Reaping Part I:


Sow an act and you reap a habit.
Sow a habit and you reap a character.
Sow a character and you reap a destiny.


Lachlan Smith, District Six


Kneeling down on one knee, I examine the striker plate of the opened bathroom door. First thing I notice is that it's mortised into the jamb – which isn't that big of a problem, considering that all I have to do is place it back and tighten the screws with a screwdriver.

''Come on, Lachlan,'' Logan calls. A hazy o-ring floats upwards in front of me, distorting and twisting along its wayward path. ''Hit this blunt.''

He continues to hold it out, even as I wave my hand and reject his offer. Benz immediately sucks on his teeth and groans, saying, ''Come on, just one time. You never smoke or drink with us.''

''Because I have no reason to,'' I fire right back at him. ''Doing drugs and drinking as much as you guys do would resist my memory, and I don't want it to be clogged up from becoming so addicted to it. You guys know I don't take risks like that.''

''You're such a pussy,'' Robby groans. I simply laugh off his insult.

Come on, Robby. Really?

''He's right, Lach. You're a sissy; you never do anything exciting. All you ever do is think of puzzles to solve, riddles to beat, and stupid codes to decipher.''

''Whatever,'' I shrug it off. ''You guys do you, and I'll do me. I don't care for public opinions anyway. What else are they to me besides words?''

''Just as you said – words. That's all,'' Logan comes back into the conversation after taking another hit, filling his system with the responding smoke. Taking more draws, he looks as though he feels extremely delighted, like he'd never felt before. ''Why can't you just take advantages of the things we're able to afford?''

''I just answered that question a minute ago.'' Scratching the back of my head, I sit back down as I finish repairing the doorknob and rest against the adjacent wall. ''I expect better of you guys, but you're all still my friends, and I'll ride with you no matter what.''

My words seem to have calmed them down and made them less pushy. The whole peer-pressure thing? Yeah, not something I'm easily manipulated into falling for. But it's all good. No matter what these guys do, I just love being around them and hanging out. They're easy to talk to, we get along great, and even if they make fun of my passion, I know that it's all in a lighthearted sense.

I'm not gonna lie, though, the smell of whatever they're smoking is so bad, it's as if someone's putting a piece of coal into my lungs. Looking at them happily taking puffs again and again, I wonder if my nose is sensing the wrong thing. The looks on their faces show that they're inhaling flower-scented deodorant or something.

I wanna go stand outside the backdoor and wait for them to finish, but it's actually kind of nice in here – besides the smell, that is.

''Hey,'' I say, grabbing the attention of all three of my friends. ''Say, how exactly did you break that lock, Robby?''

''Oh...'' he slowly turns his head, his eyes dull with heavy lids. His pupils are dilated, and his sclera is bloodshot red, the veins in his eyes more apparent now. ''Well, you see, I was smoking in my room and I heard the front door creaking open. My mom stepped in, and I kind of just reacted... There's no window in my room, so I fidgeted with the doorknob until I heard it snap. Luckily she didn't catch me, but I think she suspected something because I had no time to spray myself clean from the smell.''

At the corner of my thin lips is a crease of amusement. Steadily, the smirk grows wider over my face like a lazy teacher's check mark, the faded ''red ink'' stretching up into my cheek.

''I'm dead!'' Logan falls into hysterics. At the corner of his eyes are small tears that are slowly seeping and falling down his cheek. Wrapping his arm around Benz's shoulder, they pull each other down as they fumble with their hands and continue to let out high-pitched noises. ''Surprised Lachlan isn't shaking his head at you. All of a sudden, he's so laid-back.''

'''Cuz there's no pressure on me to do anything right now,'' I reply. ''His door's fixed, and I'm just chilling with my bros. What reason is there for me to be so serious?''

''R-Respect to you.'' Benz slowly tries to walk over to me, but he stumbles over his feet and sways side-to-side. At a failed attempt to fist bump me, he almost falls over but I keep him up on his feet.

''Did I mention that I was cross faded, too?''

Again, we all return to our state of laughter. ''You're honestly too much to deal wit—''

''Did you guys hear that?'' Benz interrupts, listening as a constant ding goes off.

''Yeah, bro, what the hell was that?''

