Since the story has received such a great response by the reading audience, so here is a little present :D The reaping of Ginna Wallace. Thanks for the reviews, and thanks to everyone who has submitted a tribute: You are AWESOME! But now for the chapter…
Virginia 'Ginna' Wallace, District 10
Ugly, a word that would describe me. Although the alcoholic who calls herself my mother would favour phrases like: 'Useless lump' or 'He-she'. You will never know the feeling; to have someone who is biologically programmed to love you address you in such a demeaning way. Ugly, the word which describes me. I look at myself, long and hard, and although I detest the fact I can see my mother is accurate in her summary of me: I am not the dainty, feminine daughter that women crave. I am masculine; with my 5'11'' frame I am taller than most of the young men here in District 10 and my limbs are lined with thick muscles which make me stronger than a majority of them too. In school we learnt of ancient cultures, the Amazonian women; from what I've read it seems I was born in the wrong time. For with my 'impressive' physique I would have fit in amongst their ranks. Belonged, I may have actually belonged.
It sounds as if I am the person who hates their life, despises themselves; but this is not the case. I have a loving family, the only exception being my estranged mother; I have a job, a life and I enjoy each day as it dawns but I know that once upon a time my life was better. Once upon a time I had it all, the idyllic family life: My father worked on the local ranch training horses, his eyes alight as he talked about the animals he worked with; a passion which has been passed to myself; A dainty mother who would dance around the house performing the duties that made her a domestic Goddess; My twin brother, Viridian, the person who knows me better than myself and my 3 little sisters, the cherubs who brought everyone joy, pride and happiness. As children, we were the apples of my father's eye, but 2 years ago the apples became rotten; the idyllic illusion was shattered. A plague came to my family in the dead of night, tearing away our happiness, our normality, our everything. This plague has a name: Cancer. Two years ago we lost our father, he was never to return again but we also lost our mother; She became a mere shadow of the woman she once was, a plague in her own right. We lost our mother to alcohol; her days are now consumed with drinking, hurling abuse at us all and mourning the loss of what she once had, what we all had. For two years I have been the mother of the household: raising my 3 baby sisters Romany, Carter and Loretta alongside my chivalrous brother; earning the wage that feeds the family by working on the ranch; healing the cuts and bruises of my siblings. I say I do not hate my life, the truth is I cannot: I have no life.
' Ginna' I hear the panicked cry of my youngest sister Loretta, at 6 years of age she truly has a powerful set of lungs seeing as I have to cover my ears to drown out her scream. My mind is then thrown into over drive, racing at a million miles an hour: Is she hurt? What will happen if she awakes mother? Are the others in danger? Questions swim into the forefront of my mind as I run down the stairs in search of my sisters. I find her sobbing at the foot of the stairs her tiny shoulders heaving with sobs and my heart breaks; seeing those you love in pain, no matter how small, is truly torture. I wrap my arms around her petite frame and lift her so her head is placed in the nook of my neck, I coo at her softly:
'Baby, it'll be okay; everything is fine. Ginna's here now, no one can hurt you' I continue with my tender endearments until her sobs have subsided; she is such a frail, young girl and needs to be handled delicately. Once she has regained her breath and seems capable of talking I place her back on the floor and crouch down before her;
'Loretta, what's happened? Are you ok?' Genuine concern colours my tone, anything concerning my younger siblings or even Viridian made me drown in worry; it caused my maternal side to burst to life. Loretta smiled up at me.
'Gin, I'm all good now, Roro and Carter were bullying me. Again' oh, well that's better than I expected; Romany and Carter: the ten year old terror twins. I really needed to have a word with them; this bullying business had to end: Will they ever grow up? I doubt this as I take a moment to reminisce about their mischievous antics, like when they let all the sheep run riot through the town. I was so proud that after all the tragedy that has tainted the last two years they still hold onto their childish exuberance, even if it could be a pain at times. Well, I suppose it's time to do some hands on pseudo parenting.
'Romany and Carter Wallace, get here this instant or else there'll be hell to pay' I pay special attention to making my voice sound authoritative and stern, to me I still sound soft and kind but somehow the twins walk into the house heads held down, the picture of innocence and repentance. How could I stay mad? Look at them, standing there all cute. But it is my duty to reprimand them; I take a deep breath before I begin:
'How many times do I have to tell you two? Can you not behave? Look, you made Loretta cry. Your sisters, you're meant to stick together. What ever will I do with you?' I raise my eye, it's meant to show that I am contemplating a punishment but catching my reflection in the window I think I look constipated. I begin to tap my foot on the linoleum floor as if to prompt the twins:
'Loretta, we're so sorry. We never meant to call you a scrawny fowl' it's extremely creepy when Romany and Carter speak in perfect synchronization, bobbing their heads in time with one another; their curly masses of honey blonde hair mimicking their movements. I and Viridian were never like that, so it is not a 'twin thing' as the girls say.
