The Reapings, Part Two of Three

Hello again! These reapings will cover Districts 5 through 8. Hope you enjoy these. Thanks for all of the reviews! Please, authors, turn in your alliance forms/requests since I don't have any yet, except for goldie031. Otherwise I would make your tributes go solo. against your will.

District Five

Basil Dew POV

"Race ya back to the house," I call to my brother as I dash back from the woods.

"You're on!" He sprints up to me.

I sling my game bag over my shoulder and sprint back through the woods and into the streets of District Five. Luckily, most of them are empty. I'm not surprised. It's reaping day.

We dash back into our house. That's the second point that I wanted to race for. We're about to be late to the reapings. Me and Blake had killed a bunch of rabbits in our early morning hunt. Pretty good haul. Should sustain us a couple of days. I head up to my room to change into my reaping dress. Father's not back yet from his late shift job. He works two jobs nowadays, since our hunting only covers food expenses. But Blake's eighteen now so he should be able to work next year.

I hear the door open downstairs from my room. Must be Father. But instead I hear Blake's friend Brad. "C'mon, we're leaving," Brad says.

"Coming, but let me get sis real quick." I hear a knock on the door. "Coming," I yell.

"Okay, but don't be late to the reapings. They punish you for that," Blake says as he steps down the stairs.

I hear the door close, and know I've got to hurry. I get all the way dressed and dash out the front door. I'm in sprint mode now, and barely get to the central plaza in time for the reapings. I move quickly into the roped off area for girls, and head near the front. I'm sixteen, so the older kids are in front. They go up all the way to eighteen.

"So for our female tribute, we have…" the announcer takes time to read the card they pulled out of the obsidian reaping ball. "Basil Dew with her brother Blake Dew!"

Are you kidding me? I just got here! I look wildly around the square for my brother. He's walking onto the stage with a blank, expressionless face. If he can stay calm, I can stay calm. I walk onto the stage, trying to mimic his confidence.

Themus Romal POV

"Bye," I say to my girlfriend as I head slowly towards the roped area for guys.

"Don't get reaped, will you," I hear Andromeda say.

"Easily manageable. You too," I reply.

I move back to the back of the male tribute area. What if I do get reaped? Naw, that'll never happen. I only have two slips of paper in there with my name in it. Artemis took the tesserae for me, and he would protect me anyways. Where is he, anyway? Probably off with his friends, or so far in the front of the group that I don't see him. He's up with the sixteen year olds, since either of us has been late to a reaping.

"125 years ago the Districts rebelled against the Capitol. The Districts were defeated, and the Capitol started the Hunger Games for the rebels to remember the mistake they made. 50 years ago the rebels decided to…" the mayor starts his speech on the history of the Hunger Games. This goes on for a while and my feet are getting tired when the announcer up their says, :So for our female tribute we will have….." Dramatic pause.

"Basil Dew and Blake Dew!" I see some really tall eighteen year old walk up onto the stage. Must be Blake. He looks tough. Someone else comes out of the girl area, probably the name on the card. AT least it's not Andromeda. Relief.

"And for our male tribute we have Themus Romal and his brother Artemis Romal!"

What? I feel myself in utter shock. I can't comprehend the mutters of the crowd. I feel myself falling to the ground when someone picks me up. I think it's Artemis, but I can't tell. Then everything goes dark.

District Six

Izzi Locklear POV

I stand there at the square waiting. I've been here ever since they started putting up the stage, or mic testing, or everything else. Finally people start to trickle in slowly, then a huge wave hits. People flood into the square for the reaping. I was early, but they needed my father for the ceremony since he was an important person in the Capitol. He makes luxury cars and apparently they're very famous across the Capitol. I dunno, seeing as I've never been outside of District Six in my life.

The roped areas are set up. I head over there.

"C'mon Gracie, we have to go now," I call to my little eight year old sister. She was playing around with some rocks and chasing a grasshopper around the square. She's just a bundle of sunshine right there.

Since she's only eight, she has to stand at the way back of the roped off area for girls. I, however, need to be at the very front. I'm ten years older than her. I hope she's okay. IT's a scary time.

"125 years ago…" the mayor begins. Every year starts with a speech. About how the rebels were crazy enough to rebel against their leader. I think they should've succeeded. I hate watching the Hunger Games play out.

"Now for the reaping," the escort says as she pulls a name out of the ball. Finally. It's been about fifteen minutes since that speech begun. They had a few other speakers, and one of them was my father.

The escort reads the name of the doomed female tribute, "Izzi Locklear," she says, taking a pause afterwords.

I sigh. I sort of half expected it. I mean, my father is richer than most but we still have to take tesserae. And when you're eighteen, it's more likely you will be heading to the Hunger Games. Wait, won't Gracie have to go to….

A scream comes out of me. I never expected Gracie to go! She's only eight! She probably doesn't even know what's happened! I scream some more, until some Peacekeepers come over and take me away. I don't want to go.

Andre Rosen POV

Stop screaming! Honestly! I cover my ears. Some people can't hide their emotions sometimes. Another reaping day. This year people have to go into the arena with a sibling. I don't care, I've never been picked before.

A couple Peacekeepers go over to the female tribute and take her away. No standing on the stage this time. A little girl from the back of the girls screams as well as they take her away. I dunno, she looked maybe eight years old. That's sad. I think she has no hope in the Games. I always hate watching younger kids in the Games. They never stand a chance.

"Now to get on with the event, we need to draw our male tribute!" the escort person on the stage says. Obviously these people are off schedule with the reapings. The escort reaches their hand into the reaping ball. "Our male tribute is…..Andre Rosen with Lutara Rosen!"

