Tea Reed, 16

District 7 Female

It was rare that Aunt Wilma was awake, let alone awake before I was. I nearly shrieked when I saw her standing in the kitchen. She turned to me, startled by the gargled gasp I let out. Then she sighed heavily and gestured to the stove, where a pot of tesserae grain sat, steaming.

"Breakfast," she said. Then she yawned, revealing her crooked teeth. I wrinkled my nose and scooted past her to get a bowl and scrape some of the mush into it. It was mealy and tasteless and I barely managed to force it down. The food at the McGregor's house was ten times better than anything Aunt Wilma could even dream of. But I managed to choke down the meal.

Aunt Wilma only drank coffee, and yawned multiple times. She worked several jobs, one of them being a long night shift. If she was at home, she was usually asleep. It was odd to spend this much time around her.

"So," she said when I was about halfway done with my breakfast. "You worked for the mayor?"

"Why do you care?" I snapped. She shrugged.

"Just making conversation."

Aunt Wilma didn't care at all about what I did or who I spent time with and it sucked. I never had a family who loved me. The McGregor's did, but then they ruined it. My parents left me. And my aunt tolerated me at best.

Tears came to my eyes at the thought. I put my spoon down and looked up at her sadly.

"Do you love me?" I whimpered. Aunt Wilma looked surprised.

"You're my niece," she said. I stared at her. That was it?

The tears were coming faster now and I threw my spoon on the floor.

"I hate you!" I yelled. "You don't care about me at all!"

I expected her to yell back or lecture me like all the other adults did. But she just sighed and picked up the spoon.

"Go get dressed," she said. "We have to leave soon."

I screamed and reached for my bowl but she snatched it away before I could throw it. She put everything in the sink and left me sitting in my chair, sobbing and screaming. But she still pay any attention to me.

I cried until I had no tears left. Then I sat up, sniffled, and wiped my nose. Aunt Wilma was in her room. She didn't care about me at all and it hurt a lot. But I had to get ready to go or I'd have more to deal with than my mean aunt.

I washed my face and put on a light blue dress that was a little too small now. But it had cute puffy sleeves and I liked it. I put my hair up in pigtails and used two strips of old blue ribbon to tie them. It wasn't perfect, but I did look good. When Joshua saw me, he wouldn't be able to resist me.

Aunt Wilma continued to ignore me as we got on the bus. Usually we had to walk everywhere but the Justice Building was really far away so the Peacekeepers drove buses around the district.

We were packed in with a bunch of other people, like slabs of lumber stacked in a shed. I clung to a squeaky pole because all the seats were taken and the road was bumpy. I was getting grumpier and grumpier as the ride went on and was just about ready to start screaming again when we arrived.

Aunt Wilma immediately disappeared into the crowd, leaving me alone. I huffed in annoyance, but joined the line of kids waiting to get signed in. A few of them that I recognized from school gave me dirty looks but I ignored them.

Once my finger was pricked and my name was officially in the registrar, I made my way to the group of other 16-year-old girls. I stood by myself and kicked at a stray pebble. I had no friends. Nobody liked me except for Josh, and his mean mom wouldn't let me see him anymore. She even had Peacekeepers escort him around the district.

I scowled when Mayor McGregor walked onstage. She looked dull and boring next to our escort Meg Hyssop. Meg always wore tye-dyed clothes and had bright makeup. Even her dark brown hair was highlighted with bright blue streaks. Everything about her was vibrant and happy, which I liked.

When the crowd quieted down, Mayor McGregor introduced our past Victors. Our first one, Dexter Galloway, won the 4th Games and was absolutely ancient by this point. But he walked on his own and his back was straight. And Johanna Mason, who brought up the rear, looked fierce. She won last year and during her Victory Tour there was a huge accident that killed her parents and younger siblings. She was already a bitter woman, but afterward she became even meaner.

They all sat down and then Mayor McGregor read the Treaty of Treason. The words were grand and fancy, just like I imagined the Capitol was. I'd always dreamed of seeing the beautiful city. That was where I belonged.

Once the reading of the Treaty was complete, Meg skipped forward.

"Hi District 7!" she yelled. "It's so good to see you all again. I missed you loads." The girl next to me huffed and rolled her eyes and I shushed her.

"I'm so excited to see who this year's tributes will be, but we do have a little movie to watch. Don't worry; it's very inspiring!" She pressed a button and the screens behind her came to life.

