District 5 Reaping

Ok, so with the Career districts over, now we get to district 5. I'm gonna give you a brief fill in… TV SHOW STYLE.

Previously, in district 5 reapings…

The male tribute (Camera Jackie) was decapitated on the first day by the district 2 male because he was a pacifist.

The female tribute (Julie-Anne Beaker) got an alliance with the twins from district 3 (Branna and Baron Chrome) and was soon friends with Branna.

But she soon started a fake relationship with Baron, later killing him by mistake, intending to kill Branna who had just exposed her.

After trying to ransack the female tributes from districts 7 and 12, Julie-Anne got an axe in her back and Branna finished her off in revenge (she later committed suicide in guilt).

I may do this at the beginning of all my reapings just so you know how the tributes in the last story fared. Who knows, if the tributes from districts that didn't do well are good, maybe they'll get further this time. Don't quote me on that though, I am not promising anything! Enjoy the Chapter and May the Odd be Ever in Your Favour!

Mai Moonheart POV

I look down at my 5 year old cousin Jack, keeping the same, cheesy smile on my face. For a second, he looks up at me curiously. He knows my smile isn't real and so do I. Most of the time, I can get by just by seeing the slightest good or generosity, despite the pain and suffering that surround the entire district. But when the reaping comes around, all I can think about is just that. Then for the whole couple of weeks or so the games go on, it surrounds you. There's no way of making it a happy thought. You just have to watch as the Capitol celebrates the vile slaughter of 23 children. My parents come in, the two of them looking very serious.

"Morning sweet pea; how you doing?" my mom asks as she pours herself some coffee "Want some?"

"No, but thanks mom. I'm fine, honestly" I reply flatly.

"Well I certainly am not. You're 19 in 2 days. In what world should you still be eligible for the hunger games? I tell ya, that Salem's out of his mind. Speaking of people being out of their minds, you should be my doctor. I mean a friend of mine went to see him because he's been freaking out about having chicken pocks. The doctor just says "Mate, you're not talking rationally"" he chuckles at is own terrible joke, looks in his mug and looks at my mom "Honey, would you?"

She takes his mug.

"Got it."

"Really though Mai, I wouldn't even worry. You got tesserae once; that means out of the 10's of thousands in the- what's it called?"

"Reaping bowl dear" my mom cuts in.

"Yes reaping bowl; out of the 10's of thousands of paper in there, you're in there eight times."

"Ok, can we please stop talking about the reaping around the breakfast table?"

"Yes dear."

"Sure mom" I agree.

As she pours Jack his juice, I feel a small smile appearing on my lips. My dad notices and laughs quietly to himself. Well this reaping day is starting better than last year's.

Riddell Thicket POV

"Move it pipsqueak!" my older brother Griffin barges me out the way as he goes down the stairs.

"Watch it!" I call back, but he ignores me.

In the kitchen, there's barely room for everyone- Griffin is slurping milk out of his cereal bowl like a pig, my younger siblings Azelia and Cuff are throwing their watery oatmeal at each other when my mom isn't looking, my other older brother Sorrell is talking to my dad about arena strategy and my twin sister Electra is sitting at the table with her hands over her ears. I walk over to her a pull one of her hands away.

"Morning sis" I grin at her.

"Morning" she groans, moving her other hand away.

"Toast is done!" my mom places the heavily stacked plate into the middle of the table.

I mess of hands reach in and block my view; when it's clear, there's just one piece of toast left. I make a grab at it but someone else takes it first.

"Sorry bro, gotta build up my muscles more. Besides, the hunger games aren't for scrawny bitches" Sorrell laughs, high fives Griffin and stuffs down the toast before I can say another word.

"Come on Riddell, let's get out of here" Electra suggests, pulling my arm towards the door.

I ignore her.

"Well- it just so happens I'm gonna volunteer!" I snap.

"Pfft, good luck" Griffin sneers.

"Boys please and Riddell don't lie. It's not clever" my mom hisses.

"I'm not lying!"

"Ok prove it" demands Sorrell "Go ahead and volunteer."

"I will."

"And we're leaving" Electra pulls me fully out of the door this time before I shake away from her grasp "What are you doing?"

"Are you crazy? You can't volunteer for the hunger games; you'll be dead on the first day" she growls.

"Thanks for the confidence. But don't worry, I wasn't planning to."

"Why bother lying then?"

"To shut them up."

"Oh real clever; they'll just call you a coward afterwards. And a liar. Which you are."

"I am not a liar. I'm a story teller."

"Same difference."

"No, liars just make a statement. I make it more interesting."

"Whatever; race you to the justice building!"

"Hey, wait for me!"

