Ivan Rolcaster 15 District 10 Male
"Mama me and Madison are going out out before the reaping will be back shortly"
"Key sweety just make sure you don't get your reaping clothes dirty"
"Don't worry mama I wouldn't dare"
"Coming?"
"Coming Madison!"
"Come on follow me" There's a stretch of open forest that the local ranch lets their cattle graze on. The fence around it has plenty of spots to step over and the rancher isn't going to let the cows out until after the reaping so we have nothing but time.
"So what did you want to do out here?" Madison asks "I don't want to get my reaping out fit dirty"
"Don't worry about it, sis I just wanted to show you something"
"What do you want to show me this better not be something disgusting again"
"Don't worry about it. There's just a cow on the
loose I saw her around the other day"
We continue walking further into the woods There's a groove of about 6 trees surrounding an open spot illuminated by the morning light.
"Alright here it is"
"Ivan this is ridiculous I don't see any cows here-" a rock to the back of the skull and she's out cold.
"Don't take this personally sis but if you're in the way then I can't get my share of the inheritance. Plus now I can get all of that inheritance for myself so it's not all bad"
"Just give it a few minutes and this will all be over"
It's quite a bit of work to hoist my sister into a tree and keep her dress from getting dirty.
"If you think about it we are always on a six-minute countdown to death and breathing resets that clock" I wonder as I get back down the the tree.
A tug of the noose around her neck and a one-kick of the stump and we can start the countdown.
There's something I find so fascinating about watching someone hang theirs just something so satisfying about seeing the way a living body becomes a nonliving thing.
5 minutes.
There's something so much more enticing than the bloody way of death that they show on TV. It's calming it's almost calming. I've tried it before and I think it's very peaceful it's calming to feel yourself lose consciousness it's like going to sleep after a long day.
4 minutes
Wait…
What am I going to tell Mom?
Shit Shit Shit Shit was this a mistake how I'm I gonna justify this to Mom?
3 minutes.
I could tell her Madison was following me and I didn't know what happened to her it's not like she's going to get reaped anyway so who really cares if she's not there? The reapings in about half an hour I can kill half an hour.
Snap!
Without warning the rope holding up Madison gave out she tumbled to the ground breathing weakly but very much still alive.
Shit Shit Shit Shit now I'm really screwed she's gonna know that it was me that did this how am I gonna get out of this.
I do the only thing I can think of.
Run.
I rush back into the woods past the entrance I used to the other end of the woods where the forest ends.
There's no way that I'm gonna get out of this now if Madison wakes up she'll know it was me and then they might start questioning what happened to my father.
Wait. There is one way to get out of this.
Douglas "Doug" Pine 18 District 7 Male
"What you carving there Douglas?" my mother asks me pointing to the piece of wood I'm whittling away at.
"Oh, just something to do well a wait for the reaping" Normally I'd be out with the other lumberjacks but that's something that takes all day so we won't head out until after the reaping.
It's a fairly simple carving just a woodpecker in flight but I feel it represents the reaping for me.
I'm 18 after this I'm finally free to go on with my life without worrying about the games.
Well, I get ready for the reaping I place the carving in the process next to the other carvings I've done.
My father used to be a carver so that's part of it another part is that it's a good way to get my emotions out.
It's easier to convey my thankfulness that I'm out of the reaping by letting my emotions flow into the wood than to try and explain this to people.
"Douglas hurry up and get changed the reaping starts soon"
I decide to take the carving with me it gives me something to do well I sit through the opening ceremony.
It's a lovely in seven today it's going to be hot when the sun comes up, and the plant life is in full bloom right now.
It's not to far of a walk to town for us. Unfortunately, 7 is such a large district by size it takes hours for all 60-odd thousand people in the main town so we are going to be here for a while.
The rest of my work unit that's still of reaping age is there already it's easy to slip next to them well we wait.
"Doug you're still focused on those carvings of yours?" my friend Henry asks from beside me.
"Got nothing better to do well we wait for the reaping"
"What's this one about?"
"It's a Woodpecker"
"Is that supposed to be like one of those metaphors for something else?" one of the other guys asks
"I'm just happy that this is gonna be my last reaping feels good to finally be free" I replay as I work on the details on the woodpecker's wings.
"Oh come on Doug" Henry chuckles "Don't count your logs before they fall"
Ivan is 5-5/6 he has dark dirty blond hair with blueish-gray eyes and a lean muscular build.
Douglas is 5,10 he has tall brown hair and brown eyes he has an overall lean strong build.
So I'm sorry this chapter took so long to write I was feeling burnt out from writing my other story. Some helpful reviewers suggested that I slow down a bit so hopefully this chapter is better than the last one in that regard.
Thank you to Paradigm of Writing for sending Ivan and Lisan Al Gaib for sending Douglas.
If you feel like it send tributes check my profiles for what spots are still open.