"War. Terrible war…" the narrator droned. I didn't like the violent parts, but I watched it for the scenes of the Capitol. The city glowed golden in the middle of a seemingly endless lake. I gasped in awe.

"It's time!" Meg squealed when the movie ended. I clasped my hands together nervously.

"This year, I'll start with the boys - just to mix things up!"

She quickly picked a slip of paper from the top of the bowl and read the name to herself. Part of me hoped it said Joshua McGregor. Part of me hoped it didn't. But it wasn't Josh.

"Oak Fergusson!"

I gasped, as did most of the crowd. Oak was in my grade at school, and he was in a wheelchair. Apparently a tree fell on him and paralyzed his legs. He didn't stand a chance!

"I volunteer!" someone said. Their voice was squeaky with fear. Everyone turned to see Paul Zingana step forward.

I gasped again. Paul was the shyest kid in our grade. I knew he was friends with Oak but I never expected him to be brave enough to volunteer. But he was climbing the stairs after giving Oak a quick hug.

"How brave!" Meg gushed. "What's your name?"

"Paul Zingana," he stammered. Meg grinned.

"What a cute name! Now let's see who your district partner is!"

I squeezed my eyes shut and crossed my fingers. Not me, not me, not me.

"Tea Reed!"

My eyes snapped open and I saw Mayor McGregor smile. A cold feeling washed over me.

"No!" I screamed. Several Peacekeepers were marching toward me and I covered my face.

"No! No! No! It's wrong!"

A Peacekeeper grabbed my arm as I began to sob.

"No!" I screamed. "She did it! No!"

But no one listened. I was dragged onto the stage and dumped in a heap next to Paul. The mayor was still smiling as I choked on my sobs. She rigged it! She must have. I could tell by the smug look on her face. She sent me to die.

"I give you the District 7 tributes: Tea Reed and Paul Zingana!"

Annoa Cornflower, 17

District 9 Female

Mornings were nice. If I had to pick, it would be my favorite time of day. My parents were still asleep and the house was quiet. I could sit and listen to the birds chirping and the wind in the trees. It was quite peaceful.

But today was Reaping Day. No one would be appreciating the lovely morning. They would be sitting together fearfully, treasuring what could be their last moments with their families.

This was one of the days where I was glad I couldn't feel things. The Reaping didn't paralyze me. It would be unfortunate if I or someone I knew was selected, but I wasn't worried. If I was Reaped, I believed I stood a chance. I'd been tutored in many skills, including martial arts and the katana.

My stomach let out a quiet rumble and I rose from the windowsill to get breakfast ready. And while today didn't feel special to me, I knew my parents would be worried. So I decided to make a nice breakfast of pancakes and fresh berries.

When my mother came downstairs in her bathrobe she smiled happily.

"Thank you Annoa!" she said. "How thoughtful of you."

I just smiled and handed her a plate.

She was always trying to inject emotion into my actions. When I did chores, it was because I was "a loving daughter". When I sat in on my dad's meetings in order to learn the skills I needed to take over the company, I was "proud of the work my father did". It helped her cope, so I didn't address it, but I knew it was wrong.

I didn't dislike my family. I wasn't ashamed of my father's work either. I just didn't feel anything positive either. I knew my parents were good people and they did good work. My father's mills paid the highest wages of any in the district. For logical reasons, I thought it was a good idea. For moral ones, I didn't care.

When my father joined us for breakfast he put a large hand on my shoulder.

"Thank you," he said. "It looks delicious." His words and behaviors were the opposite of my mother's. He was always accepting of my stoic state and found no flaws with it. He would even come to my defense when my mother criticized me.

After we ate I did the dishes and then went back to my room to change. I was expected to look nice for the Reaping, so I decided to wear a soft white turtleneck, tight black pants, and combat boots. Then I sat in front of my mirror and curled my hair. Butch always said that curls suited me and I agreed with him.

My mother was wearing an extravagant pink dress, so we decided to drive to the Reaping Center. She was Miss District 9 in her youth and her sense of style hadn't left her. She could run in heels if she needed to, but she didn't want to get her dress dirty.

When we arrived I said a quick goodbye to my parents and joined the other teenagers signing in. I caught sight of Butch and his hoard of siblings and walked over to them.

"Good morning," I said. Butch grinned when he saw me.

"Hi Annoa. Your hair looks nice," he said. I smiled gratefully.

"Thank you." Butch shooed his siblings off and we waited in line together. But after we got our fingers pricked we parted ways. I settled into the crowd of girls my age and waited.

