District 3 Reaping
Aquilla "Quill" Erastothenes
Age 16
District 3 Male
I sit in my room, curtains drawn like usual, and a book on my lap. This book is interesting, but then again, most books are interesting to me. I read books to escape from the reality where I have to (shudder) socialize.
"AQUILLA! I'VE BEEN CALLING YOU FOR THREE MINUTES! IT'S TIME FOR BREAKFAST!"
I cringe as my dad's yell slices through my daydream. I must have been reading for too long.
I tuck the book under my arm and make my way downstairs. My father stands there, arms crossed and looking annoyed, as always.
"Your friends are waiting in the dining room for you. Today is Reaping Day, remember?" he growls. I nod, neglecting to mention the fact that I didn't remember. I head to the dining room, where my mother is just laying out the plates of food.
"Good morning, Quill!" my girlfriend, Cha-Wei, calls. Her little sister, Niu-Ma, waves at me enthusiastically. Sherlock, my friend and jock of the group, nods while scarfing down a piece of toast. Phileas, my neighbor and friend, nods in my direction and takes a puff of his inhaler.
"Good morning, dude. You ready for the Reaping?" Phileas asks me. My sister, Caria, is too busy reading a magazine to notice me.I groan as I sit down at the table. My mother places a plate of toast and scrambled eggs in front of me.
"Not really. Completely forgot, in fact." I sigh. Cha-Wei laughs and pats me on the shoulder.
"Don't worry, Quill. You'll be fine!" she encourages. I smile a little. Cha-Wei's encouragement makes me feel a little more confident.
"I'll feel really bad for whoever gets Reaped this year." Sherlock sighs. Phileas nods in agreement, his face somber.
"Well speaking of the Reaping, hurry up and eat. We can't be late." my mother commands. My father grunts to show that he agrees.
"Yes mom." I sigh, eating my scrambled eggs.
Evelyn Letterman
Age 14
District 3 Female
I stand in the fourteen-year-old section, shuffling my feet nervously. The Reaping is about to take place, and I've never been more apprehensive in my entire life. What if Calem gets reaped? What if one of my sisters gets Reaped? I don't know what I'd do then.
Dana, my second oldest sister, glances over at me from the sixteen-year-olds section. She gives me a thumbs up. I nod at her to show that I saw.
My sisters, Morgan, Dana, and Nita are loud, proud, and amazing at what they do, which is variety shows. Unlike me. I'm not really talented at anything. My friend Calem keeps saying that I'm talented with computers, but I don't really think so. After all, compared to my sisters, how can I be good at anything?
I look through the crowd, trying to see if I can find my friend Calem. But he's all the way in the seventeen year old section, so I don't see him.
"District 3! Are you ready for another exciting Games?!" Our Escort, Midoriya Kibastuna, rushes up to the stage to yell the words at us. I clap politely; I don't want to seem disrespectful. Mr. Kibastuna walks over to the Boy's bowl and pulls out a slip of paper. I cross my fingers, praying that it isn't Calem.
"Aquilla Erastothenes!" he cries. A boy from the sixteen-year-old section staggers up to the stage. It looks like he's shaking his head at someone. I feel sympathy for him: he looks sick to his stomach.
"And, your name?" Mr. Kibastuna asks.
"My name is Aquilla Erastothenes…" the boy sighs. He looks very pale, but I'm not sure if it's his regular complexion or fear.
"Alright, and now, a girl!" Mr. Kibastuna walks over to the girl's bowl and picks out a name. Then, something happened that I never would have expected.
"Evelyn Letterman!" my heart stops. My knees feel weak. Thoughts start to race through my head, none of them registering completely.
"And what's your name?" I realize that I have walked up to the stage. There are so many people staring at me. I see my sisters, tears in their eyes and hands clasped together in prayer. I see Calem, frozen with shock.
"Evelyn Letterman… Evelyn Letterman…" I mutter, while trying not to faint. Mr. Kibastuna nods and turns to the crowd.
"District three, let's hear it for your tributes: Aquilla Erastothenes and Evelyn Letterman!"
Aquilla "Quill" Erastothenes
Age 16
District 3 Male
I can barely register what's happening as two Peacekeepers escort me to the goodbye room. I don't have my books with me. If I did, maybe I'd feel less fearful. The door to the Goodbye Room opens.
