Larch Colbert, age 14
District 12 Female Tribute

After the Reaping

As the Peacekeepers march me into the Justice Building, I can't help but replay the hateful glare in Dustin Spruce's eyes as my District Partner shook my hand. Very little scares me - I've been indifferent to death for as long as I can remember - but there's one thing that I'll admit that I'd rather avoid, and that is pain. What does Dustin want to do to me? Will I have a chance to escape it? I can't believe this is happening, but I'm scared as I'm guided into a fancy room and left alone.

I look around. This is probably the most luxurious place in all of Twelve, with its plush couches and polished lights. I suppose this is where the tributes go every year to say goodbye to their loved ones. I think about Mrs. Jones, Thrush, and my family, all coming to visit me during the next hour, and I take a deep breath. I don't care about much, but I don't want to see them cry. I wish there was some herb they could take to help them forget about me, but I can't think of anything off the top of my head that isn't also poisonous.

The door slams open, and I hear loud crying. Two voices are bawling and another is sobbing… oh dear, that must be the twins and Birch. My family, my five siblings plus my parents, crowd into the room. Mother is carrying Ice and Father is cradling Fox, and my baby twin siblings continue to cry as my parents sit on either side of me. Shrew, my eldest brother, breaks into a coughing fit as he sits on one of the chairs across from me, while Spider, my second eldest brother, crosses his arms and stands awkwardly at the door. Birch, my twelve-year-old brother, continues to cry loudly as he sits on the couch. My family is all here.

I'm not sure who's going to be the first one to say something, especially because Shrew is still coughing - Spider crosses over to him and rubs his back - and the twins are still crying. Mother and Father gently shush them, but I can see the tears in their eyes as well. Birch seems inconsolable with the way he's sobbing into his hands, and the rest of my family is busy - Shrew, at least, seems to have stopped coughing - so I stand up and give Birch some awkward head pats as my family quiets down. Birch has always hated hugs, which has something to do with his mental condition. We don't know what it is that makes him speak very rarely and throw tantrums a lot, but he's a good kid. It's not his fault that District 12 lacks a doctor skilled enough to figure out what's going on with him. The most we have in the Seam is apothecaries like Mrs. Jones, who I was apprenticed to before I was Reaped and will likely visit after my family are gone.

Shrew surprises me by being the first one out of my family to speak. "Larch, you've gotta try to come back," he says, wiping away tears.

I smile sadly at him. "I honestly don't think there's a point in trying," I say honestly. "Even if my District Partner wasn't a guy who wanted to kill me, there's nothing I have over the Careers or even the average tribute. I'm sorry everyone. Please try to live your lives without me, okay?"

"You can't go," Mother sobs as she hands Ice to Father and hugs me, laying her head on my shoulder. "I can't lose another daughter, not after Holly."

"Death comes for all of us," I say, running my hand through my mother's hair. "I'll be fine. I'll be in a place that's better than District 12."

"Well don't just give up!" Spider snaps, glaring at me and putting his hands on his hips. "What kind of loser does that?"

"Spider!" Father admonishes.

"It's alright," I say with a shrug. "I'm fine with being remembered as a loser. I won't care once I'm dead anyways." Shrew looks very upset, so I add, "I get it. Most people don't give up, and most tributes fight through the Games. But this is really what I think. I'm sorry that it makes you all upset, but please try to be okay without me. Just think of my death as the next greatest adventure."

"Why are you such a nihilist, Larch?" Spider growls, raising his voice. "Don't you care about anything?"

"I do care about all of you," I say, though I'm not sure if I mean it because as good as my family are, they're all just specks in the infinite universe. "Which is why my dying wish is that you'll go on without me."

"Dustin," Birch says suddenly. "Dustin. Dustin!"

"That's right," Mother says, grabbing my shoulders and fixing me with an intense stare. "Please apologize to your District Partner, Larch. Or at least avoid him if you can't. I don't want to see him hurt you in the Games." Upon seeing the hesitation in my eyes, Mother tightens her grip and says, "Please, Larch. I will honor your wish, but please, please, I hope you will honor mine."

"I… alright," I say slowly with a nod when I realize how important this is to Mother. Suddenly I realize that dealing with Dustin will also spare me a good amount of pain. I nod again, realizing that I must do it.

I still think giving Mr. Spruce the sleeping draught was the right thing to do. There was no hope for him, not with the amount of injuries he had when he was brought in. Mrs. Jones was sad about the whole situation after it happened, but she continued to teach me as her apothecary apprentice and didn't bring it up much, so it couldn't have been too catastrophic.

But to spare myself and my family pain… I know that I must appease my District Partner. Or at least do my best to avoid him if I can't.

Now that I've promised my family to at least stop Dustin Spruce from hurting me in the Games, the rest of their time with me passes with less tears. I smile as Birch rubs me on the shoulder, expressing his love for me in a way that fills both of us with warmth. Father mentions not wanting the Peacekeepers to force us apart, so my family leaves on their own volition. Mother gives me one last tight hug, and she, with the rest of my family, is gone.

Mrs. Jones, the apothecary, and Thrush, my friend from school, visit together. There's less drama this time around, which I'm grateful for. Thrush has always been as detached as I am, so she's a good friend, one who almost always pairs with me for projects and the like. Just like Mrs. Jones, she's sad that I've been Reaped, but I know that both of them will go on. Thrush has her books about the universe and Mrs. Jones has her work. They leave together, but after each of them gives me a big hug.

"Maybe I'll see you after I die," Thrush says with a smile, wiping away tears. "Thanks for everything, Larch."

"Yeah, you too," I say, and my last visitors are gone.

A/N: Please note that Larch's brother Birch does not have an official medical diagnosis due to being from a poor family in District 12. Larch and her family may not understand everything about him, but I designed him with a developmental disorder such as autism in mind. I hope I portrayed Birch in a respectful manner, so please be likewise respectful in your feedback and let me know how I did! Any and all feedback on this story is appreciated. What do you think of Larch, our District 12 Female? Please let me know in the reviews!

I've received a few submissions so far, but this SYOT is still wide open with plenty of available slots. Please visit my profile for the submission form, guidelines, and open tribute slots. I would prefer more full Districts sooner rather than later, but any and all tribute submissions would be appreciated. Remember that this is the canon-compliant 28th Annual Hunger Games, and every tribute in this story has a chance to win as long as their victory fits with the established Hunger Games canon.

I have decided to set a submission deadline of Wednesday, September 30th, 2020. If you're a little over the deadline that's fine, but I really hope to have a full cast by then. If I don't have all the tributes by the 30th, I'll create all of the remaining tributes myself, so please consider submitting! Remember that this SYOT is first-come-first-served, with a maximum of four tributes per submitter.

Thanks for reading, and I hope to see you all on the 30th or earlier!