46th Edition of the Hunger Games

Mensagens : 164 Data de inscrição : 21/11/2014

GABRIELLE BOURGOGNE

Since 6 years ago our routines on a certain day has changed. We are no longer the family only watching the Reaping, we are a family that fears it. We will fear it for at least more 10 years. By the time I wake up in that morning, only my brother was sleeping next to me. He was still peaceful with the whole situation, he will be the last of us facing the reaping and if we can stop it he won't ever have to worry about our numbers like me and Michael do.

I let him sleep for a little longer and leave the room to change. The best clothes I have.. I look at this old thing, it was the one my mother used on her first reapings, and it was really hard to get at the time, I have been using it for the third year now, guess that is the perks of being a shorty in 7'.

My parents and my aunt are having breakfast in silence. My aunt looks at me and aks if I want help tiding my hair. I accept her help, not because I really care about my hairdo, but it helps me calm down having someone touching my hair.

-There you go, Gab. - she says after finishing. - Can you go call Michael? He is outside with his friend. I will call the girls.

I nod quietly. I know she is trying to keep herself together. This hear all of her children are hable to be picked. Even if it is Michael's last year, he isn't away from danger at all. Our number of tesseres is higher than most of the kids in the district. We tried not depend on them, that was why I started stealing, but everytime it wasn't enough our names would be added not two or three, but nine times.

That is probably why he couldn't sleep at night either. We share the bedroom since I'm 6, and since we started attending, he doesn't sleep the night before. I try to help to calm him down but end up falling asleep in a while.

-Michael, are you ready to go? - I ask not minding to interrupt their talk or bothering to greet Echo. - Your mom is calling.

-Yeah. I will wait for you here with Echo. - He awnsers with his usual smile. Like he had a nice night of sleep. - Your hair looks nice.

I nod and go back inside telling my aunt he was waiting outside and join them at the door petting Sammi. The dog that kind of just stick to us and now sleep in our sisters' room. Some minutes later all of us are following the hundreds of people to the plaza. No one says anything. All the kids, even the younger ones, walk beside their parents and sibling in silence. It's summer, half June, but the sky is as grey as in a winter night. Or at least that is how we portait it.

By the time we get to the check point my hands begin sweating. I have been walking all the way behind Michael, watching his back and thinking This is it, one more and you are out. But when we line up on the check point, that same fear that has filled me ever since his first reaping comes back. What if this is it? What if I see him lining up with the boys his age, and then he gets picked?

But like he understood what was on my mind, he pulled me out of the line and hugged me tightly, he was also shaking, his palms sweating. I tried to keep composed. You'll be free. You'll be ok. Good guys don't get picked. I repeat in my head.

-See you on the way back, shorty. - He says before kissing my forehead and getting back in line.

Since Suzzy is only one year younger than me I get to be together with her doing the whole thing, I get on the back of the 16 year old girls, closer the 15 yearolds. I look back when the Capitol representative comes to stage, checking on my sister, she is with my cousin and they sadly smile at me nodding. I look for Michael in the crowd of boys, but can't seem to know where he is. I go back to earth with Suzanne holding my hand tighter.

-She's calling them up. - She whispers to me.

I look up to the stage and see the representative in greenish blue messing around with the papers that have the girls' names.

-OK! This one seems a good pick. - She says with her smile sparkling. She takes a deep breath and calls the name of the girl.

Then everything goes wrong.

I held your hand through all of this years
But you still have..
All of me

Admin Mensagens : 166 Data de inscrição : 21/11/2014

ATTICUS FLETCH

- Mooooornin'.
I say as I hear my father bruptly opening the door, with an angry face.

- Can you just leave the bed already? Your momma won't stop molesting me! If we make it late to the Reaping I swear...

I just answer with a big yawn. - Ya'll need to calm down. I'll be ready in a couple of minutes.

I see my father opening his eyes wide the minute I knew I was fucked. Damn it, I forgot about Oliver... Father approaches me and I step aside the bed to reveal one of the dogs sleeping under the blanket.

- Goddamnit Atticus. - My father complains, muttering. - What have I told you about letting the dogs inside!?

I let out a small laugh, already changing my clothes. I see Oliver running out of the room and my father looks back at me. - What do you have to say? - He asks me.

- Sorry bud! - I yell to the dog.

- Damn, it, Atticus.... - I hear my father saying in a low tune. - Whatever, just hurry.

*

We leave the house some minutes later just in time to get to the Reaping in the centre of the District. Too far away from home. Living in them big districts surely sucked when this time of the year came.

We are divided by gender and age when the Capitol creepo arrives in time to anounce the sacrificed meat for this years' Hunger Games. This was my fourth reaping, and I hoped to live for many, many more. The odds seemed to be in my favour, though, in a populous district like Ten. And I only had to ask for tesserae two years ago after an inccident.

The Capitol lady is about to announce the girl for this years when I remember that I have a 13 years old cousin. Right, Lexie... this was her second time here and her face shows she couldn't care less about it. What a girl.

Lina ended up bein' the name announced. Honestly, I had no idea who that girl could be. And when she goes up on the stage, her scared eyes meeting ours... I stayed the same. Nope, I don't know her. Good for me, bad for her. Not that knowing me would make a difference... well, whatever. I see the lady already choosing the boy's name and I take a deep breath. That bowl is full as hell, there's no way my name would be the chosen one...

Mensagens : 23 Data de inscrição : 25/11/2014

MICHAEL WOOSDON

Last year. Last year. I should be happy about it, right? In some hours I'll be free. In some hours everything will end, I won't ever be afraid of this awful day.

