Reaping Day, District 1
Jemima Kingston (18)
Jemima would be the first to admit it. She was scared. The reapings of district 1 was never much of a concern. It was District 1 for pete's sake. Brutes are supposed to be lining up to volunteer. But not this year, there something in the air. District 1 hadn't had a victor in nearly 10 years, something that had never happened before. Worse yet, last year they had the best tributes they'd had in years and neither of them lasted past the bloodbath after they were betrayed by the other careers. Jemima heard a rumor no one in the academy wanted to volunteer this year. All she could do was wish and hope it was not true. Besides she had more important things to worry about.
Jemima opened the door of her apartment. She was returning from picking up some fruit, to ease the morning. Anything to keep her mind off the reapings that were happening in just a few hours. Jemima was slightly tanned with chocolate brown eyes. She wore her wavy obsidian hair loose that reached her lower back. After a couple of steps a small feline came darting over to her. Jemima knelt down and gave the cat a quick little pet. "Good morning Splotches. Where is your mommy?"
Suddenly the sound of something shattering echoed through the apartment. Jemima quickly ran over to the kitchen to see her roommate and bestfriend Nissa standing over a broken pot. "Nissa!" Jemima called out in concern.
Nissa began to shiver and covered her mouth with her hand. "I'm sorry, I just. I just." Nissa stumbled through her words.
Jemima rushed over and pulled Nissa into an embrace. "It's okay." Jemima tried to assure her. Nissa's trembling slowly began to decrease. Nissa was viciously attacked by her brother less than a year ago, it left her emotionally traumatized. Jemima took it upon herself to take care of her. It could be a struggle at times, but Jemima did not mind. "Everything's okay." Jemima whispered.
Nissa buried her head in Jemima's shoulder. "It's not okay! The reapings are today. I have a bad feeling. I just know something terrible is going to happen. You weren't here. I thought I'd make some tea but I-,"
"Don't worry." Jemima spoke, trying to calm her down. "Nothing bad is going to happen. Not while we're together. I won't allow it."
"What if we're separated?" Nissa asked.
Jemima left their embrace and looked right into Nissa's eyes. "I'll never leave you."
"You promise?"
"Promise."
Calix Cutter (18)
Calix threw a throwing star right into the heart of the straw dummy. Calix was tall and slim, slightly tan with a few faded freckles. His hair was golden blond, cut short and straight. He paused and looked over at his friend Starr. "What happens next?"
A smirk appears on Starr's face. "You took out the first dummy but gave enough time to allow dummy two to move in closer." Starr walked over and grabbed the second straw dummy and moved it closer to Calix's position. "Your move."
Calix observed his surroundings. He had one dummy now closer to him but also a third dummy off to his side about fifteen feet away. In this position, what were his best odds? Take out dummy 2 or 3. The closest weapon he could reach for was another throwing star. He'd need to reach with his left hand to pull out the sword, which is his weak hand. He still has a clear line of sight of dummy 3. He decided that was his next target. He threw the second throwing star at the third dummy. "How's that?" Calix asked Starr.
"Well." Dazzle spoke. Both Starr and Calix turned to see Dazzle walk over. "Allow me." Dazzle said, as he passed Starr. Dazzle walked over and picked up dummy 2 and moved it right up next to where Calix was standing. He then grabbed the arm of the straw dummy and made a slashing move across Calix's chest. "You're dead."
"Come on man, the other guy didn't even approach, he had to have some kind of distance weapon. I can't dodge that as easily as a melee attack, I needed to take them out first." Calix attempted to explain his tactics.
Dazzle just shook his head. "He didn't approach because he didn't have a weapon."
Calix turned to Starr, all she could do was shrug. "Dazzle's right."
"Damn it." Calix cursed.
"You've got to stop relying on distance if you want any chance of survival in the arena." Dazzle told him.
"Dazzle!" Starr protested. "Don't say something like that!"
"No, he's right." Calix spoke. "Even a sharp stick or rock can be devastating close range. I need to keep it in mind."
"You even told your brother you're going to volunteer?" Dazzle asked. "It'd be pretty stupid not to say anything before hand."
"Not yet, but I will." Calix said.
"By the way, I heard nobody was planning on volunteering on the girl's side. Seems like after the embarrassment we suffered last year, they've all chickened out." Dazzle said. Calix clenched a fist.
