Range Wisp, District 11

I hate Reapings; not only because two innocent kids gets taken to their death, but it also messes my day up. I work all the day, I have my plan worked out, for the last step, and here comes the Capitol, with its Reapings, pretending like it is amazing and all that. Well no, it is not.

I want to skip it so bad and continue to work, but I cannot afford that because of my sister Prage. She is eleven and she is always sick, that poor soul. She is one of the reasons I want to work from dawn to dusk. The other one is being poor. I want to have money to at least have food for three days without worrying.

"Range, don't forget the Reapings, it's your last year," my boss, who is just two years older than me, reminds me.

"'kay, thanks." I grab one of the spears and threw it. It goes through perfectly those five fruits I wanted it to hit, and then right into a tree. I grab another spear and start cutting the fruits so they would fall into the hands of the Pickers.

Here where I work, there are two people, the Pickers and Pokers. Pokers are on trees, getting the food to come down. Pickers are the ones who pick them up.

I guess I can say that I am perfect for the job. I'm not that tall, but not short, I am quick on my feet, I have a good balance and all that. It's like I was born to live on trees. I can run on all fours, carefully grabbing branches and steadying my foot as I ascend to the tree tops.

I throw another spear, getting seven fruits, when suddenly the branch I'm standing on breaks and the earth is furiously closing on me.

"Get the net! Get the net!" A worker yells as I fall.

When someone falls, which is quite regularly, we get the net, which is a large piece of well woven fabric that is safe to use for saving falling people.

My hand searches for branches or vines, or anything to grab on.

My heart's thumping in my head, my vision starts to blur. How far was I? Couple hundred meters? No…

My hand catches something and tangles around it. My momentum carries me side ways into the bark of a tree. I slam into it, but I do not continue to fall.

But it feels like I'm not controlling myself. I start to climb up the tree without problem, jumping from branch to branch, swinging and crawling until I'm on the ground.

"Range, Range are you okay?" Another worker comes, and soon everyone's around me.

"Yes, I'm good. I'm fine, don't I look fine?"

Everyone relaxes.

After taking a shower, I go home to Prage with a good amount of fruit.

Fortunately, we live in a community of not-so-lucky families in a large…home like thing, so I have people looking after my sister. I bring them some kind of gift, usually fruits or some others… I mean, it is not much, but in times of need, you are happy for everything you get.

"Hey sis," I walk into our apartment.

"Hey," she comes out of the kitchen part, coughing, "hey Range." I hug her.

"Who was looking over you?"

"Tayann," she says.

"Okay, I'll make sure to give her my thanks. How are your meds?"

"I'm good for a week," she sneezes.

Someone knocked on our door.

"Yes?" I open the door. It was one of my coworkers.

"Elijah Field wants to talk to you," he says, slightly out f breath.

Who's that? Elijah Field? Never heard of him.

"He wants to give you a promotion."

Promotion caught my interest

I look at Prage, "If he stays with you for some time, will you be okay with it?"

"Sure," she smiles and shrugs.

Promotion? Finally a promotion!

Less work or more money, maybe both! Yes! I'm so happy I could almost hug a person.

But that would take time, so I won't.

But a promotion!

I almost blast into the boss's room. "Hey Elijah," I greet him automatically. His name is Elijah? Wow…forgot that.

"Range," he nods. "I've decided that you deserve a promotion earlier than planned. You and your sister…I hope she gets well. You show devotion to her, and that is respectable. Plus what happened today opened my eyes that if something happen to you, who knows the outcome? So you can choose, be on the inventory team, or a planter."

Planters plant the plants, well, obviously, and father them. They usually plant herbs that grow relatively fast compared to trees. The job is easy and harmless, but well paid, with extras.

Inventory team monitors the fruits and vegetables made, sold, given away and all that. If something's missing, they contact with the other teams about the loss or extras. It is a bit more dangerous than the planter, but you have bit more food.

So in summary, plantering is easy, pays well, but the food we can take home is less; for inventory, more dangerous, less money but more plants to take home. Both also get discounts in shops run by the industry.

But a planter can work home, and an inventorian is a big job.

