I AM INCREDIBLY SORRY! My computer broke, it took me forever to get it fixed due to work schedule etc., and then I found out this chapter had been erased so I had to re-write it. So sorry for the delay!

I am going to start responding to all the reviews now, but thanks to FrostyShadow, Dani H. Danvers, ladyqueerfoot, Very New To This, fallenflakes, KKstar47, goldie031, AlexFalTon, SnowSymphony, and illegalcryptid for the reviews! ENJOY!

Chapter V The Reapings Part 5

District 9

Day of the Reapings

There were many things that fifteen year old Alice Barton hated. People was usually a safe bet. His dull farmer parents working their dull plot of land was another. The dumb teacher at their school who insisted they care about the Capitol and know a bunch of useless knowledge. Outside of people he hated his District, hated the endless waves of grain that fed all of Panem. He hated hot days, cold days, honestly most days. He even hated his name, which he could only attribute to, again, his dull parents dull minds thinking they'd get a daughter and, when that didn't happen, couldn't think of a boy name for him.

But what he hated most of all was the color yellow.

And it was everywhere in District 9.

The District was naturally full of yellow colors and its various shades. Grain, corn, breads, etc. But somewhere at some point in time everyone decided that wasn't enough. Every building was painted a shade of yellow, every piece of clothing was yellow, and at times Alice felt he only ate things that were yellow. He had complained to Brick about it, but Brick had just shrugged and said he was being paranoid.

Alice even hated Brick some, his supposed best friend and cousin. Only some though, Brick was his adopted cousin after all and he had even "helped" Alice get closer with his uncle Farlow. And that was one of the few good things that Alice liked.

That, and the red belt that his Uncle had given him, a proud symbol of gang membership.

And, finally, something that wasn't yellow.

His Uncle Farlow was a generous guy though. He gave gifts to tons of people. It how he made "friends." Uncle Farlow's friends were different then what most people considered friends, which Alice actualy liked. All of his uncle's friends owed him favors. They jumped when he said jump and never asked how high. And he could play them off each other. Alice especially loved that.

Unfortunately, none of that was happening today. Instead he was stuck at his uncle's house with Brick, who was messing around with a tablet. No one was allowed to have those priceless items in District 9, but his uncle's gang had their ways and used them as "recruitment tools."

Alice had to respect the way his uncle knew had to get recruit young and drag them in.

Farlow's gang was a well oiled machine, claiming to be the true power in District 9 behind the Capitol and the Peacekeepers, though Uncle Farlow claimed to have dirt on everyone, including the Head Peacekeeper. When he was drunk, Farlow liked to say he had the Mayor's mistress locked up somewhere so he could control him, but Alice wasn't sure he bought that. Other people did though, and they respected him for it.

Alice also took note of that. Lying could get a man places, if you knew how to do it properly.

"Can you believe the Capitol just has this stuff?" Brick commented, playing on the electronic pad. He were playing some sort of game on it, Alice didn't really know. Alice grunted, noncommittal. "I bet they've got so much money they don't even know what to do with it."

Alice didn't respond. That wasn't too unusual. Brick could be… well as dumb as a brick sometimes. Someone came out a backroom and gave Alice a look. "Boss wants to see you." He said. Alice nodded and went with him to Farlow's office. He was sitting in a chair near the window, looking out over - what a surprise - a field of wheat. Farlow looked a little drunk, which wasn't too unusual. Alcohol was tightly controlled in the District, but who was going to stop him?

"I think you're ready for the big times." Farlow huffed. Alice remained still, waiting for the ask. "Got a job for you after the Reapings. A big one!"

Every job was "a big one." It's what Farlow said to new muscle to make them feel good. "I'm in." Alice said immediately.

Uncle Farlow smiled at that, flashing his nephew his yellow teeth. "If only my regular guys were this ready. You're going places here. It's an easy job. Good to get your feet wet and your parents would be happy you won't be in too much danger." He let out a cruel laugh, which Alice didn't reciprocate. Why would he care what his parents though of this? Farlow continued. "A District 5 train has a stop here to recharge it's power cells. I need you to squeeze in back and nick some items. And when I say, squeeze, I mean squeeze. You're best suited for that, huh?