I look at my cousins while they are still sleeping. I will be safe, and what will happen to them? They will still be in danger. Nothing will change, next year my heart will still race like this on this day, until little Sebastian is 18 I won't rest.

I told Echo to pass here by 6 am to give him some clothes for him to take on the reaping and so he could help me out with the birds. At said time he gets here and I give him some of my good shirts to choose, he chooses one for him and one for me. I ask him to keep quiet for the time being because everyone at home was still sleeping.

We get to work, dragging the bird nursery to a hidden spot in our yard. He complains that our clothes got dirty with dust.

- Don't worry, bro. - I respond with a smile. - Hopeful no one will bother to look at us.

He doesn't seem to like my joke and lowers his head. I try to change the subject and we talk lightly until Gab comes call us out. My mother makes her look like a little doll every year. This one was no different. She joins us by the door so our conversation just dies. The rest of the family doesn't take long to join us and we go to the plaza. In silence. Like every year.

I see my sister trembling while she walks, I offer her my hand to hold and she takes it without a word. It's her first year, she doesn't know how to react. We get to the check point and there she goes with her friends to their expecific place. There is when I look at Gab petrified staring at me. I hug her not knowing really what to say to her. I know how scared she is of all this, of losing me here. Though I don't think this will be my year, I fear for her. Now being the oldest on the family in the reaping, and having her name there more than 60 time already.

-See you on the way back, shorty. - I just mumble. Couldn't think of other thing, so I kiss her forehead and go back in line.

I feel some of the other guys looking weird at me for what I did. I know the rumors around us, but I don't it is anything to be worried now. Echo stands next to me throught the reaping. We never say anything, just casually clap with everyone. Just a little bit longer and we would be walking out of here, to never come here again. But then...

-[size=18]GABRIELLE BOURGOGNE. - Is the name called by the Capitol lady. But it couldn't be right, right?

I stop feeling my knees, I have Echo holding me by the arm. My breathing get all weird. It can still be a mistake. but there is no mistake. Gab is the one on the stage. One of her over 60 names in the bowl got picked. I can't think right. I feel her gaze in me but I can't look to the stage. I can't. I just look at my feet while Echo tells me to get up.

The boy gets called. Jeffery Blackwood, a 13 year old that goes to school with my sister. The boy goes on the stage, shaking just as much as Gab. She is now facing the ground. I look at her face and see she is holding not to cry.

- Here we have our tributes for this year! - The capitol lady shouts with a smile. - Let's all aplaud them! Uless, some brave guy or gal would take their places, hm? - She says with a provocative tone. - Then let's all greet our trib...

-I VOLUNTEER!! - I yell. I surprise myself with that. - I volunteer. I volunteer.. I VOLUNTEER. - I repeat trying to convince myself.

Echo tells me something but I can't hear him. Everyone opens the way to the stage for me. I look once at Gab's face. Her face is so pale, she looks like a stone.

-Ok,ok! We get it! You won't lose your place. - The Capitol lady says while he gives a light push to the kid to go down stage. - Tell us everything. What is your name?

-Michael. - Gab is the one anwsering. More like in a gasp.

-Michael Woodson. - I complete louder so Gab isn't really heard.

- Lovely name! And a lovely young man. - She winks at me. - Alright, if there is no girl volunteering now... - She takes a final look at the crowd. - Tributes, greet! Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favour.

I turn to Gab offering my hand to greet but she ends up falling on her knees instead. The peackeepers take us both inside for goodbyes... What will I do?

I'm sorry, mom. I promised her I'd meet her on the way back...

Mensagens : 24 Data de inscrição : 25/11/2014

ECHO BLACKHAWK

It's my last year.
I never worried much about being picked up for the games. The odds were very, very low for me. And as a last case, I can use a crossbow. I always felt like I had no right to be scared of it when others have it way worse. But since I met Michael, that changed. I am not scared for myself, but for him and all his family. Something I thought I'd never had to care about, but now I do. Years have passed and I always found support in them,worrying is the least I can do for them.

I got worried I could get late for the occasion but all the fussing in the district woke me up in time. As I arrive in Michael's house, he lends me some decent clothes for the occasion, but he decides to go and check the birds once more before the reaping. I do as he tells me too, but we end up messing up with the clothes he just lent me. He says not to worry about it, though. And so I don't.

When we head back to his place, the girls are finishing getting ready. I stand by the door, entretaining myself with a piece of old rope while I wait. I couldn't help but thing about how devastated this family would be if one of them get reaped, so I try to concentrate on the rope only.

No one says anything on the way to the plaza, and I am no different. I just follow the crowd, trying to make time go faster in my head.

I say goodbye to the girls with a smile as I walk next to Michael to the place for the 18 years old. We'll all be just fine, I think to myself. I really hope so...

I try not to think about anything during the time the Capitol escort presents the cerimony. It's just another day. Everything will be fine...

And so I thought. Until I hear Gabrielle's name being called out. I instintively look at Michael and grab his arm, and he instantly falls on his knees. It couldn't be... please, not her...

The guy gets called out, someone I've never seen before. I didn't know anyone except for Michael's family and the people from the black market anyway... I try to hold Michael, but nothing was right. It wasn't fair for her or for him. In a big District like ours... it couldn't be...
That's when I hear Michael's voice. He's calling himself as a volunteer. Are you crazy?

- Please don't do that! - I shout, but he talks over me repeating his volunteering. - Please Michael, I can go instead! - I let out. That's true. I could do good on my own, but I would be absolutely miserable if it wasn't for him and his family. If it would keep them safe, I'd ensure myself the girl gets out of the arena and everything stays as it should be. But he doesn't hear me again at all... he's already going up his way to the stage. Damn you, Michael... this won't end well for at least one of you guys...

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