Shaking my head, I notify them that it's the Reaping Bell that's signifying that we have five minutes remaining to arrive at the Square.

''Aw, man... I totally forgot that that was today! What do we do?''

''Sober up?'' I suggest, since it's the only reasonable option. But I don't even think it's possible to remove yourself from such a high within five minutes.

''You right, you right.'' Just as he says that, Robby rushes over to his mother's kitchen, reaches into one of the cabinets, and pulls out some type of alcoholic drink. ''You think this'll do us any good? It says 'Sparkling Water' on it, and I've been dying to try it ever since I first laid my eyes on it. Anyone down?''

''I don't think that's how you're supposed to—''

''Me!'' Benz shouts.

''Ditto!'' Logan, too, adds himself to their plans of drinking... to help not being—

Actually, forget it. ''You guys are wild.'' Closing my eyes and smiling as I casually walk past them with my hands in my pockets, I utter, ''Catch you guys at the Square in five. Don't take too long.''


Darren Leicester, District Eight


After arriving at the Square and getting our fingers pricked, Sean, Joel and I get into the crowded male section for potential eighteen-year-old tributes. Pushing and shoving forcefully, we finally manage to settle down in a spot that's spacious enough for all three of us.

''Damn, can you guys be any more rough?''

Turning my head, I spot a shorter boy, scrawny and uncomfortably weird-looking. ''If you weren't in the way, then there'd be no reason to be rough, now would there?'' I quickly ask him, tilting my head slightly.

''No, I guess not, but you could have just asked for me to—'' he suddenly stops, letting out a fury of coughs, mucus flying out of his mouth and onto the hard, gravelly floor beneath us – he's obviously sick. ''—kindly step aside and—'' There it goes again. ''—make room for you all to enter.''

Damn... I just pushed a boy, who probably has some sort of illness, around like a rag doll. That's... all types of messed up.

Instead of apologizing to him, I maintain my bravado and turn my attention back to my friends. Sean's snickering, while Joel's staring at me with a look of uncertainty. Never have I ever seen that look on his face before, but it doesn't mean much – he would've done the same; they both would have.

Showing sympathy is a weakness, that's all. I've learned from my many years on the streets, committing petty crimes and picking up on new skills, that people won't take you for a pushover if you show them that you won't be hesitant nor intimidated by anything that comes your way – even if it's a boy under twice your size that's unable to step up to you.

After a few minutes of chattering, the Escort comes out, steps onto the stage, and loudly chirps into the microphone, announcing herself as Daelina Sherrell. There's feedback, and the entire Square receives some type of blistering ear pain.

''What a fucking bitch!'' I shout, clenching my fists tightly and exposing my teeth. ''She should've tested the mic before stepping out, like normal people do. I hate how stupid these imbecilic Capitolites are!''

''I hear you,'' Sean agrees. ''You ever wonder what it'd be like steal from a Capitolite?''

''All the time.'' I nod my head, looking around to see if anyone is staring at us. Suddenly, an idea pops into my head, and a twisted little smile appears on my face. ''Say, are you guys free after the Reaping? My mom's probably going to be with Veacon – like she always is – so I'm definitely free. When everyone leaves, we could blend into the crowd and attempt to make our way to the Justice Building, or catch her off-guard. Might not be the brightest or most thought-out plan, but it's worth a go, wouldn't you say?''

''That's not bad,'' Joel admits. ''But what about the Peacekeepers? If anything, they need to be taken care of first, but three of us versus— what, like, twenty of them? It's a lose-lose situation, and we could end up being whipped, or dead.''

''We'll figure something out,'' I reassure.

''Can you three shut up? I can't hear anything because you just keep talking. Seriously, be quiet, no-one wants to hear about your—''

Whipping around, I cut off the person talking by grabbing their shirt, yanking them forward, and headbutting them rapidly, two times. ''Shut the fuck up!'' Gritting my teeth, I pull back a fist and steady my aim for his nose, but then I hear the Escort call out a female's name.

''Elloise Allegro!''

The cameras on the jumbotron zoom in and out, then finally pan in on a girl with straggly brown hair and clear, seastorm eyes. Her frazzled nerves all jump together at the same time, producing a girl who makes her way up to the stage by laughing nervously all the way there. Something in me starts to tingle, and I can't help but feel that she doesn't deserve this.