Alice was actually. At four foot seven, he was a small kid. "What items?"

"You'll get the list when you get to the station after the Reapings. Nothing too crazy. And you're get rewarded nicely."

"What if I get caught?"

"You won't get caught. You're too slick for that. And you got your lucky star, ha!"

Uncle Farlow loved that joke. A birth mark on Alice's forehead was shaped like a star, and Farlow took every chance to comment on it. He especially loved calling Alice his "lucky star" around other kids to make them jealous of the attention Alice was getting.

"Consider it done."

"Damn straight. Now go be a kid for a little. Enjoy the Reaping."

Alice left after that. What else was there to say?

The media room at Capitol's Mercy Orphanage was unbearable hot, but that wasn't out of the norm. The projector used was Pre-Dark Days tech, almost as old and run down as the building itself. Rusty with a massive exhaust fan that pumped too much hot air into the room, the projector caused everyone to sweat and squirm uncomfortably.

But to Millicent Parel, who was currently enraptured by what was on the silver screen in front of her, she couldn't care less.

This was a yearly ritual before the Games. The Capitol always sent a video package to the Orphanage showing past Games and their glory. Victors of the past were dramatized and made larger than life through careful edits and musical cues, entrancing the 16 year old Millie and the younger children. The older children of the orphanage looked at the video more critically, aware of its false promise and when they were being sold a crock.

But not Millie, who couldn't understand why her peers failed to see how glorious the Capitol could be.

The video shifted, done with showing the Games. Instead it focused on the Capitol now, showing clips from its beautiful streets made of different color stones and lined with fountains and plant life. It's citizens milled about, all of them with jewels on them.

"They're so pretty!" Rosette, all of five and Millie's unofficial ward, remarked, eyes wide with wonder.

"I want to have diamonds!" Zea, eight year old and feeling more adult than Rosette, commented.

"Well I want rubies." Rosette replied. "I bet their hot like fire when they touch your skin and feel nice!"

"Why would you want to be hot?!" Zea asked, scandalized, "Its always hot here!"

"Not in the winter!"

"Shush, shush, you two." Millie teased, poking the two girls playfully. "This is the best part."

The video was nearing the end and a commentator was speaking now, extolling the virtues of the Tributes who became Victor and those who had perished. Shadowy figures of boys and girls appeared, representing those who died, each of their heads surrounded by light to reflect their glory. Above them stood the Victors, bathed in gold and atop pedestals while the shadowy figures clapped for them. The music swelled and the video reached it's end.

"Honor, courage and sacrifice. The Hunger Games offer all for the Districts. This is how we remember our past. This is how we safeguard our future."

The younger children clapped, like they'd been taught too, while the older children sat uneasy, a few clapping out of fear or forced obedience. The Overseer stepped forward, face stern and hair pulled tightly in a bun. "So begins the period of the 58th Hunger Games. within a month, the 58th Victor will be crowned. Let us all hope that District 9 has that great honor and, should we fall short-"

"Like we always do" Millie heard some kid behind her whisper, only to be shushed by a fearful peer.

"-Then we hope and pray that out chosen Tributes still honor our District. Such a sacrifice it is as we all know, but it is also a pure expression of duty and honor to the Capitol, from whom out lives depend and our nation remains strong. Glory to Panem!"

"Glory to Panem!" The children repeated with various pitched tones and enthusiasm.

"Glory to Panem!"

"Glory to Panem."

"Panem Today!"

"Panem Today."

"Panem Tomorrow!"

"Panem Tomorrow.

"Panem Forever!"

"Panem forever."

The children shuffled out: already in their Reapings clothes so there was no delay. A benefit of the orphanage was it was in District 9 central hub, meaning they didn't have to travel far for the Reaping ceremony. As they left, Millie got a glimpse of Anika, who gave her a look over and then away, mild disgust on her face. Millie turned away too, not wanting her hurt feelings to show. Millie was very much the outcast in the Orphanage as no one else shared her appreciation for the Capitol.

