District 6
Alexandra Varas's POV – District 6 Female
The moon shone brightly in the sky over the district. It was around midnight and most of the citizens were lying in their beds, trying to go to sleep. Children and adults were cowering in fear due to the reaping later in the day. It was completely understandable. There was a certain level of ambiguity that revolved around a quarter quell with an unannounced twist. Perhaps I should be concerned as well, but I would be concerned at a later time.
For now, I was focused on my goal: breaking and entering into the mayor's house. I had been planning this heist for months now and I was not going to mess this up! I was not going to let all that time of careful observation and study go to waste!
Thievery was probably not the safest way to make money, but I couldn't help myself. Being born in a family of five meant that money was a constantly scarce resource. People had to do what they had to do to survive. So, I did. I had been a thief since the age of fourteen and I had no intentions of stopping. Being quick, being quiet, being able to blend into your surroundings and hide yourself from observers and your target: all these skills came naturally to me. It was a high risk occupation, but it came with a high reward. And, if I were being completely honest with myself, I enjoyed the thrill and challenge of it.
I quickly and quietly made my way through the alleys of the district. Minutes passed before I reached my destination. The mayor's house was nothing spectacular compared to what I have heard the houses were like in the career districts, let alone the capitol. Still, it was large compared to its surroundings. It was two floors and made entirely of red brick with large, glass windows on the side of the walls.
The mayor had a daughter about my age. I think her name was Amber? I don't really remember – I didn't care much for people outside of my family. Regardless, in preparation for my mission, I attempted to befriend her. These attempts were successful and I was rewarded with a visit inside the house. I memorized every little detail that I could in order to ensure a flawless heist.
I also made a note of all the beautiful, beautiful merchandise that I could sell for a hefty profit on the black market. Or perhaps I could keep a few. How many items could I steal from this place?
Immediately as those thoughts entered my mind, I shook my head. Over the course of my time as a thief, I developed into a kleptomaniac. Sometimes I would walk away with items that I simply could not sell: I had stolen them simply because I had wanted to take them in the moment. Perhaps I could get away with it somewhere else, but not when I'm attempting to hit the mayor's house! I needed to minimize the chances of getting caught!
With that determination in my mind, I rushed over to the window nearest the front door…
The day began too early in my honest opinion. By the time I had completed my heist and sold a few items on the black market, the sun was already rising. Damn. Another night with no sleep…
I can't complain too much though. The mayor's house really was a treasure-trove of merchandise. I had managed to steal many jewels, pictures, and family heirlooms and was able to sell them for a high profit. I had made enough money to cover at least two months of expenditures for my family!
I really should have hit the mayor's place sooner!
Once the sun started to rise and I had completed all my duties, I rushed back home. It was a small, plain, little shack with only three rooms: a main room that doubled as a living room and kitchen, a bedroom that my whole family shared, and one bathroom. As I entered the front door and into the main room, I noticed that my mother and my sister, Anna, were already awake, preparing breakfast. They quickly turned their attention to me when I entered the house.
"Another late night?" Anna asked in surprise as she stared at me.
"Mhmm." I answered with a yawn. My response earned a glare from my mother.
"Goodness Alexandra, if you are going to be out, can you at least let me know the day beforehand? None of us have any clue where you run off too and I can't help but feel worried sick!"
A chuckle escapes my mouth. My mother had a habit of worrying about too many little details. I've been doing this for three years. You would think she should know not to worry about me!
"Relax, I'm fine. And I'll always be fine. No need to stress yourself out." I consoled her.
My mother calmed down slightly. She could never be angry at someone for too long. It's a trait that I respected.
"Still, you could let us know when you are going to be out all-night. Where do you even go anyway?" She questioned in a lighter tone.
"Work. I told you before: the factory I work at has late hours and I am usually assigned those times." I answered with an eye-roll.
No one in my family knew that I was a thief. I had a feeling they would try to discourage it. The concern for my safety would be appreciated, but I would rather not deal with it. I was the one who brought home the most money after all!
"Have you ever thought of asking for better hours? Maybe if you ask really nicely, they'll help you out." Anna suggested innocently.
"Not happening." I dismissed her suggestion with a snort as I dug into my pockets for the money. I had everything put in a small white envelope. "The job pays too well to quit."
I tossed the envelope over to my mother. She hesitantly opened it and looked inside. Her eyes widened exponentially.
"This…this is…" My mother's eyes started to tear up. "I don't think I've ever seen this much money…"
"What's this about money?"
Our eyes turned towards the bedroom door. My father walked out of the room, followed by my brother Frederick. Father was gripping his back tightly, so Frederick was walking carefully behind him in case he needed help. He worked in a factory that helped produce train tracks and the hard labor he did everyday was starting to take its toll on his back.
My mother immediately rushed over to him, gripping the envelope tightly. Tears were still visible in her eye. "Aster, look. Look at how much money Alexandra made!"
Father took one look into the envelope before he started to grin.
"Alex, you are a miracle worker!" He exclaimed with a loud, cheerful laugh.
"Don't call me Alex." I rolled my eyes. I hated being called 'Alex'. I was born with the name Alexandra, so I did not understand why someone would call me any other name than that.
Father knew I hated that nickname. He simply called me it out of jest. He continued to laugh.
"Seriously, I have no idea how you do this. I don't know any factory that pays their workers this much! Your boss, whoever he is, is quite the generous man!" He exclaimed.
"He is." I answered with a smile.
"…you still don't tell us any information about what you do, or who your boss is. I hope you are not killing people or prostituting yourself or something." Frederick commented with a shrug.
