District Six: Rage

Reapings:

Kori Adaire's POV:

I strolled through the narrow alleys in the dim light. I rubbed my eyes, trying to see slightly better and wake myself up. I was a firm believer that it was unnatural to rise before the sun did, but the early morning air was refreshing as it lightly kissed my skin. I could see how people might eventually grow used to it.

Thank Panem I didn't have to.

I turned another the corner and smiled when I saw a figure leaning against a brick wall. I loudly clacked my shoes against the cement as I approached. His head jerked to the noise, and I wiggled my fingers in a mock wave. I smiled wildly as I wrapped both arms around his neck.

"Did you miss me?"

I pressed my body against his as he growled, "No."

I made a shocked noise of indignation as I pouted, "You're so cruel! You don't want to give a girl the wrong impression."

He shrugged off my grip and I stumbled back, "Like you did with me? Stop with the games."

I dropped my façade and smirked, "I remember you liking all kinds of games, Quinton."

He made a noise of disgust as he dug through his jacket. He pulled out an envelope and handed it to me. My smile widened as I opened the flap and counted the money inside. The cash added up to the agreed amount and I slid it into my own jacket.

"I love our monthly meet-ups." I laughed as I crossed my arms and mimicked his position.

"You don't know how often I wish you would drop dead."

"Get in line, buddy," I chuckled darkly.

District Six was a diverse place. The people ranged from extremely wealthy to dirt poor. You could work in a factory making medicine at minimum wage, but you could also study to become a scientist or try your luck at being a starving artist. This entire place ran on a system of risk and reward. Stability was yours if you chose it to begin with, but it involved grueling hours of manual labor and next to no social life. If you wanted something else and stability, you had to take a little risk. Whether that meant starting your own business, looking for a different job, or dabbling in the drug market; it all ended up being a risk. If you left your position at any of the factories, the odds were there wouldn't be one for you when you came back… So if your risk didn't pay well then you were screwed.

Thankfully, mine paid very well.

"Why couldn't I have seen this sooner," he spat harshly as he motioned to me.

"Don't act like I'm the bad guy. I didn't burn down part of my business, killing several people in the process, for insurance money and cheat on my wife."

This was my risk of choice. I wasn't a prostitute… At least not anymore. I was a con artist. Everyone had their secrets. The only way you got places in this district was by stepping on other people. It was my job to find these tid bits of information, get evidence, and exploit it. My preferred method was seduction. I somehow placed myself in their lives and acted like any other District Six girl. Sweet, kind, and naïve. I pretended not to notice how they looked at me or that their eyes would bulge when I bent over to pick something up I had 'clumsily' dropped. There were a couple times this wasn't what they wanted, and I adjusted my persona accordingly. Whatever they wanted to see, I showed them. Then their desire to have me would peak, and I would strike. I would pretend to be heartbroken because I had fallen in love with them even though I knew it could never work. They were always married, but assured me that they loved me too. Thus the affair would begin.

It was complete bullshit from both parties.

Of course they didn't love me, but they certainly thought I was stupid and innocent. I would usually get them to spill their secrets with time, but even if they didn't I could snoop around for what I sought. It wasn't too difficult to find. Pictures of underage children in compromising positions, clothes that should belong to a woman but obviously didn't, and papers involving the mysterious disappearance of some other person were only a few examples of the dirty laundry I managed to scrounge up from previous targets. With the evidence in hand, I would confront and blackmail them. Over the past couple of years, I had gathered myself a nice harem of men. At the rate I was going, I could take some time off and live a little. My evidence and their misdeeds weren't going anywhere.

His fist clenched, and I knew he wanted to lash out. I also knew he wouldn't dare. Not only was he a softie who cried over the people he had accidentally murdered in his scheme, but he knew any form of violence would result in the immediate release of the information I had. Even if he killed me, I made it clear to every man I blackmailed that I had people who would do the releasing for me if I ever disappeared. In some cases, the Peacekeepers would carry out the punishment and these men would be beaten or even executed. Others had no legal repercussions, but both their families and businesses would disappear in the blink of an eye. Their reputation would be shattered, and they would be left with nothing. Either way, they didn't ponder very long about messing with me.

