The Ultimate Games - Book One

Reapings ~ District Three and District Four

Devina Destiny's ( Escort ) P.O.V:

I trudge onto the stage as the mayor introduces me and the crowd cheers weakly. I have always hated my job, my mother had forced me to follow the footsteps of too many of my ancestors. Her dying wish was that I become an escort. I called it unlucky, others joked and called it destiny, hilarious.

I walk over to the mayor and accept his outstretched hand in mine and shake. He whispers good luck and moves to the left hand side of the stage, the opposite to wear the six chairs are lined up for the tributes. I hate being an escort for District Three. One or Two would be OK, usually the careers volunteer so it isn't as bad as the children being forced. That never happens in District Three, nobody every volunteers.

I step up to the podium and smile weakly at the crowd.

'' Happy Hunger Games everyone and may the odds be ever in your favour.'' I exclaim, I'm sure the crowd knows by now that I hate this as much as them...the Games are truly barbaric. I reach my hand into the reaping bowl and pull out a name.

'' Alexis Rose.'' I say and a girl steps out of the ' sixteen year old' section.

She slowly shuffles to the stage and takes a seat. Her face is read and I can see she is fighting back tears. I stick my hand back in and pull out another.

'' Dawn Clementine.'' I say slowly and gasp as a young twelve year old girl exits her enclosure and walks towards the stage. Her eyes have teared up and she wraps her arms around me. I return the embrace for a moment and instruct her to sit.

I pull two more names, both are a mere twelve years of age, Alicia Frost and Odelia Black. Alicia had to be dragged up by two peacekeepers. Her mother was screaming from somewhere in the crowd, begging someone to take her daughter's place. I shut my mouth and held back a sob. I clutch the side of the bowl and plunge my other hand into it. I pick out a piece of paper and read it to the crowd.

'' Beth Harrison.'' I say and watch as a young girl exits the 'fourteen year old' section. SHe makes her way to the stage and glances at me angrily and takes a seat.

'' One left.'' I say to the crowd, but secretly I am assuring myself. I did around the bowl and grasp a piece between my fingers. I lift the piece out and read to the crowd once more.

'' Misty Kaiser.'' I say and see a girl walking towards the stage. She climbs the stairs and stands beside me.

'' I'm fourteen.'' She says and turns to her seat.

'' That concludes the reaping.'' I say and sob loudly.

'' Well then! We have our six tributes! All female. Once more, our six tributes from District Three, Dawn Clementine, Alexis Rose, Misty Kaiser, Odelia Black, Beth Harrison and finally Alicia Frost.'' Beams the mayor happily and we follow him off the stage.

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Pod Pratchett's P.O.V:

I never have been lucky, but being picked for the Hunger Games is just downright awful. When I was just eleven, I joined my father on a fishing trip that took a turn for the worst. The ship was stalked by sharks and then attacked. My father lost his life and I lost my arm. A few other fishers on the ship were also killed. I was the soul survivor. I have lived alone with my mother since then, just the two of us.

I can hear her hysterical cries from somewhere in the audience. I am the third tribute for District Four. I step onto the stage and I am greeted by Ginerva Jostle, our District's escort. She is freakishly tall and skinny with bright orange hair and tatoos covering her left arm. She smiles happily at me shakes my good hand. I sit beside the other two tributes, both are careers. Fergus Smith aged sixteen and Ben Marsh aged seventeen.

'' Now then. That was Pod Pratchett aged sixteen!'' Exclaims the happy voice of our escort. '' Three down, three to go!''

Ginerva sticks her hand into the bowl and tosses the paper around for a bit.

'' Oasis Talbott...oh what a pretty name!'' She says as a girl is dragged onto the stage by a peacekeeper.

'' Get your hands off me!'' She screams and lashes out at the peacekeeper.

'' She's a fiesty one isn't she?'' Jokes Ginerva. '' Age?''

The peacekeeper whispers in Ginerva's ear and she shouts loud to the audience;

'' Oasis Talbott, aged twelve!''

Oasis stomps across the stage and flings herself into the seat beside me.

'' Gotta act tough, you know...make them Capitol freaks support me in the games.'' She says to me.

'' Good tactics.'' I admit and she smiles at me.

'' Clayton Chelli!'' Screams Ginerva as a boy makes his way up to her.

'' I'm sixteen.'' He says and walks over to us and sits down.

'' We should team up.'' Whispers Oasis to me. '' There are two other girls in Two we can ask aswell. There is strength in numbers and in a games like this, teaming up is better.''

I nod and look at the girl walking towards the stage.

'' Perrie Falcon! Aged eighteen.'' Screams Ginerva happily.

'' And her. Let's ask her.'' Oasis adds quickly as Perrie walks towards the seats.

The mayor replaces Ginerva at the podium and lists our names. The crowd cheers, the anthem plays and we exit the stage.