District Four:
Marina Ebony
I wake up, and stretch out my body. Stepping into my closet, I find my light blue silk dress with a teal belt and flats. After I put everything on, I fix my curly brown hair, apply some light makeup, and walk downstairs to where the rest of my family is waiting. My mom is finishing up breakfast as my dad and sister, Michelle, sit at the table. I join them, as we chow down on scrambled eggs and bacon.
Reaping day is actually a fun day for me, every year. I get to dress up, eat a nice breakfast, and there's no chance of being reaped. There's been two volunteers every year in District Four for the past twenty-four consecutive years. And since I'm not planning on volunteering, someone else will go into the Games. This is also my last year of eligibility for the Games. Pretty soon, any slight misgivings I have about being reaped will be gone.
Sheldon Thompson
I head to the reapings with my father, the only family member I have ever known. However, he's enough for me. He's had to raise me single-handed since I was two, which is when my mom left my dad. I never knew her. He's also been an excellent trainer. In fact, thanks to his support, I plan to volunteer for the Games today. I also plan to win.
We arrive, and I find my way to the eighteen-year-old boys' section. District Four's escort has already stepped onstage. Her name is Sunny Clearwater, and she's dressed herself to match the district. Her blonde hair has been highlighted with blue and green streaks, and she wears an aquamarine, seashell-encrusted dress. Her nails, or rather talons, also have seashells attached to them. Overall, I think it looks quite repulsive.
Marina Ebony
Sunny welcomes us (which is quite ironic, considering that we're the ones who actually live here) and shows us the mandatory video. Finally, it's time for her to draw the name.
"Marina Ebony."
That's no problem. Someone will volunteer, just like they do every year. However, the seconds tick by, and no one volunteers. What's going on? Usually there's girls ripping out each other's hair to volunteer. I begin to make my way to the stage, panic starting to form. Maybe the volunteer was scared by the zombies in last year's Hunger Games. Or maybe, they've reconsidered their decision to volunteer. Good for them, but not for me. I've had some training, but not certainly enough for the Hunger Games. When Sunny reaches into the second bowl, I know it's final; I will be going into the Hunger Games.
"Shaun Reed."
"I volunteer as tribute!"
A tall eighteen-year-old walks up to the stage. He's got brown hair and eyes, and judging by the muscles bulging out of his arms, he's been training his whole life. Sunny asks him his name. "Sheldon Thomson," he says simply. We shake hands, and are then carted off to the Justice Building.
My family visits me first. "Oh my gosh," my mom says. "You're the unluckiest person in District Four, my mom says. The one year you're reaped happens to be the one year no one volunteers."
"I know," I say. "But I've got a plan."
"What's your plan?" my dad asks.
"I'm going to pretend I was going to volunteer in the first place, but 'ironically,' I just happened to get reaped."
"Brilliant," my dad says. "You did do some training when you were younger, so as long as everyone believes your story, you'll be in the career pack, no problem."
"Yes," I say. "I look at my sister Michelle, who's sitting right next to me. "You're awful quiet, Shelly," I say. "Are you okay?"
"I guess so," she says. "I just really want you to come back home."
"Don't worry," I say. "I'll try my best to come back home. I love you."
"Love you too," she says, reaching around my neck to give me a hug."
Five minutes later, my family is asked to leave. "I love you," I say to all of them as the door slams shut. As I wait for my next visitor, I realize that Michelle left something on the couch. I recognize it at once; it's her favorite seashell out of her seashell collection. Well, whether she left it intentionally or unintentionally, this seashell will be my district token.
My three best friends in the whole entire world come in next. Their names are Janie, Rose, and Tessa, and besides my family, I spend more time with them than anyone. We kind of just hug and chat the whole time. My district partner, Sheldon, comes up a lot. Tessa and Rose think he's pretty good-looking, but I don't see it. When the Peacekeepers reappear in the room, my heart drops. My friends wish me good luck, and then leave. Since I'm pretty certain those were my last visitors, I just sit and wait for my escort to take me to the train.
Sheldon Thomson
My dad walks into the room first. I don't really see the need to have him say goodbye when we already knew I was going to volunteer, but he sees this as an opportunity to drill some last-minute advice into me. He says now's the best time for advice because volunteering got me 'In the zone.' At last, he leaves.