This girl is no older than sixteen years old, so why does she have to go through this? Why do any of us have to go through this? It's unfortunate, man, it really is...

After being asked if she has anything to say, Elloise just continues to laugh – I suppose that's her go-to move for every discomforting situation she encounters.

''Now for the males!'' The way she sounds so elated to pick a boy who's most likely going to die... Her prissy, expensive outfit that stands out... She thinks she's so great because she doesn't have to get picked to risk her life in some bogus arena; she doesn't have to worry about being hunted down by a pack of rich kids who are trained to murder; she doesn't have to worry about being bet on and chased by mutts!

But no sooner does my flow die in my thoughts when she pulls out a slip, removes the envelope, and smiles softly when she reads over the name. My feelings are so tightly compacted that I let go of the person I was holding on to, feeling like my chest will go super nova.

''Interesting name,'' she nods for some reason, as if she's stating that she likes it. ''Darren Leicester!''

At the call of my name, I instantly feel my face fall faster than a corpse in cement boots. My skin becomes gray, my mouth hangs with with lips slightly parted, and my eyes seem to stretch as wide as they can. There isn't even a point in lashing out and yelling at the Escort for choosing my name. There's no point in even looking at anyone other than her, hoping that a volunteer will take my place.

''Hey!'' I hear yelling from the back. ''That kid has my suit on! He and his friends stole it from me about a half hour ago!''

Just the slight sound of a Peacekeeper's boots rounding the center of the aisle and approaching my frozen structure is enough to release the breath that I didn't even know I was holding. With a sigh, my shoulders relax and my face deflates as if the tension has been lifted, yet left me with a melancholy instead of relief.

Rushing out of the group, I reapply my act and march forward with a bold, confident look on my face. That's it, that's how you approach these assholes.

They won't know me as anything less than a tribute who's not afraid to get his hands dirty, I swear.

And those shitty, self-absorbed Capitolites are gonna get what's fucking coming to them.


Aurora Maran, District One


Do I really want to do this?

Jameson should be volunteering today, not me. He's better, more fit, and more intelligent. What am I compared to him?

Nothing but a failure. The twin that didn't succeed, and won't succeed. Don't even volunteer. Just let yourself fall and realize that nothing you do can amount to anything that he does. Your parents don't even expect anything great from you anymore, you're just a waste of spa

''Girl, hello?'' Karia snaps in front of my face, removing me from my painful thoughts. There's an annoyed look on her face, telling me that I've been out of it for way too long. ''This is your big day and you're out here daydreaming? You could've missed your chance if I didn't knock you out of... whatever that was.''

''I'm sorry.'' Slowly, I rub the side of my shoulder and slump my head downward. My thoughts got the best of me again, and they continue to criticize me for my faults. Of course. ''I-I was kind of just … lost?''

''Yeah, I could tell.'' She already knows. ''What's wrong, are you thinking too much again?''

The nod of my head tells her yes. ''Then stop it! Seriously, there's no reason for you to think that you're not ready for this. With all the training that you've had, you're the perfect contender from our District to volunteer. Block out whatever insecurities that you have and realize that you're better than you think.''

Just like that, the butterflies escape from the pit of my stomach, and the way that the morning sun shines over the crystal blue sky makes a home right in my heart. Reaching forward with both hands, I grab Karia by her shoulders and wrap her in a warm swaddle of my chest and arms. I don't want to leave because her compliments make me feel as if all my pain has gone away – all of the mental pain.

After she returns the embrace and we finally part, I begin to wish that I could keep her around me like a well-worn sweater forever. ''This is why you're my best friend,'' I smile. ''You know just the right words to make a girl happy.''

''But the things that I say are true. When you think about it logically, what other girl can move like you? After all of the ballet that you've been taking to aid you, you could easily swerve through obstacles and dodge any attacks that come your way. Your chances of winning—''

''Are one out of twenty-six.'' Realistically, that's exactly what they are. I'm not going to let her say that I have the greatest chance of winning when neither of us even know what the competition will be like.

''You're something else, you know, Aurora?'' Attributed to her words, I can feel the giggles rolling out of me like waves on a long, shallow beach. They disappear for a while, but only to build back up and break to the surface once more. I know that it's not appropriate for such a situation, but I can't help myself.

