Sleep is for the weak
Time off is a bore
I work all day
I enjoy the chore
Ellis Rowden, 17
District 9 Female
The District's emergency broadcast system was fired up last night to tell us the news. Facing the reapings once was a monster, facing it twice in the same year is terrifying. So yet again, tomorrow everyone has the day off. The girls of all ages will sit there nervously in the square as the President herself goes to call forth the "lucky girl".
"Sweetie?" says my mother as she walks into the living room. I sit with my feet propped up reading the newspaper in my Dad's chair. "Why are you up? The reaping isn't for another three hours?"
"Sleeping is for the weak, Mom," I say with a smile as I flip the page. I just got through the the reaping announcement for 9. They've calculated the ages of the girls by the number of tesserae they've taken out and compared it to their odds of being reaped. I have a 1-35 shot of being reaped if this was accurate math, but something rubs me the wrong way about it.
"It's a shame what happened to the other little girl. What was her name again?" ask Mom as she reaches for her favorite mug in the kitchen cabinets. My family has always been right on the line between poor and not so poor, but one thing I'm extremely grateful for that we've always had is coffee.
"Sybil," I say as I read about the movie ratings in the Capitol.
"Yes, Sybil. What a shame. Didn't even get a chance to fight." says my Mom
"If you ask me that's the best way to go out," says Dad walking into the room. I jump because I didn't notice him there as he comes and looks at me in his chair. He clears his throat and I know I better move to the couch before he gets upset. Getting situated in my new seat, Mom brings me out a cup of coffee and I smile.
"My hero!"
"You know one morning you could put it on for the whole family," says Dad teasing me. "You always wait for your mother."
"I'm never here for coffee in the morning, Dad."
"Oh right, that's your sister." he says chuckling and reclining in his chair.
My whole family works. It's not something that you can really avoid being in a lower District if I'm honest. Though while my parents work because they have to, I work because I want too. I cannot stand just sitting around all day and doing nothing. Though I have a chance to get reaped, I'm more upset about having to take the day off work than anything. I don't hate on people that enjoy down time, my whole family actually really enjoys it, but let's just say if I didn't have to sleep...I wouldn't.
"Do you think they'd let me work a shift in the field today after the reapings?" I ask my parents as my mom comes and joins us in the living room. Her robe is halfway undone as she sits down next to me on the sofa, and when I ask this question her eyes roll back into the back of her head. "Sweetheart, we really think you should just stay here today. You're going to work yourself to death. I know you hate not doing anything, but this is ridiculous. So no, stay home. Read a book, watch a Capitol TV soap that you dad just had to get a TV for! Something relaxing."
"Mom that is relaxing to me," I say as I throw my head back into the back of the couch. "They stick me in my own section where I don't have to talk to anyone, they allow me to work at my own pace, and I still finish two sections before most people finish one."
"That's why we are forcing you to take the day off," says Dad. "Enjoy your time."
As if.
I get up from the couch and walk back to the room that me and my sister share. She's still out cold in slumber as I walk in and go to the closet. Flicking on the light, I walk inside the closet and close the door so not to wake her. I need to figure out what I'm wearing for the Reapings.
I have a total of two nice outfits that I wear on occasions such as these, and I guess because I wore the plaid dress with the white blouse for the first reaping, I might as well wear my funeral dress for the next one that we're having this year.
"I need to steam it," I whisper as I walk to the bathroom and turn the shower on. I turn on the hot water and begin to undress as to begin my morning routine. It's the same thing every day, and everyday it gets shorter and shorter in time.
I stand under the water for as long as I can without feeling like I'm wasting time and begin to scrub my body with soap. I do the same with my hair, and before I know it the dress has barely had a chance to get any of the wrinkles out when I turn off the water.
"Well, this sucks," I say.
I quickly dry off and walk back to my room where I get into some sweatpants and a t-shirt, and walking into the living room I get a iron from the closet, which we are only supposed to use in case of emergencies due to it being used by the dinosaurs, and begin to iron the dress.