We stared at each other for several more seconds before he took off down the other end of the alley. As his form retreated, I called out in the same singsong voice I used to speak to him with, "See you in a month, Mr. Fisher!"

He disappeared around the corner without a sound, and I couldn't help but chuckle as I counted the cash once more.

It was amazing to have this much power over someone.

I stuck the key into the lock of my apartment and turned. Warning bells rang through my head when I found that it was already unlocked. I twisted the knob as I pulled out my sticking knife from my waistband. I closed the door quietly behind me and slowly walked through the premises. When I made it to the living room, I sighed and placed the knife on a nearby end table.

"How did you get in here?"

Percy barely twitched at my voice as he continued to stare out the window, "Your lock isn't that hard to pick."

I shrugged as I plopped onto the couch across from him. Ever since I met him four years ago, we had played this game. I liked to think of it as "I Don't Care More Than You Do". If he went to a party without me, I would make sure there was a guy home when he got back. If I didn't tell him about my latest mark, he would pay to get everyone wasted but me. If he didn't mention anything on my birthday, I would disappear for a couple weeks. It was this constant competition to show who was the least invested. So far, neither of us had ever won.

We were currently in one of our unspoken breaks, which was why I was so surprised to see him in my apartment. Our lives were so interconnected that we were always bound to see the other soon. All of my friends I had met through him. If there was any kind of outing happening odds were we would both be there. Percy never came to see me unless I invited a group or him over.

"Was there something you needed?" I yawned dramatically.

"I hadn't heard from you in a while. I was curious what you were up to, especially since today is the Reaping."

I wanted to take it as his way of showing some sort of verbal affection, but I knew better. It translated to he just wanted money. Every year around the Reaping he asked where I kept my cash in case I ended up being reaped. I always told him as a precaution, and then immediately hid it in an even safer place. The fact he had to ask every year meant he couldn't find it on his own, which spoke volumes.

"In the rafters above the second cupboard in the bathroom," I stated.

He nodded, knowing exactly what I meant. At the end of the day, I owed Percy. He was the real reason I had any life at all. At the age of fourteen, I was out on the streets. No one batted an eye at a dirty, malnourished girl scrounging around for cash and food. The only place I found sanctuary was in a sketchy, rundown building owned by the man sitting in front of me. I should have noticed the state of the other girls in the building, but Percy was kind and gentle with me. Even though he was only a decade or so older than me, he was like the father I never had. I trusted him and built my life around his. Soon, he was pimping me out just like the others. I didn't complain though, and to this day I was thankful. Percy gave me the skills I possessed, and without him I never would have managed to achieve the lifestyle I had.

Eventually, Percy passed me on to a married man who he hoped to milk for all his money. What he never suspected would happen was that I would figure out a method that got me more money than he could imagine. Once I figured out my little trick with the first married man, I moved on to the next and left the rundown building I knew as home. That was when our game started and the kindness left Percy's voice. I would say it left his eyes too, but I always knew those were two dark pools of emptiness and nothing. They were the same eyes I saw every day I looked in the mirror.

"I was surprised when I found this in one of your drawers," he casually stated as he waved around a needle and tube.

I jumped up and snatched both from his hands, "It's not polite to go through a lady's personal belongings."

"You and I both know you aren't a lady," he laughed as I put them back where they belonged, "But morphling?"

"Occasionally I like to have a good time," I shrugged. With the money I was making, a hit of morphling here and there wasn't a big deal. I knew I could have stopped blackmailing men a while ago, but I wanted more. I had always been overindulgent, and that seeped into almost every aspect of my life. I didn't want to skate by with food on the table in a one bedroom apartment. If that's all I needed, the factories would have sufficed. No, I wanted a spread worthy of the Capitol. I wanted clothes like I saw on television and a pad with so many rooms that I didn't have enough furniture to fill them… And if I wanted that I couldn't be one of Percy's second-rate hookers or some housewife. I needed to keep raising my income until it could satisfy my desires.

"I didn't realize you wanted to end up like your father," he chuckled.

Immediately, my temper flared. My rage exploded as I spun around and yelled, "Don't even compare me to him! Unlike that piece of trash, I know how to not be dependent on anything but myself."

"Just making an observation, chill."

"A stupid one."

