Reapings Part Two:
Atlas Aureliano, 18, District Two Male
Slicing forward, I embed my katana into the dummy's heart, watching as the fake foam of blood comes pouring out. I rip the weapon out, dust it off on my legs, and set my sights on another target. In all honesty, I know that I shouldn't be practicing on the day of the Reaping, and nobody is allowed to anyway, but I couldn't resist – I'm volunteering today, and I want to get a little bit of practice before going up.
''Atlas!'' Veyron – my best friend – comes rushing in through the double doors of the Training Academy. He stops as soon as he enters, and a cheeky smile creeps up on his face. Brushing his hand against his short cropped hair, he says, ''Come on, you know we do everything together, man! At least inform me when you go off and do stuff like this!''
I laugh. ''Sorry, man, I was just really in a rush this morning.'' Crouching down, I pick up the water bottle that I brought and squeeze it, letting the water rush into my mouth and travel down my throat. ''I had time to get Lily, as you can see,'' I inform him, pointing towards her as she sits on the floor. ''But I didn't really, you know, have time to grab you.''
Veyron glares at me, but then he begins laughing. ''Get over here, man!'' I shout out in a friendly tone, shooting my hand upwards and begin reeling it back, signaling for him to approach me. Veyron wastes no time and quickly jogs over here, and as soon as he arrives, we shake hands.
''So tell me... How exactly did you get in here?'' He questions. ''The Academy is never open when it's Reaping Day, and they don't usually allow anyone to train. You know how they like to keep their volunteers 'fresh' before they go up? So what's your secret, Mr. Aureliano?''
''Well,'' I drawl. ''See, I just kinda made friends with the man at the head office earlier today when I saw him closing the doors. We got along well, talked and joked a bit, and he just let me in. I brought Lily and Ace with me, so that was also a plus. It seems that I get whatever I want, and that's kinda cool and all, but I'm not entitled to anything. I wouldn't mind hearing someone say 'no' for once.''
Veyron crosses his arms and scoffs at me. ''So you get everything that you want, but you don't appreciate it? You've never had to face rejection before in your life, so why would it start now?''
''It's not that I don't appreciate it, I just don't feel like everyone has to give me what I want all the time, you know?'' I sigh. ''But I'm fine by it, really. If it wasn't for that, Mom and Dad would've never brought me into the Academy, we would've never met, and you would've never gotten that anger out of me – and I would have never saved Lily from cutting herself, and possibly end up taking her own life.''
''So you getting everything that you want is what led to our friendship and everything else?''
''Like I said, I'm not entitled to anything,'' I smile. ''But it is nice, and I'll always appreciate it and never take it for granted. Because any day now, it could be swept away from my hands just like... Well, you know what. And yes, that is what led to us becoming so close – and I'll always hold that deeply.''
''Yeah, I do.'' Veyron wraps his arm around my neck. ''And I hold it deeply, too, bro. But look on the bright side: at least she's resting in peace now, so you don't have to worry about her.''
''...How is she resting in peace, Veyron?'' I inquire. ''She killed herself, there's no resting in peace when you end your own life. She was depressed, she didn't have any relationships that were going well for her. And because of that, she decided to pull the plug, cut the rope, end it all!''
My sarcasm gets the better of me but I maintain myself. Sighing, I begin to apologize but Veyron cuts me off before the words even escape my mouth. ''Don't.'' He pauses. ''You don't need to, man, I get you completely. I mean, that's never happened to someone I've loved before – definitely not my sister of all people – but we're like brothers, so I can understand your pain.''
Just as I'm about to thank him, Ace appears out of nowhere and calls out. ''Veyron!'' He runs up and high fives Veyron, then turns to me and starts making requests: ''Hey, since you're both here – and because Lily doesn't seem like she wants to communicate with anyone – why don't you two do some practice together? You basically do everything together, so why not spar for one last time before my brother... Well, you know what I mean.''
Veyron nods and picks up the katana that I was using, then turns to me and gives a childish smile. He stabs the katana into the dummy's chest and sinks it in deeply. ''What do you say, Atlas, for old time's sake?'' I nod my head and walk over to the weapons closet, and pull out another katana. The two of us line up right in front of each other's faces and hold our weapons up in a proper stance, waiting five seconds before we attack.
Instantly, Veyron's arm goes swinging to the side and her carefully clutches the katana with both hands, making sure to aim straight at for stomach. I jump back with automatic reflexes, making sure to bring my weapon up to match his. The sound of metal clashing resonates throughout the silent training room, with sparks that begin to fly out and land just a few inches from us both.
I pull my katana back, leaving a wide open look for Veyron to swing straight at my neck. Quickly leaning back, I push my left hand forward, grab him by his collar, and pull him closer to me, then I bring up my katana with my right hand and press it against his neck. Panting, the both of us eye each other with smirks on our faces.
He sweeps his leg in between mine and brushes it off to the side, instantly knocking me off balance. My katana falls out of my hand and he walks over me, stands staring down at my face, and brings his katana to my chest, but I quickly roll out of the way and elbow his knee. His balance falters and he stumbles forward with no defense to support him. I quickly lift him up with as much strength as I can manage and drop him onto the floor. A loud grunt escapes his lips, and just as he tries to get up, I press my katana down onto his neck and chuckle.
''Game,'' I claim. Veyron spits on the floor and wipes his lips, nodding his head with a key smile. Helping him up, I duck my hand down and allow him to grab onto it. When he gets up, the Reaping Bell chimes. ''Hey, Ace!'' I call out. ''Come on, we're all heading out now.''
Veyron and I place the katanas back into the weapons closet and leave the Academy, Lily following right behind us. ''I knew you were gonna win that,'' Veyron says. I turn my head and look at him quizzically. ''Don't give me that look, you know you're good. Honestly, I don't see why the Academy didn't choose you to volunteer in the first place, but whatever, right? You go out there and volunteer anyway. Show them that you're not a pushover and that you have the skill to win; you're not just some replacement.''