Though the staff and younger kids liked her. The staff always had nice things to say about her and how good she was to show her gratitude to their Capitol benefactors. And the younger children found her bubbly and excitable like them. Zea and Rosetta were next to her, still buzzing with excitement over the video.

"One day, I'm going to volunteer for the Games." Zea said.

"No, I'm going to volunteer!" Rosetta insisted. Whatever Zea wanted to do, she had to do first.

"Well I'm going to start training."

"You can't, it's illegal." Millie said.

"But I heard the people in District 1 and 2 train their Tributes!"

"That's a lie." Millie corrected. "District 1 and 2 are the most loyal Districts to the Capitol. They would never break the law like that."

Rosetta nodded, trusting Millie entirely. Zea, older and bolder, pushed back. "Then how do they win so much?"

"It's like the video said! Their Tributes fight with love of the Capitol and love of the District in their hearts. It's how they have the strength to win the Games."

Zea nodded, though Millie noted she didn't seem fully convinced. "Are you ever going to volunteer for the Games then?"

"Me?" Millie asked, before responding with false modesty. "I wouldn't be a suitable tribute."

'Or not yet.'

Eventually, Millie had to leave and join the other Reaping age children. Zea and Rosetta would still attend the Reapings, but would be in the section with other young children and adults.

It was a blazing hot day in the District, and everyone looked miserable. Millie waited in line to be checked, trying to ignore the heat and dust in the air. While waiting, there was a commotion behind her, and she turned to find her one and only teen friend fighting through the crowd to be next to her.

"It's such a zoo today! No order at all!" Adelina Morilli complained. She took a spot next to Millie, sticking her tongue out at other girls about who looked annoyed.

"Don't be mean! There's a line!" Millie said, though pleased Adelina was here now.

"Oh they won't mind." Adelina said with a dramatic wave. Millie just laughed. Adelina was always running late. Apparently it was a Capitol thing, one of the few things she had left from there. Her family was exiled from the Capitol under unknown circumstances and had been living in District 9 since Adelina was three. Her parents rarely went out, never leaving their home next to Victor Village, and even in exile didn't need to work. Millie had caught a a few glimpses of them over the years and was fascinated by them. Adelina's mom had teal skin and rubies in her ears, while her father was bald with heavily modified eyes that sparkled like a diamond in the sunlight. Adelina herself had no modification, but was pretty.

It was one of the main reasons they were friends to begin with. Adelina was an outcast like her, but neither minded the other's company. Adelina actually liked how Millie swooned over her and her life in the Capitol.

"Where are your parents?" Millie asked.

"Home, in bed. You know they don't wake up before 11." Adelina said. Millie nodded. No one could miss Reaping Day, but Adelina's parents still had some privileges as former Capitol citizens. Adelina, however, did not and had her name in the Reaping bowl.

"Still, it'd be nice to have them supporting you."

Adelina shrugged. "I doubt I'll get Reaped. And if I do, it would be nice to see the old home again."

"You don't remember much of it do you?"

"No, Millie, I don't remember anything more then when you last asked me that question."

"I just wanted to see!"

"I could make up lies though. Like how everyone has to get a massage each morning before doing anything? How everyone has a personal Avox to do laundry and do their hair. Or how you can literally eat food off the ground cuz the floor is so clean!"

"Oh stop it." Millie laughed, giving Adelina a playful shove. They girls started talking about nonsense, but Millie kept thinking about the Capitol. She had been in love with them since about Rosetta's age when Capitol's Mercy received a visit from a Capitol inspector.

She had been gorgeous, this alien woman from a distant place with her dazzling clothes and face. She fussed over the children, made each of them feel special, and Millie loved the accent she had. From then on, Millie would watch intently every time they were shown videos or media from the Capitol. It helped her understand just how important the Games were, how important the Capitol was, and just how lost the District would be without them.

All Millie wanted to do was show the Capitol how much she appreciated them. To be the best of her District. Which is why, Millie had decided to herself and herself alone, that when she was eighteen in two years, she'd volunteer for the Games. She'd compete in the Games, win the Capitol's love and sponsors, and go on to claim victory. Then her, Zea, Rosetta, and Adelina could live together in Victor's Village, and life would be so perfect.