Starr walked up and punched Dazzle in the stomach. "That 'embarrassment' was Jade's girlfriend you asshole!"
"I'll catch you guys later." Calix spoke as he turned and exited the training facility. Calix was planning on volunteering today. He was never pegged as a volunteer. After what happened to the District 1 tributes last year, there was much less enthusiasm to volunteer this year. It did not deter Calix. He was never the strongest, but what he lacked in strength he made up for in smarts. He even helped build the whole tactics scenario at the facility he just participated in with Starr. She and Dazzle had been helping him practice all kinds of different scenarios everyday for the past few weeks.
It would be tough telling his twin brother Jade. Most expected he'd be the one to volunteer this year, not Calix. But Jade had become romantically involved with the female tribute from last year. After her death during the bloodbath of the last games it changed him. He went into a deep depression. He became sombre and unstable. It wasn't easy for Calix to deal with.
Calix walked through his house's from door. Right there in front of him stood Jade. "Brother..." Calix spoke.
"I heard you're volunteering. What fuck is wrong with you?" Jade called out in anger.
"I refuse to let our District become the laughing stock of Panem!" Calix asserted. "I will show them we won't be outsmarted by those brutes of District 2!" Calix spoke with conviction. He took a deep breath and stared right into his brothers eyes. "I won't let her death be in vain."
Jade stood there, tears began to fall down his face. "It should be me."
Calix walked up and embraced his brother. He held him tightly. "You've suffered enough. This is my responsibility now."
The Reapings
Jemima walked through the security, she walked closely with Nissa, one arm over her shoulders at all time. They were shuffled together into the 18 year old girls section. Jemima saw the sombre faces of all the other girls. She hoped with all her might Nissa wouldn't be picked. She'd never make it in the games. Even the thought of it shook her to the core.
"Welcome everyone!" The escort spoke on the stage. "Happy Hunger Games! I can't wait to see who our two tributes shall be this year. Shall we begin? Starting with the girls!"
Jemima hung her head. Please not Nissa. Please not Nissa. Anyone but Nissa.
"Jemima Kingston."
Jemima's eyes widened. It couldn't be. She felt her knees buckle as she fell onto all fours. She covered her face with her hand. It can't be real. She promised her. Tears began to pour down her face. She felt the soft touch of two hands ontop of her head. "I'm sorry Nissa. I'm so sorry." Jemima was barely able to mutter through the tears. Two peacekeepers entered the section and grabbed Jemima's arms. They began to pull her away. Jemima looked up and saw Nissa's terrified face watching her be dragged further away. "No!" Jemima cried out reaching for Nissa as the distance between them grew.
Calix gritted his teeth. Wasn't anyone going to volunteer? Is this what this district had come to? The rumors were true. There would be no female volunteer this year. He watched as Jemima was dragged to the stage. He knew Jemima. The arena was no place for a healer like her.
"Time for the boys." The escort spoke into the microphone.
"I volunteer as tribute!" Calix yelled out. He immediately broke away from the eighteen year olds section. He walked with pure confidence as he ascended the stairs to the stage. Calix walked right up to the microphone. "My name is Calix Cutter. I will bring honor to our District once more!" He then turned to Jemima who was still fighting tears. "Deep breath." He whispered to her. "Wipe away the tears. Fix your posture. You're not a career. But god damn it act like it. For Nissa," He told her.
Jemima nodded her head. He was right. She had to be strong. She knew Calix had been strong for his brother the past year. She had someone too, someone who depended on her. She wiped away her tears and looked on at the crowd staring back at her. She needed to win, no matter what. She needed to return to Nissa. The girl she loves.
Author's Notes
So that is the District 1 reapings, I hope you enjoyed reading them. I feel I was able to really connect this chapter with the mythos outlined last chapter about the games the previous year. Hopefully it works. I thought about doing a chapter with an interview with the Gamemaker but felt I said enough in the story description that it wasn't really necessary to dedicate a whole chapter to it. Plus, you all want the reapings to happen and be done with anyway. I am also going to try and keep the reapings as brief as I can so they don't take forever.
I also only have 10/24 tributes so far, so I still need many more tributes. So please keep sending in those tribute forms.