I didn't remember the girl I was before I met Percy, but I would always remember the life. The first word I ever spoke was "morphling". There wasn't a time I could think of where morphling wasn't in sight. In fact, it was around more than food. Between the constant morphling and alcohol, we had no money for anything else. Sometimes I would get up the courage to say something. Sometimes I would say nothing and he would still lose his shit. My mother, however, never once said a thing. Not when her daughter had nothing to eat, not when her husband hurled furniture and rampaged through the house, and certainly not when her daughter was thrown out of the house multiple times. I was always allowed back the next day because my father couldn't even remember the past hour, let alone yesterday. One time I didn't come home, though. I decided anywhere was better than hell itself, and I started a new life. I hadn't spoken to either of them since.

"You need to leave," I ordered, now in a horrible mood, "I have to get ready."

"The Reaping isn't for hours," Percy laughed, "Plus, I thought we could spend some time together. I've missed you."

Of course seeing me all fired up would make him start thinking with his dick.

"I need to shower."

"I can join you."

"Get out." I hissed.

All playfulness left his voice as he stomped towards the front door. As he left he growled, "You don't have to tell me twice."

"Actually, I did," I called as I slammed the door behind him.

I twisted the lock, making a mental note the get a deadbolt. I marched towards the bathroom and stripped as I went. As I turned on the shower, I hoisted myself onto the counter. I stood up and pushed at the ceiling until I had access to the rafters.

If I did get reaped, he sure as hell wasn't getting any of my money.

I tapped my foot impatiently as all the eligible tributes piled in. I was excited to get this over with. My last Reaping was a weight being lifted off my shoulders, but it also felt very bittersweet. When I was younger, I imagined what would happen if I was reaped. It had a strange appeal to it at the time… Being whisked away from my family and this district to a place where everything I wanted was handed to me on a platter. Sure, it would only have lasted for several days, but damn would those have been the best of my life. It still gave me a warm feeling when I attempted to imagine the different foods and clothes that would be within arm's reach.

As I aged, the fantasy changed to more of a plan. What would I do if I was reaped? I still daydreamed about the pre-game experience, but once the games came around? I knew I would do whatever it took to live. Killing someone to get what I wanted wouldn't be a problem in my life now, and that certainly wouldn't change in a game surrounded by death. What I would do wasn't the problem; it was what I could do. Try to act like last year's District Eight tribute and seduce a strong man? Attempt to learn how to fight and carry myself through the games? To this day, I didn't know what skills I had besides manipulation. The question was how to use it best to my advantage. Either way, none of this mattered. I was content with how my life was panning out, and certainly had no plan to throw that away.

My fantasy seemed to accelerate time rapidly as our mayor ended his speech. Singing Rain almost skipped onto the stage. You could say many things about our escort, but you couldn't say she wasn't enthusiastic. She always acted like a child on her birthday when she saw us crowded in front of her. Most people would find it creepy, but I looked at it as slightly refreshing. At least she loved her job, which many people here couldn't say.

She babbled on and on about how much she missed us. With each word, she stepped closer to the bowl. Her eyes flickered to it consistently until they were trained on it like a cat watching its prey.

"Without further ado, let the Reaping begin!"

Although the Reaping technically began when the mayor gave his speech, no one corrected her. She shoved her hand into the bowl and clawed at the pieces of paper. She picked one and unrolled it swiftly. She read it greedily before giggling, "Kori Adaire!"

I inhaled sharply and my eyes widened. I immediately realized that in my odd daydreams I never once thought of how I would present myself to Panem once my name was read. I began to force each muscle to move until one foot managed to step in front of the other. I wanted to cry… I knew I should cry. I could conceal myself by being weak. But as I struggled to get closer and closer to stage, my eyes refused to create a single tear. My pride wouldn't allow that happen… At least not so soon after being reaped into the Hunger Games.

Soon I was onstage, and for the first time I didn't know how I was presenting myself. Usually I was so aware of everything. I was aware of my attitude, my facial expression, and even how I held my body. Everything was thought out and controlled, but not now. I couldn't find a ledge to land on and catch my breath before taking the plunge.

Singing Rain seemed to sense my distress and didn't ask me any questions. She moved onto the boy's bowl and acted the same way. She ravished the piece of paper before singing, "Audrin Leveque!"

