District 6 reaping

Barbara Peren D6F 16

"Why do we have the reaping?" My younger sister Farah asks me as I'm pouring the bucket of water over her head to wash the soap out.

"I don't know Farah, it's just the way the world is I guess," I say as I sigh and dump another bucket of water over her.

"It took Kara's little sister away last year and she never came home, she was only 13". She says as she starts to step out of the small tub we have in our just as small house.

"I know and it's unfair, but everything will be ok this year I promise". "Go get ready and I'll do the same and we will walk to the reaping with Dad when he gets up, ok?" I tell her as she wraps a towel around herself.

"ok Barbara then afterwards we can do something!" Farah says

"Sure Farah" I smile as I walk away to get ready.

The sad truth is that the world is not ok. It's Bullshit that every year every district has to lose kids to a game that is pointless and barbaric. The games are dumb, and it seems like the whole world is out to get me since the day I was born. My mother died when she was having Farah and now my dad works constantly to try to afford to keep us alive. Our place is so small I finally got my room when I convinced Dad to share with Farah. I never have enough to eat. I know my dad is trying but it is just another way the world is trying to keep me down.

Lastly, I am all skinny because of the lack of food growing up and I look like I am 13 if I'm lucky because of it. Everything just pisses me off. When I finally started to get over all the unluckiness in my life my best friend's little sister was reaped at the age of 13 and killed not even a minute into the games by some crazy girl from District 1.

Ugh.

My older brother Tripp says everything will get better and stop being so negative about everything. It's easy for him to say though, that He has a nice place, he has a wife, he's 21 so he doesn't have to worry about the reaping and he has a nice paying job. Whatever though, once I turn 19 maybe I'll have a happier view of life until then I'll continue being a cynic.

I get caught up in being mad I don't even realize that we have to leave soon until Farah knocks on my door.

"Barbara come on, we can't be late!" She yells as she opens my door.

"I know, I know. We won't be late I'm almost ready." I say as I slip on my denim jacket over the white dress I am wearing. I try my best to not be mean to Farah because she isn't all there. For being 13 she still has the mindset of a child.

"Come on Farah, Dad said he'll meet us there," I say as I nudge her out of my room.

"Barbra?" She says.

"Yes, Farah?" I say.

"If I am reaped will I die?" She says and when she does I feel like I've just been hit by a train.

"Of course not, it won't happen, and I don't want you thinking about that ok? Let's just go and get this over with".She nods as we walk out the door and I start to think. This damn district has scared my pure little sister and I am pissed.

It'll be best for the whole district if she doesn't get reaped because if she does there would be hell to pay.

I can bet them that.

Capricorn Makus D6M 14

"Look Sagittarius! I finished it!" I say as I run into her room and hold the piece of paper to her face.

"Capricorn, did you stay up all night to finish that?" She says as she rubs her eyes and grabs the piece of paper. "Is this what I think it is?" She says as she looks more intently at it.

"Yes, it looks like the same sky as whenever we lost our parents, I looked at my telescope for hours for it." I say as I grab her hand and smile. "it makes me feel closer to them, I'm sorry." I say while looking down.

"No Capricorn, I appreciate it." She says as she smiles and pulls me into a hug. "Hey, go get ready and we will go to the reaping together." She says as she sits up in bed.

"Ok, I'll see you in a bit," I say as I place the paper on her bed and head for my room. As I get to my room and start to get ready I can't stop thinking about my parents.

They were killed in an illness that swept the district when I was 3. Sagittarius parents were killed in the same illness and our grandparents took us in. I know she is my cousin, but I see her as a sister and my best friend. We do everything together.

Every year since my grandfather bought me a telescope I have always mapped out the night skies around this time of year, but this is the first time the night sky has been the same from when they died and on the day before the reaping.

Astrology isn't a thing for me just this time of year, it takes up most of my life. Our grandparents were so much into it they named their kids for the time of year they were born hence why my name is Capricorn and My cousin Sagittarius. I love it because it makes me feel close to my family and it's just how we cope with the world. I Love it.

Anyway, I must hurry to get ready, so I can eat before the reaping, so I run to my closet grab my navy blue shirt and black shorts, and run to the cracked mirror in the corner of my room to fix my hair. It is as messy as ever, I stop and look. Weirdly, I have blonde hair and green eyes considering I look quite different than everyone else in my district, but my grandpa says it makes me unique, so I go along with it.

I open my room door and I see Sagittarius leave her room at the same time as me and we smile because we always joke that we are the same person sometimes. I smile as I race her to the kitchen. "I win again, Maybe next year," I say as I sit down at the table.

"I let you win." She says as she giggles. I know she's kidding but I still humor her.

I grab some cheese and bite into it. I think about the reaping and my parents.

Okay, let's do this thing.

Barbara Peren

Farah and I walk to the reaping with just us two. Kara wanted to walk with her family after what happened last year, and I don't blame her that's why I walk a little closer to Farah this year, I couldn't imagine not walking with her and she gets reaped, so I make sure I walk real close.

Knowing my luck, she would get reaped and I'd have to do something dumb and volunteer for her. That would be one last "screw you Barbra" The world would give me. I get distracted by my thoughts at check-in. I help Farah with her section since she gets a little nervous with it.

"Ok, Farah I'll come get you after the reaping ok?" I tell her as I kiss her forehead. She nods, and I see Kara in the 16-year-old section and I walk by her.

She just keeps looking down and I feel bad for her. I grab her hand to comfort her as the video plays. The man who is our escort seems a little irritated from being with District 6 again so he goes quickly to pull from the girls.

So quickly I don't have time to worry when he says "Barbara Peren!"

That's me. Of course, I've been reaped, and I'm pissed. I squeeze Kara's hand quickly and I start cussing and stomping up to the stage before someone comes grabs me and takes me upfront.

This is crap and if they are going to kill me they can hear me swear.

The escort looks distraught. Good, because there is going to be hell to pay.

Capricorn Makus

Sagittarius and I don't talk much on the way to the reaping. We both know that it's a possibility, but we don't acknowledge it because if we don't embrace it then we won't worry. Of course, I know it's possible and I'm not oblivious to it. It's just an unspoken rule between us two.

We walk through check-in together as they prick our fingers Sagittarius starts to tear up and after checking we walk her to her section and make sure she is ok.

"Hey, you ok?" I ask.

"Yeah, I'm still not used to the prick I still." She says shyly.

"Hey, it's ok, it hurts me too. Hey, we will look at the sky tonight more after the reaping ok?" I say as I start walking away. She smiles and nods.

I go to my section and wait patiently through the video and the girl reaping. I breathe out the girl isn't Sagittarius. I was still distracted when I heard curse words being yelled from the stage.

It's the girl. She came from the 16-year-old section and she seems very mad.

The male escort wants to get her off stage as soon as possible so he hurries to the boy's bowl pulls a name and yells "Capricorn Makus!".

I slowly and robotically walk away from my section and walk to the stage. It hasn't hit me yet because I'm not freaking out yet. Trust me I will and when I do I'm not sure I will recover. I know I have to snap out of it eventually but I'm not sure when I will.