Finally, after a few minutes of only compliments, Karia begins to enjoy herself, too, by laughing with me. ''You just have the kind of smile that makes people feel happy to be alive, and just a little bit more human.''

''Thank you, misses,'' I bow, feeling a tad bit more rejuvenated. This is the best time for us to have finished our short back-and-forth conversation, because the Escort comes out, introduces himself, and begins to read the Treaty of Treason. Like always, there's a video expected to be played – and Dolce is a tad bit too excited to begin displaying it.

The only unexpected aspect of the Reaping this year is that the video is a bit more... gruesome. Promptly, the first thing the crowd reacts to is the stack of bodies that pile on top of each other and lay like ghoulish mannequins, their esophagus' and arteries sticking out like so much corrugated and rubber tubing. It looks as if some special effects team had worked overtime in order to make sure that the bodies looked realistic enough, but the Capitol isn't fooling anyone – these are real bodies. Tribute bodies; child bodies; and adult bodies.

After the horrifying scene dissipates from the screen, Dolce marches over towards the females' bowl. Before he picks a name, he has to shake his frizzled blue hair in the blowing wind and sigh deeply, as if he just drank some type of refreshment after a long run. ''That was absolutely beautiful, wasn't it?''

Like the Career District we are, everyone in the audiences begin to chant and cheer. A few familiar faces that I recognize don't exactly agree with what was just shown, but they won't say anything about it – you can't in a District like this.

Each and every single year, we expect someone to make it to the Feast and at least bring back some sort of accomplishment that the District can relish on – but not everyone has what it takes. Take Adonis and Blush from last year as an example. Both died shamefully and terribly... And Blush was just a fingertip away from the Feast.

''This is why I'm overjoyed whenever I hear that I'm assigned to this District!'' he claps, jumping for joy in his over-sized shoes. ''You people know exactly where the fun is at. Not only that, but, oh, my God, your fashion sense, your beauty, your charisma – everything about you people is amazing! Not as amazing as us Capitolites, though. But I don't need to tell you that because you already know!''

Once he finally settles down and calms himself, he dips his hands into the bowl with his latex, gold-trimmed gloves, and plays around with his fingers until he finds an envelope that feels ''satisfactory.''

''I wonder if...'' He doesn't even finish his sentence before he moves on to a different subject. ''Oh, who am I kidding? There's gonna be a volunteer no matter who is picked!'' Tearing the slip to pieces, he echoes out the name ''Anamaria Dorley.''

My hand shoots up automatically, and the words, ''I volunteer!'' slip out of my mouth before I can even catch them. The girl, Anamaria, steps right outside of the seventeen-year-old section right as I jump out of my own.

''You go, girl!'' I hear Karia encourage, and that only fuels me even more. I had anticipated all of the stares, but never the whistles and hollers of my name. Not in a million years would your parents ever give you this type of treatment.

''So that's why I gotta work for it and show them how successful I can be,'' I whisper to myself, bowing my head to my chest until I reach the stage.

First step... I'm on the right path to accomplishing what I've been craving for so long. Second step... They'll love me and appreciate me once I come back victorious. Third step...

I'll earn their admiration.


Chayona Watt, District Three


From the inside of my waiting room, all that's present is the most hysterical crying, my screaming sobs only being interrupted by the need to draw a breath. It's sort of a primal sound – one that we, as human beings, are programmed not to ignore.

I feel as though every Peacekeeper out in the hallway is turning their head, caught between the impulse of checking on me – most likely not – and staying out of the way. But it doesn't matter, because whatever they decide to do, their days won't be altered.

I'm facing death, and I'm unable to do anything about it – not them.

Soon enough, a Peacekeeper does open the door, its creaking noise bringing a chill down my spine. It sounds like some dying animal, crying out in pain and sorrow with its last breath.

All five of my sisters – Layla, Sharon, Abby, Shanice and Sheila – burst through the door, pushing the Peacekeeper aside as they rush towards me. Layla cups my face in her hands and looks me dead in the eye, the tears slowly streaking down her own face.

''I am so sorry,'' she apologizes, making me feel even more upset, ''for everything that I've said and done. I swear to you, I meant none of it. When I told you that you weren't even part of this family... I-I didn't mean it, seriously. I've made multiple jokes that have gone too far, but this... This is the most twisted thing that could ever happen to any one of us.''

