Chapter 6

Reapings

Shades of Red

Ford Tran, 17 years old. District 6.

I feel the little sting, the small fire building inside my wrist, the blood making its way, flowing carelessly down my arm. I smile as I look. I can feel the pain, and I enjoy it. It doesn't really matter whose pain is it, mine or of someone else, the joy is the same. It's an unexplainable feeling. But, the fear in their faces, the tears on their eyes, and theirs screams... It is such a beautiful sight! It can't compare to anything else.

The first time I got this feeling was that cold morning ten years ago, on the second day of the 53rd Hunger Games. That's when I experienced intense pain for the first time in my life. It wasn't physical pain like this one, it was a stronger sort of pain. The one you can only feel by loosing someone close, someone you love. I lost my brother. I saw how his head escaped from his body, the blood rushing through the openings left by the sword's various swings. The blank expression his face had afterwards, when it laid there, separated from the rest of his body. It scared me at first, but then I felt it. The glorious pain, the feeling of emptiness, how hard it was to breathe, the ache in my chest... I remember it all, I don't want to forget it. It changed my life... The way I saw everything became dull.

I feel great all the time now, thanks to this place. I get to see people starving on the streets, pain filled expressions everywhere... Their suffering widens my smile, it fills me. Especially today, were that pain gets mixed with fear, my two favorite things combined. It couldn't be more perfect than that. I can't wait until the reapings start, I can't wait to volunteer. I will be able to take part in the Games. I'll have a license to make people suffer with my own hands, to kill them. I laugh. I've been waiting this for ten long years, and finally today is the moment I will start my journey towards the Arena.

I walk through the streets, people stare at me, and whisper things on my back. They are freak out, as my parents are. They left me on my own after I "changed". After I discovered the true meaning of my life, the thing I enjoyed the most. I remember that when my brother died I was at our house, we watched the Games all day and all night to see how Honda was doing. When he got killed mother started crying, father held her, but I stood there in silence. That silence didn't last for long though, it got replaced with laughter.

My parents never actually liked me, I wasn't good enough for them, my only family was Honda. They never loved me. I don't care, in fact, I smile. I scare them, isn't that amazing? They have all the right to fear me, I want them to. Actually, I'll give them more reasons for being afraid soon enough, they'll have nightmares about me, about what I'll do. I love it. I love the Games, what they cause and all the emotions they bring. I can't wait for this madness to start.

Bridget Metro, 16 years old. District 6.

I arrive to the town square and it is full with people. If it was a normal day, I'll be bouncing all over the place talking to the others. But, not today. I start fidgeting with my hands as I move towards the sixteen years old's section. I accidentally bump into someone.

"Watch your step!" the guy says. He looks down at me angrily, he's my age but a head taller than me. I smile apologetically.

"I'm very very sorry Dino", I recognized him as soon as I laid my eyes on his face. I smile sweetly, but that's just a mere façade. I still remember how he made fun of me when I tripped and fell at school. The way he pointed at me and laughed while telling his friends how stupid I was.

I stand on the tip of my toes, until my face is closer to his and I stick my tongue out. Then lower down, and keep moving. But, not before I hear him saying with disgust that I was a weirdo that should get reaped. He is joking for sure, at least that's what I want to think.

I look towards the side and I can see my mom and my dad in there. She's holding my newborn brother. We aren't that close, but we do love each other. My mother and her constant scoldings to me for supposedly annoying them, and the way my father prefers being in silence rather than speaking, on the contrary of me, makes me stay a little distanced from them. But, I still love them a lot.

I look down towards my dress, it's green and gorgeous. I look really nice on it. I normally love how I look, but on the reapings day I get to dress like a princess, which is awesome. I think I'm a really cool person. The only thing I dislike is how short I am, so I like standing on my toes.

The mayor starts with his speech, but I'm distracted by the mentors. I always get distracted by them, they always do weird stuff. This time they are smiling at each other, and her face is covered in painting. That's what the morphling did to them. I'm thankful for them though, because they sort of distract me from the panic that the reapings bring. I take a deep breath. They'll be over soon.

Honora Porter, district 6. Victor of the 31st Hunger Games.

I put my hands in front of me, and look at them. They are covered in painting, I press them against my face. I smile and close my eyes. I can imagine how my yellowish skin tone gets covered by the various colors, I am a living canvas. I smile again, moving my hand in circles around my cheeks, and move a little to the sides. The voices of the crowd unite to form an interesting rhythm that makes me want to dance.

The mayor stands up in his boring black suit, I look to my left and see Hector. His wide eyes staring at me and he smiles, I smile back, he smiles wider, so do I. I enjoy this game a lot. After a while, our smiles can't get wider, so we start making weird faces to each other. Laughing as silently as we can. Suddenly, we turn around, there was a scream coming out of the crowd.

There's a kid crying on the floor and a woman screaming on the sides. Poor boy, he probably got reaped. His extremely blond hair is almost white, I want to throw lots of painting at it, and see how he looks that way. Probably like our escort. I giggle. I like how the people from the Capitol dress, all the colors blending around them. The screams of the woman continue, I hate screams. I frown at her. The noise is coming like blades to my ears.

"I volunteer!" I turn around to the kid that shouted. Why do people keep talking so loud? The voice belongs to a boy coming from the seventeen years old section, brown hair and blue eyes. He's got a big smile on his face, I smile too. But, he doesn't widens it. He's not playing with me... My lips curve down.

"What's your name young man?" asks Irvina with a smile. But, I know she's not playing with me. She never does.

"Ford Tran", says the boy. He's still smiling, but he's no fun. If he's not playing, I don't like him. Besides, who volunteers in this District? That's for the red lovers, those from district 1, 2 and 4. But, not us. Never us.

I look back towards Hector and pat him on the shoulder. He looks and smiles, so do I. We play again, until we can't widen our smiles anymore. Then we laugh quietly and start smiling once more.

"Bridget Metro!" shouts Irvina. Why is she so loud? There's no need to scream. But, she says it with a smile, so I calm down again.

A short girl comes out of the sixteen years old section, the color seems to have left her skin. She has dark brown hair and bangs in her forehead, her brunette eyes are probably as wide as mine. I looked a lot like her before... Such a long time ago. Before the Games turned me into a canvas.

AN: This chapter was hard to write. I wrote Honora's part while hearing "Liquor Store Blues" by Bruno Mars.

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