''Well, it's not just about winning,'' I sigh. ''It's the District. I wanna make Two proud, I wanna show them that I'm here for them, and that I'm ready to put my life on the line to satisfy them. I want to do as much as I can in order to grant us fame and fortune for a year or so. That's all I can do to support my District as of now, and letting someone else volunteer during my final year just isn't an option.''
Turning toward Ace, I observe as he stays quiet. He wasn't excited when I delivered the news, telling him that I was gonna volunteer. He's always been against me risking my life for the District, but the loyalty that I feel for it is what really pushes me forward – it's what keeps me going, and I want to fulfill that dream of making Two proud.
When we arrive to The Square, everyone turns their heads and stare at Veyron, Ace and I. People give Lily dirty looks, and although they're whispering, I still hear what they're saying, wondering why the hell I dare hang out with someone like her. Around me I see girls giving me, Ace, and Veyron loving eyes – a couple of them wink, some make hearts with their hands, and others blow us kisses, but when they see Lily they scoff, probably questioning what everyone else is.
''You okay, Lily?'' I ask, while standing at the front of the line. People usually tell me that I'm ''cool,'' and that hanging out with Lily will ruin my reputation, but I honestly don't care. She's like a sister to me... and I'm the slightly annoying older brother who continuously checks up on her.
She peers up and nods her head, a gleam on her features. I smile and turn back around to let the Peacekeeper prick my finger. Once she stamps the blood, I walk out of the line and tell Lily that I'll talk to her later in the Justice Building. Ace has already left and gotten a spot in the sixteen-year-old section, and Veyron and I just reach the eighteen-year-old section. I catch Veyron staring at me through my peripheral vision and turn to him, asking him, ''What is it?''
''Just go out there and kill it, okay?'' He orders. Nodding my head, I look straight forward just as the Escort and Mayor finish their introductions, and the female tribute's name is called. ''The Academy is wrong for placing you as a backup volunteer. You should've been chosen as the primary volunteer in the first place, and either way, whether Braiden got into a training accident or not, you would've still volunteered, am I right?''
''I volunteer!'' Yells out Sigrid Lapierre. Although she's only a year younger than me, she still has incredible skill. I remember overhearing her and someone else talking in the Training Academy, something about letting a girl named Aemilia volunteer because it was her last year, and Sigrid still had another year left. Sigrid walks up to the stage calmly and in a focused manner.
''Yeah, I would've,'' I admit. ''Of course. I want this, Veyron, and you know that. You've always been there to support me, and I thank you so much for that. And no matter who's called up there when the Escort yells out a name, I'm still raising my hand up high and mighty, making sure that everyone sees me, and I will run up that stage with a smile on my face.''
''Good,'' Veyron grabs me and wraps his arms around me in a hug. ''Don't forget me when you're in that Arena, alright?'' Nodding my head, I agree to always have him and everyone else who's helped me get here on my mind everyday when I'm in that Arena. Apparently the Escort already called out the male's name and I missed it. Veyron turns me around and tells me to look, pointing to the center of the aisle.
My eyes widen when I see Ace walking past me, almost halfway near the stage. He catches a glimpse of me and shakes his head, but he knows that I've always wanted to volunteer. I promised myself that no matter who it was, I was going to volunteer. So, running out of my section, I quickly catch up to Ace and grab him by the back of his neck in a playful manner and smile at him. ''I volunteer!'' I raise my hand up into the air.
Ace grits his teeth but holds his peace. He wants to say something, but he doesn't get the chance to when two Peacekeepers pick him up by his underarms and drag him away from me. There's a glistening shimmer in his eyes, like tears are about to soak out, but he keeps his cool and stays unemotional, nodding his head as he vanishes into the background.
When I hop onto the stage, an overjoyed sensation taking over my blood-filled veins, I don't even wait for the Escort to ask me for my name. ''Atlas Aureliano!'' I state, holding my ground. ''And District Two, I promise you that I will make you proud. My respect for you, how much I cherish you, how much I want to satisfy you... All of that will carry me out through the Games, so wish me the best of luck. I won't do you wrong.''
The Escort – who's name I should probably get to learn – gives me an impressive look and nods his head in delight. Turning back, he announces Sigrid and I to District Two and says he's confident that we'll have another Victor this year. If we manage to do well and play smart, there are no doubts in my mind that one of us will come out of that Arena alive – preferrably me, though.
District Two gives us both a standing ovation, and the Escort directs us to each other, telling us to shake hands. Sigrid grabs my hand in a polite way, a smile that seems to be frozen on her face. She hasn't removed that look ever since she volunteered, which is really strange, but I don't judge.
She has a firm grip, and her hands are so soft pressed against mine. She uses her other hand and places it under my chin to lift my face up, and stares directly into my eyes, with a genuine look on her face. ''Good luck,'' she whispers.
''Good luck to you, too,'' I reply.
We raise our hands high into the air, and when the clapping stops, she slips her fingertips away and walks to the Justice Building. She seems friendly, very friendly; however, I feel like there's much more to her personality than that.
And it'll be seen sooner or later. I just have that gut feeling that something's up. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.
Emil Robins, 16, District Three Male
''Hey,'' Toni whispers, still lying back on the lush green grass. ''Why are we here again? I don't mind skipping out on factory work and all, but I'm just curious. You never really filled me in on anything, you know.''
''Yeah, yeah, I know,'' I shush him. Turning my head to get a view of him, I begin to explain. ''See, the Peacekeepers are patrolling the streets right now. People are out, and I've basically planned this foolproof scheme."
Toni sits up a little, my words drawing his attention. ''So I've been thinking about this day for a while now,'' I say. ''The Peacekeepers take a routine everyday – they patrol the Square streets three times in an exact amount of thirty minutes, but sometimes they take breaks in between. There are ten minutes before the Reaping starts, and they're currently on their third lap.''
''Uh-huh,'' Toni says, excitement gleaming on his face. He's beginning to pump himself up for something. ''And this is the reason why you have those plastic bags with you, right? What's in them?''