Turning my head, I look away from my siblings, afraid to say anything. They've made fun of me for stuttering due to my nervousness a multifarious amount of times. Who says they won't do it again?

Sharon cries as if the ferocity of it might reverse time; as if by the sheer force of her grief, the Reaping selection will be undone. Hesitantly, I open up my mouth and sniff before asking, ''I-I-I th-thought you didn't c-care about m-me?''

''Of course I care about you!'' Sharon nearly blows a fuse in her brain. ''Just because I've always viewed you as the black sheep of the family doesn't mean that I actually hated you. Chayona, you're my sister – you're related to me by blood – how could I ever actually despise you?''

''I-I... I don't have an a-answer to that...''

''Look,'' Sheila speaks up. ''This is terrible, okay? I'll admit that for so many years, we've brought you down to the point where you didn't even want to speak to anyone. I hate myself for pushing you so far, and now that we're in this predicament, I can't help but feel as though this is my fault.''

''We're?''

''No, you,'' Shanice fixes Sheila's mistake. ''Listen, you're brilliant, Chayona. You've always been so interested in new types of inventions and different things to learn about. You're crafty, creative, and you have the brains to think of some way to get out of the Games alive. We've all seen it done before – that clever tribute from Three who somehow manages to survive with a bit of luck on their side. That... That could be you this year.''

''T-Thank you,'' I sniff, wiping away at my tears. A small crease tugs at my lips, and I can't control the apparent smile that now resides on the lower half of my face.

Although, through my peripheral vision, I notice Abby standing there, her legs shaking and her lips quivering. After catching sight of me glimpsing at her, unable to see clearly through her puffy eyes, she tumbles to the floor, her own tears falling thick and fast.

Jumping out of my seat like my life depends on it, I quickly wrap myself around the warm embrace of the only sister that actually showed me love throughout my days at home – she never scolded me for screwing up a few times; she never told me that she wished I had disappeared; she never informed me that I wasn't an important piece when it came to the family.

''Thank you.'' I place a soft, particularly wet kiss on her forehead and pull her closer to me. ''You've always b-been by my s-side when no-one else had b-been. Y-You were l-like a second m-mother to me, and I n-never got to tell you how m-much I a-appreciate everything that you've done for me.''

''Don't talk like that!'' she orders. ''You're speaking as if you've already given up, like you're accepting death without putting up a fight! I don't want to hear anything other than positive things coming out your mouth, do you hear me?''

''Y-Yes.''

''Good,'' she wipes away the tears. ''Now, do you have the family bead necklace that we made? Like, on you right now?''

''I do,'' I say, taking it out of my pocket and placing it in front of her with the palm of my hands.''

''Do you remember what the colors represent?''

''Yeah, d-definitely. G-Green is y-yours because y-you've always had a g-good, i-innocent and t-thoughtful personality. It's a-always been my f-favorite besides my o-own.''

''Remember me – remember us.'' She grabs me by my shoulders, holding on and clutching them tightly with her soft, sweaty, shaking hands. ''When you feel lonely, look at the colors and think of us watching you, rooting for you to survive another day, and live on so that you can come back to us. And when you do, I'll be waiting to run up and tackle you, wrap you in a warm blanket, and take you back home.''

''I-I'm gonna m-miss you so much—!''

The door opens again — this time with a slam — and with a forceful tone, the same Peacekeeper from before orders my sisters to leave the room immediately. One-by-one, they all give me a goodbye hug until only Abby remains. The Peacekeeper has to pry her off of me, prompting the floodgates to reopen once more.

The most sad part about this is that neither mom or dad visited me. For all I know, work probably called. ...Or maybe dad's still mad at me and convinced mom into not showing up. But... he wouldn't do that. He'd never be this petty over a fire. I just hope that they're at least thinking about me.

My chin trembles once again as if I'm a child. Breathing heavier than I ever have before, I gasp for the air that simply isn't there. My throat burns from a silent scream, and I finally understand what it feels like to cry – what it truly feels like to cry. A part of me is dying inside, but yet... I feel relieved.

The only thing I could've wished for came true: my sisters finally showed their loving side to me, and it wasn't fake. It was genuine love...

