Reaping Day – Chapter One
District 2 – Link Salvador, 15
I had never attempted a feat like this before, but I knew that I could handle the pressure. After all, in all the comics I'd read, superheroes were given a natural talent that they could tap into whenever they needed. And my talent, as I'd grown to be fond of, was my superior agility.
A crowd began to gather around me as I prepared myself for the run, and their faces were twisted with laughter. I hardened my own visage, blocking them out from my mind. They were more than likely laughing at Augustus, who was reluctantly standing to my side, shuffling back and forth. He had told me that I was going a bit too far with this stunt, but I shot him down. He was only a silly civilian. I, however, was a superhero, soon to be known as the…. Well, I hadn't exactly figured the name out yet.
I cleared my throat as I steadied my stance. "Hello everyone. Today, I am going to leap over a cow, do a triple front-flip in midair, and then stick the landing with a pirouette."
My vision blurred as it focused on the cow that was about 6 yards away. I pushed on the ground with the tips of my toes and raced off. I saw the massive brown cow come closer and closer to me as I ran.
When I reached the cow, I found that the task of jumping over him was a bit more difficult. Huffing, I jumped at him, gripping his back with my fingers. I grunted at the strain that my muscles were being put under, but I managed to pull myself onto his back in a mere couple of minutes.
I took a moment to collect my breath as I lied with my stomach on the cows back. My legs and face were sticking straight out from each side of the cow. I imagined that my current position almost made me appear to be flying like those men in the books I have back home. Surely the civilians were enjoying the show.
After a few deep breaths, I flipped my body over the side of the cow in an attempt to dismount it. However, I fell to the ground a little harder than I'd planned, and I grunted in pain as my shoulder slammed into the gravely road.
But I couldn't let it phase me. Real superheroes pushed through the pain. I grabbed my shoulder with my opposite hand and stood up slowly. I then balanced on one leg, slowly revolving in a makeshift pirouette.
As I finished, I noticed that the crowd had already dispersed. Augustus stood to the side with a look of pain on his face. The silly boy probably just wished that he had my amazing agility. I'm sure he was tired of being my lowly sidekick.
Oh well, he'd get over it.
"Augustus, wasn't that absolutely amazing? I'm sure it'll be the talk of the district today!" I shouted across the small space between us.
He only nodded halfheartedly and gestured towards the city square. I narrowed my eyes and realized that it was time for the Reaping. The Seal of Panem could be seen on the screens, and I knew that we didn't have much time until the event began.
I was already breathing a bit heavily from my previous stunt, but I tried my hardest to run towards the check-in tables.
By the time I got there, the escort was already making his way to the stage. I hurriedly checked in and joined the other fifteen year old boys in our small section of the square. Our escort was absolutely fantastic. He had this skin that, while it looked fairly natural, would glow and sparkle when the sun hit it. His hair stuck straight up and was colored a bright orange that actually hurt to look at directly. I'd bet anything that he had some sort of superpowers having to do with electricity. I wonder if he'd be a part of my Justice League?
I found myself daydreaming about my own group of superheroes. I'd be the amazingly agile leader with the wicked nemesis who I'd defeat in the end. Good always triumphs over evil.
All of the sudden, my name was said aloud.
"Yes?" I replied, looking around at the boys that surrounded me.
No one responded.
As I looked up to the screen, I saw my face plastered on its surface. Wait, was I—
"Lincoln Salvador? Do we have a Lincoln Salvador with us? Oh, who am I kidding, of course he's here! Where are you, lad?"
My eyes widened and I felt myself begin to race to the stage. The blood was pumping through my veins faster than I'd ever thought possible and my heart felt like it was going to explode right out of my chest. I was chosen! I would have the ability to show all of Panem the wonders of superheroes!
This was more exciting than the last comic book I read! In fact, this scene could be the beginning of my very own book!
District 4 – Lily Charis, 17
I loved being in the water. It was the one place in my district where I felt completely and utterly normal. Humans weren't meant to hear underwater; they were meant to shut the world out and focus on their own thoughts. And when you were submerged in the depths of the ocean, there was no need to speak or hold a conversation with anyone because you were truly on your own.
I took the little time that I had left before the reaping to lay near the bay with the back of my head resting in the water. It lapped up around me, splashing the sides of my cheeks and weaving its way through my long, tangled hair. My eyes felt tired, but I knew that it wasn't due to lack of sleep. It was pure worry. Worry that my name would be called today, worry that no one would volunteer for me, and worry that I wouldn't even be able to hear the comforting words of my own parents if I found myself in the Justice Building bidding them goodbye.
But all the worries faded away as I opened my eyes to see my sister Tressie's face directly above mine. She held a hand out to help me up, and I took it gladly. A slight ringing sounded in my ears, but I welcomed it since it was something other than silence. I was too used to silence.
After a couple of minutes and more than a couple of grunts on my part, my hair was fully detangled by my sister. I sucked in a relieved breath only to wince again as she began to pull strands away from my face, twisting them back in some intricate design that I couldn't see. I hoped that it was worth the pain.
