A/N: Hey guys I'm back with the rest of the Reapings. As I said before, I'm only going to do reapings up to District 8. Districts 9-12 will get train rides. Reapings get boring after a while and I want to include the train rides without having to put up like 3 extra chapters just focused on the train rides for every single District :/ Anyways here's the reapings for Districts 5-8 Enjoy :D
Chapter 2:
The Reapings (Districts 6-8)
"And I would run,
And I would sing,
And I would cross a stormy ocean,
If I could be with you
And I would run,
And I would crawl,
And I would walk a weary desert,
If I could be with you
And I could bring you in,
I'd be whole again,
I could scream out, I love you,
If I could fly"
If I could fly – Charity Chapman
District 5:
Silvia Heffernan's POV
It's another dreadful day in District 5, except today, is more dreadful than any other day. Today is reaping day, the worst day of the year. And, I'll be the first to say that the odds are not in my favor. I'm only 15 and my name is in that glass bowl 16 times, 4 times because I'm 15, and 12 times because I've signed up for a lot of tesserae over the last 4 years. There are thousands of 12 to 18 year old girls in 5, but considering I'm 15 and I have my name in more times than many of the 18-year-olds, I'd say the odds are really not in my favor.
My brother is 11, still not eligible for the reapings. With a bit of luck, he'll never get reaped. Hold on let me rephrase; with a lot of luck, he won't get reaped. We walk towards the town square, our parents are probably still having breakfast, they're always late for reapings. I quickly sign in and my brother heads towards the audience with his friends. I zone out completely, I just go into my own little world. When I zone back in, the escort is already heading to the girl's bowl.
"District 5's female tribute is… Silvia Heffernan" Well, what can I say? I myself said the odds weren't in my favor, and almost mockingly I've been reaped. Oh well, it was bound to happen sometime. I always knew I was going to get reaped; it was just a matter of time before I would.
The escort heads to the boy's bowl.
"And the District 5 male tribute is… Braydon Serre" A tall 17-year-old takes the stage. If this is the competition I'm up against then I doubt I'll make it past the bloodbath.
Braydon Serre's POV
"You may now shake hands"
I shake the girl's hand and head into the Justice Building. That girl, Silvia, she looks a bit scared of me. We'll see how things turn out in the arena. I may not want to kill. But I'll definitely do it when the time comes. As longs as I get back to 5, I'll kill anyone, even my District partner.
My mom barges in. She hugs me and wishes me luck. I tell her that I'll be back in no time. My girlfriend also enters. We hug and she also begs me to come home, I also assure her that I'll be back soon. She leaves and then a couple of my friends from school come in. The same, emotional, goodbyes happen, and then time's up. Everything happens in a blur, our escort the District 5 mentors escort us directly to the train station. In some other Districts they have to go by car, but, in District 5, the town square is quite close to the train station, so they make the tributes walk. Also for media purposes, so the Capitol can really get good shots of the District 5 tributes before entering the train. I think back to last year. Last year was dreadful. We were the second District to loose both of their tributes. The girl died during the bloodbath and the boy died during the evening of Day 2. Hopefully one of us will make it far this year, probably me. I'm not so sure of myself, but I have a bigger chance than Silvia. The best thing to do is to try and eliminate most of the weaker ones during the bloodbath without getting into a fight with the careers.
District 6:
Mai Kilson's POV
Reaping Day. No one ever talks on reaping day, it's all just small talk. I head to the town square with my brother, he's 16 now. Just like me. We haven't signed up for any tesserae this year, but we did a few years back. I'm not sure of the exact numbers, but I'd say I have about 10 to 18 slips. The chances of me not getting reaped are still quite large, but you never know.
My brother and I sign in, he heads off to the boys section and I quickly run to my friends at the 16-year-old rows. We talk a little, but not a lot, it's reaping day after all, no one is joyful. The mayor takes the stage, he begins his long boring speech which I really don't want to hear again. Before the mayor can even finish the last sentence of the speech, the escort comes running onto the stage.
"Welcome District 6 to the 72nd Annual Hunger Games!" She's probably really excited because we had a victor last year and she got her hopes up of having another one soon. Last year was an exception. The girl got quite lucky. But she had trained, not for long, but for 3 years. She volunteered for her friend. Apparently she was never planning on going into the games.
