District Twelve Reaping

Joshua Cole: 

The house was quiet… almost too quiet. I contemplated going to check on my parents, but I remembered that Mom was at the Hob, and Dad was in the mines. I was alone.

Again.

I had slept late- the sun was shining bright. It may have been Monday, but there was no school.

Today was reaping day.

I groaned and- after much consideration- pulled myself out of bed. I attempted to tame my black hair with a comb before slipping on coal-dust-stained jeans paired with a simple white, button-down shirt. I know I should want to look nice for the Capitol- like all the other normal kids- but at the age of fifteen, I didn’t really care what the people there thought.

Why should we be breaking OUR backs so they can lounge around on sofas all day and eat like gluttons? Why should we sacrifice OUR people for something that happened forty-nine years ago?

Of course, I kept these opinions mostly to myself.

My contemplation was interrupted by a knocking on my bedroom door.

“It’s open!” I called, sitting on my bed and slipping on a pair of socks. The door opened gently, and I could make out a female form standing behind it. Thinner and shorter than I was, with dark wavy hair, olive-toned skin, and dark brown eyes.

Daisy.

Daisy Gray was the daughter of a merchant (although she clearly had Seam in her), and a year older than me. I don’t know whether I consider Daisy a friend or not… we don’t really talk; I just sort of let her hang around me. She’s nice and non-intrusive, never bugging me about where my parents are or why we don’t do things the way normal friends do. I think Daisy understands that’s not what I like to do anyway.

“The front door was open.” She says in her soft voice, coming in and closing the door behind her.

“The lock broke.” I shrugged. Not that I mind anyway… My mom started just letting her in a few years ago.

The silence is awkward for a moment until she speaks up:

“How many times is your name in the reaping bowl?”

“Nineteen.” I answer her. Four times because I have to, and the rest are tessarae entries for me and my parents. She sits on the bed beside me. “And you?”

She doesn’t answer right away, just stares at the floor. Eventually, she sighs and gives me a number even I wasn’t expecting:

“Fifty-four.”

A fiery rage burns inside me… her name is in the fifty-four times? At the age of sixteen?

She has a rather large family, consisting of her, her three younger siblings, her mother, her aunt, and her grandfather. They live in the merchant part of District Twelve, so why does she take the tessarae? Does she KNOW what it may lead to? Does she KNOW how I feel if she were yanked away from me, only to be fattened up for the slaughter?

Actually, no, she doesn’t. And I think I’ll keep it that way, at least until we’re both out of the pool for good. Four years is enough time to think.

We’re silent for awhile more, just sort of sitting there in silence, but welcoming the other’s presence.

The time seems to fly by all too fast, because I hear a knocking on my door and a loud, “Josh! Time to get ready for-”

The door opens, and it’s Mom, back from the Hob. “Oh, Daisy, I didn’t know you were here.”

“I’m sorry I dropped by unannounced, Mrs. Cole.” The dark-haired girl apologized, jumping up off my bed.

“It’s fine, Daisy, it’s fine. And please, call me Louisa.” Mom reassured the girl, giving her a good-natured smile. Mom liked Daisy a lot… who wouldn’t? She’s a good kid.

With a more serious look on her face, she told her, “But your mother said she needs you home, to get ready for the reaping.”

“Oh. I almost forgot.” The girl said. She looked between my mom and me awkwardly, and said in a shy voice, “I’ll... I’ll see you around, Josh.” She leaves my room, and a little too quickly at that. Is she eager for the reaping? Or is it… something else?

“Your father is downstairs; I’ll be right down.” Mom promises, closing my door behind me.

I look in the window at my reflection one last time… I look decent, I think to myself. Clean, if nothing else. I toss on my pair of second-hand trainers and go to meet my father at the door.

Kenneth Cole, my father. A coal miner by trade, I swear he gets frailer and frailer by the day. I don’t know how much longer he’ll be working before something happens.

Still, he manages to keep a smile in spite of it all.

“Ready, Josh?”

“Yeah, I guess.” I follow my father out the door and to the square… I see mom follow us, wearing a simple blue dress and a pair of loafers.

The walk to the square is a silent one… what can we possibly say to each other? Instead, I think more… what do I feel for Daisy? I’ve asked this question to myself a million times… and I never come up with an answer.

Eventually we arrive at the square. Mom looks like she wants to say something, which she eventually does.

“Good luck, Josh.” She doesn’t hug me… my family’s not very affectionate. My dad just sort of gives me this one-armed hug and leans in, “Good luck, kid.” He whispers.

I get in the line of tributes ready to get their fingers pricked for the blood sampling… I’m used to this, after three years of it.

A Capitol attendant pricks my finger with the needle, and I’m allowed to go ahead. I’m about to join the other fifteen-year-old boys before I hear my name called.

“Josh!”

I turn around to see… Daisy. With a tall blond girl I know all too well… Jay Meadows.

Great… I think Jay is the only person I honestly hate. Almost as tall as me, Jay is loud and brash, and she always seems to be angry about something.

“I’ll see you up ahead, Daisy.” Jay says, crossing her arms and glaring at me. I have no clue what I did to the girl… I simply shrug my shoulders in response.

“I’ll be right up, Jay.” Jay heads to join the other sixteen-year-old girls, and Daisy comes up to me.

