THE DISTRICT 4 REAPINGS

DELPHINIUM AGATHA AND NATALIA "NATTY" DREW

DELPHINIUM'S POV

Family are the people who look after you, right? And friends as well, you'd expect that too, right? Wrong, my family is a mess, I don't have friends. I don't trust, I don't know the meaning of trust, because it never applies.

I sat on the edge of the pier, looking into the water. The moon reflected on the water and gave a silvery glaze. I liked this place, it was quiet, it was peaceful, I could be alone. I lowered my fishing pole into the water, the fish flittered around around the pole avoiding it cautiously. Then I realised that I wouldn't get many fish today, I packed up and walked home silently, the calm of the night was my solace.

I entered the back door just before dawn, the dawn of a day, where if I left the district, I would probably not return.

NATTY's POV

I stroked the dark wood, and strummed my way down the strings. I raised the bow, held it between my fingers, held it to the strings, and started to play. The music might portray sadness or happiness, but to me it portrayed hope. Hope that everything would be okay, but nothing is ever certain.

"If you are trying to re-create the sound of the whale that father ran over with his boat, then it sounds perfect" my younger brother, Luke said smugly.

I ignored him and continued to play, and then I heard the cries of my mother, 'Don't kill her, stop'. I looked at Luke. Not again, I thought. We ran to her room, she was tossing and turning. She was pulling at her hair and kicking. I struggled to hold her down, while Luke put a small, white and blue pill into her mouth. She settled down and went back into a peaceful, deep sleep.

DELPHINIUM'S POV

"Where were you?" my younger sister, Edel said provokingly "its reaping day today, and you've got to look your best, which will be hard"

I ignored her; she was sitting next to her twin, Weiss, who was always the calm one. He never took sides, but heard out both. He was insanely mature for a twelve year old, whilst Edel was insanely immature.

"Where's Daphne?" I asked

"She is in her room" Edel said "And she doesn't need people like you disturbing her"

I ignored her again, and pulled out the few fish I had caught, and Weiss' eyes lit up.

"Are, Are they fish from lake?" he asked eagerly, he had this weird obsession with fish from the lake.

"Yes" I said "But, they are for dinner, as a celebration"

"Oh" he said, disappointed

"For what?" asked Edel.

"To be grateful that no-one get's reaped from our family"

"But, we are all signed up for the terrasse, you can't be sure. One of us might be picked"

Edel's words hit me hard, I hadn't considered that. I mean it was Daphne's last, Edel and Weiss' first, then there was me. It was my fourth, and I had signed up for the terrasse so many times that it was more times than all my family together. It might be me.

NATTY'S POV

I said goodbye to Luke, I couldn't bear losing him. My mother was sitting at the back of a stage out the front of the Justice building but I couldn't see my father. Maybe his fishing trip had been postponed. But, I really wanted him here.

The orange haired escort stood up and went to two large bowls; they both had fish engraved intricately.

"Alfette would like to welcome all members of district two to the annual reapings. Alfette would like to congratulate all previous victors and wishes luck to this year's tribute" she said

Her habit of talking in third person was, to say the least, irritating. And what was with her hair?

"Alfette thinks that we should have a slight change in ritual, do you agree? Today we will choose the males first"

She drove her hand in and started 'fishing' around for the name. Then she slowly unfolded one.

"Weiss Agatha" she said

I was relieved, Luke hadn't been chosen. Behind me I saw a girl, probably Luke's age screaming and crying, whilst an older version of her held her back.

Alfette spoke again "Alfette congratulates Mr Agatha on the honour of representing..."

A boy, with longish black hair walked sternly to the stage, where the other boy was trembling.

"I volunteer!" He said

"Umm, well ah, Alfette thinks it may be acceptable for you to volunteer" she trembled

DELPHINIUMS POV

"W, What is your name?" Alfette asked

"Delphinium Agatha" I replied

"Alfhette congratulates you" Alfette said looking away "And now Alfette is going to draw the female tribute for district two"

She seemed to have lost her confidence, she quickly found a slip. Not wanting the ceremony to go on any longer than it had to.

"Natalia Drew" she said

A girl with startling turquoise eyes that I could see from here, tanned skin, and long black hair. She walked up slowly emitting a small amount of confidence. I heard from the sidelines where all the previous victors were sitting, Ciara, isn't that your daughter?, If she's the daughter of a victor then I do believe the odds are in her favour. I was competing against someone with the victor advantage.

"It's Natty" Natalia said

"Alfette asks everyone to congratulate in the district, on their two tributes" she said holding up both of our arms "Shake hands"

NATTY'S POV

As I was going to shake his hand, I flinched. I hope he didn't notice, but he had red eyes the colour of blood. His seemingly normal face had one long scar, snaking across his left cheek. It stuck out, I tried not to look at him, but I couldn't look in his eyes. I stared at the ground, I didn't want to seem rude, but those eyes.

As we walked off, I realised what I was doing. I was a tribute, all the training I had done never prepared me for this, the realisation that I was going to be a killer, that people might kill me. I remember what my mother had told me, Tributes are backstabbers, sometimes literally. Don't trust anyone.

Surely in a second I'd wake up in my nice warm bed and then get ready to go to the reaping. Right?

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