All thanks to the Capitol.

The Reaping Ceremony seemed to last forever. What was worse, in Alice's mind, was the appearance of the Escort.

Every year she had some wacky outfit on, that was nothing new. But this year she seemed to trying to make herself into a lightbulb. She was dressed in all white, with little metal discs hanging from her waist and ears. Her hair was done up in a large bun, held together by more silver plated discs. All of cause the sun to reflect brightly off of her, so that when she moved even a little, the audience was blinded.

The dumb Escort at least moved fast. She quickly picked a name from the girl's bowl and, with triumphant, called the name.

"Millicent Parel!"

At first, Alice thought he heard wrong. A loud cheer erupted from the girl's section, and from the sixteen year old section, emerged a tall, wide shoulder girl. She was running to the stage, full of excitement, her blonde hair flying behind her as she went. The Peacekeepers were struggling to keep up, and the girl bounded up the stage steps to meet the Escort. The look of excitement on her face was shocking, even to Alice.

"Hello, ma'am. It is such an honor to meet you! You've been doing this since my first Reaping and I've always wanted to say hello and thank you!"

"Well… well that's wonderful!" The Escort sad, clearly surprised but thrilled to be recognized. "This is hard work to be sure, but it's all worth it to meet Tributes like you!"

Alice bet she had never met a Tribute like this girl, who said she was called "Millie" for short. Th Escort was ecstatic, though nobody could miss the confused glances from the Mayor and other government officials. Even the Head Peacekeeper, taciturn and emotionless always, shook his head in surprise at the daffy young girl.

"And now for the boys!" The Escort declared happily. A slip was pulled and the Escort looked at the name, puzzled. "Oh, I must have made a mistake. Did I go back to the girl's bowl?"

Alice knew instantly what had happened. There was a fuss on stage and the Head Peacekeeper confirmed she pulled from the boy's bowl. "Well, maybe I should pull another name to confirm things didn't get mixed up."

A gasp next to him from Brick. "You don't think…?" He asked him.

Alice rolled his eyes. Dumb as a brick, Brick.

He stepped out from the boy's section and tapped a Peacekeeper on the shoulder. "I believe the Escort is about to call my name."

"What are you talking about? Get back in your section."

"Um… this is odd but… well I suppose odder things are possible… Alice Barton? Is there a boy named Alice Barton?"

Alice started walking, much to the surprise the Peacekeepers and those on stage. There were some giggles over his name, and his height, but Alice ignored them. Dully, he thought his uncle would be upset he was losing his person for the job later that day, but then he thought that his uncle would actually be thrilled.

What if he came back a Victor?

And that gave Alice something to chew on. If he won the Games, Farlow and his whole gang would be under Alice's thumb.

And for a moment, Alice felt something other than hate or nothingness.

Actual joy.

And imagine two District 9 Tributes actually being happy?

DISTRICT 10

District 10 came alive well before dawn.

In the hours before dawn, men and women rose to begin their days. They shuffled out of their homes, groggy and unwashed, a few lucky ones downing a shot of black market coffee for a jolt in their mornings. They entered their fields or barns and began to tend to the Districts most important and only valuable commodity to the Capitol:

Livestock.

District 10 had only one area that could generously be called a city. For the rest of the District's massive District, it's people lived in towns or communes, spread out and very rarely connecting with one another. District 10 had the smallest population of Outlier Districts, but rivaled District 11 in land size to compensate for the acres required to feed its animals and thus the Capitol.

Deep in the heart of the District was Midthunder Ranch, one of those many communes that one family own the shares of and was responsible. Otherwise might live there to work but had no ownership rights in the farm, though few complained. The Midthunders "owned" the farm in name only. It meant nothing when the Peackeepers or Capitol came knocking on their land. The deed to it was a like giving a child a toy phone and telling them it was real.