"Planter, I want to continue my career as a planter."

"Great, you start tomorrow."

Oh boy oh boy!

This is the best day, sad that it has to end with the Reapings.

But whatever!

Tayann Walsom

Huh, first Reapings. What if I get Reaped? Will Mother and Father miss me? Will Tayley miss me? Do they even like me?

Of course they do Tayann, they are your family.

But Tayley, and even Father said that they'd be off without me.

They were angry at you; people say things they don't mean when they are angry.

But they weren't angry, they were tired.

Okay, they were tired; do you like to be messed with?

I don't know. Better than being ignored I think.

Tayann, no matter what, your family loves you.

Then how do you explain having Mother say 'I wish you you'd be dead too,' When talking about Taylynn?

Do you always do this? I might just leave you alone in your misery.

No! No, please don't leave. I don't want to be alone…I'm always alone…

Then promise to loose this attitude and that you will answer my questions.

I…I promise.

You say you are always alone. What about that little sick girl? She is not ignoring you, is she?

Well…no, she's not. But I watch out for her when his brother is not there. I mean, I have company and I get a fruit or two for hanging with her.

I see. So you are not always alone.

No. I mean, yes. Yes I am not always alone, but I am most of the time.

My shadow dissipates as Tayley opens my door.

"Stop talking to yourself! Or we'll send you to mental hospital again!" She barks at me.

"So-sorry…" I squirm from my corner.

"You better be!" She yells.

"Mentally impaired courtesan…" I comment.

Shadow comes back.

She's gone.

She is scary.

That bitch better be gone!

I know…but she is my sister, I have to at least try to obey her. Plus I enjoy insulting her with words she does not comprehend.

But she's your sister!

Oh shut up. Because of you Tayann is all puny. What you need here girl is a punch in the guts! Burn her body! Erase her from existence!

I can't do that…I don't have the materials needed. Even if I'd have, I wouldn't be able to burn her, because I need to subtract her from the society, get her into a place where only she and I'll be, and then I need to have the will to kill her. Then again, I'd be prime subject.

Maybe I could poison her food. But then I'd forget about it and maybe eat it and die.

Or just get a knife and cut their necks! It is that easy honey. Just get a knife, press it to their necks, and let the water of life leave their body.

The door opens and Tayley comes in, turning on the light. I hiss at her as a reaction to light.

"Come and eat," she says grimly, her voice filled with hatred. As if she's saying 'Come and eat, but we don't want you.'

"I'm not hungry."

I'm never hungry. Maybe because I am really not hungry, or my will is strong and doesn't allow me to feel hunger, or for some odd reason.

"Good," she says and slams my door, then opens it again. "Oh, and that freak of a guy asked you if you can babysit his ill sister."

I smile at the news, but the smile fades as Tayley slams my door even harder, forgetting to turn the lights out.

I leave the room and our flat, going downstairs to room 22, where Prage and Range live.

I was about to knock on the door when Prage opens it up.

Her large almond eyes covered by her dark curly hair gives her an innocent look as she is there, holding a green dog plushie in her gray gown.

"Salutations," I smile at her.

"Salutations," she smiles back and lets me in.

Little Prage is always sick, or never healthy. I don't know why or how, but if I have to bet on it, she is never healthy, meaning she has a severe, possibly incurable disease causing death. But that is worst case scenario that has a very small chance of happening.

Everyone thinks just because she is sick she is rabid and she needs to be sealed up and all that crap. False.

She is very smart, she learns quickly. Like, one day I showed her a recipe, she made a perfect version of the cookie the next day.

That girl, it is horrible that her life is destroyed by a disease.

"So, what do you want to do?" She asked me.

"I don't know, let's just talk?"

"Sure," she said, "cookies or tea?"

"Tea would be wonderful."

"Okay dokey."

I sit on their couch, she gets to cups of hot tea.

"Prage, I always wondered, does Range have a girlfriend?" She looks at me quizzically. "No, no, not because of that, I mean, he is good looking, smart, devoted and all that is all a girl asks for."

"Ah. Well, exactly, he is too devoted. He works all the time, and any free time he has, he spends it with me. So he really doesn't allow himself to have a social life."

