If you're wondering why I made District 8 miserable, it's cannon with my other story The History of a Coin. Read it if you want or don't because it's kinda bad.
I hate being mean to old people in stories…
I hope the Doctor Who fans like one of the names. I ran out of ideas and had been watching Sci-Fi the night before.
Also: sorry if Blaze's 'ladies man' thing turns out weird; I'm a straight female so writing as a guy trying to hit on loads of females and his girlfriend doesn't exactly work for me.
District 8: Blaze Valentine
Most people dread getting up for the Reapings and I definitely count myself among their 'happy' number.
Not so much for myself even though I would hate to get Reaped; not just because of the risk of dying in the Games but the risk of having to kill little kids. I love little kids, but none more than my brother who vanished years ago. He's the reason I hate Reapings. Wondering if I'll see his face on the screen, if I'll even recognise my little brother 10 years on if he was Reaped, knowing it was my fault he ran off. I was meant to be looking after him but I was too busy playing a game to watch him properly.
I don't even know if he's alive but I try to cling onto the faint hope that maybe he's still alive, somewhere out in another District.
My mother and I live alone now in a small flat in District 8.
That's how life is in District 8; the Capitol wants almost every square metre to be warehouses if they possibly can so they cram us all into tiny apartments stacked up in the centre of town. There are expensive houses and the Victor's Village but otherwise it's all just apartments.
Outside isn't much better.
Even wrapped up in a trench coat which is missing a collar and thick sweater with buttons I'm still chilly and covered in mud. Part of the Capitol's motivation seems to be that if we can't make our own clothes and we only get the screw-ups that we'll make everything well enough to keep us warm if it doesn't go to the Capitol.
District 8 would seem lifeless to anyone from another District, grey, cold and filled with mud and damp, dull warehouses but the people give it a semblance of life.
Little kids running in the street, people in the brightest Capitol screw-ups trying to sprint between buildings without being seen in ridiculous costumes and the slow trundling of carts filled with clothes; it seems like home.
I can't imagine leaving the District for anything and I can't imagine what it would be like for my little brother in another District.
I get jumped on from behind and I barely manage to hold myself after stumbling forward with the added weight of my girlfriend. Dria is smaller and lighter than me, the Capitol knows it doesn't take much energy to work a factory so we don't get much in the way of food, but I still have to exert myself to carry her.
"Hey Dria," I say, grinning over my shoulder at her.
"Hey Blaze," she replies, smiling, but she's interrupted by some guys walking the other way.
"Yo Blaze, how's it going?"
"Hey Blaze, enjoying the day off?"
"Yeah!" I shout back across the street as they walk off.
"Why do you have to be so famous?" Dria grumbles from her position on my back.
"I'm just too irresistible," I smile, "But you'd know all about my charms, wouldn't you?" Dria scowls slightly before laughing and hugging my neck some more. I'm considered the ladies man of District 8. Apparently a series of steady girlfriends doesn't make a difference and all of the guys think I'm a hero because of it.
"Hi Blaze," a bunch of girls giggle as they stop and wave.
"Hey ladies, you liking the weather?" I grin, pointing at the grey and cloudy sky.
They giggle again as they run off but Dria jumps off my back and when I turn around, she's not even remotely amused and she gives me a death stare before storming off down the street.
"Come on Dria, I was just kidding!" I yell after her, but she still ignores me and continues walking.
Shit.
District 8: Piper Lyonz
I have to get up at 7am on Reaping Day because of my parents. Not because they're here but because they aren't.
My parents split up when I was 9 and my little brothers were 4 years old. My father left and did whatever the hell he wanted leaving my mother to care for us alone.
Then she killed herself on my 10th birthday.
It put a bit of a downer on celebrations. To put it unbelievably freaking lightly.
I'm certain my father knew what had happened within a few days. I spent weeks waiting for him to show up again, to come charging through the door like he did when I was younger and tuck me into bed.
He never did.
My father never came back for me or even for Ves and Tison.
Some days I see him around in the District. He has new kids now. They just turned 8. They had a big birthday party with their mother and heaps of other kids from the District. 'Father' made them a small cake with materials he brought from a shop.
Ves and Tison's birthday was a week ago. I made them a cake from tesserae flour and made sure they didn't take any before their first Reapings. The only guest was their friend Lin who lives a few floors down. She's chirpy and obnoxious but she reminds me of what I could have been when I was 12 if not for my parents and a good influence on the rowdy Ves and Tison.