And I couldn't have asked for more.


Odessa Adria, District Four


''You do realize that I have to escort you to your waiting room, right?''

Pushing the Peacekeeper away from me with a little shoulder bump, I slip away from his grasp and move at least seven feet away from him. ''Obviously I do,'' I snarl at him, ''but you don't have to get all touchy with me. Just show me where to go and I'll follow. You don't have to hold my hands behind my back and get so close.''

''You're speaking to me about close?'' he asks, sounding flabbergasted. As we approach my destined door, I turn around and catch a quick glimpse of that Sota kid. He beat Branson? He looks like a fool to me. ''You literally just punched my shoulder and stepped on my boots!''

''Yeah, yeah, whatever.'' I give him a haughty look, patiently waiting for him to open up the door so that I can enter the room. When he finally does, I slip inside, take a seat on the comfy, violet couch chair, and say, ''People of your authority treat others like this everyday. It shouldn't be a problem when it happens to you, now should it.''

As he closes the door, the single word, ''Hypocrite,'' leaves his lips. That's what I thought, I want to say, but he's already gone. There would be no point in letting them out now.

I adjust myself presently, taking in my surroundings and looking at the Capitol style decor in awe. It's pretty, but I'm not going to spend the entirety of my time daydreaming about how beautiful the city is. A personality like that doesn't have a place outside of home – I should show them that I'm ready, determined, willing, and unafraid to do what I have to do.

After all, I'm finally here – where I want to be, and where I need to be.

A few seconds after my thoughts flow through my mind and I go into a deep thinking, Branson walks into the room, being accompanied with his hands behind his back.

''Odessa,'' he says silently, but it's not in a bad way or anything. He just looks happy for me. With anyone else, I'm a lioness. With Branson, I'm a rabbit. One look from him and the fight, sarcasm, and ruthlessness leaves my body. He sees me for who I am inside, quells the inferno in me, and transforms it into passion for life. ''I'm so proud of you! My parents couldn't make it, but they want you to know that they're so happy to see you make it as far as you have, and they wish you nothing but the best.''

I rise from my seat and let the happiness soak right into my bones. Closing my eyes, I savor this moment and reach out for his arm, grab it, and immediately bring him into a headlock, where I begin to furiously give him a noogie. ''When you go back to them, let 'em know that I love and thank them for treating me so well.''

''Ah, alright!'' he laughs, messing with me right back. With a soft elbow, he pokes at my stomach and manages to escape my hold. After our fit of laughter, I put a hand on his shoulder and smile.

Then, I kind of just stop. ''I'm really sorry that you didn't make the cut,'' I apologize. ''I was really hoping that you would, because me and you, together – in the Games – we could have easily ruled the arena and eliminated the competition within two days.''

''Don't be sorry about that,'' he reassures. ''It's not that serious. The important thing is that you made it, and rightfully so. You've always had it in you, and the Academy recognized that. You don't know how elated my family and I are to see you succeed. And besides, I'd prefer you make it out alive without me in the arena with you rather than only one of us coming out victorious and the other one, you know, dead.''

''Yeah, but you're deserving of it, too!'' I nearly shout. ''We share the same drive, the same competitive personality, the same—''

''Hey,'' he cuts me off, putting a finger up to my lips. ''I mean it, there's absolutely nothing to worry about.''

''Branson, I...'' Without even thinking, I have both of my arms swung around his neck, standing up on my tippy toes, hugging him. ''I can't thank you enough for what you've done for me. A few years ago, if someone told me that I'd be blessed with such an amazing friend like you, who would give me hope, a home, and even more of a reason to keep fighting... I-I wouldn't have believed them.''

''Odessa... come on, now. Everything I've done was just the right thing to do,'' he states. ''Any person with a good heart would have acted in the same way.''

''And yet, you were the only one – you and your family...''

It's quiet for a few seconds, and honestly, I don't even know if he's hugged me back yet, but now he does. He pulls me closer to him, gently, and allows me to rest my head on his shoulder.

''You know I love you, right?''

''I love you, too, Odessa.''

It seems as though an eternity has gone by, but I know that it's only been a few minutes. When you're with the people that you actually care about, time doesn't stop – it's endless. Unfortunately, in a bit, a Peacekeeper will probably come barging in and yelling at him to leave.

