" I bark at her before leaving the cemetery.
I figure I can stop at a store now and pick up some ice cubes, they're technically supposed to be closed but I know a clerk who likes to sneak in some opening time and since I forgot to freeze my own ice cubes last night, I'll just have to stop by there.
My white gown and my hair are completely covered in dirt and I hum a tone while spinning around the practically empty district and I enjoy the silence for the time being but these streets are going to be flooded soon. I continue spinning through the district before I stop in front of the store that is disguised as being closed but is actually open as I pull the handle and spin inside.
"Oh hi, I'll just ask that you make your purchase quickly, I have to leave in a few minutes!" the clerk informs me.
"I wonder what your eyeballs taste like." I sing to her as I dance my way to the freezer and pull out a bag of ice before slamming it on her counter as she continues giving me an uncomfortable look.
"That'll be-" she begins but I shove my finger into her mouth as she gasps before gagging.
"What the hell!?" She curses at me as I cackle.
"You're a lot prettier when that mouth is closed, I bet you'll be even prettier as you lay in a pool of your guts and intestines though" I whisper to her.
"Oh my gosh, please leave or I'm calling the authorities!" She threatens but I giggle before sitting on her counter next to her intentionally slapping her in the face with my dirt covered hair causing her to shriek in disgust.
"Isn't this store supposed to be closed darling?" I pull an ice cube from the bag before popping it inside of my mouth.
"J-just leave please!" she begs me and I jump off her counter before spinning out of the store. It is just so satisfying freaking everyone out here! I reach my house however and I do a small sigh before sucking on another ice cube.
I can hear my mother in the kitchen making breakfast and I pass by the kitchen only for her to give me a brief glance before looking back at the food. She rarely ever acknowledges me or my sister but that's how it's always been and I doubt that'll be changing.
I swallow an entire ice cub before popping another one in my mouth and that's when I see my sister Ellody coming downstairs, it's been days since we last even said a word to each other but I stop infront of her and she sucks her teeth before trying to walk around me but i cut her off and block her path again.
"Move you creep!" She lashes at me.
"Where's dad?' I casually ask.
"Where he always is? I know we haven't been in this district for long but even you should know where he goes every morning!" She snarls at me and walks by me shoving me with her shoulder but I grab some of her hair without her knowing and she continues walking until it tugs and she hisses in pain.
"What the hell you b-" She tries chasing me upstairs but I'm quite a bit faster than her. We used to be close, very close and I miss those days honestly, but they're long gone and I just need to accept that.
When I arrive in my room, I sit the bag of ice on my dresser and only sit across my bed looking out the window. I see a family, a mom and dad with their young daughter all holding hands as they head to the square and I let out a low sigh.
"Spectra…I know you aren't there, I know you aren't…anything. Still though it makes me more comfortable thinking you are someone, someone that can hear me out, just someone that can be there…" I mumble to no one in particular. Spectra was nothing but a made up friend of mine. Spectra was the name of a doll my sister gave me for my 6th birthday and she was my favorite doll to play with until she "disappeared" after me and Ellody got into an argument. It feels like just yesterday where I remember those days.
As Ellody already said, I wasn't born in this district, I was actually born in district 2 and we only recently moved here to this district, I already hate it here though but my father is an architectural engineer so the capitol moved us here so he can head an architectural technology department. Out of me and Ellody, I was the crier while she was the quiet one. My cries got more and more intense until they were just piercing screams that were probably loud enough to make someone faint but I was able to calm down a little by the time I reached the age of 7.
Me and Ellody were close for a while, for the first 10 years of our lives to be more exact but she began to grow in popularity after our father had us join the academy since he wanted one or even both of us to be the victor and we slowly drifted apart as her prowess became more well known and started making more friends. Both of us were equally skilled, I probably even had the edge but she still continued to get all the praise for whatever reason. I guess she was just more flashy while i was more ruthless.
My loneliness got the better of me and that was when my anger started to return, often I'd let out a loud screech during training or whenever I lost my cool and those ear piercing screeches became infamous throughout the district. It was around this time that my sister completely cut me off. Labeling me as a freak. Not wanting me to affect the relationships she had with so many others in the district. People joined in on the fun, taunting me, making fun of me and it was so loud, the noises were so loud and one way to cancel out a loud noise, was to make an even louder noise. This screech, it was my escape and my ultimate weapon that left me untouchable physically, mentally and emotionally.