Most years I wake Ves and Tison up before taking them down to Mrs. Textil on floor 3 whose kids have moved out of home but I get a jolt as I realise that this year they're going to Reapings with me.
I get them dressed in their best pocket-less track pants and zipper-free jumpers as they mumble and wipe sleep out of their eyes.
A knock at the door causes my head to snap up as I dart towards the door, grabbing a knife from the rack that I keep next to the door, the opposite side of the room from the kitchen and next to my bed.
As I open the door I quickly slip the knife behind me when I realise that it's Lin and her flustered looking mother who is gripping her hand tightly with a nervous expression on her face. "I wanted to take her to Reapings myself since it's her first time but my boss says he needs me at work right now because of a machinery accident. I know your… boys are good friends of hers so I was wondering if you could take her with you. She's all ready to go; you just have to walk with her."
"Sure," I reply, using the syrupy voice I use when talking to adults. Kids I don't care about, they're just weak and they can't do anything; can't stop their mother from killing herself. Adults on the other hand are useful, "I'll take her down soon, we were just about to have breakfast."
"Thank you," she says as she hugs her daughter and sprints down the stairs.
Now she owes me a favour; more food, looking after the boys, whatever works. Collecting favours is one thing that makes life easier; having people owe me for things so I can use them to do work I don't want to. It's like the tale of the little boy and the red paperclip that traded the red paperclip until he bought a house. I do a little favour and someone else gives me a bigger one. It means I don't have to do all the work fending for myself.
I'm owed a second job the moment I turn 18 and I've secured Ves and Tison jobs in return for hiding the incriminating files of a kid in the District whose father owns a loom factory.
It's a nice enough life.
Except for the one thing beyond my control; the Reapings.
Blaze:
"Come on, Dria!" I shout as she storms through the queues to sign into the Reapings, "You know I wasn't serious, it's just a habit! DRIA!"
It's to no avail as I slump against a warehouse wall with my head in my hands. I need to get to Reapings but I'd rather just stay here and thump my head on the wall for being so stupid. Don'toverreactoranythingDria,it'snotlikeIdon'tdothatallthetimeoranything.
I get joined by some of my entourage as we head towards the books to sign in. "Hey, Blaze, do you reckon you would be able to win the Games?" one of the 14 year olds asks as I flex a little for their enjoyment.
"The Games? Sure, they'd be a pushover. Have you seen me trying out with those wooden swords? I bruised Davros," I grin vacantly, still thinking about Dria. Davros is meant to be one of the toughest guys in District 8 but the day I smashed him with a wooden sword was the day I earned the District's respect.
When I finally manage to get into the square I grin, 'call me' and wave my way through a huddle of girls to get to Dria who immediately tries to shuffle away from me. "Dria, you know I was kidding."
"Well go kid somewhere else and piss off, I don't want to look at you," I turn on the puppy eyes as she growls, "No puppy eyes. Go away."
She keeps trying to shuffle through the crowd as our escort walks onto the stage and starts blabbering about the joyous opportunities of the Games and how proud we should be to enter them. Personally I can think of a lot better things to be proud of.
"Dria I'msorry," I hiss as she reaches the edge of the 17s section. We get glared at by a girl near the edge as I push her out of the way to follow Dria.
"Piper Lyonz!" the escort suddenly shouts, apparently she thought it would be funny to spring the announcement on us. All I can say is that I'm glad it isn't Dria, ending our fight by her Reaping would be almost too awful to comprehend.
There was something I forgot.
What was it?
The boy's name.
Blaze Valentine.
Piper:
Ves, Tison and Lin are talking the whole way to the Reapings, seemingly unaware of what the Games really mean. They know enough, they've watched them happen and yet it seems they don't really understand the full horror of the Games.
As I'm about to close the door, I grab one of the knives as a sudden afterthought, shoving it into my jacket. It never hurts to be prepared.
I could train them with the knives next to the door or the bow and arrows taken from the dead rebel in our air vent but there's nowhere to teach them. So long as I know how to use them at the very least I'll be safe in the Games, but I still feel a twinge of doubt about not teaching them. Anyone but the twins and I wouldn't give a damn but they're like my babies, not my brothers. Plus they're vegetarians so I've never needed to hunt for them or teach them how to.