None of that matter much to Buck Midthunder though, who at seventeen was still two years away from having to worry about ownership rights or accounting or any other minutia of running a ranch. It was still an hour to dawn, the ranchers were out in the field letting the cattle graze, and Buck was closer to home, resting on a grassy hill side watching his charges. The ranchers had left behind half a dozen new born calf's, allowing Buck to look after them. Buck wasn't sure if they were playing a joke on him, but he didn't mind. He always liked being by himself before the dawn. The air was always cool, the crickets loud, and above him the open sky, full of stars and the endless expanse of space.

Saying he was alone though wasn't entirely accurate.

Leaning next to him was Cooper, the ranch's cattle dog and Buck's best friend. Everyone loved Cooper and Cooper, a true dog, loved everyone as well. But if given a choice he always wanted to be with Buck. He lay next to Buck, panting softly and eyes watching the cattle. His ears perked up and he fell silent, eyes narrowing in on one rebellious calf who was testing the fencing. Seeing it was sturdy, the calf went back to grazing, and Cooper relaxed, panting happily again.

"Aww, you're keeping a good eye on on him, aren't you boy?" Buck asked, voice cooing. Cooper's head turned slightly, giving his human a questioning look, trying to see if he was taking their job seriously. Buck laughed and scratched the cattle dog behind his upturned ears, making Cooper's tail wag. "Don't worry, we're almost done anyways."

Buck looked up to the Stars, checking the time. His favorite star, a bright red spot in the sky, was nearing the end of it's rotation, heralding the dawn soon. The calf's would need to be returned soon. Slowly he stood, breeze rustling through the grass beneath him. He stretched and began tying his thick, black hair into a thick plait, which he'd stuff under his cap. "Ok, Cooper. Go get him!"

Cooper bolted, eager to show off. He started yapping and the calves fell in line and were ready to go by the time Buck got to them. It was easy enough to direct them back to the barn, though Buck had to admit that Cooper was doing most of the work.

They arrived at the barn, a well worn wooden building with faded paint. In the daylight a person could make out the storm cloud and bolt of lightning painted on the side of the barn, a cheeky symbol for Midthunder, but time and lack of care had chipped away the paint and faded it. His pa, Ford, wasn't a vain man though and didn't need it repainted, preferring to spend his money on his people and the ranch equipment.

The lights were on inside the barn, which meant that Cora was inside working. Buck felt his heart skip a beat thinking about her and he suddenly wished he had a mirror or something to check his appearance. Normally, Buck thought himself a pretty dashing, ruggish figure. Tan brown skin, deep set dark eyes, with a heavy brow and square jaw made him look a bit older than he was. He wasn't a huge fan of his big nose though, or acne scars, but his muscles did help offset it. Hopefully Cora didn't mind.

He opened the barns door fully, while Cooper yapped and led the calves in. They went into the spots easily and Buck locked up behind them. Cooper was already gone though, distracted by his other favorite human on the farm.

"I love you too, Cooper! Yes, I do! But you have to let me finish working!"

Cooper seemed confused by that, whining slight. Cora, sitting on a stool with a cow in front of her, broke easily. "Aww, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to offend. Come here."

Cooper gladly accepted the pets from her, ignoring the cow who looked back at them, annoyed that the milking had stopped.

"That's enough, Cooper. Come on, let Cora work." Buck said. Cooper relented and ran back to Buck, who gave Cora a smile. "Sorry, didn't mean to bother."

"No, no bother at all." Cora said with her own smile. She was a year younger than Buck with pretty dark eyes and curly hair that she kept pulled back in a tight bun. For whatever reason, Buck really liked that look. He also liked her smile, her jokes, how kind she was, and a million other things about her.

"Oh good." Buck replied finally, leaning awkwardly against the wooden stall, kicking up some loose hay. "Busy morning?"

Cora looked at him funny, smile still on her face. "Oh ya know. Got some real task masters here."

The cow moo'd lightly, causing both teens to giggle. "Figured. You work hard. All the time. You're a great worker. Just wanted to let you know that and you know… yeah."

Buck wanted to scream. How stupid could he be? Cora was blushing now though. Was that a good sign? "Thanks. These cows work me hard, but I know you know all about tough bosses."