"Quill…" My mother gives me a hug, which is new for her. She rarely shows much love around the house. My father gives me a pat on the shoulder for good luck. Caria hops up and gives me a big hug. Tears are rolling down her eyes.
"Quill, take this." My father hands me a beautiful crystal, but before I can take it a Peacekeeper snatches it from me.
"Not allowed. Choose something else." The Peacekeeper growls, dropping to crystal back in my father's hands. My father looks a little flustered, and then he rummages through his pockets for something.
"Okay, I'm sorry you have to make do with this…" he sighs, handing me a small clock hand. I nod; The fact that this came from my home Three is good enough.
"Thank you." I say, giving my family one last hug.
My family leaves, wishing me good luck. Then, the door opens again. Cha-Wei, Phileas, Sherlock, and Niu-Ma rush into the room.
"You should have let me volunteer, man… I would have stood a better chance." Sherlock says mournfully. I shake my head in defeat.
"No. I wouldn't wish that pain upon your family." I explain. Phileas has to take several puffs of his inhaler before he can speak.
"You, you'd better come back to us, okay, Quill? Please listen to your mentor. Just… make sure you come home." Phileas sighs. I nods, giving Phileas a brofist. Niu-ma gives me a hug, crying gently. Then, Cha-Wei comes forward, tears sparkling in her eyes.
"We'll leave you alone… Good luck, man." Sherlock says hastily, giving me a pat on the shoulder. Niu-Ma and Phileas follow Sherlock out of the room. Now it's just Cha-Wei and I.
"If you look at the stars every night, and I do too, we'll still be together in spirit." Cha-Wei murmurs. I nod, not knowing what to say. Cha-Wei suddenly moves closer and kisses me.
We've never kissed this long before. We both know that this might be the last time that we see each other.
"Goodbye, Quill. May the odds be ever in your favor." Cha-Wei gets up and walks towards the door.
As she leaves I hear her crying into her hands.
Evelyn Letterman
Age 14
District 3 Female
The room I'm sitting in is very comfortable. Plush chair, crystal chandelier, et cetera. But I barely notice these things, due to the fact that I'm having an internal breakdown.
"EVELYN!" My mother runs into the room and throws her arm around me, tears streaming out of her eyes and words coming out of her mouth so fast that I can barely decipher any of them.
Morgan, Dana, and Nita follow closely, waiting for mom to stop suffocating me before they give me a big group hug.
"Please come back okay, Evelyn! We need your skills!" Nita sobs. I don't really answer; I'm too busy staring at the floor, trying to regain my senses. I just kind of mutter a thank you.
"Evelyn! Snap out of it!" Calem yells, grabbing my by my shoulders and shaking me. I snap back to my senses and find myself emotionless and composed.
"Thank you, Calem…" I say softly, trying not to cry. My mother sits down on the couch, crying into a handkerchief. Morgan sits down next to her.
"Please, Evelyn, listen to your mentor. And come home safe, or at least try to, okay…?" Dana says, clasping her hands together in a sort of prayer. I nod to show that I heard. Morgan takes off the top hat that my sisters use for their variety shows.
"Evelyn," she says quietly, pulling the sash off of the hat, "take this." I take the red sash and run my fingers over it. It certainly has an interesting texture; the smoothness of it switches to a patchwork of stitching due to the times that it tore during their shows.
"Thank you, everyone… I promise to try and return home safe… but I don't think I'm capable enough." I murmur quietly. Calem gives me a quick hug.
"Come on, Evelyn. You're so much more talented than that. I've seen you modify a smoke machine to shoot paintballs before, for goodness's sake!" he laughs. The barest hint of a smile crosses my face.
"Thank you, everyone."
AND THERE YOU HAVE IT! Sorry it's late; Inktober has been keeping me pretty busy for the past few days. But I hope you all like these two! Thank you to HoppsHungerfan for Aquilla and AmericanPi fo Evelyn!
Chapter Question: What are your thoughts on Aquilla "Quill" Erastothenes (D3M) and Evelyn Letterman (D3F)?
I'm sorry that this chapter is so late;; I'm still waiting on a District 4 Male from someone, if they get the chance.
So thank you guys so much for reading, and me, NyanToDaMax145, will see you guys next time! BOOOOOOOOIIII!