"Frederick!" My mother yelled. "This is your little sister you're talking about! Don't make false accusations like that!"
"I'm not accusing her of anything! I'm just curious. I'd be interested in getting a job at this place if it really is legal and pays as well as she says it does." My brother responded defensively.
"I don't really know if they're hiring, but I'll ask my boss if he can hire anyone else." I answer politely.
My brother nods, accepting the answer. I know my brother. Generally speaking, he is not that smart and tends to forget things. He just finds things curious in the moment. Before the day ends, he will forget we had this conversation about my job. Hell, he'll probably forget that I even brought home the money!
Shortly after, our family has breakfast. Mother serves everyone eggs: the first home-cooked meal we've had in weeks. It was a tradition that we had to eat something good for the reaping in case if anyone was reaped. Even though I was the only one with a chance to get reaped, as Anna and Frederick were now over eighteen, it was still a tradition we had. And honestly, I enjoyed it. It was good to have a decent home-cooked meal from time to time.
After I finished eating, I looked at the members of my family. My father was telling some joke to Frederick and Anna. The two of them were laughing loudly, with Frederick accidently spitting out some of the eggs in his mouth. Mother quickly scolded him, but she herself was laughing both at my father's joke and my brother's reaction.
I smiled as I chuckled slightly and participated in the conversation. I wasn't much of a people person, but I was definitely had a special place for my family. I would do anything for them…
Booker Comston's POV – District 6 Male
"DAMMIT!"
I woke up from my nap at the sound of a loud voice. Immediately upon waking up, I rushed into the living room in the direction of the voice. As I walked into the room, I saw my father. He was dressed in his uniform: the standard outfit of the peacekeepers. He was putting on his helmet when he noticed me. Normally, my father was a kind and gentle person. Right now, he looked anything but kind: he was red with anger.
"What's going on father?" I asked him.
"That damn thief is at it again! He broke into the mayor's house and robbed the place!" My father hissed.
A scowl developed on my face. Thief. I hate thieves. I hate all kinds of criminals. My father shares that same hatred. Crime has led to the death of our family. My mother and sister were killed by a morphling dealer two years ago. They were in the wrong place at the wrong time and witnessed a morphling exchange. The dealer, to silence any potential witnesses, killed them and hid their bodies in a dark alley before running away.
To this day, I remember being with my father when we found their bodies. I never felt so depressed; never so numb. The depression didn't end until I started doing my own private investigation to find the dealer, and the numbness only started to fade once I personally killed the man who stole my mother and sister from me with my bare hands.
I instinctively cracked my knuckles before questioning my father. "How much was taken?"
"The mayor isn't certain, but he wants me and the other peacekeepers in my division to head over there and investigate." He informed me. He then glared at me. "And before you ask, you can't come today. It's going to be a long investigation. I doubt you'll have time to head to the reaping before we finish."
I nodded in understanding, but the scowl did not leave my face. "When you finish the investigation, let me know about any evidence you find. I have a theory and I wish to talk to you more about it."
My father nodded before he bolted towards the door. "Will do. You take care Booker. I'll see you sometime later tonight. Good luck at the reaping!"
With those words, my father ran out of the house towards the mayor's house. With my father gone, I quickly rushed over to my room and dug into a box of files underneath my bed.
There is a common stigma associated with peacekeepers. They 'keep peace' as seen by the Capitol, but they don't do anything in actuality. They were, as the common citizen would say, corrupt human beings who seek profit rather than justice and peace. That is false, but I do recognize one truth in that concept. The peacekeepers cannot do everything. There are often too many cases for them to handle, some of which are meaningless dribble that the Capitol assigns to them. This means they can't properly handle the true crime that is happening in the districts.
Being raised by a peacekeeper and having access to any equipment that my father owns, I know precisely how to conduct a private investigation. With the tools I have and the personal knowledge of what criminals do the common people, I made it my responsibility to properly 'punish' all criminals in the district. I look into reported crimes of the district, conduct investigation, track down the culprit, and…handle them appropriately.
I pulled out a set of files I had on a thieving epidemic in the district out of my box. There has been a thief that has been robbing people for the past three years. What makes this incident special is that the peacekeepers still haven't caught the thief. In other larceny cases, the thief is usually caught before the day ends and they are handled with appropriately by the peacekeepers. This case was different. This particular thief has been able to avoid detection despite the constant heists. It has gotten to the point where not even the mayor of our district is safe!
Since my father and the other peacekeepers cannot track the thief down, it is my responsibility to bring this criminal justice…and I plan on doing that to her!
"Alexandra Varas…" I mumble the name to myself as I pull out a paper filled with witness testimonies from the victims of the heists.
She is a young woman with dark blue eyes and brown hair that goes down to her neck. She's a tan girl of average height that is thin due to, from what I can presume, a slight case of malnutrition. She is also the only potential link between the most recent heists.
In my own investigations, I have learned that a young woman that looks similar matches her description has usually been to the spots of the heist beforehand. Whether it is a butcher shop, a factory, or even a peacekeeper's house, the testimony remains the same: the victims give me a list of people that they remember seeing in the prior two days. And each one has given me a description of Ms. Varas.
I did some more personal investigation into her. She lives with her parents and her older brother and sister. I also learned the occupations of all members of the family. She has no recorded job, and the rest of her family does not earn enough money to maintain a life for five people. Despite this, they seem to be functioning well. While the family is poor, they are able to pay their rent and bills each and every time. The last late payment, according to their landowner, was three years ago, prior to the heists…
I need more decisive evidence before I do anything to her, but I am completely certain that she is the thief that has been plaguing our district.
…I need more evidence. Something needs to be done about her fast!