''Yeah, but let me finish first,'' I demand. ''They always pass by Capitol Incs before finally pushing through the crowds. And in the crowds are the best places to cause trouble.'' Cracking my knuckles, I let a smile radiate my face and grab the plastic bags that I have in my arsenal. ''Inside of these, like usual, are mini microchip bombs. They won't do any serious damage, but they're enough to shock and cause trouble, and-''
''And you're gonna toss them while walking through the main streets, but intercept the Peacekeepers so that you can get not only them, but the hundreds to thousands of people all walking to the Square at the same time. But you know if you do that, it'll only delay the Reaping, so whoever the poor, unfortunate children Reaped are will only have to dread getting to the Square even more, right?''
''Psh, of course I do! But I don't care. I honestly really don't care,'' I shrug my shoulders and shake my head. Their problem is theirs, not mine. I only care about what I gain, what I get, what I receive. But what I receive is that craving... When people look at me – whether it's for good reasons or bad – I just feel amazing, like it gives me a joyful sensation on the inside.
It's something my parents never gave me, but that's only because they don't give a damn about me. It's fine, though, I get what I want one way or another, and it always pays off. The spotlight always shines on me, and when all of those eyes are locked on my body – my figure, my shadow, my silhouette – I feel like a celebrity. Like someone who's known all over, and maybe that's because I am.
''We might as well start heading out now,'' I say, pointing toward a shortcut to the main streets. Toni follows calmly, not letting the excitement control him and make him do something idiotic.
It's just so bland... This District is so boring and monotone, with people who don't know how to have fun or enjoy life – all they do is work and complain and bitch and moan. Nothing exciting or fun-filled happens here, and it makes me wanna just leave. But at least I have their attention.
When we get to the main streets, Elden Boulevard, I quickly remove my two micro-bombs from the plastic bags and clutch them in the palm of my hands tightly. Up ahead, the buildings block out some of the civilians who begin clocking out of work, and are starting to get ahead of the Reaping Bell.
Before I let out my electric assault on the citizens of Three, I make eye-contact with Toni and ask, ''How did the citizens of District Three feel after getting electrified?'' He ponders over the question for a few seconds before I abruptly interrupt his thinking. ''Shocked!''
With two arm tosses, I send my mini bombs flying across the low skies, and in the background Toni tries to suppress his giggle, but ends up bursting into laughter because of my joke. ''Come on!'' I shout out, running to get a closer look at the mayhem that's about to arrive.
And right when I step my foot on the concrete floor, two explosions go off in a synchronizing fashion, sending smoke to erupt from the ground and end up blinding the streets. Small electric bolts begin to spark and make contact with everything that touches the smoke. Because of this, many people begin yelling, while I stay behind and watch it all unfold. I want to jump in there so badly...
But I can't, not yet. I'll wait until the smoke and dust squander away until I make my appearance in front of everyone – and when I do, boy oh, boy will their expressions be priceless, but totally worth it. And just on cue, with the screaming of women and mothers, the crying of children, the grunting of men and fathers, all of the blinding substance fritters away.
Three Peacekeepers simultaneously pull out rifles and begin shooting in the air, sending bullets and flashes of yellow light up from the smoke. When Toni sees this, it's like memories flood through his mind. ''Remember when you almost got whipped, Emil?'' He asks, keeping his calm, but I can see the fear in his eyes. ''Yeah, no, we're not dealing with that again.'' Grabbing my arm, he tries to run off but I keep my ground.
My eyes stare into the windows of his, and I just shake my head. I can't. With me staying still, he turns away and begins running off, probably heading for The Square. The Peacekeeper shots are quickly followed by shrill shrieks of women and children, and then nothing but the sound of wind flowing through the air.
Quickly running past the blinded ones, I push through the heaviest of people and get myself to an area where there's a clear opening for everyone to see me. Everyone. When they're all able to see, they all turn to me – some of them let out groans, others let out laughs. ''It's Emil!'' I hear, and I begin to grow amused.
Multiple people let out complaints all at the same time, until one certain, extremely skinny girl with black hair and brown highlights approaches me. When she finally reaches me, the look in her eyes is one of the best expressions I've seen from a person in a while; there was no trace of tears, not in her eyes or in the track marks on her reddening face. Her eyes were narrowed, rigid, cold, hard...
In this moment, I know that I'm now her enemy, someone she doesn't like already. ''What?'' I shrug, pretending like I don't know what just happened. Everyone stares right at me, all eyes darted just how I like it. ''D-Did I do that? I thought it was just a game that we were playing, so I just threw those little equipment thingies,'' I try, then purposely lose my balance so that I can fall into her arms.
She tightly grips the collar of my shirt, and just as I'm about to talk, strong hands seize my jaw shut. Staring straight into my eyes, I get the feeling that I've crossed some invisible line, offending her sensibilities – but I don't care, that's what I wanted to do. Whatever happens to others, like I said before, is their problem, and I couldn't care less about them.
''What is honestly wrong with you?'' She bites down on her bottom lip, like she's holding something back. ''Is there nothing else that you could possibly do besides fuck with people all day? Do you know how annoying it gets, seeing your face over and over again, and the only thing that comes with it is the annoying, disruptive, chaos that you cause?''
''Huh?'' I tilt my head, feigning as if I don't understand the words that have just escaped from her lips. Her face contorts into one of complete anger, vexation written all over her face. She begins to holler at me, calling out things that she thinks hurt me – but no, not in front of the crowds.
Shaking her grip off, I push her away and fall ''accidentally,'' which allows me to get laughs from the viewers. Nobody pays attention to the girl, but more to me.
''What is wrong with you?!'' She stands over me, her body bent over and her face right in front of mine. ''You're so immature! Why don't you grow up and stop being so irksome?! Can you-''
''Whoa!'' I yell, keeping a straight face on the outside but a huge smile on the inside. ''That hot ass breath knocked the life out of me! Can you get out of my face before you kill me and then go on to kill the rest of District Three with that dank ass breath, please?''