Just then I hear a groan, an all too familiar groan; the groan that tells us mother has awoken from her drunken stupor. I turn to all three girls, an expression of apprehension marring their cherubic faces.
'Girls, go and play outside. I'll deal with this, I'll call you in when everything is okay—'
'But you can't, you don't know what she'll do Gin' Loretta whispers, blatant fear lacing her tone; the twins nod their heads, once again in synchronization to show their agreement. I sigh; these girls are too young to be worrying about me.
'Now listen to me, I will be fine. And remember she is your mother, now go. No arguments' I despise having to be too stern with my sisters, but I will be if it is necessary; and when mother first awakens in her drunken rage it is definitely necessary. I would rather die a hundred deaths than see our pathetic excuse of a mother lay her hands on any of my siblings, and that does include my scatter brained twin. Viridian is bigger than me, but he lacks the emotional strength to deal with her outbursts. I point towards the door to ensure all of my sisters leave before locking the door and going to face my mother.
I sit in the lounge, tears streaming down my face; my mother's insults echoing inside my head: 'Scum' 'You call yourself a woman? Hah'. I needed to be strong; if not for myself than for my siblings, the siblings who have effectively become my children. I move to stand before a mirror, taking notes of the injuries I had obtained as I tried to reason with my mother. A task I know is pointless, but I cannot give up on her no matter how much she may hurt me with her fists and her harsh words; she is grieving and I share that grief, but my patience is waning and soon it will snap. I raise my fingers to my lips, swollen from where my mother had hit me with surprising force; I trace my fingers up to my left eye I feel a cut. Blood oozes down creating a pathway down my face, tears of blood. I navigate my way to the kitchen, opening the cupboard which holds my stash of medicinal herbs. I apply a thin glaze of salve concocted from milkwort and meadow sage, the poultice soothes the pain and causes the bleeding to stop. If mother doesn't change her act soon I'll have to do something about it, this is not a fit environment for the girls and it is my responsibility to ensure that they are raised in a suitable environment. Suddenly Viridian bursts through the front door; out of breath and his appearance dishevelled his blonde hair askew as if he had been running. I spare a thought to wonder where his begin, probably frolicking with that harlot Gissabelle Malone. I tut to myself but he starts to speak, gasping between each word.
'G, what are you still doing, here? The reapings' I had totally forgotten that today was reaping day, and I had the nerve to call him scatter brained.
'Sorry, it slipped my mind' He didn't respond to my stupid excuse for forgetting such an event, instead he came to stand before me fingering the cut I have just attended to;
'Did she do this? G, I'm so sorry. I just can't deal with it, it's still raw. You know Dad's death' He looks down to the floor as if ashamed, and I feel a pain slice through my chest, I pull my brother towards me staring into the large hazel eyes we inherited from our father and comfort him.
'V, do not worry. Everything will be okay eventually; Now go get ready, we better get to these reapings before the peacekeepers take the door off' I smile at him, a smile which he returns before running from the room; I guess to get ready and on that thought I hasten to get ready.
Viridian and I arrive just as the reapings are beginning; we are greeted by Mayor Rhoadan's monotonous delivery of the 'Treaty of Treason'. Viridian makes me laugh by mouthing along perfectly, rolling his eyes as Rhoadan expresses the importance of the games; Of course the Hunger Games, or as Viridian affectionately calls it 'Death Con 5' no one escapes the arena, yes one person leaves with a beating heart. That one person, however, is haunted everyday by the atrocities they see; and the Capitol calls it entertainment, don't make me laugh.
As I head towards the 17 year old female section, my mind begins to wander. What would happen if I were chose to 'compete'? Could I win? Doubtful, district 10 isn't acclaimed for churning out victors; but I'd have to, somehow. If not for myself, but for my siblings: the people that I love. In all honesty, the chances of me being reaped are slim; my name is in there only 5 times. I have never had to sign up for tesserae since I have worked since I was 12 to bring money into the house but it could happen, and if it did; what would I do? As Felicity Cortez, our district escort mounts the stage; she is beautiful, in that Capitolian way, with her flaxen hair styled to perfection and her amethyst eyes surveying the crowd. I turn to find Viridian in the crowd and mouth the words 'good luck' to which he mouths back 'as if I need it'; a childish tradition I admit, but it has worked in making sure neither of us was reaped so far; and who are we to break tradition. Felicity then breaks the silence which has engulfed the gathered crowd, a blanket of tension lies over everybody.