With that thought in mind, I placed the files back in the box and moved it back underneath my bed. I then left my room and my house. Father did not want me to help him with his investigation for now, and I'll respect his wishes. But I needed to find some way to gain some information…
"Hmm…perhaps I should go confront my suspect." I suggested to myself as I walked towards the poorer section of District Six.
All crime must be stopped. This thief must be caught. Therefore, I needed to go and find any possible form of evidence that I can find!
Alexandra Varas's POV – District 6 Female
"I will see you all after the reaping!" I told my parents and siblings as I left to get to the reaping on time.
The walk to the center of the district was longer than usual. It didn't help me that I was tired. I really needed to get some more sleep tonight. Considering the success of my last heist, I probably didn't need to go out to try and make some money for at least a few weeks. I was just going to try and get as much sleep as I could.
In addition to being long, the walk was uneventful. I watched as younger children ran past me as they hurried off to the reaping with miserable expressions. They all wanted to get the day over with. District Six was, usually, rather upbeat in comparison to the other districts. Today, however, was a solemn day. Not much happiness could be felt on a day like the reaping.
"Excuse me, Ms. Varas." A voice called out to me, interrupting me from my train of thought.
My eyes narrowed at the sound of the voice and I cursed slightly under my breath. I turned and saw a young man that I had recently met: Booker Comston. He was a tall, muscular boy with a pale skin complexion. He had short dark brown hair and he always had a serious expression on his face. He was the son of a peacekeeper and acted as a wannabe-peacekeeper of sorts.
"What do you want Booker?" I asked irritably. "In case you forgot, today is the day of the reaping. We both need to be going there!"
"I realize. Care for some company on the way?" He asked in a calm, collected voice.
I was starting to feel more awake. I only met him a few weeks ago and he spent the entire time asking me questions about my personal life and the life of my family. He was a giant creep and I didn't want to know what he wanted to do with my company.
"Honestly, no." I answered as I started to walk off.
"Well, we are both heading in the same direction, so I hope you don't mind me imposing anyway." Booker responded in the same tone-of-voice.
I sighed in frustration. I did not want to deal with Booker right now. I've seen him around and he does more than just ask me and other people personal questions. The boy is with his peacekeeper father whenever at 'the scene of the crime' whenever anything happens in the district. He had recently been showing up at the scenes of my most recent heists, and about one week ago, he started his questioning of me and started to stalk me.
I'm a cautious and suspicious person in general. My gut is usually correct. And, right now, I had a strong gut feeling that Booker suspected me of being the thief that I was.
"Booker, I really am not in the mood to talk right now. We can meet up at a later time." I hissed at him as I started to walk faster.
"Why not now? We have time to kill Ms. Varas." He stated. His voice was starting to sound more forceful and colder. "There is actually something I need to ask you about."
On instinct, I started to run. I realized that this probably made me look more suspicious to him, but I was not in the mood right now to deal with his crap. I'll deal with him later. For now, I was tired and I did not want to converse with him until I was more awake and, therefore, would have a more-awake mind to squirm out of his suspicions.
Booker started to run and follow after me, but I was faster. It didn't take long for me to lose him. The second I realized I had lost him, I sighed in relief before heading off, once again, to the center stage of town for the reaping.
Booker Comston's POV – District 6 Male
"Shit!" I couldn't hold back my curse as I lost her. The girl got away from me.
She's fast. Really fast. Perhaps if I had a weapon on me, I'd continue pursuing her in the hopes that she would tire out. But, unfortunately, I did not. In the end, I guess it didn't matter. I can't do anything to her right now. I don't have my decisive evidence yet.
I'll let her get away this time, for now. But once I have guaranteed evidence that proves my theory, I'll continue my pursuit. And she won't get away!
"Hey, why were you chasing her?" A voice questioned me.
I turned around and saw a girl my age approach me. She had short red hair that went down to her back and she had bright green eyes. She was dressed up in a blue dress for the reaping that really complimented her.
She was beautiful…
"N-No reason. I thought she was somebody else and I was wrong." I told the girl lamely. I cursed under my breath as I felt my cheeks redden in color.
"Oh, okay. I thought that was your girlfriend or something! A handsome man like you should be heading to the reaping with a girl at your side!" She commented with a smile that made me blush further.
"I would if I had one, but I don't have a girlfriend." I answered with a slight frown.
It was something that had always bothered me. I devoted all of my time and energy into catching criminals. I dropped out of school and quit my job at the railroad just to focus on it. As a result, I lost all contact with people my age. I could honestly say I had no friends, let alone a girlfriend. It was something that really bothered me. I wouldn't change anything that I have done, but I do wish I was able to make some friends my age at least…
"Really? You don't?" The girl asked in surprise. "I'm shocked! I would have thought some girl would have swooped in for you! I know I would!"
…really?
The girl giggled as she watched my cheeks turn a brighter red. She then held out her hand. "My name's Rachel."
I smiled and ignored my blush as I shook her hand. "Booker."
"Pleasure to meet you!" Rachel stated with a laugh. She then moved her eyes toward the center of town. "Well, Booker, if you don't have a girlfriend to wait for, do you want to walk with me to the reaping?"
All I could do was nod dumbly as I followed her, trying my best to hide my blush that was getting redder by the second.
Alexandra Varas's POV – District 6 Female
The reaping ceremony was, in general, quite standard and generic. I stood alongside the other girls in the seventeen year-old section and pretended to listen to the mayor as he gave the same speech he did every year. After hearing it for the past seventeen years, I could give the 'Treaty of Treason' speech in near verbatim. There was no purpose in listening. Besides, the speech was entirely false and was just a political tool to make people in the districts think that the Hunger Games and the shitty lives we lived were our faults.