"Oh, that makes sense."

"Want to play a game?"

"Sure."

Range Wisp

I was doodling the whole day after getting my new job, and I decided to take off the rest of the day for two reasons. I have to, because it is Reaping day, and I want to spend some time with Prage. I owe a lot to Tayann, she always comes and hangs out with Prage, and she rejects any kind of thanks most of the time, but when she doesn't, she just takes an apple or a bundle of grapes; and she understands that Prage doesn't need babysitting or anything, but someone to talk to, or hang around, and Tayann does that.

They even became friends, which is good. If I'm right, this is Tayann's first Reapings. Ugh, the six years of terror just starts-

But ends for me, luckily.

Tayann Wilsom

Tayley gave me her old dress for me to wear it for Reapings. It was pretty pink when we got it, but now it is pale and dark, like liver pink. I love it. It is bland and unnoticeable. No one will even notice me, and that is good. I dislike people to a very high degree, and since it is Reaping Day, all the teenagers will be in the square, and that is a lot of heads.

Our Escort is a quiet boy with light brown hair and dark green eyes. He has a new beat-up mark. Funny how Escorts supposed to be dealt with kindly, this boy is always beat up, or appears to be beat up. I wonder who will be damned with the games.

Range Wisp

Our Escort, Johnatan Malvoro comes up the stage, looking like a sack of purple potatoes, that boy always has someone beating him up. I mean, he is the Esocrt, doesn't he have some bodyguards? Maybe, I don't know. I'm not an Escort.

"Good day District 11," he greets us, his voice shaky. "Once again it is time to reap two daring children to represent our magnificent District in the Games, " he takes out the yellow paper marked 100th, reads it and gulps. "To remind the Twelve Districts, that even those who knew about the Rebellion were considered as part of the Rebellion, the acquaintances of the tributes will be sent to the Games too."

That is so inhuman. Bless the souls of the chosen ones.

"The male tribute is Range Wisp! The female tribute is Tayann Wilsom!"

Me? Me and Tayann? Make it irony.

Tayann Wilsom

When Range got reaped, I was shocked. I certainly didn't expect it to be him. The next thing was Prage, she will be in there too…and then me. But then I heard my name from the Escort and the only thing I could think…

Should I even try to save my family?

Or let them die.

But dear, they are your family. You should try to save them, as they would save you too!

Ah shut up! Her family hates her, each and everyone one of them hates her.

Lies! They care about you Tayann, they really do.

Range Wisp

Elijah came first to say goodbyes.

"I'm really sorry about what happened. I never expected that you, out of all the eighteen years old, would be reaped."

"I know I know. I just worry about Prage, who will take care of her? The only person who did a great job was Tayann, but she too was reaped."

"That is the least I could do. In the dire case of you not returning, I'll take care of her."

It pains my hearts to hear this. Prage growing up without me, but the fact that Elijah said he'd be Prage's guardian, makes me happy.

After him, some workers came, one of them gave me a small wooden charm with my name on it as a Token.

I was expecting Prage, how stupid I am. Even if she wouldn't be sick she couldn't come. She was rarely outside, she'd be lost in the city.

Guess it is better like this, remembering her smiling and happy, not in tears.

Tayann Wilsom

No one.

No one came.

Not my father, not my mother, not Tayley, no one.

Maybe they had too much to-

"No they didn't! They knew this will happen! They prayed for the secound they could get rid of me and now they are celebrating!"

I'm sure this didn't happen…they are you fami-

"They could be the President of Panem and I wouldn't care. You know what? I will let them rot in their graves!"

I'm glad you opened your eyes.

Author's Note: Sorry for not updating for a looong time, but we had important stuff to do, and last days were hectic.

I also get depressed that only one person reviewed District 10. Well, two if we count Roy, but he knows what will happen if he doesn't. Really? I mean, really? Why didn't you review? Please review next time?

I AM SO VERY SORRY!

We got guests through the whole vacation, and I couldn't use my computer, and had to use my tablet/phone, which SUCK. Not only this, I am in great trouble in school…Please forgive me?

And review. I was serious about reviwing.