District 5 Reapings
Anna Watt
Age 12
District 5 Female
"Isaac? Are you up there?" I call softly. It's early morning in the orphanage, and Isaac is probably already somewhere in the rafters.
Isaac is my best friend, and he's been my best friend for as long as I can remember. We're both orphans stuck in the same orphanage, with bad education and barely enough food to sustain us. I guess that we just stuck together because just because.
One thing's for sure, Isaac sure can climb. He's aided by the fact that the orphanage is so rundown, there's plenty of wood and debris lying around to give Isaac a boost.
"Isaac!" I call a little louder this time. Still no answer. I don't want to speak up too loudly. Miss Orbach, the woman who runs the orphanage, might get mad at me. In fact, now that I think about it, I barely speak up at all.
I wish I was brave enough to yell louder in the morning when Isaac was doing something dangerous. I wish I could speak up against Miss Orbach when she was yelling at the rest of us. But I can't. I'm too afraid.
"...Isaac? Are you there?" I call one last time.
"Yeah, I am. But look what I found!" his voice finally answers me from up above. I watch Isaac scramble down from the rafters and use a piece of broken ceiling to cushion his fall to the ground. He's holding a dusty marble in his hand.
"Oooh, a marble! I wonder how it got up there?" I wonder, staring at its dusty surface. Isaac shrugs and holds it up to the light. The early morning sunlight gleams through the marble, making its dusty surface look more clean.
"We can clean it, and then play with it. That'll be cool." Isaac says. Then he smiles mischievously.
"Or, use it to trip up Miss Orbach…"
"Isaac..." I murmur. Isaac laughs to show me he's joking.
"Just kidding! I would never do that! After all, she'd probably starve me for a few days if I did. Not that we're being fed well anyways…" Isaac mutters under his breath. His mischievous smile fades.
"Yeah… I guess…" I mutter under my breath. Isaac smiles suddenly and pats me on the head.
"Cheer up, Anna! We can still have fun with a single marble!" he laughs. I smile slightly.
"Provided we survive Reaping Day." I say pessimistically. Isaac looks at me seriously.
"I know that we'll get through it okay? Someday we'll get out of this orphanage, and we'll live a happy life together, like I promised you." Isaac gives me a big hug.
"Oh yeah! I forgot to mention, I found something special in the rafters, and it's for you!" he smiles his big, bright smile that always lights up the room.
"Really? For me? What is it?" Isaac sticks out his tongue at me.
"Not today! For your birthday next week!" He gives me another big hug. "So that we can celebrate another year closer to our dream!"
I can feel my face heating up. For a long time, about since I was five, I've had a crush on Isaac. We were both dropped at the orphanage at about the same time, and we've stuck together ever since. Isaac always cheered me up when I got sad, and shared what he had with me.
I think that the more time I spend with him, the more I'll like him. It's a strange thought, because I'm only twelve, but I still have that feeling in my heart which won't go away, no matter what I do.
"O-Okay…" I murmur softly.
Capper Wren
Age 18
District 5 Male
It's a freezing cold morning. And yet they're still going to keep going with the Reapings. Couldn't they have at least postponed it? I mean, a guy like me can't have too much exposure to the cold. Bad for my skin, ya know?
My best buddy Cameron is shivering next to me. He's funny and really nice, but his puns are just terrible. We're both wearing the nicest things we have, but even those are full of holes. We all work hard in the power plants every day to make money for all of us, but it's never really enough; we're always hungry.
I catch the eye of Abyss in the crowd. She's like the mother of our group, and this is her, Cameron, and I's last Reaping. She looks half relieved, half worried. I suppose she's worried for the other three alley kids.
Handel is at the Reaping for the first time. I can't see him in the twelve-year-olds section, but I'm sure that he's terrified. Ursula, who is fourteen, can be seen through the crowd. And Yarrow, who is sixteen. She's pompous for sure, but it's thanks to her that I learned how to smooth-talk my way out of anything.
"District 5! Welcome~!" Our escort Uki twirls onto stage. I never liked Uki that much. I might be a ladies man, but neon green hair and over-sparkly outfits just kill my eyes. And also, what's with that weird high-pitched voice she's got? It's like nails on a chalkboard. Cameron shoots me a sly look.
"Caps, if we ever get enough money, the first thing I'm gonna do is get us all some sunglasses for Reaping Day." his comment pitches us both into silent laughter.
"Alright! Ladies first, as usual!" Uki hops over the the girl's bowl and pulls out a name.
"Anna Watt!"
There's a scream from somewhere in the twelve-year-olds section. Half of me wants to breathe a sigh of relief that it's none of us, but there's still one half of the Reaping to go.
The guards converge on a small girl, dragging her up to the stage. She's crying and shaking uncontrollably as they plop her onto the stage. I feel bad for her, especially when Uki crouches down next to her and pats her head.
"There, there, darling~ Now, watt's your name?"
That was probably the worst pun that I'd ever heard. And I'm best friends with Cameron. The poor girl doesn't answer save for her sobbing, so Uki shrugs and stands up. She twirls over to the boy's bowl and pulls out a name.
"Capper Wren!"
My heart stops. Cameron immediately makes a move to raise his hand, but I shake my head at him. Composing myself in an instant, like the smooth guy I am, I walk through the crowd to the stage, smiling smugly.
Even though I'm shaking inside, I climb the steps without shaking in the slightest. Yarrow taught me a little too well. I can see the other alley kids, eyes wide with terror. I can see above everyone else; all their eyes are on me.