'Hello District 10, and welcome to the 62nd Hunger Games! Now let the Games begin…' On that note she moves towards the bowl situated on the left hand side of the stage and plucks a single slip of pristine white paper; the paper that bears the name of the female who will be forced to fight for her life and that name is:
'Virginia Wallace'
I freeze, shock the predominant emotion. I cannot move. This cannot be happening; I am brought from my reverie as a scream pierces the silence. A scream of pain, anguish and absolute terror; I turn to find the source of such an inhumane sound and see Loretta; she is trying to get to me, as are Romany and Carter. I see the pain etched into their features and their pain is what makes me move towards the stage, for them I must be strong. As I pass the 17 year old male section I catch my brothers eye and nod towards where my sisters are congregated; he nods and begin to move towards them. Good, the girls will need Viridian now more than ever; I climb onto stage and suddenly it's real. It is all a blur from then on, the only thing I remember is finding my siblings in the crowd, seeing their grief. I catch their eyes and mouth two words: 'Stay strong'. The male tribute is called but I cannot focus, my mind is focussed on the hour I will spend in the Justice Building which looms behind me: the destination for what could be my final goodbyes to the only people I have ever, and will ever love.
So here I am, tribute for district 10; waiting in the Justice Building to see who will visit me. My family, for sure but I doubt anybody else will; not that it bothers me in the slightest. I don't know what to say, how can I console them? What can I say? They've already lost so much: Dad to cancer and mom to alcohol. Now, they face losing me, their sister; the one who heals their wounds, the one who hold them as they cry, gives them advice and loves them unconditionally. Words are not enough to describe the pain, the stabbing feeling in my chest. For once I am helpless to help my siblings; I collapse to my knees. It's too much, what can I do? Nothing. Then they come: Viridian, Romany, Carter and Loretta. They look distraught, a physical manifestation of the emotions that are ripping me up inside but I must be strong; for them I am always strong, I plaster a fake smile onto my face.
'So it sucks, right?' Silence.
'Guys, it's no use standing there looking lost; you have to go on, it's as simple as that. No matter what happens you will stick together and stay strong' I'm surprised at how composed I sound, but it's how I have always been: Strong, for them. They look shocked, but nod their heads accordingly then I open my arms and my three younger sisters run into my arms, their tears falling freely. They whisper to me about how much they love me, how I can win and that they'll be waiting for me and at their loving words I feel my heart warm. I then notice Viridian, standing there with a blank expression; it sounds cliché but in this moment I know he knows how I feel; call it twin telepathy if you will. I smile at him and he shakes his head, it is then that I realise he wants to speak to me alone.
'Girls, I want you to go home now. There's nothing more I can say. Do not watch the Games, no matter what. Do you understand?' They nod, and turn to leave but at the last minute Loretta turns back.
'Ginna, please come back promise?' Now I know what people mean when they talk about being heartbroken, seeing her face alight with hope and then having to squash that hope.
'Loretta darling, I cannot make that promise…' My voice breaks and the twins grab Loretta by either side and drag her from the room as they all break down in a fresh round of sobs. I turn to Viridian:
'They'll need you more than ever now, promise me you'll be there no matter what.' He nods and I continue, the words flowing freely now:
'Be strong, for them, for me. And God help me if I come back to find out that you haven't I'll whip you into oblivion Viridian Wallace, let mother know that if she harms a hair on any of your heads I will run right though her with a cattle prod. Understand?' Once again he nods.
'Now go, and remember stay strong' without warning he rushes forward and catches me in his arms.
'Ginna, you can do this. You can, I know it, okay? You are the strongest woman I know. If you can't do this I don't know who can' His words ring with sincerity, but it's useless I will die in this arena and without me my family will be lost. He turns to leave, as he goes I call out; my voice hoarse.
'I love you, I love you all. Never forget that'
'We love you too Ginna, you'll do well to remember that' and then he is gone. I am alone, a death sentence hanging above my head. I have never hated the Capitol or the Hunger Games more than I do in this moment; how dare they. What right do they have to tear my family apart? How dare they.
A massive thank you to FreeMyMind for Virginia, she wishes me to inform you that Ginna is pronounced Jenna, for future reference. Now see that button saying 'review' press it! Cannot wait to hear your thoughts about the first two tributes. :D
Lawrence xxx
Right, so I think I think I better write a good old tribute list so that you know which tributes are available:
District One, Luxury Items:
Male: Nicoli 'Nikki' Spinoza
Female: Ruby Ashford
District Two, Masonry:
Male: Claude 'Claw' Dew
Female: Sandra 'Sandy' Burghardt
District Three, Technology:
Male:
Female: Greer Ballentine
District Four, Fishing:
Male: Kai Thallasa
Female: Bala Eaglehawk
District Five, Power:
Male:
Female: Autumn Thorn
District Six, Transportation:
Male:
Female: Dariela Rorin Malasky
District Seven, Lumber:
Male:
Female: Seraphine 'Sera' Connolly
District Eight, Textiles:
Male: Reserved
Female:
District Nine, Grain:
Male: Aezir Marston
Female: Fiona 'Finn' Harkin
District Ten, Livestock:
Male: Reserved
Female: Virginia 'Ginna' Wallace
District Eleven, Agriculture:
Male:
Female: Reserved
District Twelve:
Male:
Female: Livvya 'Liv' Howell