Naturally, no one believed it. We all knew how stupid this was. The Capitol was to blame for all of this. They were the reason for the shit living standards, the reason for the extremely high cost-of-living, and the reason for the Hunger Games. Twenty-three children died each year because of them: because of a damn revolt that occurred a hundred and fifty years ago that they won't let us forget.
No speech would be able to convince anyone that we deserved this life.
Once the mayor completed his speech, Lunar Brighton, our district escort walked forward. Of all the capitol escorts that District Six has had, I respected him the most. Sure he looked like a watermelon, both in shape and in-terms of the color of his hair and skin, but he realized that none of us wanted to be here. Therefore, he didn't try to drone out the reaping ceremony.
"I'll skip the standard speech and just move on to the reason we all are. Let's start with the girls." Lunar stated sharply.
No beating around the bush whatsoever. I liked that. Now, after he read the names, I could go back home and carry on with my life.
The man placed his hand into a bowl and grabbed the first paper he felt. He then unfolded it and proceeded to read off the name.
"Ms. Alexandra Varas!" He read.
Shit!
Surprise covered my face as I felt my eyes widen. My mind went blank a second and I started to walk towards the center stage on instinct alone. As the initial fear starts to fade away, my mind starts to wake up more. I start to think more about myself.
I've been risking my life nearly every day to survive and to help my family survive. The Hunger Games arena would be no different.
With that thought in my head, I casted away all of the traces of fear in my mind. A grin developed on my face as I walked on the stage. I was already reaped, so there was no reason to be nervous. Being nervous now would be impractical: it would make me look weak and it would lessen my overall chance of survival, and I was determined to survive! I had a family to provide for after all!
"Nice to meet you Ms. Alexandra. Or should I call you Alex?" Lunar questioned.
"No, I am Alexandra." I state firmly, but politely.
"Good to know." The man nods. He then looks to the second bowl of names. "And now, for the male tribute-"
"Hold it!"
Booker Comston's POV – District 6 Male
The eyes of the entire district were focused solely on me. I started to walk forward from my position amongst the eighteen year-old boys. I don't normally like being the center of this attention, but I can't help myself. I cannot let this injustice happen! I won't!
"You can't send her out to the Hunger Games! She's a criminal! She needs to be punished here!" I shouted.
A few gasps could be heard from amongst the people. I noticed Ms. Varas's eyes widen at the decree, before they hardened in anger as she glared at me.
She is the thief. I knew it! And I'm not going to let her get sent into the Games to avoid her punishment!
At that moment, the peacekeepers that were stationed at the reaping ran over towards me. They then grabbed me and held me down, preventing me from moving. I cursed as I tried to pull them off of me.
"Let go of me dammit!" I hissed as I elbowed one in the face.
"Criminal? Young man, I have no idea what you are talking about!" Lunar exclaimed in confusion as he looked at me and the peacekeepers. "All I know is that you're wasting our time here! You peacekeepers keep doing what you're doing and get him out of here!"
"No, you can't send her off yet! She's a thief. She's been stealing from people here in the district. From peacekeepers to common citizens to even the mayor: this woman has robbed many people and endangered their very livelihood!" I shouted in anger.
At that moment, I could feel the grips of the peacekeepers lighten. They, along with the rest of the district, took that moment to stare at Ms. Varas with surprise in their eyes. Like a true criminal, she looked onward without any guilt. Her eyes focused on me as a scowl developed on her face. "You have no proof."
"I do too! I have evidence at my house that will convict you!" I shouted in defiance as I finally pulled the peacekeepers off of me. Immediately, they turned their attention back to me and held me down again.
"I'll repeat myself, you're wasting our time!" Lunar hissed at me. "…besides, she is going into the Hunger Games. If she really was the criminal you say she was, could that not be considered punishment enough?"
"No. Many good, unfortunate lives have been lost in the Hunger Games and she doesn't deserve to be added to that list. She needs to be punished and executed the proper way: like any criminal should be!" I answered back.
It's true. I've seen many good kids lose their lives in the Games. She is no good kid. She doesn't deserve to die a victim of the Games. She deserves to die the way all criminals should!
The Games were also not true punishment as well. She could win. If she can pull off three years worth of heists without being caught, then she clearly has skills that make her a threat in the Games. And if she did win…
I was not going to let that happen! I will not let her get away from her crimes unpunished!
"…if you are going to send her in the Games, then I volunteer!" I shouted loudly.
A collective gasp was heard from many people in the district. I could hear the gasps, even from the peacekeepers holding me down. As their grip weakened again, I shoved them off and ran over to the center stage.
"I will make sure you get punished the way a criminal like you deserves to be punished. You will not die nobly like previous tributes in the Hunger Games, I will make sure of that." I told Ms. Varas coldly.
"Too bad for you, I'm no thief. And I will not die!" She hissed at me, still denying my claim. "You really are stupid, you know that? You're going to risk your life in the Hunger Games just because you believe that I am a thief and you wish for me to get the 'proper punishment?'"
"I have ideals and I will not allow them to be compromised!" I replied firmly.
"Well, your ideals are flawed. I'd consider picking up a new set before you die in the arena!" She shouted back, her glare intensifying.
"Children…children…break it up. Break it up." Lunar commented with a slightly uneasy tone to his voice. "Um…District Six, here are your tributes for this year's Hunger Games!"
Perhaps this is a mistake. Perhaps I will die as a result of this decision. I had no interest in competing in the Hunger Games and killing common civilians. But I have my ideals and they mean everything to me! The day my mother and sister died, I made a pledge to myself that I would do my part to punish all criminals and create a world of peace. I was not going to let even one crook escape their due fate! And if it meant me dying in the process, then so be it.
