The Supreme Games - Book One

|03| Reaping D3

Florence Love's P.O.V. (District escort)

I can't believe the Fourth Quarter Quell is here! I'm so excited!

"I wonder what this year's tributes will be like!" I wonder aloud to myself. District 3 is alright, but I would've been a lot happier if I had a career district.

I quickly apply my purple eye shadow and lipstick before walking through the door to the stage. I pat down my dress, fluff my hair, and begin my stride out.

The moment I step outside, I feel like I'm in a graveyard. These people look so scared! But why? It would be an honor to participate in a quarter quell. Smiling brightly, I clear my throat and walk up to the microphone.

"Welcome District 3! To the Fourth Quarter Quell reaping!" I announce excitedly. I get silence and blank stares in return. Man, these people are boring!

I continue to speak. "As you all know in today's reaping, there will be five random tributes selected, so there could be all girls or all boys, who knows? So let's get right to it!"

I step up to the reaping bowl and start shuffling around the papers. I pick one out and open it. I read the name, "Chip Sanders!"

A young looking boy with blonde hair makes his way up to the stage, not looking scared but not very confident. I reach out to the boy and drag him to the microphone. I ask him, "Can you state your name and age, dear?"

"I'm Chip Sanders, and I'm fourteen years old." Immediately, I hear bawling come from the audience. I look to see who it is and spot an old woman, about eighty years old with gray hair, yelling his name in a hoarse voice. Chip gives her a sad smile and sits down.

"Okay, next tribute is..." I open up another piece of paper and say the name, "Mia Moore!"

An even younger looking girl comes up to the stage and she has the biggest, bluest eyes that I have ever seen. Through her look of innocence, I see no fear. That's great! I don't need any weak tributes.

Then all of a sudden, a woman who looks to be in her mid thirties starts running up to the stage, screaming, "No! Not my baby!" The woman is automatically restrained by peacekeepers as she spews all kinds of vulgar words at them. All of a sudden, she takes a knife from the inside her boot and stabs one of the peacekeepers in the chest. I gasp out loud as she gets shot in the head by the other peacekeeper, not even a second after.

"Mom! No!"

Mia runs off the stage towards her dead mother and is immediately manhandled into the train by three more peacekeepers. Before she gets thrown through the doors, she yells out one sentence. One single, dangerous sentence. It could ruin herself, her district, and most importantly, me.

"Down with the Capitol!"

The peacekeepers quickly hurl her into the train, slamming the door shut. A tear escapes my eye and I quickly wipe it away before the cameras can catch it.

"Well, that was something! Let's continue onto the third tribute."

I violently grab a piece of paper and announce the name, "Summer Ramsay."

A tiny girl with bluish purple eyes makes her way to the stage and states her name quietly into the microphone. "Summer Ramsay, I'm thirteen years old." She takes a seat next to Chip and looks down at her folded hands.

I think my love towards the hunger games' reapings is starting to change. Maybe it's not as great as I thought it would be. I could be killed for allowing someone to say something so...so vile on live television! But, I have to continue until this is over with. I shuffle around more names and pull one out.

"Beetee Gideon."

Another young tribute, around thirteen or fourteen comes up to the stage and says into the microphone,"Beetee Gideon, I'm fourteen." He sits down quickly. Good. This is almost over.

I grab a piece of paper toward the bottom of the bowl, but have trouble reading the name. "I'm sorry, is it—Elsie...Glinder-ane?" An older girl with whitish blonde hair makes her way up to the stage and strangely enough, it looks like she's talking to herself.

"Shut up!" she mutters under her breath.

"Excuse me?" I gasp, placing my hand over my heart.

"Oh nothing," she replies. She goes to take a seat when she turns around and adds, "Oh yeah. It's Glinderin. Elsie Glinderin. Age seventeen."

She takes a seat and I quickly end the reaping. "Well there you have it! Our five tributes for this year's fourth quarter quell! Chip Sanders, Mia Moore, Summer Ramsay, Beetee Gideon and Elsie Glinderin!"

I fast walk off the stage, not wanting to be here anymore.

↞↠

Mia's P.O.V.

I'm in the train all by myself. It's dark and I'm tied up against a chair. A piece of duct tape is stuck around my mouth, making it harder for me to breathe. The smell of blood and roses fills the room and I crinkle my nose in disgust. President Lucius Snow comes in and walks around me in a circle, like a predator stalking its prey.

He stops in front of me and rips the tape off my mouth. I scream in pain and he quickly covers my mouth with his old, wrinkly, dried hands.

"Don't think I didn't hear what you said." He growls. I respond by biting his hand. He hisses and immediately retracts it.

"Just because I'm young doesn't mean I'm not smart. You killed my mother."

"I didn't. The peacekeepers did. It's their job," He replies. He glares at me then continues. "If you want to survive, then I suggest you keep your mouth shut."

I shoot daggers into his eyes. "I don't fear death."

"I'm sure you don't. But your family might." he smirks.

"What family?" I yell. "My mother is dead! I have nothing left!"

"You have your father and brother in District 8. So if you want them to stay alive, I suggest you don't speak." he tells me.

I glare daggers at him and don't dare to tell him that the reason my brother and my dad left was because they abused my mother. They were reported by our neighbors who witnessed their brutal actions toward us. They hated us, so they moved far away from here. I would prefer if they were both dead. So instead of telling President Snow that, I gasp and pretend like I care.

He smirks at me with satisfaction. "Good! Now I'll untie you and I'll leave. Your district partners should be arriving soon." He unties me and I "fall" onto the floor, pretending to look hurt.

"Goodbye, Ms. Moore. I hope to see you very soon."

I sit up and watch him leave as my district partners and Florence enter through the doors.