My dad turns out to be my only visitor. It doesn't surprise me. He homeschooled and trained me on his own, so I haven't had much interactions with the youth of District Four. I occupy myself by playing with my district token. It's a wooden ball; the only thing I have that I know belonged to my mother.
District Five:
Eridan Keating
"Eri, wake up! Time to get ready for the reapings!" I jump out of my broken bed, and head to what's left of our kitchen. Orisha is already making breakfast. "Toast and jam today," she says.
"Awesome," I reply, and stoop down to kiss her on the cheek. I'm thankful for Orisha. She keeps my spirits high, and keeps me going through this tough life. A few minutes later, Altair and Claudio, fellow orphans, walk in. We all sit down, and Orisha serves us our toast. As we eat, the pressure of the reapings silencing us, I realize how thankful I am for these three people.
A few years ago, I lived with my mom and dad. However, my parents argued a lot. At last, it became too much for me. They argued so much that I didn't feel loved. I left and didn't come back. Instead, I found an abandoned house in the woods near the district boundary. However, upon entering, I discovered that it was already occupied. Claudio, Altair, and Altair's sister Orisha had been living here, as orphans. They took me in, and I've been living in this house ever since. About two years ago, we figured out how to illegally connect to the power net, so we don't pay bills. We don't have running water, so whenever I start to smell a bit, (about once or twice a week) I'll go over to my friend Linus's house. He's pretty rich, and always willing to help if any of us are in need. A few months ago, Orisha and I started dating, and I've never been happier. I've also gotten a busking job at the district mall. Since I don't go to school, I work there every day, earning paychecks for my friends and I; my real family.
"We should probably head to the reaping soon," Orisha says. Since we live so far away from the town square, we have to spend nearly the whole morning walking there. I head back to my room, and throw on my reaping clothes. They're old and dirty, but the nicest clothes I've got. Right before leaving, I take one last look at my guitar, sitting by my bed. It's the most valuable thing I own, and not just because of the price. See, the four of us orphans are musicians. I play the guitar, Altair plays the bass, Claudio plays the drums, and Orisha sings. I love making music. It takes my mind off of things.
Tadalynn Shipka
I walk to the town square with my mom, stepfather, and stepbrother, Hal. I'm very relieved because this is my last year of reaping eligibility. If I can make it through this reaping, I'll be golden. I'll never have to worry about being reaped ever again. When we reach the square, I say goodbye to the three people I only actually care about in life, since I don't know my biological father. My mother and stepfather head off to spectate, and my stepbrother makes his way over to the fifteen-year-old boy section. I stand by myself in the eighteen-year-old girl section, waiting for the ceremony to begin.
Finally, our escort, Ullom Shellycoat, walks onstage. She's a very skinny six foot two lady, always dressed in ridiculous clothing. Today, her hair is blood-red, her eyes are purple, and her two inch long nails are covered in polka dots. I don't even want to get into what she's wearing. She gives the mandatory welcome speech, shows us the video, blah blah blah. Finally, it's time to pick the female tribute. Ullom reaches her hand into the bowl, and plucks a single piece of paper out. She unravels it slowly, as if to create suspense on purpose.
"Tadalynn Shipka."
Crap.
Eridan Keating
I breathe a sigh of relief. Orisha wasn't reaped. Instead, a fairly pretty, blond girl walks up to the stage, dressed in a black loose-hanging, fitted dress. She looks kind of tough. There's a chance that she could make it far. Ullom walks over to the male bowl, and picks out another name.
"Eridan Keating."
As I walk up to the stage, I feel like a prisoner on the way to his hanging. How could this happen? How could I be reaped? I don't deserve this. As I step onto the stage, the only shred of optimism left in my body tells me to be glad that none of my friends were reaped. That would be a nightmare if Orisha and I were both reaped. I couldn't bear to see her get hurt. I look out into the crowd once I plant myself on the stage. One face stands out above all the others. It's Orisha; tears flowing down her beautiful face.
Twenty minutes later, I'm in the Justice Building, awaiting my visitors. My first visitors are kind of a surprise; they're my parents. I immediately frown at them. "What are you doing here?" I ask. "Come to argue again?"
They look hurt, but I don't care. Finally, my mom speaks up. "We didn't know where you were. You could have been dead. So when you were reaped..."