A cart is trundling past ahead of us, mashing up the ground and I have an idea that will save us the walk to the square, "Excuse me sir!" I call as the person driving the cart turns to face me, "I'm sorry sir, but could I please have a ride? My brothers and I are cold and it's a long walk to the square and I'm awfully worried that they'll not make it in time."
The old man smiles slightly and replies, "Sure, I was heading that way anyway and you kids can just hop in the back."
"How much will it cost?" I ask as the old man shakes his head.
"No charge, it's always nice to help out young ones such as yourself," he replies cheerily.
"I couldn't leave without paying you. How about three dollars?" I ask. He doesn't know that it's his own three dollars but it leaves my rule unbroken; never owe anyone a favour. No matter how many you are owed, never give someone else power over you.
"No, no, it'll be fine," he says, shaking his head but I keep the coins proffered until finally he says, "Oh well, if you insist."
"I insist, you're doing us a favour, it's the least I can do," I reply as we continue our journey over the muddy footpath without my feet getting the tiniest bit soggy.
When we finally reached the queue to sign in, it was barely 11.30 and the queue was tiny. I smiled at the old man driving the cart and jumped off with Ves, Tison and Lin in tow as we signed in.
I delivered Ves, Tison and Lin to the 12s section before moving to the mostly empty 17s section. By 17 years of age most kids know how to get to the Reapings 5 minutes early without too much difficulty.
A tall, skinny girl is standing against one corner of the section, where I normally stand alone.
When I march up to her, she just glances at me before picking her nails, "This is reserved, go stand somewhere else."
I pull the knife from my jacket as I growl, "Unless you move, standing arrangements will be the least of your worries."
The girl looks terrified as she sprints to the other corner of the holding pen and I smirk, stuffing the knife back into my jacket. It's always nice to let off some steam after being nice to adults.
When the escort starts to talk, two of the kids in the 17s start having an increasingly loud argument and they almost shove me out of the section. I'm about to push back when I realise a name's been called, "Piper Lyonz."
Shit. There aren't two of me are there? It would be awfully nice to finish killing the two idiots before going to my death.
I walk up to the stage, smirking confidently as the District glares at me. They probably think I look happy. No way am I happybut I'll live. No one else is going to look after the twins. That's going to be me. Always. No one else can ever be their mother, no matter how hard they try. Nothing can stop me from winning. I would kill and die a million times for my little brothers, the only real family I have. My 'father' is no father of mine or of Ves and Tison.
Next up is the boys. "Blaze Valentine," who was chasing his girlfriend around the 17s section comes up to the stage, a fake grin plastered charmingly on his face. If I could pull off that face I'd be set for life.
I know of him. He's the District 8 poster boy; most of his jobs are modelling clothes for the Capitol before they're mass produced. He probably doesn't even know how to change a conveyor belt and I'll bet he earns more than I do. Everyone love him, attractive, sporty and charming, he's even better at manipulating people than I am and for all the right reasons. I would go for the flirtatious angle when I need a favour, but that would involve being niceto people.
Damn being nice, the Games are about being bad.
Blaze:
I'm still stunned as I'm led into the Justice Building. I was so worried about Dria that I didn't think of myself, of going into the Games.
I don't want to have to kill anyone, let alone the little kids.
When the door first opens, it isn't Dria or my mother, but instead it's a gaggle of female admirers who are squealing with anticipation. "Oh Blaze, when you win you'll be… like… rich! And live in the Victor's Village and be all well-fed and fit!"
I grin back but really I just feel drained of energy by the announcement that I'll be going to my potential doom in the arena, "Sure will, ladies," I flick my hair across my face, "I'll bring you all a special present," I wink as they all scream, hug me and twitter out when the Peacekeepers start herding them. I swear one of the Peacekeepers even gave me a jealous glare. It reminds me of the morning, joking to Dria that 'I'm just too irresistible.'
It seems like a lifetime away, chatting to Dria and giving her a piggyback through the streets.
Next are all the guys that follow me around.
I don't know which is more infuriating when all I want to see is my family; the tittering obsessions of the girls or the adoring glances of the boys.
"Yo Blaze, you're gonna smash them aren't you?"
"Yeah, Blaze, show 'em who's boss!"
"Blaze, you're the best there is, no way are they going to beat you!"