I'll do everything in my power to make sure that you, Ms. Alexandra Varas, die by my hand…
District Seven
Winnie Goldstein's POV – District 7 Female
I couldn't help but yawn as I woke up. I had a hard time sleeping last night. Considering that I lived on the streets, sleep was a very rare luxury. Last night, though, was a really hard night to sleep through.
Today was the reaping day. I had just turned twelve and I filled out a form signing up for plenty of tesserae. I realize that it was only my first year and mathematically speaking, I should still be here after today. Still, I couldn't help but feel nervous. I wasn't easily scared, but the thought of dying in the Hunger Games was not something I wanted…
"Morning Winnie! Sleep well?"
I turn my head and saw my twin brother, Marvin. He had a smile on his face so wide that I couldn't help but smile back.
"Morning Marv. I'm surprised you're awake. You usually sleep until noon!" I greeted him teasingly.
Marv yawned in response before replying. "That's assuming I get the chance to sleep! We don't really have a comfy bed right now, you know?"
I nodded, a frown on my face. I knew exactly what he meant. Living on the streets – being homeless hurt. I really missed a bed, being in shelter for the rain, and my parents…
Mother and Father were great parents, and two of the only adults that I actually trusted, but they were also very rebellious. They would often have meetings with other rebels and they were even planning on maybe rioting against the Capitol. As soon as they became more public about rebellion, they were quickly killed. Marv and I were only seven when we lost our parents. This left us alone with Daren, our evil older brother…
I would like to think that I am a logical person. I am at least much wiser compared to the other kids my age. I would not toss out a term like 'evil' out loosely. But Daren…that was the only word that accurately described him. He is exactly what I don't like about older people. He takes advantage of anyone underneath him – starting with kids like Marv and I. Daren was supposed to take care of us after our parents died, but we became nothing more than servants to him. He'd abuse us and have us do the chores that our parents did for him while he spent all of the money he had saved on alcohol and prostitutes. He'd even steal any money that we were able to raise to go to his excess purchases! We didn't even have much money in the first place, but with Daren draining our money like that, Marv and I could barely afford any food.
When we turned ten, we realized that Daren was going to one day get us killed, so we left. For the past two years, Marv and I have been living on the streets. We earned our money doing small errands for people and trading anything we could find. Life wasn't easy and, honestly, it was horrible. But we will do anything we can to survive, and if leaving the comforts of home could help us survive, then we would do just that.
"You alright Winnie?" Marv asked me. He waved his hand in my face, knocking me out of my train-of-thought and back to reality.
"Yeah. Sorry." I apologized with a shake of head. "I was just thinking about things."
"You spend too much time thinking." He answered with a teasing smile. "So, do we have an agenda for today?"
I nodded in response as I dug into the pockets of my shorts. I pulled out a few coins. "I saved this for today. We're going to have a small meal and try to enjoy today before the reaping. Then after the reaping, we'll just go back and do what we normally do. I think we could probably find a few errands to do for someone or something."
"Ah, okay." Marv nodded in agreement. He pulled out a few coins from his pocket and started to chuckle. "Funny, I tried to save up for today as well. Great minds think alike, huh?"
I giggled in response. "Yes, we do."
With that in mind, Marv and I proceeded to walk away from our little spot in our alley and walk down the street. We stopped walking when we saw another person, a boy, sleeping at the very end of the alley.
"Who is that?" Marv asked in confusion.
I stared at the person suspiciously. He was a tall guy, slightly skinny guy with brown curly hair that was styled like an afro. The guy looked at least seventeen years old and, judging from the dirty clothes he was wearing, he was also homeless. The boy was snoring rather loudly.
"I've never seen him before. Must be new to the streets." I commented.
Marv and I continued to stare at the strange, new boy for around a minute. Our staring stopped when the boy started to stretch and yawn.
"He's waking up." Marv whispered into my ear.
The two of us quickly hid behind the gutter in the alley, our eyes focused on the boy. It was odd to see another homeless person in the district. District Seven had very few, and there were very few close to us in age. I couldn't help but wonder what he was like…
Raegae Oak's POV – District 7 Male
I woke up feeling a sharp pain in my back. I got up and immediately started to stretch. Sleeping on the ground in an alley really did a lot of damage to back. One of these days I'm going to wake up with actual back problems. Maybe I should try and save up money and buy myself a mattress or something? Or maybe a blanket? Perhaps that could help?
Eh, that'd just be a waste of money. It's not like it was too much of a big deal.
There weren't too many people homeless in the district, but the few that were seemed to hate it. There was apparently some negative image attached to the idea and they just didn't want to be associated with it. I was one of the few homeless members of the district, but unlike the others, I actually enjoyed it. I governed my life – no one could tell me what to do. I was my own man and I had the freedom to do anything I wanted to do.
Sure, I missed a few of the luxuries of having a home, such as having a bed to sleep in, but I really didn't miss the home I used to have. In particular, I didn't miss my parents and I know that they didn't miss me. They were the ones who kicked me out in the first place after all! All I did was pull an innocent prank on the neighbor boy and they decided that I was 'the scum of the earth' and 'a disgraceful child' and then forced me to leave.
I mean, so what if my prank almost killed the kid? He didn't die in the end and that's all that matters! But no, apparently I committed some damn war crime or something. My parents just can't appreciate some good, innocent humor. Well, screw them!
A scowl developed on my face. First back pain and now thinking about my parents. The day had just begun and I was already not in a good mood. I proceeded to start walking down the streets of the district, looking for something to do to put me in a better mood.