Ellody was supposed to volunteer two years ago, she was supposed to be the victor that the district built her up to be, but I threw a wrench in that plan. Me and her got into a big argument that morning of the reapings and she began using mental warfare to get me to crack and she got what she wanted but the last thing I remembered is me letting out a deafening screech before I came back to my senses and was standing over her battered and bruised body ruining any chance she had of ever volunteering. We didn't talk at all for a long time afterwards but since my best friend is her girlfriend, she's been able to try and start repairing the broken bridge between me and my sister.
I have a friend, a best friend but still it's kind of lonely. I have a good job at the graveyard where I tend to the ground, prepare graves and even pay my respects to the departed. One thing about the dead Is they stay quiet, they don't make any noise and I enjoy the silence. Even on my days off, the graveyard is usually where I am. Some people like the girl today tries to make conversation with me but I intentionally scare them away, I just don't think I can open myself up to anyone any more after my sister betrayed me.
After cleaning myself up, I dress up in a knee length ash colored lace dress thats knee high in length, which consists of a corset bodice, an exposed laced neckline, and a long lace bell sleeve along with black heels and fishnet leggings.
I take a quick look at my face to make sure my messy chocolate brown hair with streaks of blonde is partially covering my eyes and I make my way downstairs where there's knocking on the door. I see my sister walking towards the door but I manage to reach it before her and swing it open to see it's my best friend and my sister's girlfriend Ahmelie. I actually met her before my sister did. While I worked in the graveyard, she worked in the funeral home inside of it as a mortuary makeup artist. When she approached me, I tried creeping her out with my antics in fear of getting my heart broken again but she only found it hilarious and I eventually opened up to her a little before trusting her completely. I brung her back to my place cause she said she wanted to do my hair and give me a make over but the moment she entered the house, my sister was just all over her. They began dating soon after while I was "downgraded" to the friend she occasionally hung out with.
"Emmi hey!" she opens her arms and I give her a warm hug, I wish it can stay this way, me being held and comforted, but my sister shoves me out the way before they share a long and passionate kiss together, I know she's only doing this to piss me off and I feel the screech beginning to emerge out of me but I hold my throat walking away and only let go when I'm on the verge of passing out due to the lack of oxygen but I manage to control myself. This is really the only way I can contain the screech from coming out…
"You two been getting along? I'm serious about you two coming to my place for dinner tonight. You two are sisters, you need to love each other, learn to get along." Ahmelie states.
"Yeah sure whatever, let's go over to the table my mom just finished cooking!" my sister guides Ahmelie to the table where there's pancakes, eggs and sausage links. My family is pretty wealthy due to my father's occupation, so we usually do get a good breakfast like this.
"Wow look how big these sausage links are, it'll be so funny if we choke on it and die!" I giggle and Ahmelie laughs while Ellody only gives me a silent and uncomfortable look.
"Ok, guess that wasn't funny to you…" I mumble to Ellody.
"Weirdo…" I hear Ellody mumble back.
"Ahem, so it's your turn to decide what I'll be cooking tonight Emmi." Ahmelie tries to change the subject.
"Meatloaf with black licorice!" I suggest.
"Ewww what? That sounds fucking disgusting!" Ellody protests.
"Meatloaf and black licorice it is then!" Ahmelie applauds me and Ellody only gives me a nasty glare.
"You need to just fuck off, find some actual friends and maybe you won't be such a fucking creepo!" Ellody curses at me and I'm pretty shocked for a moment.
"Ellody! What the hell? That was so uncalled for!" Ahmelie scolds her but I feel the screech coming out of me again and I have to hold my throat.
"How about we just eat in my room, let her be creepy here all by herself!" Ellody suggests.
"No! I'm not going anywhere with you after the way you spoke to Emmi!" Ahmelie fires back.
"My goodness, well I'm out of here then!" Ellody storms out of the house and it's just me and Ahmelie here now.
"Emmi, you can let go of your throat now…it's ok." She assures me removing my hand from my throat as I begin sucking in mouthfuls of air and I feel my eyes tear up a bit but Ahmelie holds me close to her.
"I don't know what's gotten into her, but she didn't mean what she said, if you want, we can walk to the squars though." She suggests and I do a light nod before Ahmelie stands up and holds her hand out to me which I happily grab.
We head out shortly afterwards and I intentionally widen my eyes and mumble incoherent things to everyone that passes by me just to freak them out to the point where they won't greet me or Ahmelie. We reach the square shortly afterwards and there's a pretty long line that I don't feel like waiting on so I walk to the front and only do a creepy smile at the girl standing in front of it before she speeds off and just like that me and Ahmelie are at the front of the line where we get our arms pricked.