"As you might remember, we have a new victor! Please welcome the victor of the 71st Annual Hunger Games, Elle!" The 17-year-old girl runs up to the stage and makes a weak attempt at a smile. She sits beside the other District 6 mentor, Titus. No, not the Titus that went insane and resorted to cannibalism, another Titus. They only let sane victors mentor.
The escort digs her hand in the girl's bowl and pulls out a thin paper slip. "And this year's female tribute is… Mai Kilson" My heart sinks. Me? Out of the thousands of girls? Me? Well it had to be someone, I guess I was that someone. I walk up to the stage and look at the crowd, they all pity me, of course they do. I'm being sent off to my death.
"Our male tribute this year is… Evan Stein" I know him! He comes over to our house sometimes. My parents and his parents are very good friends, what a shame, he's only 13.
Evan Stein's POV
The reality of it all doesn't hit me. I just walk up to the stage normally. I'm nervous, but not as nervous as you'd expect. As I said before, the reality of it all hasn't hit me yet. This can either be good or bad. It can make me look really confident in front on the cameras for the time being, but when the actual reality of it all hits me, I'll have a massive breakdown.
"District 6's tributes! Mai Kilson and Evan Stein!" Mai… I know the girl. I always would come over to her house, who would've thought that we'd end up killing each other someday.
We're escorted inside the Justice Building and into two private rooms for visitors. My parents are the first ones there. Boom. The reality hits me just then, when my parents walked into the room. I just fall to the floor and start crying, a lot. It doesn't help that my parents cry with me. Time's up and I'm escorted out of the justice building and to the train station. I don't think there's a very big chance for District 6 this year. We at least had a victor last year. As for the male tribute last year, well, he had a pretty terrible death, courtesy of the Gamemakers.
Elle's POV (Special POV just because she won last year)
I can't do this. I'm not ready to mentor these kids. I'm going to need a lot of Titus's help. Just one year ago, I was the one being escorted to the train, fearing for my life. Who would've known that I was going to make it out alive, huh? At least I had trained a little. Even if it was only three short years, I trained. Of course I never planned on volunteering. I never asked for this. But when Alysha got reaped, I just couldn't sit back and watch her die. I just can't imagine seeing her in the same arena I was in last year. At least I already knew how to handle most weapons and a few survival skills. These kids don't have the preparation I had. If I already had major difficulties trying to win, imagine these guys. A 13-year-old in the arena? In 71 years there's never been a single victor that was younger than 14. That's including career Districts. I have no idea how I'm going to deal with all of this.
District 7:
Abigail Gould's POV
Once again, it's the time of the year, where to children are going to be sent off to die bloody and terrible deaths. What a joyful day right? My brother Nathan and I walk to the town square together. We're not twins, but we we've only got 1 year difference. He's 17 and I'm 16. Last year was pretty dreadful. I didn't really care about the boy dying, he wasn't very liked by the District. He's eyes were always set on the prize. But the girl, I knew her, quite well actually. We were good friends. I did think she could win. She tried pulling off the Johanna Mason strategy. But once the others discovered she wasn't a weak little girl, things didn't go as smoothly anymore, and she was killed by the 9 girl.
We both sign in and head to our sections. I see a few friends and I go stand beside them. The mayor begins his long, boring and useless speech. No one ever listens to this, why does he have to repeat it every year? Once he's done, the escort slowly takes the stage. By the look on her face, she's not happy. I heard last year's escort was promoted to a richer District.
"Welcome District 7, as most of you have realized, I'm new to District 7. I used to escort District 2, but I've been… moved to 7" That explains it.
"Lets begin with the girls. Our female tribute this year is… Abigail Gould!" It takes me a while to understand the name that's been read. I repeat it in my head a few times, until it hits me. I've just been reaped. I'm being sent to my death. I slowly take the stage and immediately look over at Nathan. He's horrified, but at the same time he looks determined. Weird. When the escort digs her hand in the boy's bowl, I realize what Nathan's going to do. I want to scream at him and stop him, but his hand shoots up instantly.
"I volunteer as tribute" That idiot. Why? He knows that even if he tries to help me, we don't have a chance in the games. What is he doing?
Nathan Gould's POV
2 years ago, a boy from District 4 volunteered to help his sister, that had just been reaped in the games. The girl ended up winning. I always promised myself that if Abi would ever get reaped, I would volunteer. I never told her about it, I knew that she'd do everything she could to change my mind. So I kept it a secret, until now. I slowly walk up to the stage.