It didn't take me long to find something to do. I saw a little girl about twelve years old walking down the street in a really nice pink, frilly dress. Probably an outfit her parents got her for the reaping. An idea quickly entered my head and a devious smirk entered her head.
Kids usually liked to wear their nicest clothes to the reaping. It would be a shame if those 'nice' clothes got ruined somehow.
My eyes quickly scanned the area, looking something that could ruin her clothes. Luckily, I lived in district seven, so it didn't take long for me to find something. Since our district's main resource was lumber, trees covered almost the entire district. I noticed that one tree that the little girl was about to walk by had a small, yellow bee nest on one of the higher branches.
Oh, that will definitely work!
I bent over on to the street and picked up the first large rock I could find. I then started to walk behind the little girl. My eyes kept focusing back-and-forth between her and the bee nest in the tree. Finally, I stopped walking and raised my arm.
I chucked the rock as hard as I could at the bee nest. The rock struck the nest and actually moved it slightly. I frowned slightly, disappointed that I couldn't get the whole nest to come down. My frown quickly disappeared though. The bees quickly came out of their nest. They then flew downwards at the exact moment the little girl walked under the tree.
"AHH!"
The reaction was instantaneous and priceless. The little girl shrieked and ran away crying while the bees flew after her in a rage.
I laughed hard as I watched her run. That wasn't one of the most complex pranks I've done, but it was pretty damn satisfying. I happen to enjoy pulling off pranks on little kids the most. Their reactions are the most funny!
Damn, I really needed that laugh!
Winnie Goldstein's POV – District 7 Female
"What an awful thing to do! Who does that stuff?" Marv gasped as we watched the little girl run away from the bees.
I couldn't help but glare at the older boy in front of us. He was laughing loud like an obnoxious animal. He reminded me a little of Daren in that moment. I could already tell that he didn't care about the people around him. To him, everyone else was just a tool that he could use for his own amusement.
I really didn't like older kids, and this boy was the perfect example of why I didn't.
"…let's go. Let's get something to eat." I said firmly to Marv.
Marv nodded and the two of us walked away in the other direction away from the boy. I turned around one last time to look at him and I saw a little boy with similar curly brown hair around my age approach him. I had no clue who he was, but I had no doubt in my mind that he was going to become another target for that rude boy's 'humor'.
The two of us quickly made our way through alley ways and streets towards a stand in the marketplace of District Seven. It was marked with a sign that read 'Nature's Products' that was decorated with flowers collected from the lumberyard. Most stores and stands in the area closed for the day because of the reaping, but I knew this stand well! It needed money badly, so it would stay open any day!
Marv and I quickly walked up to the front of the stand. The woman who ran the stand, Sherri, smiled at the sight of us.
"Well, if it isn't you two! What are you little ones up to?" She asked sweetly.
"Just wanting to get something to eat. Do you have any good fruit?" I asked politely.
"Do I ever! Give me a second." Sherri responded happily as she looked through her produce for the best fruit.
I smiled as I watched her. Marv and I met Sherri a week after we moved out to the streets. She's the reason the two of us are even alive. She allowed us to purchase fruits and vegetables at a reduced rate that we could afford. Furthermore, she would often have us run delivery errands for her to make some extra cash. She was both the main source of our food and the main source of our money.
I don't like many older people – especially adults. Sherri, however, was a definite exception. She was our savior.
"Can we get some pineapple?" Marv asked.
"Of course, sweetie." Sherri responded with a laugh.
Shortly, Marv and I were presented with a small basket of fruit. It contained a large pineapple, two bananas, and a small container strawberries.
"That's a lot of fruit…" Marv mumbled in surprise.
I nodded in agreement. It was, honestly, too much. "…I don't know if we can afford that much! Can you take out the strawberries?"
"I didn't ask for money. You kids can just have it for free!" She replied.
…excuse me?
"No, that isn't fair at all. We have money!" I assured her, holding out my coins. Marv nodded in agreement as he held out his own coins.
"No, I know you two have money. But it's the reaping day. You two deserve a good meal together…" She said with a sad smile. "Today is a day where you need to appreciate every last second with the people you love. You two need to have a good meal and not have to worry about the cost."
"…are you sure this is okay?" I asked uneasily.
Marv actually developed tears in his eyes. "…th-thank you."
"Don't worry about it! Just make sure to come back tomorrow and get something!" She replied with a laugh.
"We will. Maybe even tonight!" I replied.
That woman really was a savior. If there was a god in this world, then Sherri had to be one of his angels.
Marv and I thanked Sherri extensively before walking off with the basket of fruit. For the first time in weeks, we were going to have a good, long, delicious meal!
Raegae Oak's POV – District 7 Male
"What you did to that girl wasn't funny at all Raegae!"
I blinked in surprise at the voice and turned around. There behind me was my little brother, Sycamore. He was a young, twelve year old boy about five feet in height and he had the same curly brown hair that I had.
Truth be told, Sycamore was probably the only person I actually enjoyed being around. I didn't really have any friends. In terms of my family, I hated my parents and my other sibling, my little sister Maple, was just a little brat that I enjoyed to torture whenever I saw her. Sycamore, on the other hand, was not like any of the other people I had met. He might not always like my pranks and jokes, but he at least didn't seem to judge me for them! He actually was a good kid who respected everyone and I respected that about it. I could never share his beliefs about other people, but I can't help but respect the fact that he has them.
"How are ya doing little bro? How'd ya find me?" I asked curiously. "I just moved to a different alley today!"