The first name I didn't know, but I immediately recognized the last one. I gulped as I scanned the crowd. A boy with blonde hair stormed out of the audience. He was very tall, but also fairly lanky. His steps weren't graceful and every movement looked slightly awkward. He stumbled slightly over the steps, but caught himself and continued as if he didn't notice he almost tripped in front of all of Panem. Singing Rain stood between us and raised both our hands up. She acted like the crowd thunderously roared instead of politely and quietly clapped. She motioned for us to shake hands as she stepped in front of us and said something else to the audience. I put my hand in his, and he gripped it tightly. He was surprisingly stronger than he appeared and my hand began to throb.

He pulled me closer and whispered with pure malice and rage in my ear, "You ruined everything, and now I'll ruin your life. You're dead as soon as the gong sounds."

Audrin Leveque's POV:

I had always been a lover of sleep. Whenever anyone stood in my way of slipping into unconsciousness, they quickly regretted it. This meant the sudden pressure and movement was unwelcome, to say the least. I groaned loudly as a hand roughly shook the sleep out of me. I proceeded to encircle my arms tighter around the pillow I was clinging to as I fought off the onslaught of fatigue.

"You need to wake up. Mom made breakfast," I heard Jace order kindly as he continued to shake my leg.

Of course my family sent the youngest sibling. They knew I wouldn't throw a fit directed at him.

"Get up!"

"I will as soon as you leave and shut the door."

"You promised that two weeks ago and you went back to sleep."

"I double promise, ok?"

For some reason, this meant something more in his ten year old brain. He darted out of the room and slammed the door behind him. I heard him yell something across the house as his footsteps faded away. I groaned once more as I chucked the pillow across the room and threw the blankets off of me. I forced myself to my feet slowly and lumbered to the outfit my mother had picked out several days ago. As I began to put on the dress shirt, I couldn't help but realize how hard it was to keep getting up. Every single day, it become a little more difficult to put on a smile and act like everything was normal and fine. It was miserable… I just didn't know how much longer I could do it.

I sighed as I strolled out of the bedroom and past the restroom. Thankfully, no one questioned my moodiness as soon as I woke up. I could act like how I truly felt before I shoved food down my throat. I tromped down the stairs and into the dining room. It was bustling, as usual. My mother chatted with my eldest sister Avalia as they set the table. My older brother Kenton and his wife brought out the food while my two younger brothers sat impatiently at the table. Yeah, I was middle child. Smack dab in the center of five children.

It had always sucked, and I didn't see that changing in the foreseeable future. My eldest sister was brilliant, and Kenton could run a business meeting in his sleep. My thirteen year old brother, Zoya, had a knack for music and Jace was the baby of the family and slid by on pure cuteness. All of them had their niche or talent, and then there was me: Dimwitted, dull Audrin. I had heard what the other kids had called me for years. The adjectives, to name a few, were irritating, clingy, clumsy, charmless, airheaded, ignorant, loudmouthed… The list went on and on. While my siblings collected friends and the praise from my parents, I was left on the sidelines by myself.

Ironically enough, I was content with that for most of my life. I didn't mind working for others affection and attention. I thought it was what I was meant to do… That I had to make up for my lack of social graces by putting in the extra effort. It was a goal to meet. My sister strived to go into medicine and my brother longed to take over the family business. I could never reach their ambitions, but I certainly could work towards pleasing others. It was the least I could do…

Now, I couldn't care less about the future. All I could do was try to float above the water ad not drown. If I finally broke down, I would bring my entire family with me… And I couldn't be the cause of so much destruction… I couldn't be that big of a failure. I loved my mother and younger siblings too much…

As we said grace, I glared at my father from across the table. He seemed peaceful as he held my mother's hand tightly… Almost innocent. I sneered at the thought, but once grace ended my face was wiped clean. All they saw was a neutral, although slightly sleepy, teenage boy. They had no idea the hatred that was bubbling directly beneath the surface.

It was his fault that my entire life was a lie now. He put me in this position where I had to choose between destroying myself or those around me. Two years ago, in a stupid attempt to get in my father's good graces once again, I skipped school to buy him a present. I met up with someone from the seedier side of town and bought ruby encrusted cufflinks. I now knew they were obviously stolen, but naïve, gullible Audrin never once thought of that. He thought he got an amazing deal. I then headed home to wrap the present for the party that would start immediately afterschool in a room my mother had rented out for his birthday. I even thought about making him some sort of dessert pastry.