''Oh, and also, as you can tell, I wasn't able to get Augustus and Calliope to come visit you – believe me, I tried, but I couldn't find them anywhere in the crowd, and your parents were gone, so I don't know if they took them or not—''

''They probably did.''

''—but, I managed to get a hold of them. I saw both of them working and convinced them to speak to me during their breaks. Turns out, Calliope is even more of a bubbly girl than you thought she was. The girl enjoys life and loves being around her family and people in general. She remembers you, and she frequently asks about how you're doing and where you've gone, but, you know. And Augustus, he's still sick – but the good news is that his condition has been steady, and there's been a slight decrease in how sick he is. In truth, he's not getting better, but he's not getting worse, either.''

''You don't know how happy that makes me to hear that.'' Sniffing slightly – no, I'm not getting emotional – I add, ''I promise that when I get back, I'm paying you and your family for everything. There's no amount of money or success that can amount to what you guys have sacrificed for me. And for that, I'm forever in your debt.''

''Don't worry about it. Even after you win, you're welcome to stay with us for free, without any worry. We'll take care of your troubles. Most importantly, your parents and siblings are what your main focuses should be.''

''They are, but so are you.''

Branson is about to open his mouth and reply to me, but then, of course, the Peacekeeper from before interrupts the conversation and politely – surprisingly – asks Branson to remove himself from the premises.

We let go of one another – I let go of the only person that I'd ever let get close to me and embrace – and he walks out of the door. ''I'll see you when you get back. I believe in you. We believe in you.''

''Yes, you will,'' I promise. ''Count your days, 'cuz I'll be back sooner than you think.''

The last thing I see before the door closes is the smile that he gives me, the one that looks so sweet with just the right touch of love that makes me feel an unexpected warmth rush through me.


A/N: Ayee! So here's the first Reaping chapter. Honestly, when writing Reaping chapters, I'm never too confident about how I officially begin these stories and kind of think I do bad with the tributes, but I hope I didn't butcher them or anything. Be honest with me and let me know how you feel. If I screwed up your tribute, let me know. Anyway, as you can tell, Lachlan is the good kid in his friend group, Darren's the tough guy, Aurora's got something she wants to accomplish, Chayona has family issues, and Odessa is very thankful. Usually I don't recap tributes like this, but I felt it might have been needed just to start off. Never again will you see me doing this, most likely, 'cuz this is probably one out of like, four times that I've ever done this. Also, I guess people don't like caps when emphasizing shouting or yelling, so I'll cut that off. I love getting constructive criticism like that, so if you guys think there's anything that I need to work on or improve, please just let me know. I wanna make this story as enjoyable as possible for you guys, and I know that my writing's not perfect, and it definitely won't ever be, so all the help that I can get would be hella helpful and appreciated. Also, thanks for the blog reviews, I loved reading through your opinions on these tributes. Some opinions were eyebrow raising, others got a few chuckles - overall, it was great. Anyway, few questions, if you don't mind?


Favorite tribute this chapter, and why?

Least favorite, and why?

Any early predictions for these five?

You just watch a gruesome Capitol flick, and your Escort is extremely happy to have seen it. After he picks up a slip, he reads out your name, and there's a sadistic look on his face. What's going on through your head and what're you doing?


Thanks for reading, I don't really have much else to say. Let me know your opinions, and if you want, it can be in a form of a chart? ;) (Tbh, I really like charts, so keep that in mind). Oh, and also, many of these tributes have multiple paragraph portions of their personality, so not every aspect of them are shown. I used to write like 9000 word chapters where I'd go full detail with every single part of them, but I've decided to wait until further chapters to reveal some more to them because doing that is exhausting and drives you to hell until you can't take it anymore. Just saying, so don't freak out if all five detailed paragraphs of your tribute isn't shown when they're introduced. Anyway, have a wonderful morning/day/night, whatever time it is for you guys. I'll try to get the next chapter up as quick as I can, but no promises. Gotta study for upcoming early exams so I don't have to wait until June to get them out of the way, so you know I'm tryna get school over with as soon as possible so that I can be absent for the entire last week, which would allow for more chapter-writing time and just recreational stuff. Alright, I'm done. See y'all in a few! ^-^