As she kept messing with my hair, I made an attempt to adjust my outfit. It was a hand-me-down dress from Tressie, and she was just a bit smaller than me in some areas. She was also quite a bit shorter than me. The tightness of the fabric around my body was uncomfortable and unnatural. I practically lived in a swimsuit, which wasn't nearly as confining as regular clothing.
Tressie tapped my shoulder – telling me that she was finally finished – and turned me towards the mirror. I smiled at my reflection; my sister was quite amazing at making people look beautiful. She had twisted the top of my hair back into an elaborate design that resembled waves on the back of my head. The rest of it flowed to the small of my back in soft, tangle-free curls. My eyes were rimmed with a dark liner of some sort that made the ocean-like quality of them pop. She left my skin untouched, showcasing my light dusting of freckles and my natural tan.
I grinned up at her reflection in the mirror behind me, giving her the universal hand sign for "Thank you" to show my appreciation. She nodded, motioning that she was welcome, and then left me to myself.
I blew air out from my pursed lips and allowed the fear to sink in. Reaping day was the most dreaded day of the year, especially for a deaf girl. There were always volunteers in my district, but I still felt the need to worry. What if the unthinkable happened this year and I was sent into the arena? What would happen to my family? I would surely die if I was sent in, unless I managed to find a good ally.
It was too much to think about, so I settled on clearing my mind as I made my way out of my room. My sandals slapped against the backs of my feet, but I couldn't hear it. It had been this way since I was three years old. When the doctor told my parents that the infection in my ears was beyond treatment, they were sad. But when they discovered that I would never live with the luxury of hearing, they were horrified.
That being said, they tried to give me a normal childhood. My sister and I were treated exactly the same, and our parents were very loving. They made sure that we all knew how to sign to each other so that I had the ability to be a part of the conversations in our home. And when my sister got married, she taught her husband the basics so that he and I could communicate if need be. He was good for her, and I definitely approved of the man.
My mother came up behind me, breaking my line of thought, and placed her hand on my shoulder. I wrapped my own hand around hers and gave her a quick smile to soothe her nerves. It didn't work, but she at least made an attempt to smile back as we began to walk to the square.
Mother and I parted ways as I approached the section of 17 year-old girls. We all stood shoulder to shoulder, and though I was unable to hear, I was sure that the group was silent. Each and every one of the children around appeared to be placing a solemn mask on their faces, though their eyes told the truth. We all were terrified, believing that our names would be drawn from the glass bowls today.
I zoned out as the screen around us showed a short video from the Capitol. There was really no point in watching it since I'd seen something similar each year. However, I apparently zoned out too long.
I could feel an odd silence surrounding me quite unlike the silence from a few moments earlier. It felt tense, and all I could hear was the deafening pounding of my heart in my chest and the slight thud as someone bumped into my shoulder from behind.
Glancing up, I saw it. I wasn't surprised.
My face was displayed on the big screens for the entirety of Panem to see. The screen was split down the middle, and I saw my sister's face flash across the screens for a mere second. She was crying and screaming, thrashing and punching. Her eyes were rimmed with red and her face was covered in tears.
I felt my own eyes begin to water, and I glanced up at the sun to keep the tears at bay. It didn't work though, and as I took the shame-filled walk towards the stage I could feel them begin to fall down my face. I felt completely and utterly defeated.
After all, there was no hope in the arena for a deaf, untrained teenage girl. I was doomed from the start.
District 5 – Leyla Callidus, 17
I stood stiff with my shoulders pulled back. My mother had always taught me to use my natural good looks to my advantage, and as I stuck my chest out, placing a hand on my hip, I caught more than a few boys distractedly glancing in my direction.
Good. I deserved the attention.
I winked at one of them – his name was Volt, I believe – and blew him a kiss. He grinned widely, turning back to focus his attention on the stage.
Oh, right. The reaping.
Some pitiful scrawny girl was standing on the stage, quivering with fear. What a pathetic little runt. Didn't she realize that she appeared weak? She didn't stand a chance.
I watched as a boy of my own age walked towards the stage, his face displaying a mixture of emotions that I couldn't place. I'd seen him before, though I couldn't quite figure out where. You'd think that a guy with burn scars across his face would be memorable, but due to the large quantity of men that I spoke to, his face just wasn't ringing any bells.
After a couple of questions and greetings, our lovely violet-skinned escort wrapped her long fingers tighter around the microphone. She asked the crowd if anyone would be volunteering this year.
Smirking, I shot a determined glare towards my self-righteous jerk of a father. He merely responded by narrowing his eyes and flicking his head towards the stage. I waited a few more seconds, just to make him angry.
My glance traveled back to the stage slowly, and I felt my hand shoot up on its own accord. "I volunteer!" My voice quivered with excitement, and I saw the escort's eyes light up as I began my strut to the stage.
There were a couple of whistles and catcalls as I climbed the stairs, but I ignored them, preferring to give a cold glare towards the young girl being pulled off of the stage by a Peacekeeper. I'd heard many of the girls in my district say that my glare was lethal. It didn't work on the girl however; she watched me steadily, impervious to my heated gaze as she thanked me silently. I would have smiled at her, but that would have shown weakness. Weakness was not fit for the Hunger Games. Weakness would get you killed.
