As promised, here are the first reapings!

Helendous Ravine (18) District 1

"Henlendous hurry up! You don't want to be late to the reaping now do you?" My sister Samantha calls through my door.

Reaping day already? I get up quickly and run towards my dresser drawers in order to pull out the outfit I had already decided upon, a nice white dress shirt and black slacks. There is also a black bowtie and black shoes to finish off the outfit. I run towards the bathroom to get washed up and dressed. I lift my hands to wash my face. The stub that would have been my left hand most people thought this would have been a difficult task, but if you are born with something, you get used to it. My grey eyes fall upon it, and then look up into the mirror, wondering what people saw in me. Oh well, it never mattered to me what people saw, they were just stupid and judged people anyway. I finished washing up and got dressed. When I was all dressed and ready, I walked downstairs to find my family all sitting around the table eating breakfast.

"You are so slow!" Samantha says in a mocking voice.

"Shut up you little…" I start to say, but my mom cuts me off.

"Helendous, watch your mouth! Now sit down and eat your breakfast!"

"Sorry…" I mumbled and sat down.

During this whole commotion, my father was just quietly eating his breakfast while my brother Tomas was just watching us like we were his entertainment for the morning. I scarfed down my food and got up from the table and stormed out of the house towards the square. I still was not happy with Samantha, but it wouldn't matter soon anyway.

I was late getting to the square, but I had only missed the stupid opening sequence thing. I don't know, I ignore it every year. There are a lot more people eligible for the reaping this year. The entire square is crowded with kids from 12 all the way up to 18. I have to shove the people in front of me out of the way to get to my age group. I look behind me and see my entire family run up to the back of the crowd. They don't know what I am planning, since I had promised them, but I can't do it anymore. In District 1 though, what I am about to do is an honor. I don't even feel any regret for lying to my family.

"Now, let us begin with the reaping!" the person on stage calls out "Since last year we started with the ladies, this year we will start with the gentlemen!"

She reaches into a big bowl and pulls out the first name.

"The first tribute is Ham…" she starts, but I cut her off.

"I volunteer as tribute!" I shout out above the crowd.

Sheila Swiston (16) District 1

I heard the annoying birds start chirping outside my window and woke up. Ugh, why do the birds have to be so loud, they need to have an off switch I swear. I see my calendar hanging on my bedroom wall, there is one day in particular that is circled red. I walk over to it and check to see what day it is, and I get excited. It is reaping day, the day I have been waiting for all year. I run over to my desk where I laid out my clothes for the reaping. A dark red dress with matching red shoes, just like the color of blood. I flip back my long brown hair and start to pull it into the traditional pigtails I wear. I walk over to my mirror and take a good look at myself. The red compliments my honey brown skin and hazel eyes. I took my shower the night before to make sure that I was ready for the reaping. I do a quick twirl and look around my room. The walls are red, and so is the carpet and furniture, just like blood. I walk out into the hallway and down to the dining room. My father, my mother, and my little sister Chayonna were all there already. My father looks up at me as I walk in.

"Are you ready for this Sheila?" he asks as I sit down.

"As ready as I will ever be, I am so excited for the reaping!" I reply, and then I turn to my mother "Get me some food, now!"

She just looks at me and sighs. A moment later, she gets up and heads towards the kitchen to make me something. Chayonna looks up at me and smiles. My mother soon walks in and places my plate in front of me. I start eating while ,my father starts going on about strategies I should use in the arena. For now that I am 16, it is required the children in my family to volunteer at that age. I am confident in my abilities, I know I will win the games.

I walk out towards the square with the rest of my family. Chay runs up beside me.

"Please tell me that mom and dad aren't making you say goodbye to Hammick," she says.

"Thank god no! That would be my worst nightmare! I probably would avoid him just to spite mother and father if they made me do that!" I reply with a laugh.

She smiles at me and we made it to the square, just in time for the reaping to begin.

The opening is played, I just want it to be over quickly to get the actual reaping portion of the day. The woman on the stage says something about the guys and pulls the first name. I know what name she was starting to say, and I was thinking oh god please no. Soon though, I hear someone volunteer. He walks up on stage. He says his name is Helendous Ravine, I know who he is, but whatever, time for the girls.

"The tribute for the girls is Ka…" she starts, but I do the rude thing and but in.

"I volunteer as tribute!" I yell.

I run up through the crowd onto the stage. The woman is surprised to see me up there so quickly.

"And what would your name be?" she asks.

"Sheila Swiston," I casually reply.

"Alright everyone, here are our tributes for District 1!"

Helendous Ravine (18) District 1

Sheila and I are led into two separate rooms. When I walk in, I am told to wait here. I stand there for what feels like forever, waiting, but I know what's coming. I knew I would have to face my family before I left for the Capitol. They walk in, and we just stare for a few minutes. I turn away and scowl at them. Quietly, my mother walks over to me and hugs me, she then whispers something so that only I could hear.

"Make us proud my little fighter…" she says as she lets go.

I smile at them, and then they are led out of the room. Whatever, I could care less, I will win these games and prove that they had always been wrong about me. They always say no, you can't do this, you can't do that, just because of my hand. I'll show them, I'll show them all.

Sheila Swiston (16) District 1

After about 10 minutes of waiting, my family walks in. My father is smiling at me, but that smile quickly turns into to a harsh face.

"You have to win the games for us Sheila! You hear me!" he shouts at me.

"You have nothing to worry about," I reply as my mother walks up to me.

"Please don't die," she whispers.

"I won't" I say with a laugh. I look over and see Chay crying.

I walk over to her and give her a hug. Just then, Chay hands me something, a beautiful pendant that opens up into a locket with a picture of the two of us together when we were little. Soon though, they are led away, and I thought I would be led to the train, but soon my "boyfriend" Hammick Lazrus walks in. I start shouting terrible things at him and I jump onto him and start pounding on him, and the peacekeepers just sit there doing nothing. Soon time is up and Hammick is taken away on a stretcher. I feel better now that I have given him what he deserved, oh well, time to board the train.