“…What’s up?” I ask her curiously.

She hesitates a moment, then comes closer to me, wrapping her arms around my waist and pressing her cheek against my chest. I have to say… it’s the first time she’s ever done something like that.

Daisy pulls away and looks up at me… which isn’t that difficult; I’m six feet tall and she’s a mere five.

“Um…” She chews her bottom lip nervously, and looks up at me. “Good luck.” Her voice shakes, and then runs to join the other sixteen-year-old girls, finding a spot in between Jay and some other girl I don’t know.

I shake my head, trying to clear the thought from my head as I join the other fifteen-year-old boys.

“Gray, hmm?” A boy in my grade looks at me and smirks.

“Lay off her, Dawson.” I say in annoyance, turning to face the stage before me.

“She’s hot… I wouldn’t mind showing her a good time.” The boy says again.

“I said lay OFF, Dawson.” I growl, feeling more than annoyed now.

“He said lay off, Sid.”

I realize now that the boy on my right is Carter Bridges, another boy in my grade… another Seam kid, and probably the only other kid I tolerate. I stick up for him, and he bails me out of awkward situations.

Carter doesn’t say anything more, he just stares out at the podium.

One of the Capitol escorts appears on stage… her hair is green and looks like a Christmas tree, with barrettes, clips and the like all over it. Her shoes make her look taller than she is, and her whole outfit is this shade of dark green.

“Welcome!” She says in her silly Capitol accent. “Welcome, welcome… the time has come to select one courageous young man and woman for the honor of representing District Twelve in the forty-ninth annual Hunger Games!” She seems really enthusiastic about her job… more enthusiastic than I would expect for District Twelve.

The Capitol video is put on… the one about the Dark Days. I mouth the words in the video as it goes along, just because I remember them too well:

“War, terrible war. Widows, orphans, a motherless child. This was the uprising that rocked our land. Thirteen districts rebelled against the country that fed them, loved them, protected them. Brother turned on brother until nothing remained.

And then came the peace, hard fought, sorely won. A people rose up from the ashes and a new era was born.

But freedom has a cost.

When the traitors were defeated, we swore as a nation we would never know this treason again.

And so it was decreed, that each year, the various districts of Panem would offer up in tribute, one young man and woman, to fight to the death in a pageant of honor, courage and sacrifice. The lone victor, bathed in riches, would serve as a reminder of our generosity and our forgiveness.

This is how we remember our past. This is how we safeguard our future.”

I looked to the row of sixteen-year-old girls… Daisy and I exchanged looks… she had a lot of genuine emotion in her eyes, but of what I couldn’t tell.

“Ah… I just love that.” The escort comes forward to the reaping ball. “But it is time to select our tribute! As always… ladies first.”

She circles her hand dramatically over the bowl before diving it into the glass bowl. She feels around in there, and part of me wants to scream: “JUST PICK ONE ALREADY, LADY!”.

But I contain myself, and watch as she reaches for a name out of the bowl.

The name isn’t Daisy, thank goodness, but it is a name I’ve heard before. I’d almost say “Darn, it isn’t Jay” but that’s a little harsh… I would never wish the Games on someone, no matter how much I hate them.

“Robin Meadows.” She reads off the slip of paper.

A girl steps out from the back. She’s fourteen, but she looks somewhat younger than that. I’ve seen Robin around before… she’s a sweet girl, albeit very shallow. She’s very thin, her blond hair barely grazing her shoulders, her blue eyes wide shock and confusion. I see apprehension and fear as she goes up to the stage… she gets to the top.

“Any volunteers?” The escort inquires. I half-expect Robin’s sister to volunteer for her, but I don’t see or hear her make any sort of offer. I guess family only goes so far… or maybe that’s just Jay being Jay.

“And now…” The escort says dramatically, “For the boys.” She takes a slip of paper from the top, and reads the name.

“…Joshua Cole.”

I look around, waiting for the sorry sap to go up onstage.

“Joshua Cole?” The escort repeats.

When no one comes out, I realize something… that sorry sap is ME.

I guess I’m not too surprised… my name WAS in there nineteen times after all, it was bound to happen. I merely shrug and go up onto the stage with an impassive look on my face… Daisy has her face buried in Jay’s shoulder, and it looks like she’s bawling her eyes out. I can’t see my parents anywhere, but I wonder how they’re taking this.

“Any volunteers?” The escort asks again. She waits a few seconds or so, and as I expect, no one steps forward. I shake hands with Robin… I feel sorry for her. I don’t think she’ll make it long at all.

“We have our tributes…” She says, “Robin Meadows and Joshua Cole… of District Twelve! Happy Hunger Games. And may the odds be EVER in your favor.”

I am Joshua Cole… the male tribute of District 12.

Ok guys, I am officially back from vacation- sorry it took longer than I anticipated. This chapter was written by Affinity and is the last reaping- FINALLY!!!!!!!! Now to the drama, heartbreak, and of course bloody murders! Yay!

And as usual we LOVE to hear your feedback! (Even though we haven't gotten any yet, hopefully someone will come along who is brave enough to comment, LOL) What did you think of this chapter? Who had your favorite reaping? And most importantly who is your favorite tribute? Also, is there anything you think we can improve on? Thanks!

Anyway, next chapter will be up Saturday or Sunday.

~ A.K.A Anonymous