"And what's your name, dear?" she asks, shoving her mic in my face. Dear god her hair is blinding me. I flash a smooth smile at the crowd, not letting my fear show.
"The name's Capper, Capper Wren. Hope y'all are havin' a lovely day~"
I imagine that several girls just swooned somewhere in the crowd. Maybe the others will tell me if that's true. Who knows. Uki twirls to center stage and addresses the crowd below.
"District 5! Give it up for your tributes: Anna Watt and Capper Wren!"
Anna Watt
Age 12
District 5 Female
There's a moment in everyone's life when they realize that they're falling. That they're falling down into a deep, dark hole, with no bottom to the hole in sight. Sometimes, there's someone falling with you. It makes the fall more bearable, because you know someone is feeling the same things as you.
And then suddenly the person is gone. And you can see the bottom, and your death is apparent. But you can't do anything about it. You can scream and thrash, but you can't escape the fall.
This is what I feel now, crying uncontrollably, as the Peacekeepers drag me to the Goodbye Room and plop me down on the sofa. The sofa is very comfortable, but it's the only thing I can register as my eyes are blurry with tears. I barely hear the door burst open.
"Anna!" Isaac runs into the room and gives me a hug. I hug him back and bury my head into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably. Isaac pats me gently on the back, murmuring comfortingly.
"It's okay Anna, it's okay…"
I slowly calm down, and eventually my sobs subside. Isaac holds my hands in his, staring at me straight in the face.
"It's going to be okay, Anna. Listen to your mentors, okay? They have some good advice for you. Make as many allies as you can; they'll keep you safer than if you're alone." I nod a little, wiping some tears out of my eyes. Isaac smiles weakly.
"Hey Anna, they have some good food in the Capitol, eat a bunch of it for me, okay?" Isaac pulls something out of his pocket. It's a faded yellow ribbon.
"I was gonna save it until your birthday, but… I'd better give it to you now." Isaac clumsily ties the ribbon into my hair. It's far from perfect, but it's thoughtful of him. A sudden thought crosses my mind; it's now or never.
I lean forward and kiss Isaac on the lips. Isaac stiffens for a second, then he gently places his hand behind my head. When I pull away, some of my tears are gone. I smile weakly at Isaac, because he's blushing furiously.
"A-Anna-"
"Time's up."
The guards burst into the room. I reluctantly let Isaac go as the guards come closer.
"Stay safe, Anna! You can do it!"
It's the last thing I hear before the doors to the Goodbye Room slam shut.
Capper Wren
Age 18
District 5 Male
Well, you know what they say. Guys like me are just a little too handsome to live sometimes. Honestly, the goodbye room is real awesome. Is this how the people in the Capitol live? Velvet couch, crystal chandelier, and a bunch of other sweet goodies. I wouldn't put it past Cameron or Handel to try and nick something.
"CAPS!" the entire group of alley kids comes into the room. Cameron and Ursula tackle me, almost knocking the couch I'm sitting on over.
"Woah, woah guys! You gotta calm down!" I laugh. Handel is clinging tightly to Abyss's ragged skirt, tears in his eyes. Ursula and Cameron are clearly trying not to cry. Yarrow has her face turned away, clearly trying to seem dignified, despite her tense shoulders, which clearly betray how she really feels.
"Capper, what am I gonna do without you, buddy? You've been my best friend since forever!" Cameron cries. I lean back on the couch, flashing them all a smile and trying to seem unconcerned.
"It's not like my fate is sealed just yet. Ask Yarrow to teach you some smooth-talk, man. It's how I got the three jobs that I work at, ya know?" I advise. Yarrow turns her head.
"I believe you were the one who followed me around for several days, begging me to teach you how I talked my way out of trouble. I even remember you crying." Yarrow says. Cameron and Ursula forget their tears and burst into laughter.
"Now now, Yarrow. That's all in the past, no?" I say smoothly. Abyss looks at me seriously.
"Now is no time for that, Capper. We'll be working some extra jobs from now on. Listen to your mentor, okay? I know you're really… sarasmatic, I think is the word? Use it to your advantage. Do your best to come back to us." Abyss's advice is wise, so I don't argue.
"Oh yeah! Capper, here. Take this." Cameron hands me something. This is…
"Guys, but- you can't!"
"We want you to have it, Capper. It's the most precious thing we've ever owned, and we want you to have it." I stare at the two tiny shining buttons in my hand. These buttons were dropped by someone a long time ago. We were disappointed when we found out that they were only plated gold, but the shine they seem to emit gives us hope.
"It's to remind you that we're waiting for you, and that the hope of the Alleyway Kids lies with you." Yarrow murmurs. I slip the buttons into my pocket with an ache in my heart.
"Thanks, everyone."
Suddenly, the guards burst into the room.
"Time's up," one of them growls. Yarrow lets out a shriek of protest as they begin to escort my friends out of the room.
"Unhand me, you brute!"
It's the last thing I hear before the door slams shut behind them. For the first, no, the second time in my life, I feel truly alone.
WELLL. Finals are approaching and I'm doing this. Wish me luck everyone TAT.
Thanks to Randomperson1818 for Anna Watt. I hope you liked the personality I gave to Isaac too.
Now wish me luck on finals, as I'll be working on something else for a while.
So thank you guys so much for reading, and me, NyanToDaMax145, will see you guys next time! BOOOOOIIIII!