Chuckles emit through the atmosphere; even the Peacekeepers are laughing. She quickly walks away from me, and some people shake their heads, while others begin dying of laughter. Just as these incidents conclude, the Reaping Bells chime and I'm able to slip away from the Peacekeepers without being noticed.
In short time, I make it to The Square and get in line, where I exploit myself as an idiot to get laughs from others, or just gazes to stare at me. The world seems like such a bigger place, but with me being the thing that it revolves around. It's all in my hands, the attention, all of it is locked on me like I crave, like I desire.
''Next!'' A Peacekeeper yells out, drawing my attention, now. Lumbering over to the front, I finally reach the table and stick my finger out, allowing the Peacekeeper to poke a needle into it and sample my blood. I then strut to the sixteen-year-old male section and patiently wait, but begin to think.
''...Wonder who's gonna get picked this year,'' I say under my breath. ''Probably someone who knows me, or someone that I don't know but want to know me, want to pay attention to me and give me their time. Someone who will make me gain, not lose – and whatever I gain is actually their loss, which is even better.''
Stroking my chin, I sigh and turn my head to the back of The Square, where I see a little boy walking to a back row with his father, giggling and laughing at something the child just said. That makes me boil on the inside, rage, actually. It's disgusting, how some people can have relationships like that, while I can't even remember the last time my Dad and I laughed together, or even took a stroll around the District with one another.
''Why do they get that and I can't even get a damn hug..?!'' I say out loud, although that thought was supposed to stay in my mind. Boys around me begin turning and eyeing me and some begin to call me weird, but I just smile to myself and continue thinking – after all, they're giving me their time, so why complain?
The snapping of fingers knocks me out of my thoughts, and when I look up, the Reaped girl – guess I missed out on the Treaty of Treason and other important introductions – is walking up onstage with a... smile on her face? I don't know why she's smiling.
''Oh, you're happy about this?'' The Escort asks, a confused look on his face. ''I've never really seen a District Three tribute excited to be in the Games... Besides that one psychotic kid a couple of decades back. What a fool he was. Glad he's dead, though, so phew! You're no psycho, are you? Or is there just a chip on your shoulder?''
Inspecting closer, because my eyesight isn't the best and I refuse to get glasses, I make out that the Reaped female was the girl who confronted me earlier today, not even ten minutes ago. She shakes her head and answers, saying that it's something to do with family; guess it's good to see someone else who's going through the same struggles as I am.
After her answer, the Escort strolls over to the males' bowl and picks out a slim slip, and echoes the male's name out into the microphone. ''Emil Robins!'' What?! Something hits the back of my throat and almost makes me choke, and my heart starts pounding rapidly against my chest. Me? No way! Around me, all of the boys begin giving me horrifying looks, and some girls from the opposite side of the aisle give me pitying looks. No way, I couldn't have just been Reaped.
''No way...'' I whisper to myself. ''Emil Robins, please step up to the stage!'' Above, up on the monitors, they zoom in closely on my face, and then, that's when it hits me hard in the brain and my head begins to throb. I've just been Reaped as District Three's Male representative for the Hunger Games this year..! There's no escaping, I've actually been called...
Two Peacekeepers push everyone in my area out of the way and grip my arms tightly, pick me up, and bring me to the stage. They then push me up, and I lock eyes with whatever her name is, but I quickly ignore her as she quivers her lips and turn to the audience ahead. Everyone is pale-faced, but that's not important.
Something begins hitting me harder and harder in the chest, and finally, I realize that I'm on camera – not only for District Three to see, but for the entire nation of Panem to see. The Capitol, Districts One to Twelve, and whatever else is out there that's viewing. They all see me... Their eyes are locked on my appearance on the screen right now, watching my every movement. The realization finally kicks in, and even though this isn't the best attention I could receive, it's still attention...
...The type that I've always been looking for! Making it far... If I can do that, I'll be a celebrity, and if I win... If I win... I'd be famous forever, I'd never be forgotten like all the fallen tributes. They'd remember my name, I'd be known as one of the most important District Three Victors ever. They would all treat me differently and start paying more attention to me.
Attention that would never get old and fade away. I'd be forever a legend.
Sawyer Fira, 17, District Seven Female
Pulling back the old-fashioned curtains of my room, I let the morning sunlight cast an antiquated scenery across my bed and light up on Dillon's face. He stares at me, a grin plastered on his features, his cheery personality not giving a care in the world. Not at all, even if today is Reaping day.
''So how are you feeling about... y'know, the Reaping today? Think you got a good chance of surviving until eighteen?'' He pokes out a question, placing his hands on his knees.
Ignoring him, I stride to my closet barefooted and perch up to see what I could wear to the Reaping today. Dillon repeats his question a second time, but I give him the same answer that I gave him last time – nothing but silence and a hostile environment. Despite our long-lasting friendship, I don't see Dillon as an exception for the way I communicate with others.
''Sawyer,'' Dillon calls up just as I pick up a white tee, and press it up against my chest, preparing to remove my pajamas. My feet keep stomping on my long, fabricated pants, which is starting to get really annoying. ''Sawyer, come on. Answer my question. How are you feeling?''
Turning my head just a couple inches over my shoulder, I shrug. ''How do you think I feel?'' Dillon puts on a worried look, his fingers twitching as he sighs and stares around my room, taking in the ugliest designs possible. But to me, this is fine – as long as I have a living environment, then all of the work that I've been putting in the lumber yard is worth it. I have food, a shelter, and I'm somehow able to provide for my mother. I think that's fine.
''It's just... You've taken a lot of tessarae, and I'm worried about you getting Reaped.'' He gulps. ''J-Just think about it. I mean, you don't look scared, but-''
''Oh, no!'' I shout out. ''Of course I'm not scared, because why should I be scared after taking out hundreds of tessarae? I mean, after realizing that work wasn't enough to actually go anywhere in life, I just took tessarae out for fun, because I knew my name would be in the Reaping bowl ten times more than any other girl in this District. Why should I be scared, Dillon?''