After I iron the dress, which normally isn't part of my routine, I go back into the bathroom and brush my teeth. My sister who is just waking up walks into the bathroom and turns on the shower. With a giant yawn, she looks at me disgusted.
"What the hell are you doing already being halfway ready?"
"Sleep is for the weak, Amy."
Amy is 18 and this was supposed to be the year of her last reaping, but I guess today is actually her last reaping? She's already gone on several tirades about how this is an injustice, and by the time I'm done brushing my teeth she's just barely getting into the shower after complaining about it again.
The bells sound as she is singing into the shampoo bottle and I walk out of the bathroom as mom comes running up into the bathroom.
"Amy! The reapings are in 30 minutes."
"Chill Mom I just won't do my hair," says Amy
"Oh my gosh, I hate two extremes and I'm not sure which one bothers me more!" says mom as I chuckle and go to get my shoes on.
When Amy is out of the shower and her wet hair is in a ponytail, and mind you she's wearing my white blouse with a red skirt, we have about 10 minutes before the reapings are about to start.
"Let's rock and roll, kid," says Amy as she walks straight for the door sliding on her shoes as she walks. I hustle after her and we make it to the check in right before the penalty time begins.
"Cutting it close there, Amy." says her boyfriend, a young peacekeeper that just got transferred here.
"Hi, babe!" she says as she quickly looks around to make sure no one is looking and plants a quick peck on his lips. He smiles at her as she walks to the 18-year-old girl section.
"Ellis."
"Brandon," I say as I walk to the 17-year-old girl section. When I get situated in the back Katherine Farrow walks out onto the stage and smiles at the District.
"I won't pretend that what is happening right now if fun, or even fair. To the family of Sybil Thyne, I thank you for their sacrifice, and to the family of the new girl, we are about to reap we thank you for your sacrifice. It's a great tragedy that something like the Hunger Games is still happening, but unfortunately, in a Country of traditions old habits die hard."
"She's really laying on the Hunger Games hate. What the hell?" ask a girl next to me to her friend. "Isn't this supposed to be the President?"
"Without further ado, let's find out the young lady that will be joining me on this long train ride back to the Capitol," she says as she reaches over into the bowl and pulls out an envelope from the very middle. "The girl that will be joining me is...Ellis Rowden."
My heart stops because, for a second, I thought she said, Ellis Rowden.
"Ellis? Where are you?"
A path begins to clear as one by one the girls begin to make a path for me to get to the front of the stage. I take a breath and begin to take the first step when Brandon comes behind me and grabs my arm. "I'm doing this to make it quick for you. Trust me, I've seen the kids that drag this out if you fall apart you want this done on the inside of the goodbye room."
I nod as I just let him drag me to the front of the stage where the President sticks her hand out to greet me.
"I'm so sorry," she says with a smile to the audience playing up this persona. The microphone is on the stand away from her. "I know that this sucks, and you have every reason to hate me. Good luck, Ellis." She looks up to the crowd after I shake her hand and then walks back to the stage "District 9! I give you your tribute for the 31st games! Ellis Row-"
A gunfire erupts in the crowd and Katherine falls instantly to the floor. There is no blood, and instantly the secret service swarms me and her. "I'm fine," she says shocked. "Just get us out of here."
I'm so sorry this took so long. I've been taking forever because I don't want to get to the bloodbath. I'm personally kind of scared to at this point. I'm attached to all these characters and I have no idea who I'm killing anymore…
Shout out times, though,
For those who don't know, I'm an aspiring novelist. I am currently writing a story on Fictionpress that I hope you guys can check out. The link to my account is on my profile, just click it and you'll end up on my page. I'd really appreciate anything be it a PM or a review. I love writing this story, and I hope you can tell that when reading it. It's called The Kiridian Chronicles: Raina. Let me know what you think, please.
Keep it classy,
Caleb