District 12 Reaping

After a long week and a half, we're finally at the last reaping; thank god. Although I am looking forward to doing this reaping to tell you the truth. Just as a by the way this is the order the next few Capitol chapters will go in.

Meeting the Mentors

Chariot Parade

Training (Part 1)

Picking Your Allies

Training (Part 2)

Training Scores

Interviews (Part 1)

Interviews (Part 2)

Luckily because most of my work is done now, these chapters shouldn't take me as long. I'm hoping to get to the Bloodbath by New Year, so keep your finger crossed for me. Enjoy the Chapter and May the Odds be Ever in Your Favour!

Coal Hartcell POV

I run through the forest, trying to get out of sight as fast as possible. Once I'm sure, I look around.

"Lala? Lala!" I call and suddenly I'm met with the familiar growling.

Lala is a badger I found about six months ago; she's kind of a pet, only I have to sneak under the fence to see her. She doesn't seem happy that I'm late, growling more than usual.

"Sorry I'm late girl; but look what I've got for you" I pull some dried beef out of my pocket and she eats it in seconds "You got anything for me.

I've taught Lala to gather berries into a pile and usually she gets at a few. But today she just whimpers and curls up beside me; great. I'm starving. Since Salem took over, my mom works all the time; she barely gets to sleep let alone cook. The little money she gets pays for the rent and the bare minimum amount of food but usually it only covers one meal a day, so that means no breakfast. For the most part it's ok because I have Lala but when she doesn't bring me anything, it means I have to get tesserae or steal stuff, and that's kind of risky. I'm in there three times automatically, plus the times I've had to get tesserae comes to about… 12. Which isn't bad considering people in The Seam usually have their name in their around 30 times. I hate the Capitol; they're the ones who have forced my mother into this exhausted state. She'll work herself to death. I hate the games too, yet I wouldn't mind competing in them if it weren't for her and Lala. I'm not afraid of death; if anything, I'd see it as a way of this poverty.

DONG

Crap; it's nearly 10. I'm gonna be late. I get up quickly, disturbing Lala who growls angrily.

"Sorry Lala; I'll come back later ok?" I explain to her.

She lets out a whimper and I know she's somehow aware I might not come back.

Dandelion Wildflee POV

"Dani! Dani, can you hear me?" buzzes a voice through the intercom.

I stop playing my flute and rush over to it.

"What is it Roy?" I ask cheerfully.

"Ok, we need you go into tunnel V and remove the blockage. Now it's pretty heavy; are you gonna have any trouble? Should I send someone down there?" he replies.

"It's ok; I can do it."

I go over to the entrance and carefully crawl through. I hate tunnel V; it's the smallest tunnel in the mines and I'm the only one who can fit in there who can get the big boulders. I'm usually ok with small spaces but not tunnel V. The wind wails through it and spiders always find some way to get their webs around the entrance. Still, I don't mind doing it if it helps daddy. It's just me and him at home; we live in The Seam so things are pretty bad. Mama died when I was a baby and then my twin sister joined her a few months later. I don't like thinking about it, but I can't imagine what daddy would have to feel like if I was reaped and didn't come back. I don't like seeing him hurt; it makes me hurt too. Neither of us can lose the other, we just can't. It makes me scared of working in the mines, but the supervisor of tunnels S-V, Roy, is nice and makes sure I'm ok. I reach the blockage; it takes all my strength to move it but eventually I get back without a scratch on me.

"Did you get it?" Roy's voice buzzes hopefully.

"Got it!" I puff, as I drag the boulder a last inch.

"That's my girl!"

I say goodbye to Roy and carefully place my flute in its box. I really shouldn't bring it to the mines but it was my mom's and the music; it makes me feel like I'm in a dream and- somehow nothing scares me anymore. Not even the Hunger Games.

Coal Hartcell POV

I walk to the reaping alone; it's not as if I have a choice. I don't really have any real friends in district 12 but it doesn't make a difference to how I feel during the reaping; I'm still scared. You don't have to be friends with someone to care for them. The person picked could be a girl in my class or one of the street kids or even just someone younger than me. Oh jeez; Effie Trinket walks up to the stage, looking as shaky as any of us, and she's not the one getting reaped. She isn't even in Capitol fashion today; her hair is straight and blonde while her clothes- a white blouse and a long brown skirt- are baggy. She doesn't even look like an escort. It's probably because Katniss Everdeen has fallen into depression; rumour has it they were quite good friends at a time.

"Good morning district 12; lovely bright day isn't it?" she smiles half heartedly "This time; we start with the boys."

She grabs hold of the reaping bowl and pulls out a name. Then she puts on a pair of glasses to read the name.

"Coal Hartcell!"

Me? I- what's that noise? Is that growling? It can't be-

"Get this thing off of me!" screams a female peacekeeper.

"Lala no!" I shout, but to no avail.

BANG

Lala stops moving and falls to the ground, lifeless.

"You- you son of a bitch!" I yell, blinking away my tears "She was just an animal; she was harmless!"

"She was just a stupid animal; now get on the stage" snarls the peacekeeper who shot Lala, shoving me towards the stage.

I realise it's useless trying to do anything and do as I'm told. I have no control of anything in my life; none of us do. We're all just remote control toys the Capitol can play with until we don't work the way they want us to. Well I'm not accepting that; all I have left now is my mom. And you'd better believe I'm gonna fight to get back to her.

Dandelion Wildflee POV

I get to the reaping just in time and get my blood taken as Effie announces the male tribute. I look at him; he looks older than me but still not that old and his red hair sticks out among the pale auburn haired district 12 children. I'm scared; I don't want to die. District 12 rarely does well; last year the female was strong and came joint 5th with the district 11 girl. I may be able to throw some small boulders but what good is that when I'm against the Careers or even the other districts in general. The winner was from district 7 last year and there was a strong girl from district 8; I haven't got a chance. Please god, if your listening; don't do this to my family.

"Dandelion Wildflee!"

My body goes cold. I stay still for a few seconds and then I walk. Everywhere is quiet; no mumbling, no crying, not even bird chirping.

"I'm sorry daddy, I'm so sorry" I whisper to myself.

I reach the stage and close my eyes; I don't want to move, I don't want to speak; I just want to pray. Pray for a miracle.

Forgive me for the cheesy ending; I just wasn't sure what to do. Hopefully this reaping was at least at a decent level. Either tomorrow or Thursday I'll post our first Capitol chapter (well kind of; the first one will be on the train).