He contemplates answering my question, not being all too sure if that was sarcasm or not. Finally, he realizes that it was sarcasm, and begins to babble. ''S-Sorry, I-I didn't mean to... I'm sorry.''
''It's fine,'' I say quickly, then shut my mouth. There's not much to say, especially not today. ''Hey, turn around,'' I tell Dillon, after picking out the clothes that I'm gonna wear to the Reaping. I showered and groomed before he came over, and decided to save my clothes for last, which probably wasn't the smartest thing to do. Dillon turns around without a reply, and I begin to change into my clothes.
Slipping on underwear, I start to change into my capri pants, until Dillon turns around precipitately and stares at my half-naked body, despite me telling him not to turn around! ''Wait, but you never told me- Aagh, Sawyer!'' Quickly, I shoot my hand up above my breasts after buttoning my capri shorts and throw my pajama shirt as hard as I can at his head.
''DILLON, WHAT THE FUCK!'' I yell out, quickly spinning into my closet. ''ARE YOU KIDDING ME? I TOLD YOU TO TURN AROUND FOR A REASON, ASSHOLE! WHAT'S YOUR DEAL?''
''I-I'm sorry, I didn't know y-you were changing, Sawyer,'' he shrieks. ''You should've told me, or else I wouldn't have turned around. It's called warning people, not just demanding them to do something!''
Throwing the white top over my upper body, I then walk out of my closet with a pair of sandals on and cover my tee with an unstrapped jacket. ''It's common sense, you idiot!'' I let out. ''When someone tells you to do something, you just do it, especially if they have a good reason for it. You're honestly such an idiot sometimes, Dillon, and I just want to smack you so hard in the fucking face.''
''S-Saw-''
''Dillon, just shut up, okay?'' I finalize. ''I'm not about to stand here and listen to your bullshit. The Reaping Bell is about to ring, and I don't think I care to listen to your insolent comments, you fucking dick. Just shut up and do something useful for once, okay?''
He stays quiet for a couple of seconds, but then sniffs wiith no tears in his eyes. Just a bit of emotion taking over him, and that's when I realize just how far I went. Dammit, I can be so catty sometimes, I didn't even realize how mean I was being to him – and over a silly little thing, too. Sure, I was... exposed, but he didn't know. ''Dillon, I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean to be that rude to you, and I hope you can accept my apology.''
''It's okay,'' Dillon says. Spinning around swiftly, I open up the door of my room and enter the hallway, then cross into the kitchen where I find my mom just sitting there, leaning against the table. Shivering, she just begins to mutter to herself, saying many words that are hard to make out. I can't even understand, and by the look on Dillon's face, neither can he.
There's a bottle of pills and multiple of them are digested already. Rushing forward, I quickly slap the pills off of the table and turn to see what she's holding in her hands, only to find at least a dozen bottles of booze in the sink and one half empty in her hands. I rip it from her grasp and shake her shoulders, but she just looks at me like I don't exist.
''Sawyer, maybe we should stay and-''
''No, Dillon, I'm not staying and doing anything, not today,'' I sigh. Swiping her brown hair away from her beautiful eyes, I empty the rest of the booze into the sink and tell Dillon that it's time to go. Without him stepping behind me, I open up my door and wait.
''Are you sure, Sawyer?'' He asks. ''It's your Mom, and you know how she is. What if-''
''I'm not going back on my decision, Dillon,'' I state. ''Now come on, the Reaping is about to start soon and I don't want to be late.''
Just as Dillon steps forward, my mother clutches against his leg and begins to cry out. ''DON'T LEAVE ME, PLEASE! DON'T GO OUT THERE, THE WORLD IS A TERRIBLE PLACE! THEY'LL TAKE YOU FROM THE STREETS AND HURT YOU... A-AND DO TERRIBLE THINGS TO YOU!'' She screams out in terror, causing both Dillon and I stumble backwards. ''THEY'LL TAKE YOU, AND DO THINGS TO YOUR BODY..! HORRIBLE THINGS! SAWYER, DILLON, PLEASE!''
''Dillon, let's go!'' I walk back, grab his arm, and yank him away from my mother. I'm actually surprised that she remembers my name, but that's not the point. She's mentally ill and messed up in the head, and wasting time and sticking behind isn't gonna cure her. I have to take care of her, but sometimes I have to sacrifice the time that I spend with her in order to do that.
''SAWYER, DILLON, PLEASE DON'T-''
I slam the door to my house shut and begin sprinting to The Square with Dillon, ignoring the fact that the Reaping Bell chimed minutes ago. Dillon begins to blabber out words, telling me that I should've stayed back and caressed her, but I truly don't have time to do that – plus, I made up my decision, and like I said before, I'm not going back.
''You know, you're very stubborn, Sawyer,'' Dillon pants. ''Even though you know it would've been the right thing to do, you still left your mother in the dust just to get to the Reaping. Who cares about that stuff, Sawyer? That's your Mom back there, the woman who gave birth to you and...''
''And what, Dillon?'' I ponder. ''She's sick, okay? You think I can just stay behind and help her all day, but that's not how things work. Oh, yeah, I'm just gonna sit back and wait for someone to feed the both of us, right? No, Dillon, shit isn't easy!''
Dillon just sighs and lets go of my hand, then begins walking to the lines. He gives me a forced smile, and I can do nothing but sigh in exasperation as I go to the lines to get my finger pricked. Staring up ahead as the Peacekeeper pricks my finger, I make note of the hazy trees, resting on the horizon. They make me feel calm, and that's really all to it.
When I get to my age section, I do nothing but sit there quietly and sigh. A girl elbows me softly, asking me if she thinks we have a good chance at winning this year since two of our tributes made the final four last year. Ignoring her, I close my eyes and listen to the Treaty of Treason and the faint sounds of the screams that echo from the monitor above. Honestly, these girls around me are all annoying, but the horizon is the only thing that's keeping me calm right now, so I keep quiet.
But still, there's that tinging feeling that I have, and I can feel a vein bulging from my head over the chattering of all these girls. I can't hear a damn thing over this! ''Can you shut up, please?!'' I let out, although there's much more. ''All you guys have been doing is talking throughout this whole damn Reaping so far, so can you shut your fucking mouth and let others around you listen?''