Buck frowned. "My pa isn't a hard boss." Cora rolled her eyes, giving a pointed look at Cooper and then back at him. "Oh… oh yeah. Well, Cooper isn't so bad. You just gotta bribe him with scratches and he lets you do whatever you want." Both teens laughed while Cooper gave his human a confused look. He was a great pack leader! What was this human talking about?

"When are you heading to the Reaping?" Cora asked.

"Whenever everyone else is." Buck replied, heart racing.

"Well… if you're looking for a friend on the ride into town, I'm happy to sit with you on the bus."

Buck's face felt like it was a fire. "I… ya… ya that sounds nice. Let do that."

Cora smiled brightly, giggling softly. "Great." She said.

"Super!"

"Fantastic!"

"Marvelous!" Buck said in a silly Capitolite accent, which made Cora laugh.

Buck had to head back in to check in with pa, so he left Cora with the cows and Cooper, who wanted to sneak some treats out of Cora. As the main share holders on the land, the Midthunders had a large home in the center of the commune, a beautiful two story with a gorgeous covered patio with columns they could look out over their land. Buck made his way inside, giving just the briefest of glances to an unused rocking chair on the patio. Looking at it sometimes reminded him of his ma who passed in childbirth, and of the younger sibling that had killed her. Eleven years had passed, but the chair had never been moved. Neither Buck or his pa had the strength to do that.

As expected, his pa was in the study working the numbers. He used to be a ranch hand, but older age and bad knees had kept him confined to the home. Still, he commanded the respect of everyone who worked the ranch, and him and Buck were closer than most fathers and their teen kids.

"Calf's are safe and sound, pa." Buck reported proudly.

"Never doubted you, Buck." He pa said, looking up from the books. It was still dark out but his pa only worked by candlelight. Not that the lights would have made much a difference. Electricity was spotty in District 10 at the best of times and working by candle or torch light was usually the better bet. "Maybe in a month or so you can join the boys out with the adults."

"You think so?" Buck asked hopeful.

"I do. It'll be good for you to get to know the boys. Socialize more with them. Make yourself part of the team."

Buck merely nodded. Personally he preferred to spend his time with Cooper or the cows than the more rough and tumble ranch hands, but he knew his dad was looking out for him.

And Cora. Well… hopefully Cora.

"You know, Cora and I are going to head into town together. If you don't mind me going in alone." Buck asked.

"No problem with me, son. You enjoy yourself." Buck nodded and made to leave the room, but his pa had more to say, with a smile on his face. "You know that Cora girl sure is nice."

"Uuuh yeah she's pretty nice." Buck's dad shot him a bemused look, which made Buck blush again. "What?"

"Nothin. You just remind me of me when I was your age. Have fun with Cora. I'll be waiting in the cheap seats at the Reaping for you with Cooper."

Buck left, filled with excitement for the day, and a smidge of dread. What could he wear to impress Cora?

There was a mood over the Butcher household that morning. There always was when Reaping day came around.

Hayley Butcher's ma was still in bed, and the bus that would take them to the Reapings would be arriving soon. Her grandparents, aunts, and uncles had all tried to rouse her mom, but as always it would be up to fifteen year old Hayle to get her moving.

"Can you finish with the chicken?" She asked her cousin.

Lloyd gave her a sympathetic look, merely nodding. Of all her cousins, he was perhaps the only one that best understood her. Darren, her other cousin who was present, was less understanding, giving her an annoyed look as he threw food down for the ravenous chickens. He was just nervous though, Hayley knew. Today was his first Reaping and she remembered all too well the horrible feeling in her gut she had for her first.

That and her ma's hysteria over it.

She left the chicken coop, cutting across the yard of their ranch. The Butcher family had shares in a commune of their own, which the family had only just acquired. Unfortunately, things were a bit on the backslide, and the Butcher's were now scrambling to keep the place profitable.

Their home was nice though, a sturdy two story wooden home that was lovingly cared for. Hayley entered through the back door, the screen slamming heavily behind her as she entered. Her grandma was nearby in the kitchen, making sandwiches for the long bus ride into town and back. "There you are, Hayley." She said. "Haven't heard a peep from your ma' in a little."