"That felt good, I wish you would've poked me harder though!" I tell the peacekeeper and I can already the blank look through their helmet before I walk off.
Me and Ahmelie joins the 18 year old section but Ahmelie is quite popular so starts socializing with the other girls around her while I quietly stand alone.
"Hey excuse me…I really like your dress." I hear a girl compliment me and I turn around giving her a creepy grin which immediately unsettles her.
"Can I lick your face?" I suddenly ask her and she only gives me a horrified look before walking away. I know I say I use my creepy antics as a defense mechanism, but sometimes I can't tell if this is who I really am or if it really is just an act.
Our escort Vivi who always dressed as a zombie apparently died a few weeks ago so now we got some nervous purple haired woman who's literally trembling on the stage. She plays the introductory video which I daydream through and the reapings are ready to commence.
"So-so- yeah- uh we're ready to reap the noodle I mean m-male!" This new escort who's name is Esther nervously stutters but tries laughing it off.
She draws a name from the males bowl and looks at the name oddly.
"A cracker- oh I mean A cock- I'm sorry I mean, Acer Deluca!" she stammers and some laughs are heard across the square at her error and there's an odd silence for a moment before a slender boy who's about 5'8 in height stumbles out of the 17 year old male's crowd.
He has beige colored skin, his golden brown hair messy on top with fades on the side with a slender nose, forest green droopy eyes with slight eye bags, thin eyebrows, a right dimple, sharp jawline and high cheekbones. He's kind of cute in a nerdy way but he dresses like a complete dork dressed a lab coat on top of a classy navy button up shirt that's untucked and slightly wrinkled. His pants are black and a bit too big for him as well which I find kind of funny.
He clumsily stumbles to the stage like a drunkard but I know he's only nervous as he reaches the stage but he suddenly slips and falls flat on his face and everyone only awkwardly looks at him as he just remains on his face, too embarrassed to move but two peacekeepers "help" him up and push him onto the stage and he only nervously looks down on the floor with his hands in his pockets. I hear a girl crying so I assume that must be one of his friends or family members.
"Uhhhh…any soda- I mean volunteers?" Esther nervously asks and the only response is that girl's crying, really though, how do you mix up the word volunteer with soda!?
"Well…ok off to the females then!" She walks over to the bowl and sticks her hand in there like there's a family of piranhas swimming around in it and yanks out a name.
"Uh Dinosaur! I mean Ahmelie Rosalyn!" She stammers and I see Ahmelie completely freeze as I'm rather shocked myself, my friend…my best friend was just reaped...
I look over at my sister who's no longer eligible for the games since she's 20 and I see she's absolutely devastated, I know she would've volunteered had she been just a little younger but there's nothing she can do now, me on the other hand though…
"I volun-" I begin raising my hand but Ahmelie suddenly grabs it and I look into her teary eyes as she only shakes her head and I hesitate for a moment but i shake that weakness away.
"I volunteer as tribute…" I announce and I slowly walk towards the stage with my head down.
"A cruise, I mean, I mean volunteer!" Esther stutters once again but I slowly continue dragging myself to the stage, still looking at the floor and I reach the stage still looking at the floor.
"W-what's your name?" Esther nervously asks and I remain silent. Ahmelie and even You Ellody, I did this for the both of you!
I let out a low cackle though and it gets louder and louder before I raise my head with a manical grin over my face.
"Death is here, death is there, death is upon us all!" I shout repteadly jumping and dancing all around the stage and my district partner makes sure to stand a fair distance away from me but I jump next to him where I grin at him.
"pax tibi!" I mumble to him and lick the side of his face before he gasps and runs off much to my pleasure.
"Well…here's our two trips, I mean tributes! Would say shake hands but uh…" she stammers again and I pretend I'm a bunny and begin hopping towards the justice building where I start remembering all of my training and why everyone feared me. I'm not going to hold back, I'll be as ruthless as I need to be, because anything other than that will be unacceptable!
Finally here are our district 3 tributes! i am so happy i'm nearly done with these reapings cause although it's a great way to introduce the tributes, i just don't find it fun like at all. i expect my upload speed to dramatically speed up once we're done with the reapings but please just bear with me while i slog through these last two or three reapings! I've had alot of time to think about the games however and have an arena completely mapped out and some arcs that i can't wait to introduce to you guys. I've actually dropped a couple of hints about the arena this chapter but i intentionally made it pretty difficult to find hehehe. Thanks so much for all of your wonderful reviews everyone and I'll see you all soon, till next time!