They all go in hush mode instantly and fidget with their hands. Siamene places the microphone by her hip and struts to the females' bowl. When she dips her hand in it, there's a clattering of teeth as some of these girls shiver in fear. Siamene lifts one of the many slips in the Female Reaping Bowl out, and reads the name.
''Sawyer Fira!''
In the grip of silent panic, my eyes become wild and my pupils dilate. My heart beats against my chest in a race against time, and I feel like I'm about to throw up. Everyone around me can feel it, building like an unstoppable snowball in the pit of my stomach. I cannot concentrate on anything else that I'm doing. My heart now begins to beat harder and faster, much more rough than before, and my adrenaline level rises.
As sweat starts to drip all over my body, it feels like my skin has another hot level of flesh on the outside. Out of nowhere, negative thoughts come rushing like waves on rocks into my mind, and I start to shake irrationally. Arguments and trivial thoughts cross my mind and out, and they go so fast and disturbing that my brain begins to shut down my body. Sweat has completely covered my body and my heart feels like it's going to explode.
But then I realize that I'm on the monitor, and that all of Panem is watching me right now. Taking in a deep breath, I let my chest rise and fall with the sedative qualities of a lullaby. The surrounding area is so quiet that I can hear each breath with ease, and I contort the scared expression on my face into a neutral one, letting it sit there, warming my face against the newly cooler air of the early morning.
Revolving my head to the right once I step out the aisle, I watch as all of the fun-loving, lighthearted expressions on Dillon's face decompose and become replaced with a frightened look – one that's able to send shivers down anyone's spine. I can only look at his eyes, but twitch my mouth into an upward grin, but it soon falls.
When I get up to the stage, emotions begin to flow all across my body; I wanna cry, I wanna scream, I wanna break down, I wanna curse everyone out, I wanna yell out at someone to volunteer, I wanna run to Dillon and hug him, I wanna run home and cuddle with my Mom, I wanna kill myself at this moment, and I just want to escape this terrible fate.
''Anything you want to say, darling?'' Siamene asks, but I give no response. ''Wow... Guess the Capitol was right. Everyone in Seven is boring, besides the tributes who actually look forward to competing and getting back home, but with a better life. This one here? Yeah, nope, she's a goner. My prediction is she makes it to the final twenty in the Bloodbath and gets her head smashed in by some sick, twisted Career,'' Siamene laughs.
Her words make me clutch my stomach, and they actually pain me. The feelings that I had before are only worsened, and I feel as if I'm unworthy to be in her presence or something like that. How cruel can a person be? That's just... That's just wrong to say mean things like that, especially to a person who's facing death.
''Fidan Blanchett!'' I hear Siamene say, and almost just like me, the monitors present an absolutely terrified-looking boy. He contorts his face into one that just shows you he's going to shit his pants, but it looks like it's taking him everything in his power not to begin balling out in tears, and I can respect him for that. A minute passes by of this kid just standing there, probably having an existential crisis or something, looking as if he's contemplating over his life.
And then, he steps out of his aisle and walks up to the stage stony faced, doesn't respond to a single question that Siamene asks him, and nods his head once she presents us as District Seven's represented tributes and tells us to shake hands. He clutches mine tightly, not even bothering to stare into my eyes, and quickly darts off to the Justice Building.
When I get in there, I just let everything out. The chairs, now on the floor; the windows, half cracked; the curtains, completely torn from the walls.
Luckily Dillon gets here just after my small rampage, but he notices the tears in my eyes. ''I'm sorry,'' I sniff. ''I just needed to blow off some steam.''
Vendetta ''Shadow'' Ischyroe, 17, District Ten Female
''Vendetta, where are you going?'' Xavier asks me. Rotating my body around, I shrug my shoulder and pretend as if I don't know. My Dad peers up, while my Mom just stares at me in an upset way. Looking around the restaurant, I watch as Dad comes from behind the counter and Mom goes back into the kitchen to get an order.
Dad places his hand on my head and speaks for me. ''Your sister's just going to The Square earlier today, Xavier,'' he lies. ''You don't have to worry about her, okay?''
''Vendetta...'' Xavier tilts his head. ''Where are you really going?''
''I was just gonna actually go hang out with some friends, Xavier,'' I swallow my spit. He probably knows that I'm lying, since I never talk about any sort of ''friends'' that I have, but I can back it up. ''You've just never met them before, but don't worry, I'll be back soon.''
Mom comes out walking with a plate of eggs and bacon, accompanied by a cup of coffee that she slowly places on one of the customer's tables, telling them to enjoy their food. Xavier brings his head down and begins eating the french toast that Mom saved for him, after he pours maple syrup on them. Both of my parents take a short break and look straight into my eyes, both sighing.
''I don't want you to do this, Vendetta.'' My Mom says, putting her left hand on her hip and her right hand on her forehead, shaking in a depressed way. ''But I know that you don't have a choice. Like usual, please just hurry it up and make it quick for the poor victim. You do remember your mission, don't you?''
''Yeah,'' I sigh. ''Daniva Astark, twenty-eight-year-old male who opposes a threat to The Mafia. They want him dead as soon as possible, and I'm the one to do the job,'' I try to hold back the grimace that's forming on my face. Reaching into my back pocket, I press against the two thin, slick knives that I carry. ''It'll be quick and painless.''
''Okay,'' Dad sniffs. ''I just wish you were never brought into this life, because now look at what we have to do – what you have to do. Just... Just meet us back here after the Reaping, we have a meeting tonight and the Boss wants us to be there early. He has a special assignment for you and me both.''
''Alright, Dad.''
Turning around, I make my way closer to the restaurant's doors, pushing them slowly to get out and enter the rough streets of Ten. ''Oh, and act more feminine!'' Mom shouts out. Looking at her one last time, I roll my eyes and smile, then begin walking again. A person walks right beside me and waves at me, calling out my name before entering my parents' restaurant but I only ignore them.