My eyes dart wildly around for my sister. I finally find her, but she's not moving. Oh my gosh, she must be paralyzed! I run over there from my spot to talk to her. "It's okay," I say in my most soothing voice possible, "We'll be okay." Obviously not.

District Seven

Blair Wenroot POV

I yawn. Why do I have to get up so early? Well, early for me is like noon. I'm a late sleeper. I'm walking slowly past the endless glades of District Seven, heading towards the plaza square. I have to go to the stupid reaping. Wish I was sick or something. Then I wouldn't have to wake up so early. The ceremony is starting when I reach the square. The mayor is ranting about the history of Panem like the last six years. I move over towards the roped off girl area. I stand at near the front since I'm older than most kids. There's even a little toddler in the back of the area, probably a mere four years old.

"Let the reaping begin!" some cheery person on stage says. They have that weird Capitol accent that makes them sound like they're asking a question at the end of every sentence. Just weird, I think. They have the ceremonial glass ball that's been in use for hundreds of years, and reach inside it to pull out a name. I cross my fingers that it's not the little four year old. I wouldn't want her on live TV getting killed. Not something you can live with easily.

"Blair Wenroot," the cheery person says. It takes a moment for me to process in my half awake state. Wait a second, my name is Blair Wenroot! I just got chosen for the Hunger Games! I stand, frozen in place, as the Capitol lady up there says, "Also with her brother Connor Wenroot!" At least it's not my little twelve year old sister, probably cowering in the back behind me. I hope she stays alright while I head off to go die.

Suddenly I sense her grasping me, yelling, "Don't go, Blair!" over and over. No. I'm chosen. I follow my brothers example and head up to the stage, and to my doom.

Leda Hanover POV

I see the little girl rush past me to her sister. "Don't go, Blair! She screams. I feel sorry for the older girl in front of me, but I feel safe also. I don't have to go to the Hunger Games this year. I'm not the female tribute. I sigh as the older girl Blair walks onto the stage to await the male tribute.

"Ok, for our male tribute, we have…." The cheery Capitol lady says. She takes a pause before reading the name off. "Rick Hanover and Leda Hanover!" OH, gosh. That's my name. I thought I was clear. I look around for my brother. He was talking with his friends over there. He's stopped, and is waiting for something.

Peacekeepers start walking up to him. They half nudge half push Rick onto the stage, while he looks back to his friends. Must be looking for help. Someone who would volunteer. But I guess they value their own life, because no one volunteers at all. I see the Peacekeepers advance toward me and I decide to accept my doomed fate. I dash onto the stage. And try to act normal, but I'm on the verge of tears. Let's play these Games.

District Eight

Libya Moran POV

I travel with my besties toward the square. They're all talking about whose clothes were ugly, and whose were beautiful, that kind of talk. Girl stuff. I join in a lot, especially complimenting my friends' dresses, because they really are beautiful. My brother Gideon was following us at some point, but I don't know where he has gone off to. Ah, who cares. Might as well get this reaping done. He'll be at the square. Not like he has many friends to talk to.

My friends and I head toward the middle of the gathering girl group. Luckily, we're not late at all. The ceremony hasn't even started. Good. That means more time to talk with my friends, who are right next to me. Then again, I try to remember a time when I have paid attention to a reaping. Nope, I can't. I must have never really paid any attention to them, because I've never been picked or anyone else I know have been picked. It's really just a time to stand around.

"One hundred and twenty five years ago," the mayor begins. Ohmygosh, it's starting already! I feign attention to the boring Panem history speech. Who cares? It's supposed to remind us of our ancestors terrible deeds, and how the Hunger Games were started.

"We now draw our female tribute!" someone says onstage. I can't see them, not through all of the bodies of the girls older than fifteen. It's probably that hippie that takes the tributes to the Hunger Games every year. "Our female tribute is…." The capitol hippie says. I mutter to myself, "Drum roll please…" My friends laugh. "Libya Moran and Gideon Moran!"

I'm still listening to laughter when it turns into a scream sharply. Ohmygosh, did they just call my name? I look for Gideon, but he's up on the stage already, with a grim face. Just like him.

Zuper Ridn POV

"Alright, you can bring Fluffers," I say soothingly to my little tiny sister, Loli. "You won't be reaped."

I smile at my other sister Gollinda. She knows that we would be reaped together if we were picked. This year siblings have to go to the arena together. My whole family meets us and we head out the door of our abode and towards the reaping square. I look for my best friend. He said he would meet me to go to the reaping. Ah, there he is.

"Dusky," I call to him. I point my conversation to my parents, "I'll meet you at the square. I'm going with Dusky."

Ah, me and Dusky are best friends since like forever. He doesn't have to go get reaped, because he's an only child. He has immunity from it this year. We have some nice conversations all of the way to the square. But he has to part and go into the crowd. I have to stand in the reaping lot. With all of the other kids that have siblings.

I look for another friend of mine, but he doesn't show up. He must be sick or something. The mayor begins his speech.

"We now draw our female tribute!" the escort, whose name I think is Marie. She has electric blue hair going past her shoulders. What are those fashions in the Capitol? "Libya Moran and Gideon Moran!" Gideon, I presume, moves up onto the stage in front of me. Libya, who is currently screaming her lungs out along with a bunch of other girls. But eventually she follows her brother's example.

"And our male tribute is Zuper Ridn and Gollinda Ridn!" Oh, no. It's happened. Where's Gollinda? I see her moving through the crowd of girls, heading up onto the stage. I head up there too. Gollinda's face is shocked and expressionless. She must be barely holding on. Suddenly a smaller figure runs up onto the stage. It's Loli. She's probably scared to death now. But what she does next I have no clue why, she speaks up in a really tiny voice, "I volunteer for Gollinda."