Hayley nodded. What else was there to say. Her gran must have seen the look in Hayley's dark brown eyes and gave her a comforting – if somewhat patronizing – look. "I know, sweetie. But you know what your ma' went through. She always does th best she can and always loves you."

'What ma' went through' was the family excuse to ignore every insane thing Hayley's ma' did. Lloyd had once joked it should be the family motto.

"Where's grandpa?" Hayley asked, eager to change the subject.

"Kettle's ranch. Talkin business of course, even on Reaping Day! He works so hard. Kettle's want us to sell some shares. As if that'll happen!"

Hayley nodded politely and ran off to find her ma'. She ascended the stairs, which creaked loudly underneath as she moved. She passed a wall of portraits, showing generations of Butcher's together, faces tern and projecting a rugged strength. At the top of the stairs was the family's latest photo, taken when Hayley was ten.

Ma's room was at the end of the hall. It was tiny, but at least gave her privacy. A twin bed with hand stitched blanket over it, and light from a circular window filtered in that looked out over the Butcher's range. No cows were out today, secure in the barns due to Reaping Day.

"Ma?" Hayley asked. A lump was curled up in the bed, unresponsive. "Ma, you need to get up."

She instantly came alive. Ma bolted up, turning to face her daughter. She shared the same dark hard and broad shoulders, though she was shorter than Hayley, though not by much as Hayley was just shy of five foot five inches. "It's Reaping Day." She said, acid in her voice.

"Yes, it is. The bus will be her soon."

"There's still time."

"It always comes at-"

"I know what time that cursed, stupid friggin bus shows up at! I've ridden it far more than you!"

Hayley didn't reply. It was better not to. Instead, Hayley started laying out her ma's Reaping clothes. Her ma had her moods, but was never bed ridden except for the Reapings. "Lloyd and I were thinking about taking Darren to the Festival after the Reapings. We want to get him something to celebrate making it through his first Reaping. Do you want me to get you anything?"

"You're not going to the Festival. We're coming home immediately and forgetting about the Hunger Games and anything to do with them!"

That wasn't likely. The Capitol gave little to it's Districts, but it did give televisions or projector pods to all citizens and families so they'd be able to watch the Games. Watching was mandatory, and the Peacekeepers had ways to tell if someone wasn't . "Ma, I'm going to the Festival." Hayley said, tone firm.

That got ma out of bed. Her authority challenged, Ma was fired up. "Why?" She screeched. "Why do you want to play along with them? Did you forget what they did to your pa? What kind of daughter are you?"

There were many times that Hayley felt her ma was still stuck in time at age eighteen. "No, ma, I couldn't forget." Hayley replied.

"They took your pa! They took him and slaughtered him in the Games while you were still in my womb! And now you want to take Darren to the Festival to celebrate? To pretend this should all be normal?!"

There was nothing to say. Hayley knew she just had to wait her ma out now. Hayley's whole life had been defined by her pa, Ram, a man she had never met. She had seen him though on TV whenever the old Hunger Games were broadcast. He had been Reaped for the 43rd Hunger Games and died in what the Capitol had deemed a "dull" manner. He slipped while scaling a cliff, fell, and broke his leg. I took two days for the subsequent infection to kill him.

Her ma' had never shown the Games to her, even after the worst of their arguments, but Hayley had stayed up one night to watch the twenty-four hour broadcasts of the Games. She watched up until he fell and had to mute the TV so she couldn't hear his screams. She couldn't take it and ended up running away before the end. He had left behind his loving family, a pregnant fiancé, and an unborn Hayley.

The Capitol had forgotten about him quickly. He was a minor character for them, considered stupid for not knowing how to properly scale a cliff side, as though an eighteen year old from District 10 would have experience with that.

Her ma gave birth to Hayley two months afterwards. The Capitol had even made little Hayley and her mother stand with the rest of her pa's family during the Victory Tour.

'It change her so much! They were both eighteen, so close to be being done with the Reapings and starting their own lives. You have to understand where your ma is ccoming from and what she went through.'