I grin and punch the air, "Yeah, I'm going to show them all in a Blaze of Glory!" It sounds pathetic but all of the guys cheer and wish me good luck.
When my next guest comes in, I'm about to start breaking things. They all think I'm going to win, that I'm good enough to beat the Careers and all the other tributes out there. No one volunteered for me; they all think that I can really win, that all it takes is a few plucky blows against Davros to make me a brilliant fighter. It isn't just luck that brought me here; in some sick form of karma, it's my pride that has been my downfall. Sucking up the adulation which wasn't due and thinking I would be the best forever.
So when I realise it's Dria, my heart almost freezes over.
"Hey Dria," I say, not bothering to fake excitement or joy at facing my death.
"Hey Blaze, I'm sorry I yelled at you, I was just annoyed, you've always ot followers and smiling at all those females, I'm sorry," she gushes as she runs forward and hugs me.
"It's okay," I whisper as I hold her against me, breathing her scent for what could be the last time.
"It's not okay, what if you'd died without me ever saying sorry, if you'd gone without knowing I forgive you and that I was stupid?" she sobs, her hands clinging to the fabric of my trench coat.
"I'd know that you loved me enough to tell me what you thought of me," I reply as she kisses me.
It salty and I can feel the tears running down her cheeks but I know it might be the last chance I get to ever kiss her before I die. This time I swear I hear the Peacekeeper whisper 'lucky bastard' under his breath.
"Good luck Blaze," Dria calls as she's dragged out by Peacekeepers, "I love you!"
By the time my final visitor arrives I'm sobbing on the couch, full of the expectations of the District, knowing my girlfriend loves me and knowing that it's most likely that I'll just die in some deserted arena, alone and starving.
The person who arrives is the only person who could cheer me up; my mother.
She just holds me tight like she used to when I was little and I curl up on the couch. I seem too big for it now, but it's a last bit of comfort before I have to go and fight for my life.
"Here," she whispers as she holds out a small ring. There's a small blue stone on it with a strange design carved into it, "It was your father's and he'd want you to have it."
I slip it onto my finger as Mother is led out of the room and I try and compose myself, but I barely have any time as I'm led out of the room by Peacekeepers within seconds; clearly my entourage held up the schedule.
Piper:
First are Ves, Tison and Lin.
They're all crying as Ves and Tison hug me and ask what they're going to do without me, "You've got that job at the loom factory and the apartment, I'm sure Mrs. Textil will look after you. Then when I'm back we can live in a big house in the Victor's Village."
"You will come back, won't you?" asks Ves, his eyes glistening with tears.
"Of course, I'm not going to let anyone take me away from you," I reply confidently as I give them one enormous hug.
"Lin, make sure they don't do anything stupid while I'm gone yes?" I ask and she smiles a little bit.
"Okay," she replies and I just hug Ves and Tison and tell them it'll be okay until they have to go.
My next visitor almost gets stabbed with my kitchen knife. He would if it weren't for all of the Peacekeepers around. "You dare come here now?" I growl as my father walks into the room, "After all these years and you dare to come now?"
"I'm sorry, I was so confused, I didn't know what to do, where to turn to so I gave up," he mumbles, but I can tell this is rehearsed.
"Piss off 'father' you'll get no sympathy from me, or any spoils of victory when I win," I spit at him.
"I could look after the boys if,-" he stutters at my death stare, "If you need."
"No. You will not go anywhere near them and if you so much as think about it, I'll tell Lin about the knives hidden in our house. You won't dare to touch my little brothers after what you did to them."
"Come now, be reasonable, twelve year old boy?"
"I was ten and it didn't matter to you so piss OFF!" I roar as I shove him towards the door which the Peacekeepers opened abruptly so I didn't smash his face into it, an act which I was sorely tempted to commit.
When I'd breathed in and out for several minutes, I slumped against the doors and cleared my mind of all thoughts except winning and going home to Ves and Tison.
Even with only 4 visitors, I thought I was doing decently by numbers and was prepared to leave for the Games but Blaze has so many visitors can hearthem. I can actually hear the fact that he has dozens of people in there when normally the walls are sound proofed.
Guess I'm not winning the popularity contest then.
Still, popularity doesn't matter; all that matters is your ability to kill and I think I've got that one in the bag.
Two in a day- I finally sort of made up for some long waits between chapters!