"Let me guess," I interrupt. "You're happy I was reaped. Because now you know that I'm still alive. And, if I end up winning, I'll be in Victor's Village, so you'll know exactly where I am."
My parents both look like they're struggling to make words. I take a deep breath. "Just go," I say. "Please go home." Surprisingly, they both get up. However, before leaving, my mom plants a kiss on my forehead. When they shut the door, I'm kind of happy. They never loved me when I was a child, so why did they even come?
Linus is my next visitor. He helps raise my plummeting spirits. He tells me he'll help my friends if they need anything, and also points out how great it would be if I won. "You'll have a house in Victor's Village and everything! You and your friends will never go hungry again!"
Claudio and Altair walk in next. They look tired and out of breath."Where's Orisha?" I ask. "And why are you so out of breath?"
"Orisha's coming in next," Altair pants. "She wanted to see you alone. And we're all out of breath because we ran all the way home to get this." He holds up my guitar pick. "Want to use it as your district token?"
"Of course I do! Thanks so much!" My friends and I talk about a lot before they leave; the Games, how we're going to miss each other, what my strategy should be. Finally, a few minutes after Altair and Claudio have left, Orisha comes in. I'm glad to see she's stopped crying. "Are you okay?" I ask as she runs into my arms.
She smiles just a little. "You're going into the Games and you're asking me if I'm okay? I guess that's why I like you so much."
We try to make the best out of the next twenty minutes or so. We hug, talk, and kiss a little too. When the Peacekeepers come back in to take Orisha away, she starts to tear up a little. "Don't worry," I say. "I'll come back. We'll have a better life, in Victor's Village."
"I don't care about Victor's Village," she says. "All I care about is you."
Tadalynn Shipka
When the Justice Building door finally opens, my family comes in. My mom gives me a hug as my stepfather and stepbrother, Hal, sit on the neighboring couch. "I'm so sorry this happened to you," my mom says. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine, Mom," I say. I can't let her know I'm secretly scared. "I'm going to be okay. Remember when I was fourteen, and made that bike that could create electricity? I bet no one else knows how to do that."
Since a young age, I've always been interested in electricity. I spend most of my spare time fiddling around with old parts, trying to make them work. Four years ago, I found a way to power my family's house by peddling a bike and storing energy in old batteries. Hal and I love exercising to get rid of stress, so it's also been a way to stay active, something else that may come in handy during the Games.
In what feels like seconds later, my family is told to leave. "I love you," I say as they're forced out the door. The door slams, and I know that those were my last visitors. After all, I have no friends.
Years ago, I used to be known as the kind-hearted girl who would do anything for anyone. However, a little over a year ago, I was falsely accused of stealing from work. I was whipped to the brink of death. The day after I was whipped, I found out who had done the stealing; one of my best friends, who wouldn't confess, even after she saw me get whipped. So, I shut her out, as well as my other friends. I realized that the only people I could ever trust were my family. So now, because of that, I sit in silence, waiting for my escort to escort me out.
District Six:
Peyton Stanley
As soon as I wake up, it's feel like someone has pressed a weight on my chest. Today's the day of the reapings; my first reapings. Also, exactly one year ago today, I said goodbye to my sister forever. Last year my sister died in the Hunger Games. Her name was Kat Stanley.
I haven't been the same since my sister's death. Neither has my family. I head downstairs to where my mom, dad, and little sister are sitting at the table. "Morning, Peyton," my mom says. "How are you?"
I just shrug. We eat some eggs and bacon for breakfast. It tastes like cardboard. Once I'm changed, I head back upstairs to get dressed. I throw on a nice white shirt with black slacks before heading back downstairs. "Ready to go, son?" my dad asks.
"I guess," I say. My mom walks in with my five-year-old sister, Sabrina. Sabrina has changed a lot since last year. She used to be so innocent and kind-hearted. Tragedy has changed her. Now she's scared of anyone who isn't family. My mom and sister join hands with my father and I, and we walk to the reapings.
Nylah Tracks
I wheel my brother to the reapings as my mom and dad walk alongside. Three years ago, my brother got in an accident, and was paralyzed from the waist down. We've had to wheel him around in a makeshift wheelchair ever since. Finally, we reach the town square. After wheeling my brother to his section, I find my way over to the seventeen-year-old girl section.