I chase after her but she's already way ahead. I worry about the reaping sometimes. Mom once told me; she had sister named Finch who competed in the 74th Hunger Games. Now part of me feels like someone from our family could get reaped. I don't care much about Griffin or Sorrell, but I couldn't bear it if it was me or Electra. I'll just stay positive, even if we've all had to get tesserae a lot.

Mai Moonheart POV

"Name please."

Ok, stay calm Mai; you got tesserae once.

"Name please."

Just once.

"Name please!" demands the peacekeeper.

"Oh, Mai Moonlight" I mumble, still not truly focussed.

"Ok give me your finger."

I don't even notice when she takes the blood sample. I just move with the crowd. How could this happen? Like my dad said, I'm 19 in 2 days. I'll be 19 if I go into the arena. It's not fair; not on anyone.

"Hi district 5; so last year wasn't a great one for us. But- but maybe… just maybe… someone from here will get to come home after the games!" Genevieve Hilton, the escort says shyly.

Even the Careers; they train their whole lives to be in the games and someone else gets an extra shot at it? Not to mention the younger ones; not that I'd kill a little kid anyway.

"This year's female tribute is…. Mai Moonlight."

Don't panic and you won't get chosen; that's what I'll do. I look up to the stage to watch the rest of the reaping when my friend Gemma nudges me.

"Shh, Gemma you'll get us in trouble" I whisper.

"But Mai, it's you" tears fill her eyes "You've been reaped."

Riddell Thicket POV

The girl makes her way up to the stage; she looks anxious but not exactly terrified. Jeez, I'd hate to be here right now.

"Right, now the boy. The male tribute is… Riddell Thicket."

Oh no… I duck down and start to crawl through the crowds, hearing lots of cries of "He's here" but I'm too quick for them. Then, two people lift me high in the air. It's Sorrell and Griffin.

"Here he is! Here's this year's victor" Griffin yells out sarcastically.

The two of them throw me out of the line and I turn to leave but peacekeepers block my way almost instantly. I gulp and walk up to the stage where Genevieve shakes her head at me sympathetically.

"Ladies and gentleman, Mai Moonheart and Riddell Thicket!"

Sorrell and Griffin laugh and point at me like it's all a game. Electra doesn't cry; she just looks at me in despair.

Mai Moonheart POV

The peacekeepers shove me into a room and I wait as calmly as I can for my family, knowing this calm will go the second they come in. Sure enough, Jack runs up to me and hugs me my whole body starts to shake to stop the tears flowing. I pick Jack up and hug him as hard as I can.

"Ow, Mai, you're hurting" he sniffs.

"Sorry" I put him down and turn to my mom.

She lets out a sob and I pull her towards me.

"Oh mom; please don't cry. I'll come back home; I'll win"

"aswaijafpleaseeofnhnegtrypdf isfpfnpa" my mom sobs gibberish and reluctantly picks up Jack and takes him out.

Then it's my dad's turn.

"Jeez, I'm sorry darling. I'm such a bad luck charm aren't I?" he chortles but still kind of sadly "I brought you something though."

He hands me a box and I start to lift the lid but he slams it shut.

"Open it on the train; not here. Not with the bozos watching" he whispers "You will make it out Mai; trust me on that."

As he leaves, I sit back on the chair and close my eyes, remembering any good memory I can, just to block the pain out.

Riddell Thicket POV

Only Electra turns up to see me; I thought my brothers wouldn't bother but surely my parents actually care.

"They're not coming" Electra breathes the words out quickly, so I almost miss them "Griffin and Sorrell are celebrating out there. They're just horrible; this is all so horrible."

"What about mom and dad?" I ask eagerly.

"Well, mom, fainted when she found out and dad's took her to the doctor. They send their love."

"Yeah sure. What about Azelia? And Cuff?"

"Sorrell and Griffin are in charge; they barely let me out. They said, and I quote, "They shouldn't see what a pathetic wreck their older brother is". But you're not a wreck and you're not pathetic. You could do well Riddell."

Her voice is getting shaky at this point so I decide to change tact, at least for her sake.

"Course I will. In fact, I'll- I'll win the whole games! I'll kill the Careers and-" I'm almost getting excited by my own stupid idea.

"No more stories Riddell; now it just hurts. It hurts too much, right here" she points to her heart and then straitens herself up, wiping her eyes and sniffing "But, I need to go now. By the way, I got you something to use as a tribute token."

She hands me a little fox. I recognise it; it was Finch's, all those years ago. Electra goes to leave.

"Goodbye Electra" I call but she doesn't turn, simply muttering "Hurts too much", before leaving.

Maybe leaving me for the last time.

Well hope you enjoyed that. I feel like it was a little uninteresting but I did think that last time on the district 5 reaping and people liked that so hopefully that'll happen again. I'll get the district 6 reaping up when I can.