If I remember correctly, Daniva had a deal management that's supposed to happen today, and he's meeting up with whoever at the corner of Bilton's Avenue. Merging into the crowd, I look forward, trying to spot out the man I'm supposed to be looking for; black hair, blue eyes, a scar drawn from his left temple to his chin.
Just as I spot him, a woman grabs my hand and begins asking me if I'd like free samples of whatever she's selling. I pay her no attention and begin to merge back into the flowing crowd, but she chases after me and reaches out to grab my arm again. Recoiling back before she can touch me, I quickly slip into the shadows of the sun and hide behind the corner of a rusty shop.
I slowly turn my head back to look at the streets, where I catch a glimpse of the woman searching for me, curious as to where I went. ''She just disappeared...'' She mumbles to herself, so I suck my stomach in and hold my breath. Rina Stark, thirty-eight-year-old woman and mother of two. She sells bakery goods in District Ten every week, and is always desperate in needs to feed her children.
She's no exception of the people that I'm supposed to learn more and more about; after all, any day now, she could be one of the people that I'm assigned to kill – but I'll make sure that it doesn't come to that. When she's out of my sight, I quickly slip out back into the streets and arrive at Bilton's Avenue. Everybody else keeps walking, while I slide away cleanly and calmly, like I was never there in the first place.
Feeling against the crumbling rocks on the building walls, I take careful steps until I hear two men conversing with each other. They're talking about The Mafia and how they want to bust it. Bomb it, even, and set explosives inside of the Head Quarters to kill every last member before taking over the underground warfare in District Ten.
''So the drugs and explosives, how much do you think they'll end up costing?'' Daniva asks the second man, who I recognize to be Richard Barnes – an older man, aged fifty who has three children working for the opposing side of The Mafia. I've had him and his family on my hit-list for quite a while now, but was never instructed to kill them yet. Richard, now, though, is an exception and I might have to end his life, too.
''About... let's say, twenty-five thousand in all. With the explosives coming in straight from the Capitol, the prices must be high, of course.'' Richard states. Daniva is caught off guard and jumps back, sending out tiresome croaks as he angrily bites down on his bottom lip. ''Listen, it's not my price, it's the authorization's. If you don't like it, we can always just forget this ever happened.''
''No!'' Daniva screams, pulling out a pistol. He quickly takes the safety lock off and the gun clicks. Richard is taken aback in shock, and now begins to sweat profusely. Guess this is where I make my entrance. Rushing out, just as Daniva starts his sentence, ''We don't want to waste that much money, it's overpriced,'' I quickly pull out one of my knives and toss it straight at him.
The knife flies right past Richard's head and slices his cheek open, but quickly embeds itself in Daniva's right shoulder. Daniva shoots the pistol and lets a bullet go flying through the air, but it was aimed at Richard and lands in the man's chest. My knife cuts deep into Daniva's shoulder and he goes stumbling back.
Sprinting forward, I ignore Richard and tackle Daniva to the floor, then sit on top of him. The adult male looks up at me, pain screaming all over just by the expression on his face. He screams when I pull out the knife and stab it into his arm this time, the sharp pinpricks in sensitive areas of his right arm causing him to yell.
''W-What the hell?'' He grunts. ''Who... What-'' Quickly, I clamp my hand over his mouth to hush him up. He tries to scream, but I pinch both of his lips together until they bruise up to a purple color, showing me that he's wasting his precious oxygen by trying to speak. Eventually he catches up to what's going on and quits struggling.
Without a single mention of who I am or where I'm from, I grab the underside of his jaw and force the knife into his throat in a horizontal manner, drawing upwards to create a smile on his throat. Once I let go of his mouth, he gurgles out an animalistic sound that is soon drowned out by the sound of the blood that shoots out of his neck.
It soon begins to overlap the sound of him struggling, but he soon gives up as his hands twitch and convulse one last time, and he tries to take that one final breath before slipping away into whatever is on the other side. Moving his deceased body, I quickly pick up the gun that he had in his possession and fire a shot into his throat, drawing even more blood.
And this isn't because I'm psycho or anything, I just need to cover up the evidence quickly and easily. Behind me, Richard begins quivering, and I know now what must be done. Like always, I have to clear the scenes in a smart way, so I stalk until I reach Richard, while he's trying as hard as he can to crawl away – but the shot to the chest keeps him stunned.
''W-What do you want?'' Richard quivers. ''Who are you anyway?''
Since he's going to die, I might as well tell him, but only because of what I'm doing today. ''Vendetta Ischyroe, I work for The Mafia. Your underground group is our enemy, and I've been told to target you for quite a while now, but I haven't been instructed to eliminate you yet. But you just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.''
''B-But how? You're just a young girl, how could someone such as you ever be part of The Mafia?!'' His eyes begin to dull over, the shot to the chest really leaving a toll on him.
''See, my uncle was part of the drug dealing business in The Mafia, and because of him, my father was dragged into it alongside with my mother; and because I was born to them, I was automatically observed to see if I could be part of The Mafia as well. My uncle was always selling drugs on the daily for the low-low, but he did something to anger our leader, and because of this he's now dead. And since they've always been observing me and knew how observant and stealthy I was, they ordered my Dad to bring me into the group. He didn't have a choice, though, and if he did deny... Well, nothing good would've come from it.''
''...You've gotta be fucking kidding me..!''
''I've been introduced to this business ever since I was fourteen, so I'm not exactly 'new' to how cruel this world can be. And this is basically a real life Hunger Games for me on a daily basis. At first it was just spying, but then, because of my skills, I was forced to kill others. Taking lives isn't fun, I absolutely hate it, to tell you the truth.''
''You sick bastard, I bet you take your anger out on others after getting bullied! That's it, isn't it? So you kill others... You say that you hate it, but you do it with such ease. You're a natural born murderer! You sick, twisted fuck!''