As I wrapped it, I heard a noise. I thought I was screwed. No one was supposed to be home, but I imagined one of my parents walking down to see me skipping school. Not only would I be in a huge amount of trouble, but, just like the bad grades and lack of known talent, it would be another disappointment. For some reason, no one came down but I kept hearing a muffled noise. Stupid Audrin just had to go searching for it.

That's when he walked in on his father screwing someone who obviously wasn't his mother. I would never forget the girl looking over his shoulder and seeing me. You would expect her to be mortified, but her expression was empty and void of feeling. She didn't even care. However, my father heard the door open and cared a lot. It was a mixture of embarrassment, shame, and fury for both of us. The girl was sent away and my father gave me two options. I could either be quiet or ruin our family. He told me it was my choice.

I think you can piece together the rest of the story.

"You're barely touching your food," Mother smiled as she pointed to my plate.

"I'm not that hungry. Just the nerves getting to me," I shrugged as I mutilated the food with my fork.

"Audrin, don't worry. If they reaped you, they would send you back the next day," Kenton joked.

"Why is that?" I asked stupidly, already knowing the answer. I had always set myself up for these jokes… Stopping now would be jarring and out of character.

"The whole point of the games is entertainment. You would need to be able to actually do something to create that."

"Kenton, be nice," Mother scolded as she rolled her eyes.

In a way, it could be taken as a compliment. Sure, it meant he thought I was below average and boring. But it also meant he thought I couldn't kill anyone and play the Hunger Games. Even if he saw me as useless, he still saw me as a nice, moral person.

Damn, if I knew I was such a good actor I would have taken drama up years ago.

"This line is ridiculous," I whined as I hopped from foot to foot.

"I told you we should have left earlier," Alaine sighed as she fiddled with her skirt.

"No, you told me to hurry up because we would be late. Not that I would have to stand in a massive line."

"Same implication."

"You've been my closest friend for years. How long will it take you to realize that you always have to spell it out for me?"

"I would, if you knew how to spell things correctly."

"Ouch," I laughed, "That hits a little too close to home."

Alaine smiled shyly as we moved centimeter by centimeter closer to the Peacekeepers. Alaine was the only person that knew everything about me. She knew all of my faults, what happened with my father, and the person I had become. She was the only person who could calm me down when my bottled up temper began to start bursting at the seams. She kept me in check, and I trusted her to always be there and care. I was sick and tired of people pulling the wool over my eyes, but I knew she would never do that to me… And she could always point out those who were.

"Don't trip," she suddenly exclaimed as she grabbed my arm.

I stumbled slightly over a loose brick, but her grip kept me steady on my feet. I smiled dopily at her as I kicked the stupid brick out of its hole. I picked it up and lightly tossed it up and down. Ever since I hit puberty, I constantly found myself tripping and stumbling. I had no grace or coordination when it came to my own body. When I thought about it, even when I was little I was always accidently dropping or breaking things. My entire family kept their valuable belongings far away from me. Funny how things from your childhood extended into your later years.

I glanced up from my brick and spotted a Peacekeeper roughly grabbing a small girl's arm. She yelped in pain, but he didn't seem to care. A thought flashed through my mind. I saw myself storming up to him and smashing the brick against his heard. Hard. Again and again and again… Yelling as his skull caved inwards. The thought replayed in my mind several times.

"Audrin? Are you well?"

"Huh?"

"Maybe you should put the brick down before we sign in?"

Alaine looked at me worriedly and I realized I had stopped moving. I laughed nonchalantly as I tossed the brick into a nearby alley over several people's heads.

"No problem."

"You sure you're okay?"

"Always," I replied as I smiled a little too hard, "I'm always okay."

I stood in the sixteen year old section with other kids my age. I listened to them joke around as I tried my best to ignore them. There was a time I stood on the outskirts of their groups and pretended to be one of them. I laughed when everyone else laughed and tried to insert my own jokes whenever necessary. I saw it as trying to make myself known and get friends. They saw it as irritating and me trying way too hard.