"You know you aren't that hard to find. All I have to do is wait for something to catch on fire or for somebody to start screaming. I then just head in the direction of the chaos." He replied with a shrug.
"Ha, good one." I laughed loudly.
Sycamore rolled his eyes. "Be careful Raegae! One of these days, you're going to prank somebody you shouldn't have and you'll get in trouble!"
"Ooh. Trouble. Who is going to do something to me?" I asked with raised eyebrows. "The peacekeepers? Please! They don't give a shit about anything. As long as I don't screw with them, they won't screw with me!"
"I…I don't know! Just…be careful with your pranks. I don't want someone else getting hurt…or you getting hurt for that matter!" He told me quietly.
"Well, your concern is appreciated, but I'll be fine." I answered with an eye roll. "…I hope you didn't come all the way out here to just give me a lecture! You got to have something else more important to do!"
"No…I didn't. Um…you know I'm twelve now right? It's my first reaping…" Sycamore looked downward as he spoke. "...I kinda wanted to see you at least one more time...in case...well..."
'Oh.' Understanding crossed my face as I looked at my little brother. "You're nervous, aren't you?"
Sycamore gave no verbal reply. He just simply nodded his head. I saw a few tears develop in his eyes.
On pure instinct alone, I pulled him in for a hug. He quickly wrapped his arms around my stomach.
"Sycamore, I know for a fact that you don't need tesserae. Mom and Dad are well-off enough that you shouldn't. You only have one piece of paper with your name on it. I promise you: your name will not be called today." I assured him, tightening my hug.
"…what about you?" He asked softly.
For the briefest of moments, I hesitated. After my parents kicked me out, money had been extremely scarce. I can barely afford a single thing! Therefore, I did apply for tesserae. A lot of tesserae to be exact. As quick as those thoughts entered my head, I shook my head and rejected them.
"I'll be fine. Trust me. You all are still gonna be stuck with me for a few more years at least before I kick the bucket from malnutrition or something else. But not because some kid stabbed me in the Hunger Games!" I told him with a laugh.
A few minutes passed before my little brother let go. He then pulled himself away and brushed off the remaining tears in his eyes.
"I hope those tears weren't for me, you know? I don't want to see you crying over me!" I informed him.
"No…I wasn't crying about that." He shook his head. A playful smile then appeared on his lips. "…you just smell really bad. I couldn't help but cry a little."
I couldn't help but laugh boisterously in response to that comment.
"Hey, you try living on the streets. We'll see if you can still smell squeaky-clean after just one day!" I challenged.
The two of us laughed playfully. Okay, I will admit: if I had to say I missed something about my house I missed other than a bed, it would be just being able to chill with my little bro.
A few minutes passed before Sycamore decided that he needed to head back to our parents. He needed to get dressed for the reaping still.
"Try and avoid seeing me until after the reaping. You wouldn't want me to do something to your precious, clean suit, would you?" I teased him.
"Raegae!" He sighed in frustration.
After a small banter about my pranks, Sycamore headed back to his house, leaving me alone. I then started to look around the district for something to do.
"Hmm…I think I got at least another two hours before the reaping." I mumbled to myself as I looked for another potential target for an 'innocent prank'. "What is there to do to kill some time?"
Winnie Goldstein's POV – District 7 Female
After Marv and I finished our fruit breakfast, the two of us walked over to the center of the district and waited for the reaping to begin. We had nothing else to do, and honestly, we really didn't know what were really supposed to do. This was our first time being a part of the reaping after all!
It really feels weird that I'm twelve now. I'm growing up. Soon, I'll be an older kid, and then an adult. I'll be just like the people I don't trust. It's a weird feeling.
…I just hope that by the time I'm an adult, I'm a woman as kind and caring as Sherri!
Marv and I were forced apart, as the district kids were divided by both age and gender. We gave each other a hug before we sent off to stand in our sections.
Slowly but surely, the section I was standing in began to fill up. I was slowly surrounded by other twelve-year olds. All of them were dressed up in their best looking clothes. It made me, wearing nothing but the dirty clothes that I wore every day, stand out in a way that I did not want to.
The wait for the reaping was agonizingly slow. I spent most of time looking at Marv and making sure he was okay. It didn't take me much time to find him. He looked so out of place amongst the other boys our age! Nevertheless, he was able to find me from my spot. Once he realized I was looking at him, he gave me a wide smile. I gave him one back. Soon I turned my attention back to the center, hoping to get this out of the way…hoping that neither Marv nor I would get reaped.
The mayor of our district came up and delivered a speech about the 'Treaty of Treason' and the reason for the Hunger Games. I couldn't focus on it. The more he talked, the more anxious I got about the Games.
Soon, the mayor was replaced with Autumn Marine, our district escort. She was a bubbly woman with blonde hair that went down to her back. She looked pretty normal compared to Capitol standards, but that honestly didn't say much. The last guy who was our district escort had blue hair that went down to his feet.
I really wondered what exactly 'normal' was like in the Capitol.
"District Seven, hello! It's great to be here. Of all the districts, I have to say that this one is by far the most beautiful. Everything here, from the beautiful landscape to the cool breeze of the land to the people…oh I just love being back here in District Seven!" Autumn told us happily.
Autumn continued going on-and-on about our district and how amazing it is. For the first minutes, it sounded sweet and sincere. After about the sixth minute of the speech, however, it started to sound more-and-more fake. I was really starting to not like her.
She eventually ended her speech and walked over to the bowl with the names of the potential tributes.
"Well, I guess it is time to pick our tributes for this year's Quarter Quell. As usual, ladies first!" She said excitedly as she reached into the bowl.