''It doesn't matter what you think,'' I stare at him with an unnerving gaze. He begins to twitch incessantly, and I feel bad for the poor guy. Too bad I have to end him as well. ''Listen, I just want to live a normal teenage girl's life, but I can't have that. You can think what you want of me, but,'' I stop, just as the Reaping Bell chimes. ''I'm gonna Volunteer so that I can get out of this mess, and so that I won't have to kill ever again. People don't deserve this, and I'm sick and tired of it. So I'm sorry I have to do this to you.''
''Wai-!''
Unexpectedly, I thrust my hand forward, sending my knife right in between his ribs and heart. The blade pierces deeply inside, causing him to bleed out much more than Daniva did. Richard cries out in unadulterated pain, sending howls that are unfortunate to hear. Quickly, I pull the knife out and wipe it on his shirt, then take the pistol and shoot him twice in the chest, making it look like a suicide attempt.
Whenever the Peacekeepers find this, they'll immediately jump to conclusions that he killed Daniva, and then realized that he couldn't cover up so he tried to kill himself by shooting his chest twice, but since that failed, he eventually placed the pistol to his temple and pulled the trigger.
Bang!
A deep hole erupts blood from the side of Richard's head. Now placing the gun in his hands so that the fingertips show his DNA instead of mine, I put both of their bodies stacked on top of each other and begin my run to The Square.
When I arrive, I immediately get my finger pricked and take a position in the seventeen-year-old female section, right when the Escort calls out the female tribute's name. I never informed my parents on me volunteering, but when they see me mounting that stage, they'll know why. Managing to block the girl's name out of my head, I shoot my hand up to the air and yell out, ''I Volunteer!''
This is worth it. I can finally move away from The Mafia, live a better life with my family, and forget all about the things that we've had to go through. If I can live a better life just by taking a few more... Well, then I'm fine with that. I'll do it, quickly and simply. If I'm appealing the Capitol by giving into their little game, then so be it.
I'll do anything to have a more fitting life for the ones that I love. And Xavier won't have to grow into the same lifestyle that I did. He can keep his innocence and stay safe... away from the trouble that a world like this presents, that a position like the one I'm currently in presents.
When I get to the stage, Ten's Escort asks me a couple of questions, and shows quite the excitement since Ten hasn't had a volunteer in ages, but I stay poker faced and ignore all of her comments and remarks. ''Quite shady, aren't we?'' She says. I ignore that, too. Talking to her isn't in part of the plan to win, and I don't have any business with her either, so there's no point in saying a word. She'll do her job; I'll play my role in this, and nothing more. The rest of Ten stays quiet, not sure how to react to this. It's been quite a while, I suppose.
''Avery Billings!''
A boy from the fifteen-year-old male section walks out quicker than anyone expected, shouting out words of praise and happiness. ''ME?'' He yells out. ''NO WAY, THAT IS AWESOME! ARE YOU... ARE YOU SERIOUS? I CAN GET PRAISED FOR KILLING PEOPLE!''
There's just an uncomfortable aura around him. He begins answering every question honestly, like he's actually prepared for this. ''Yeah, I'll kill, trust me! I won't be afraid of a single person there, and I'm gonna win!
''All of the... Well, you'll all just have to wait and see what I do in the Arena. I'm gonna fucking murder everybody!'' He says this in a mumbled tone, but it seems like I'm the only person who heard him echo those words. Staring at him, I keep my facial expression calm and collecting.
When our Escort tells us to shake hands, he grabs mine roughly and clamps it with two hands, then begins to shake it strenuously.
''Hey, whatever your name is, you never said it... But, uh, I just wanted to let you know,'' he informs me. ''Seeing you hurt is gonna be sooooooo much fun. Just make sure to cry in the Arena for me, okay? And try to get as much blood seeping from your body as possible. It'll make everything a whole lot better...''
My expression doesn't change. Keeping my thoughts to myself, I remove my hand from his forcefully and turn to face the Justice Building. Catching Brynn Soreell – one of Ten's Victors – I give her a nod and respectfully wave at her. She gets up and begins following me, but I quickly open up the door to the Justice Building and slip away to an unknown area.
Her footsteps bounce against the carpeted floor, but then they reduce in noise and seem to disappear. That's all I have to do; sit back and wait, then claim my kill in these Games.
A better life is worth the deaths... I just have to keep reminding myself that.
A/N: Ayeee! Sorry for the late update, this chapter was long overdue. Not gonna lie, I got hella lazy and didn't write for a while, but I also had EOCs so that also kinda stopped me from writing, with studying and all. As you can see in this chapter, I got really lazy towards the end (sorry, Wizard), but hopefully I was able to write Vendetta's POV well? And yeah, for the earlier readers of last chapter, I'm sorry the chapter was so ass xD I didn't proofread shit and when I went back to read it, I found so much ass. Like it was an overload of ass. Way too much ass, in fact. But yeah, hopefully that isn't the case with this chapter. I proofread this chapter like, three times, just to make sure the absolute overload of ass didn't happen again, so lemme know if you find any typos or idiotic mistakes, it always helps and lets me know what to fix. And tell me if I've written your tribute well or not. I wanna write them as best as I can, so be honest with me. And for those who haven't seen your tributes yet, if you would like to know when they got a POV, just hit me up with a PM and I'll let you know. Anyway, on to the questions ;)
Opinions on each tribute?
Favorite POV/Tribute?
Least favorite POV/Tribute
With the first eight tributes that we've seen so far, what are your predictions for some of them?
Anyway, yeah, that's all for today. I would've made this A/N much more weird, random, and uncomfortable for all of you, but I felt like being normal... Ha ha, psyche, hell no. I just didn't wanna spend my Saturday morning perfecting an awkward A/N, so yeah xD But yeah, that's all for this chapter. Expect the next chapter to be updated quicker, maybe... I can't make any promises, seeing as I have more exams coming up, but I'll do my best to get them up and get through the tribute introductions so that the pre-game stuff can start. So that's all, thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed the chapter, and your feedback is always appreciated. I'll see you guys next chapter! And excuse me for unanswered PMs, I suck at getting back to those, hehe... Bye! ^-^