Her family always said that. Especially when her ma tried to "harden" her and prepare her for the Games. She kept Hayley isolated on the ranch, kept other kids away for fear she would one day be forced to kill them. And, of course, making Hayley kill the animals around the farm so she could numb her daughter to horror.

It never worked.

But Hayley was a good daughter, and let her ma think it did.

"You're right." Hayley muttered, obedient. "I'll come home right after the Reapings."

"You promise?"

"I promise."

The Capitol described District 10's main hub as a "city" but that was a generous term. Besides that, nobody called it a city. It was just simply "town" to most people.

And a town that nobody liked visiting.

There wasn't much there except three things: Peacekeepers, concrete monolith apartment buildings, and slaughterhouses. The last of those were the most important, at least to the Capitol. They were perhaps the most renovated and high tech things in the District, and guaranteed never to run out of power. The charnel mill was never ending, even on Reaping Day, and animals were taken to it's halls for an endless slaughter. The whole town smelled of death and spoiled meat, making each visit an especially unpleasant visit.

Hayley hated being in town. She hated thinking about the animals being lined up for death, thinking about how afraid they must have been in their final moments. Worst of all, thinking about the dead eyes men, women, and even children who worked the slaughterhouses, immune to the suffering they caused.

'That what ma wanted me to be like.' Hayley thought, not for the first time. Her ma and her were exiting the bus now, tired and cranky from a three hour drive in a cramped bus without air conditioning. Twenty minutes in and the smell of sweat was so overwhelming that Hayley felt like she had to barf the whole trip. Worse yet were the other twelve years olds who were anxious about their first Reaping. Their stress helped no one.

"Oh Hayley, clean your legs off dear! Their so dirty!" her grandma said.

It couldn't be helped. All the roads in District 10 were dirt ones except those around the Justice building or Peacekeepr compounds. All the children made their way to the Reapings with various amounts of dirt and soil on their nice clothes. It was a hot day in 10, and every kids clothes had sweat through and stuck to their skin. Thankfully, they were checked in quick and the Reapings started fast.

'Can this please, please just be over with.' She thought bitterly, already dreading the long drive back to the ranch with her ma.

"How about the boys first?" The Escort asked, dashing over to the Reaping bowl and pulling a name. He read it off quickly. "Buck Midthunder!"

Hayley was surprised by that. She didn't know Buck well but knew the Midthunder name and him by association The Midthunders ran a fairly successful ranch about an hour or so from theirs. She had only met the older boy a handful of times but thought him a handsome guy, if a bit shy with a tendency to talk too much when he got nervous. His poor pa. He lost his wife in pregnancy and now he was losing his only child.

Because no one from District 10 won. Ever, as her ma loved to warn her. But as Buck walked up to the stage, looking stone faced and chest puffed out, Hayley thought how that wasn't true. District 10 had a handful of Victors, maybe Buck could pull it off?

"Love your name!" The Escort coo'd and then pulled the girl's name. "Hayley Butcher! Oh Buck and Butcher! How chic for District 10!"

Hayley didn't hear anything after her own name. The other girls around her gave her sympathetic looks, but no one was rushing to comfort her or offer themselves in her place. She was dazed, struggling to process the news. And then she realized something horrible.

Her ma had been right all along.

She burst out laughing.

The Peacekeepers had to drag her up to the stage as she was lost in hysterics. Her ma, paranoid and violent and controlling, had been entirely justified in her actions. Did that make her a good ma? Hayley couldn't say or even think straight about that.

She was going into the Hunger Games.

She was going to die in the Hunger Games!

And just think about what poor ma will go through again!

She screeched a laugh, which came off more like a cry of agony as she was placed next to the Escort. He looked her over, trying to give a positive smile for the cameras that were broadcasting now. "Butcher! What name for District 10! I feel like it's common. We've definitely seen it in the Games!"

"My pa was Reaped for the Games." Hayley answered, despite herself.

The Escort lit up. "Oh of course! Ram Butcher from the 43rd Games! Or… was it the 44th? 43rd? Pretty sure it was the 43rd… Well, hopefully you'll make a stronger impression!"

Hayley just laughed, and couldn't stop laughing even when the doors to the Justice Building closed behind her. .

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