"And what's your name dear?"
"Nathan Gould"
"Nathan Gould? I'm guessing that was your sister, wasn't it?"
"Yes…" I look at the audience. I can't bare looking at mother. She's probably crushed. Imagine having all of your kids being sent off to die. Even if one of us makes it out alive, one of us will still have to die. Either way, my mom's already lost a child.
Once in the Justice Building, we're allowed to share the same room since we come from the same family. Before anyone can even come and visit us, Abi is already screaming at me.
"Why would you do that! Odds are we're both going to die now!"
"Abi! I'm doing this for you! Now at least one of us has a bigger chance of going home!" Just then, mother comes in. She doesn't say anything, just runs over to Abi and hugs her. Then she walks over to me, and hugs me.
"You shouldn't have done that, Abi would've been fine on her own." Whispers mother in my ear.
"I know, but now she's got a bigger chance of coming back now, trust me mom, one of us will be back."
"Time's up!" says the Peacekeeper, as he escorts mother out of the room. We're then lead to our mentors and escorted to the car that drives us to the train station. Definitely wasn't expecting the reaping to go down like it did today.
District 8:
Lillian Conner's POV
I wake up early today. It's Reaping Day, and I hate facing my family on this day, it just makes everything more dramatic, which I don't want. I quickly eat breakfast and leave the house. There's not much to do on Reaping Day. I think back on last year. I remember the girl really well. Mara. I didn't really know her that well. I talked to her a few times during school and we'd done a project together once. Her death was quite sad. I really hoped she'd win. She was such a nice girl too. It was that brat from 4's fault. She ended up dying as well, but she took another life with her. The boy, he was a bit stubborn, but he also had a horrible death. He didn't make it as far as Mara. I'm so lost in my own thoughts that I barely realize the gong siren going off telling me to head to the town square to sign in.
Once there, I sign in and the mayor begins the speech. I obviously don't listen to a word he says. Who does anyways? It's the same exact thing every year. I stopped listening when I was 13. Plus it's all lies anyways. The mayor finishes and signs for the escort to come on stage. She slowly walks over to the microphone. She's probably sick and tired of this District that hasn't had any victors for the last 14 years.
"Welcome District 8. Lets hope that we have a good year." She doesn't wait for a response; she directly heads to the girl's bowl.
"Our female tribute this year is… Lillian Conner" My heart sinks. Me? Seriously? I slowly walk out of the crowd and towards the stage, every step I take forward is a step closer to my death. The escort's already headed to the boy's bowl before I can even get to the stage. "And our male tribute is… Nillick Blessy"
"I volunteer as tribute!" A volunteer. Seriously? A huge 18-year-old heads to the stage. I'm going to die, there's no way I can beat him. And I haven't even seen the careers yet!
Hunter Lever's POV
"I volunteer as tribute!" I scream. District 8 needs a victor, and they need one soon. I've always felt out of place in this District. I'm not at all like the citizens of 8. The games have always fascinated me, while most citizens here hate them. I'm more of the career type I guess. Ever since I watched the games for the first time, I've always wanted to be in them. That's why I trained ever since I decided I would volunteer. Now I've been training for 8 years. I'm totally prepared for this. Finally, District 8 will have a victor!
"A volunteer! Incredible! Yes, well, District 8 hasn't had a volunteer for 25 years!" Why is it such a big deal that I volunteered? If I was in a career District the escort wouldn't make such a fuss about all this. I've always wanted to be from one of the career Districts, having the privilege of training in an actual Training Center would be amazing. I had to train in my basement!
"And what's you name?"
"I'm Hunter Lever, and I'm going to bring pride to District 8!"
We shake hands and we go into the Justice building. I'm probably not going to have any visitors. My parents are dead, I have no siblings, and my uncle, who I'm living with, hates me. I'm lucky he hasn't kicked me out of his house yet. But once I become a victor, I'll have a house of my own and I can live as I please. As I predicted, I have no visitors. Not that I care. Right now, close attachments are simply a burden. You get over emotional and show your weakness in front of the cameras.
"Time's up." The peacekeeper comes barging into the room. He's quite surprised that I'm sitting alone there. I stand up, and I'm escorted to the car.
A/N: Whoop Whoop! We're done with the Reapings. Yes I know there's still Districts 9-12. But as I said before, instead of doing reapings for them, I'm going to do train rides :D Thanks for reading!
-DivineArrow