A hush went over the crowd as the mayor took the stage. One word to describe him was a wannabe. He wanted to turn this district into a miniature District One. When our overall wealth began to climb, he used the new funds to create more recreational and artistic programs, build parks, and spruce up our buildings and streets. When I was younger, I loved it. To this day I enjoyed painting and anything beautiful, but as I aged I realized using the excess money for that was wasteful. I knew it diversified things and opened up new careers, but not necessarily a large amount of jobs. Even with all the problems I faced in my personal life, I knew I was fortunate to be wealthy. There were more people than jobs, and it left many scraping by to make ends meet. I didn't know any personally, but that was because our family "didn't associate with those kinds of people".

I looked the mayor, who was putting on quite the performance with his speech, and observed District Six's only victor. I chuckled slightly. Even if he wanted us to appear to be as shiny and new as District One, we would never be Careers. Without victors, we could never hope to accumulate enough wealth to be anything like them. Plus, we were fortunate to make that much money by shipping out medicine, but how long would that last? If we, paired with District Five, cured all the diseases then how would we continue to grow? These were the kind of conversations I heard my older brother and father talk about frequently throughout the years… It was one of the only areas I felt truly knowledgeable in: economics and politics.

Our only victor, Naomi Picou, sat respectfully. I didn't know much about her, except that she was kind and considered the "Virgin Victor". She was currently the only living victor who had won their games without killing a single tribute. I never saw her games so I had no idea how. Most people considered her weak for these reasons, but I saw it as a great strength. To win a game surrounded by death without any blood on your hands? You had to be talented in some way… Or at least very lucky.

I was brought back to reality when I noticed Singing Rain digging her hand into the girls' glass bowl. I watched, not overly concerned. The odds of it being someone I knew were slim and of it being someone I cared about? Next to none. Singing Rain's hot pink nails unrolled the parchment and her eyes devoured the name.

"Kori Adair!"

My entire body went rigid. The odds? Screw the odds. Anger welled in me as a girl appeared in the aisle. I could never forget that name as long as I lived. Her limp blonde hair swung lifelessly at her shoulder blades as she struggled slightly to walk properly. Her brown eyes were trained on the stage as she blinked furiously. She looked just like every other girl from District Six… Completely average bar her full figure and subtle curves. I knew the truth, though. I knew she was nothing but a home wrecker. A whore for hire. As she stood on the stage, I couldn't help but find a sick satisfaction in her upcoming demise.

She deserved this and more for having an affair with my father.

The anger inside me died down slightly at the thought of my father's face right now. I knew that their affair ended a month or so after I caught them in the act, but I always assumed it was due to him trying to be more careful. He had to still care about her… Right? This had to hurt him in some way. Even if he had a new mistress, his old one dying on national television had to give him at least an ounce of what I had been feeling for years.

Torn. Torn between how he felt and how he should feel.

"Audrin Leveque!"

Now the world was just playing a cruel joke on all of us. This entire situation seemed so ridiculous that I couldn't even feel shocked at this moment. It felt almost destined to be. I stepped out of the crowd and stomped towards the stage. My father got to lose his old mistress and a son? Sure, it was his failure of a child, but I was still blood. Seeing us together had to leave him feeling sad, furious, and nervous all at the same time.

The closer I got to her, the livider I became. The rage that had been slowly boiling over the years was in full force. Nothing else registered except for the thoughts of my father and this girl in front of me. I knew what would hurt him the most…. What would bring me the most satisfaction… What would be poetic justice…

I may never be able to tell my mother of his misdeeds, but I could certainly murder the bitch who started this all.

As we were forced to shake hands, I couldn't stop myself from crushing her hand. I yanked her closer and whispered, "You ruined everything, and now I'll ruin your life. You're dead as soon as the gong sounds."

I was done playing the ignorant son. It was time to let the rage pour out and consume everything in its path.

I lied. Merry Christmas :D I hope all of you are taking this time to spend it with family or those that you care about! I just wanted to get this out early as a little Christmas present :D. I hope all of you enjoy and find time to drop a little review!

By the way, I didn't even realize it but last chapter we hit the halfway mark! We're now officially over halfway done with the Reapings! How does that make all of you feel? I'm excited, but also sad. I don't know, I've enjoyed this format a lot. I've spent this much time before the train rides getting to know each individual tribute so well haha.

Anyways, have a lovely day

Europa