"What's your name, beauty?" The escort grinned widely at me while I made my way towards her. Now that I was up close, I could see the yellow blush adorning her cheeks and the vibrant jewels that had been carefully adhered to her nails. She looked absolutely stunning.
As I faced the crowd, I allowed the corners of my mouth to move up ever so slightly, just enough to make me appear confident and collected. "Leyla. Leyla Callidus."
"Well, Leyla, it's quite interesting to have a volunteer from District 5. What a rarity! I'm interested to hear about what prompted your decision! Oh, but I'd best leave that to Caesar, no need for me to travel into his territory." Her Capitol accent was quite thick, causing my lips to turn upwards a bit more out of amusement. She reminded me of a doll.
"Anyways, District 5, why don't you give a round of applause for your new tributes?" Her voice rang, echoing as it bounced back and forth between the tall buildings.
The cheering was minimal, though I did manage to catch the proud gazes of my mother and father, along with the admiration that lit up my younger brother's face. I was living their dream, and I was darn set on winning the challenge.
District 9 – Milla Tiffan, 15
"Dad, please get out of the chair. You can't afford to miss the reaping; you're on bad enough terms with the Peacekeepers already!" I pleaded, shaking my father's limp arm lightly.
He only responded with a grunt, so I decided to take more drastic measures.
I took a small glass and filled it with water from the tub that I'd just scrubbed my skin clean in. The water looked slightly muddied, seeing as I'd just come in from working in the fields behind our home. It was also fairly cold; I hadn't had time to heat the water on the stove before my bath.
Father didn't stir even as I found myself staring straight down at him. Holding my breath, I dumped the contents of the cup straight onto his face, causing him to spew a long string of curse words. I stepped back slightly, just in case he flung his legs out like last time. I still had a bruise on my shin from that.
He looked up at me, sighing, and got out of the chair. "Let's get going, then."
His gruff attitude didn't shock me because I was used to it. He'd never shown love towards me.
I awkwardly walked behind him, feeling the odd hem of my mother's old dress graze against the bottoms of my knees. I wished that I had time to fix it, but at the same time, I didn't want to. Moving the hem up would require cutting off some of the excess fabric, and I didn't want to change anything of my mothers. After all, this dress was almost the only thing I had left of her.
Small arms snaked their way around my legs, and I looked behind me to see my neighbor Tee smiling up at me. Her brother Jak came up behind her, grinning down at me as he tried to pry his little sister off my body.
"Oh leave the girl alone, Jak. As long as I don't trip over her, we'll be fine." I joked, casting a wink in his direction.
He smiled in response, but that smile fell as he saw the stage looming ahead of us. Our escort and mentor were already on the stage, sitting off to the side. The screens were surely about to display the Seal of Panem any minute now. I knew that both of our stomachs were twisting with dread.
However, I felt worse for Tee. This was her first reaping, after all. The poor thing was scared out of her mind, which was made obvious by the fact that she was still clinging to me tightly.
We all had to split up eventually, though, and I silently stood amidst the girls of my age as the ceremony began. A video played, but no one really paid attention to it since we'd all heard the story of the rebellions multiple times.
"It is now time for our girl tribute to be selected." Lenny, our overly feminine male escort, strutted towards the glass ball and stuck a neatly manicured hand inside.
I felt my teeth sink into my lip as he slowly opened it, teasing the crowd.
"Tee Traver."
My heart dropped. I saw Tee's small figure light up the screens. Her face was scrunched up as she tried not to cry.
Without thinking, I raised my hand in the air. "I volunteer!"
Tee's tears were all that I could think about as I walked to the stage calmly. She didn't deserve this. I had a better chance of coming home, and the arena was no place for a twelve year old.
I answered the trivial questions from the escort as I faced the audience, trying not to make eye contact with my father or Jak.
As the golden-skinned escort called out the boy tributes name, I felt even lower than low. It was Jak.
What were the odds that both of us would enter the games? What were the odds that we would come out together? Nothing seemed to be in our favor.
I'll admit though, having a familiar face in the arena wouldn't hurt. What would hurt would be to see the life drain out of that familiar face while having no power to bring it back. I could feel the tears forming in my eyes as I envisioned that moment.
And as we shook hands for the entirety of Panem to see, the tears began to fall. There was no way that we would both make it back alive. We were doomed from the start.
Oh my gosh, you guys! I am so, so sorry about the late update. I was having such trouble getting this done with my busy schedule! But, um, I shouldn't blame it on any lame excuses. That would be sad.
Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don't worry, all the tributes will get their time to shine before the Games! (: Review and tell me what you think. Any favorites so far? Any predictions on the fantastic arena that I have already mapped out? Predictions on when my next update will be, heh?
I really hope that I portrayed your characters well! Feel free to tell me if I did or didn't, I'd like the constructive criticism.
Lastly, the character ideas were not mine (obviously). The ideas for characters came from these wonderful people: Trouilefou (Link), avidreaderashley (Lily), maddycat (Leyla), and thequeenofokay (Milla). That's a lot of L names! (: Anyways, thanks guys for the amazing characters! See you soon!