Amber Stalk

Amber looked back at her parents from he spot near the back of the crowd. They both look worried. She could understand why. Both of them had been Reaped at a young age, but someone volunteered in their place. They were hoping that luck was passed on to Amber, so if she happened to be Reaped, she'd still be safe.

Mayor Veston rambled through his usual speech before announcing Graylia, the District Escort. She was eager to get start, so without making her own little speech, she nearly ran right to the girls' reaping ball. She pulled put the first name and rushed back to the podium.

"Our first tribute is… Amber Stalk." Amber couldn't move. She'd been reaped. Her family truly was cursed when it came to the games. She hoped that someone, anyone, would step forward for her like they did for her parents.

But no one came.

Giana Thegron

Giana wasn't watching the Reaping, and she was trying her hardest to tune it out. It was the only way she could make it through, was to not pay attention. She didn't recognize the last name called, which she took as a good thing. None of her friends were going to the Capitol, yet. There were still seven names to be called. Giana thought of Ben, and Silvia. Her best friends, both with large amounts of tesserae, like her. Ben would be standing here with her if they didn't separate the boys from girls. She wanted his company more than ever. This was a tough Reaping, and she…

"Giana Thegron." She was going to the Capitol.

Sloan Nyval

Sloan jumped each time a name was called. She couldn't help it. After years of hoping she wasn't Reaped and years of anxiety, it just became her normal reaction. In her head, she heard her name called each and every time. Sloan actually had to look up and scan the crowd for the tribute to reassure herself that she was still safe. It was horrible. Sloan felt like she was slowly going insane. Luckily, this was her last Reaping, and next year she would be able to stand safely on the outskirts of the crowd with her parents and older sister. They'd all be safe.

"Sloan Nyval." There it was. Sloan looked up to see who had actually been reaped. Usually there was crying coming from a certain group, or a parting in the crowd. Sometimes the peacekeepers had to go over and take them. But there was not movement this time. It wasn't until the Peacekeepers made their way into her group that Sloan realized she had been Reaped, and she started to cry.

Aleah Marcus

Aleah wouldn't get picked. She wouldn't. She was young enough to have her name in there less than most people. She wished she was able to wait out her time in the square with her friends, but Ash was stuck with the guys and Gretta was in another age group. Aleah tried looking back for her brother, but even though she was taller, she couldn't make him out in the crowd.

"And now, our final tribute for the girls." Aleah watched as Graylia pulled the last name from the girls' ball. She looked around at the hundreds of girls in the crowd, and Aleah felt safe.

"Miss Aleah Marcus." Well that feeling was short-lived. As Aleah shakingly stepped from her group, she knew she had to look strong for the cameras. But as she heard her brother screaming as she passed his section, she almost lost it. She'd see him in a few minutes, so it was fine to ignore Rowan in this moment.

Jones Relling

Jones kept looking at the Reaping ball. Twenty-four of those slips had his name on them. Easy to say the odds were not in his favor. He was the only one in his family able to take out tesserae. Kira was only eleven, and Jack had just turned nine. With his father unable to work, Jones had had to quit school and start taking out tesserae to keep his family alive. He went to work with his mother in the fields, harvesting grain.

Now, the Reaping was setting him back a day's pay, so he'd have to take an extra shift to make up for it. He hated how much he had to work, but until Kira and Jack were old enough to work, it was all on him,

Graylia walked over to the boys' reaping ball, and pulled the first name right from the top of the pile. Back at the podium, she announced it in her high-pitched voice.

"Jones Relling."

Galvin Colt

Galvin watched as the boy stepped from the fifteen-year-old group. One down, three names to go. This was his last reaping. His brother was nineteen now, and his sister was twenty-one, so they knew what he was going through. The mix of elation and terror. Knowing that this would be the last time he'd be a part of the reaping, and that he was almost safe, but knowing that this year he was more likely than ever before to be picked. He was just waiting it out like he did every year.

Graylia ushered the kid named Jones to his spot with the girls, and walked across the stage, again, to the ball. This time, she dug deep. Galvin noticed she had brought the microphone with her. She must want the reaping over with so she could head home to the Capitol.

"Next up. Mister Galvin Colt." Galvin back to the ground, hoping that today was a dream.

Bren Wrane

Bren could admit it. He was afraid. Afraid of the Reaping. Of the Capitol. Of the Games. It was something he'd grown up with, but being in the Reapings for five years took a toll on him. He was jumpy, and his parents said he'd developed an anxiety problem.

Bren watched Graylia pull the third…and fourth name from the ball. She'd accidentally grabbed two at once. She walked back to the podium this time and opened the first one with a flourish.

"Our third tribute is… Damien Greyson." Bren turned on the spot. Everyone knew Damien. He was the District thief. He'd been turned in by his gang for the reward, and in exchange for his life, his name had been put into the Reaping an extra one hundred times. Bren watched him take the stage. No one was sad to see him go, except maybe his family.

Damien Greyson

So close! I was so close! Thought Damien. He climbed the stairs to take his place on stage, and when he turned to face the crowd, he saw thousand of hardened faces staring back at him. He was used to those looks of hatred. Ever since he was turned in and exposed as the thief that had ravaged Nine, he'd lost everyone that ever cared about him. Only his family was left, and he'd do anything to remove the horrible name his reputation had given them. That's why when his mom made the deal with the Peacekeepers of Nine, he was glad. He knew that with his odds, and the quell coming up, there was hardly a chance he'd go free. If he won, he could redeem himself to Nine and win back what he'd taken from them. He was willing to accept this as his punishment.

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