I didn't have to wait long for Mayor Schuyler and Destiny Aurald to walk onstage. Destiny was dressed in her usual puffy purple dress, black coat, and striped purple tophat. Mayor Schuyler looked the same too; just slightly older and more hunched over.

He introduced our past Victors in a monotone voice. None of the Victors looked happy, but we clapped anyway. Our last Victor wasn't from too long ago - the 68th Games, to be precise - but Dakota Grangerford was our most notable Victor. She won when she was only twelve and she was completely reliant on a wheelchair, which she didn't have in the arena.

Mayor Schuyler droned through the Treaty of Treason and then sat down, giving the stage to Destiny. She smiled at us, though there was a hint of sadness there.

"Hello District 9," she said. "Thank you for having me. As always, it is an honor to be here. We'll get to the actual Reaping soon, but first we have a quick movie to watch."

It was so sunny out it was hard to see the giant screens, but the audio was clear. The girl next to me sniffled whenever someone died on screen. I clasped my hands behind my back and waited for it to be over.

With a final musical flourish, the screens went dark again. Then Destiny stepped forward. After making a few comments on the movie, she walked over to the glass bowl filled with girl's names. She selected one and read the name aloud.

"Annoa Cornflower!"

I waited for a moment, wondering if dread or fear would come to me. They didn't. I nodded once. Of course not. I don't feel those things. So I stepped out of the crowd of 17-year-old girls. And then someone screamed.

"Annoa! No!"

I turned to see Butch fighting his way toward me. A Peacekeeper was restraining him and two more ran toward him.

"Butch," I said firmly. "No. Don't hurt yourself for me. It will be okay." I didn't smile often, but I summoned one that I hoped was comforting; for his sake.

Butch slumped against the Peacekeepers, a defeated look on his face. I caught my parents' eyes in the crowd. My mother was sobbing and my father looked broken. As I went to join Destiny on the stage, I found myself wishing I could feel, just once.

I expected Destiny to comment on Butch's outburst but she simply walked over to the other bowl to choose a slip. I met Butch's gaze and shook my head. No, I mouthed. He nodded, silently telling me he wouldn't volunteer.

"Vikram Banerjee!"

The name sounded vaguely familiar. I watched as a handsome brown-skinned boy with a strong nose and wavy black hair stormed toward the stage. He looked furious. I realized that I recognized him from school as he came to stand beside me. He dropped out two years ago, presumably to work full-time like so many people from District 9 did.

He was shaking with barely contained rage and glared at me when I held out my hand. But he grabbed it and shook it roughly. Then we turned to face the crowd. I watched my parents cry as Destiny announced our names.

"I give you the District 9 tributes: Annoa Cornflower and Vikram Banerjee!"

Hi everybody! I know this is a fast update but I want to get through the Reapings quickly, if I can. Like I said last time, I regret doing them this way. As a head's up, I plan on doing a 4-POV chapter for the last Reaping. I want to do six Reaping chapters in total, so that's the best way to do it. It'll be another really long chapter, so apologies in advance.

I also wanted to say that none of the submitted tributes will die in the bloodbath unless the submitter specifically requests it. This does mean a lot of boys will die, since Louise from 3 is the only girl I made. Be prepared for a girl-heavy Games. Not that it's an issue. I'm mostly mentioning it because I'm worried I'll forget to say it later. And as always, please leave a review. I appreciate them so much!

A few quick announcements:

1) Carlpopa707 has a Bachelorette Games that needs submissions, so check out her profile! It's going to be an awesome story

2) I am only planning on writing SYOTs up until the 73rd Games. The 74th will be canon. But I don't want to stop writing SYOTs so I'm working on a new universe, which I am accepting Victor submissions for! If you're interested in submitting someone, shoot me a PM or message me on Discord. The form can be as simple as you want, so there's no pressure to go all out or be super detailed. And I may end up writing another compendium for these Victors!

QUESTIONS

1) Did Mayor McGregor actually rig Tea's Reaping or is she being paranoid?

2) What was the deal with Butch's reaction to Annoa being Reaped?

3) Will Annoa start to develop emotions during the Games? If so, is that good or bad?

4) Out of all the tributes, who can you see your tribute allying with? (I'm starting to plan alliances but there are a few tributes I need help with. I may DM some of you with questions/ideas, so keep an eye out!)

Have a nice day, be kind to each other, and never stop reading!

- Fiona