She pulled out a small piece of paper. I couldn't help but bite my lip as I waited nervously to hear the name. She quickly unfolded it and called out the name written down on it.
"Winnie Goldstein!"
"No…" I gasped.
I closed my eyes and started to shake my head. I…was going into the Hunger Games. It was happening…it really was happening.
I was going to die.
"This…this isn't fair. This isn't fair at all!" I cried to myself under my breath.
A few seconds passed before I finally calmed my nerves down. The rational side of my brain took over and I started to walk uneasily up to the center of the stage. I had a feeling this could happen and it did. It wasn't surprising, with all the tesserae I applied for. There was a high chance of me getting reaped…just like there is a high chance of me dying.
"Sniff…"
I could hear a small sniffle and I turned around. I saw Marv crying in his corner in the section of twelve-year old boys. The expression on his face hurt me.
…I can't die! Marv and I had been together our all whole lives! He can't live without me, as I couldn't live without him!
I know the chances of me winning are small…frankly, they might as well be nonexistent. But knowing that if I die I would be leaving my brother alone fueled me. I wasn't going to let them kill me! I was going to fight!
"Don't cry Marv!" I shouted loudly as I walked onto the stage with newfound determination. I heard the sniffling decrease in loudness, meaning he must have heard me. "I won't be gone for long! I'll be coming home!"
Raegae Oak's POV – District 7 Male
Fat chance! I couldn't help but roll my eyes at the little girl's declaration.
The little brown-haired twelve-year old, Winnie, was extremely tiny. She was under five foot and she looked like she hadn't eaten in weeks! She looked so fragile that I could breathe on her and she would fall over in pain.
She's screwed. I'll be stunned if she lasts past the bloodbath.
"Aren't you the cutest thing ever! How are you doing sweetie?" She asked. "Who was that you were talking to darling?
The girl, Winnie, ignored Autumn's comment. She actually seemed to be trying her best to ignore the escort. I took the time to actually look at her face. She spent most of her time looking out into the crowds toward the other twelve-year olds. Probably at whoever this 'Marv' kid was. Other than that, though she had the same look that all kids her age have when they are reaped. She was scared out of her mind, but she was trying her best to hide it. Once she's alone, she'll probably take off that fake mask and start crying.
After a few more attempts to talk to her, Autumn eventually sighs in frustration and gives up. She then struts to the bowl with the next set of names. I couldn't help but drool a little as I watched her shake her hips. I'm not going to deny it: our district escort was hot. If I had the opportunity, I'd probably sleep with her.
…I really needed to get laid soon!
"Now, it's time for the male tribute!" She exclaims as she reaches in.
'Good.' She'll pick a name, the two tributes will be sent off to their death, and then everyone can just go back to their own day. This was all a waste of time…
Autumn quickly pulled out the first paper she reached for and opened it.
"Raegae Oak!"
…what? What?
WHAT?
No…there's no way. I don't care how much tesserae I put in. There's no way! There are many kids who put in more tesserae than I did! And there are even more kids in this district in general! There's no way!
No damn way!
"What a bunch of bull!" I hissed loudly.
I stormed through the crowd of seventeen-year olds, knocking a few of them aside as I rushed forward. A scowl developed on my face and I could feel myself starting to see red. The closer I walked to the center, the angrier I got. By the time I reached the stage, I was overtly pissed.
"Um…" My anger seemed to scare Autumn, who decided to take this moment to speak to the crowds of people. "District Seven…your tributes for this year's Games!"
Winnie and I were forced to shake hands at that point, but I wasn't even paying attention to her. I was just focused on my own thoughts.
I didn't even have to look for my family to know that my parents were happy about this. I could tell that most of the district was as well. The homeless freak – the pranking troublemaker – was reaped. Better him than some other, innocent boy. Hell, I bet a few of them, maybe even Mom and Dad, were looking forward to watching me die!
Well, I wasn't going to let them have their satisfaction. I was going to win. I could feel the somewhat crazed grin develop on my face. I'm going to walk away a victor. And I'll kill any poor unfortunate soul who tries to stop me!
Author's Note: Hey everyone! :) Hope you all enjoyed the first chapter!
So...just kinda letting you all know how the story is going to work. Instead of doing twelve reapings (because believe me, that would take forever), I decided to split up the points-of-view and do it a little differently to progress the story at a decent rate. This was the only reapings chapter, telling the points-of-view of the District 6 and 7 tributes. Next chapter will be justice building visits, telling the points-of-view of the District 5 and 8 tributes. The chapter after that will be the train-ride, featuring the points-of-view of the tributes from District 4 and 9. And I think you get the picture by now!
This will progress the story at a fast rate without getting boring or monotonous. And don't worry, I can promise that all twenty-four tributes will each have two chapters full of points-of-view, as well as all will have a third point-of-view in the chapter right before the beginning of the Games. And whenever they don't have a point-of-view, they will still be relevant in the other tributes' point-of-views and will be seen developing.
Yeah...just explaining how this will all work. For the record, my Hunger Games story was inspired from the works of the author ToxicatedRose. If you like this story at all, then please, give his stories a try! I'm sure he would appreciate it!
So...what did you all think of the tributes in this chapter? Anyone you like? Anyone you didn't like? Let me know! I'd love to hear feedback on these four lovely tributes! Oh, and before anyone comments, yes the creators of Booker and Alexandra worked together on their tributes. They sent in their forms together! :) I'm really curious on your opinions of them, and the opinions on Raegae and Winnie!
That's all I really have to say. I hope you all like my writing and the way that this Games will be written. I will be working on the next chapter as soon as I can and will have it updated asap! I will see you guys then! :)