Our escort steps onto the stage. His name is Pegasus Dragon; a very rare male escort. He's one of those obnoxious capitol citizens that believe he's better than all the district citizens, and wants all the attention on him. He makes a joke or two before showing us the video on Pamem's history. Finally, he walks over to one of the glass globes to pick a name. I cross my fingers.
"Nylah Tracks."
I slowly walk towards the stage, like a zombie. Fear courses through my body, but I must remain calm, for the cameras. What's going to happen to my brother, my family? Will they be okay when I'm gone?
Peyton Stanley
A short girl with dirty blond hair walks onstage. She may be small, but she doesn't look like a person to mess with. I barely have time to hope I'm not reaped when Pegasus begins to read the next name.
"Peyton Stanley."
How could this be happening? First my sister, now me. Is my family cursed? My name was on one slip of paper out of thousands, and Pegasus had to pick me? This isn't fair. I will myself to not break down and cry as I walk up to the stage. Pegasus obviously hasn't realized that I'm Kat's brother, or he'd be fawning over it. However, when I look into the crowd, I know some people have made the connection, judging by the look I'm getting.
Minutes later, we're sent into the Justice Building. My first visitors, to no surprise, are my family. As they walk in, I notice that something's wrong with my mom. Her face remains expressionless, her eyes bloodshot and never blinking. "She's in a bit of a shock," my dad explains. "First Kat, now this. Does Panem have it out for us?"
"I don't know," I say. "But it's stupid, the whole thing. Panem does have it out for us; for all of us in the districts."
Over the next few minutes, my dad and I chat while my sister looks on, wide-eyed, and my mom stares out the window. She comes out of shock long enough to hand me something. I recognize it at once; it's Kat's favorite necklace. "Thanks," I say to my mom. "It'll be a great district token."
When the Peacekeepers come in to take my family away, I'm reminded too much of last year, when I was the one being taken away from my sister. "Goodbye," I say, my eyes starting to tear up. When the door slams shut, I let out a sob, but stop myself there. I can't be known as a sniveling twelve-year-old baby. I need to stay calm.
My best friends, Max and Hayden, visit me next. When we start talking, I can tell that they're just trying to keep me in good spirits. We talk about things so random, you'd never guess I was on my way to die. When they leave, I just sit on the couch, begging myself to stay calm.
Nylah Tracks
My mom and dad wheel my brother, Rune, in first. We all exchange sorrowful looks. My father gets straight to businesses. "Nylah," he says. "You can't give up hope. You can do this. You know how to fight."
It's true. When I was younger, I was bullied because of my height. I can't help that I'm only 4'11. So, I began to spy on the Peacekeepers. By watching them, I learned how to fight. The next bully was sorry he picked on me. "I know," I say. "I'll be fine. But what about you guys? Will you be okay without me?"
My family is very poor. When Rune was paralyzed, my mom had to stop working. She had a new full-time job of taking care of him. My dad couldn't earn enough money to sustain a family by himself, so I had to take a job. I began work at the train assembly factory. I was a very useful employee, because I could crawl into tiny spaces to fix things that my co-workers couldn't reach. "We'll manage," my mother says. After all, it's one less mouth to feed.
My father gives me loads of advice over the next few minutes. I know I'm going to have trouble remembering it all. When my family has to leave, I try to stay calm. As my dad wheels my brother out and my mom walks alongside them, I know I need to get back to them.
Minutes later, my boyfriend bursts through the door, his face white. "Nylah!" he shouts, and we run into each other's arms. "Are you okay?" he asks.
"I guess so," I say. "Don't worry about me, Diesel."
I already know how much we're going to miss each other. Diesel has always been there for me. He's probably the only person who defended me from the bullies. We've been dating for a year. Excluding my family, he's the best person I've ever met. When he has to leave, I nearly tear up again. "I love you, Nylah," he says as he walks backwards out of the door. "Never forget that."
I hope you enjoyed the next quarter of the reapings! We're halfway done! (Yay!) I'm going to be on vacation for the next three days, so sorry if this chapter was a bit rushed or sloppy because I wanted to get it out before I leave. I'll make sure to write my next chapter while I'm away. Basically, I'm vacationing to a log cabin in the middle of the woods, so it always gives me lots of inspiration for writing (especially since we're getting to the lower districts). :-)