District 10 Reaping
Stag Browning:
"Lark... listen to me." I repeat firmly, putting my hands on the boy's shoulders. "Where is Aries?"
"He's in the office. Ms. Lockwood is yelling at him." The auburn-haired boy says innocently.
Great. Just what I need before the reaping... my brother getting in trouble again.
"Sit on the bed, okay Lark?" He does as I say, and I turn to my sister, 11-year-old Peregrine Browning. "Peri, would you and Lark get ready for reaping? Wear your Sunday dress."
"Sure thing, Stag." She helps the 9-year-old find his shirt and pants as I go downstairs to go bail Aries out of whatever trouble he got into.
"...This thieving thing has GOT to stop, Aries. First in the cafeteria, now at the market, it's... it's getting out of control."
I arrive at the front door of the office... I can hear Ms. Lockwood chewing him out. Even though I can't see my brother from behind the door, I can just picture his impassive face, the one that says "I just don't care".
I think he was beyond caring.
I knock on the door gently... once... twice... three times.
"Enter." Ms. Lockwood barked. That tone startled even me. Ms. Lockwood was a nice woman when you behaved, so it was never good when she was mad.
I opened the door and peeked my head in. Ms. Lockwood motions for me to enter, and I do, shutting the door behind me.
"Ah, Stag." She said. "Your brother was caught stealing again."
"I'm very sorry for his actions, ma'am." I tell her seriously. "Aries, go wait upstairs, okay?"
The 14-year-old nods and, jumping off the chair, he zooms out of the room, closing the door.
"Stag... have a seat."
I sit in the chair in front of Ms. Lockwood's desk.
"Is everything... okay, between you and your siblings?"
I think about it for a minute. Aries has always been withdrawn and moody since coming here, and Peregrine is a sweet girl to begin with. Lark, I can't say he's done anything out of the ordinary, but with nine-year-olds, you never know what they'll do next.
"I'd say so." I say as honestly as I can.
"Do you enjoy living here?"
"Enjoy" wouldn't be the right word. Yes, it IS a considerably nicer community home than people have made it out to be, but it's only a couple pillars above poverty.
"Yeah." I tell the woman, shrugging my shoulders.
"I wish I could tell why your brother does what he does... I honestly can't believe you both are related." Ms. Lockwood sighs.
We're getting off subject. "Is there anything you want me to do about Aries?" I ask.
"Well..." Ms. Lockwood says, "Effective tomorrow, I'm giving him one week of in-room suspension. When that's over I think he should have to perform some community service to make up for the damaged goods at the shop."
I nod... this isn't the lowest form of punishment Aries has received, but it certainly isn't the worst. "I understand, ma'am."
She nods in return. "Thank you for your time, Stag."
"Thank you." I say seriously. I get up, push in my chair, and go out, closing the door behind me.
I'm greeted by Lark and Peregrine. Lark is in a poorly buttoned shirt and dress pants, and Peregrine is in a too-small red dress paired with too big cowgirl boots.
"You both look very nice." I say politely to them. Then I ask, "Where's Aries?"
"His room... getting ready for the reaping." Peregrine answers, folding her hands primly. "I suggest you do the same."
I chuckle a little... since our mother's passing, Peregrine has tried to fill in for her, making sure we eat our vegetables and making sure we get to bed on time. In a sense she's become not only a mother to my brothers and me, but to the other kids in the community home.
"I'll keep that in mind." I ruffle her hair affectionately. "Go wait for me, okay?" She nods and grabs Lark by the hand, taking him to the rec room to wait.
I search my closet for clothes... nothing seems quite nice enough at first, but I eventually settle on black pants, a brown flannel shirt, and work boots that have clearly been weathered. It's not much, but it's what I have. I comb my dark brown hair and decide to go find my brother. I may not get a long chat with him like I wanted, but maybe I can talk some sense into him before we go.
I'm met by the fourteen-year-old in the hall... Aries is wearing his best Sunday clothes, a white polo shirt paired with tan work pants and brown work shoes. His thick, dark hair is all mussed up, partially from fighting, but I also think he just doesn't like brushing it.
"Aries..." I begin hesitantly. I know to begin with being polite yet firm, to get him to open up a little.
"I know what I did and I know I'm in trouble. Save it." The teen says bitterly.
"It doesn't END there, Aries." I say in frustration. "Why do you do it? Don't you know that these are good people you're stealing from?"
"Good people." The dark-haired boy repeats my words, but he says them in a sardonic, mocking tone of voice.
I shake my head. "Aries..." I begin again.
"Aries! Stag! They're getting the lines ready, come on!" Peregrine runs into the hall and is out of breath from running up the stairs. She runs back down.
I look at the fourteen-year-old boy. "We're not done." I say sternly. "Now come on."
The children are arranged into two groups... 12 and younger, and 13 and up. Being one of the oldest kids in the home, I'm appointed to chaperone the younger group. I'm a little apprehensive about leaving Aries on his own after what he's done, but I don't complain.
There's an excited feeling in the air... a trip into town is a rare thing for the children of the District Ten community home. The little kids chatter excitedly, and the older ones look around in awe.
We arrive in the middle of town. The kids younger than 12- and the staff- are herded like cattle into a roped-off area, and the kids 12 and up head forward into
"Stag!" I hear a voice from behind me. I half-expect it to be Peregrine, from the girliness of the voice, or even Amy, one of the younger kids from the foster home.
Instead, it's my girlfriend.
"Maria!" I call out to the fifteen-year-old. I push my way through the crowd to make my way to her. I grab her hand and I pull her toward the back. "Maria..."
"W-what if I'm picked? Or you?" The girl says fearfully.
"Listen." I put my hands on her shoulders and stare into her beautiful green eyes. "Your name won't be picked; it's only in there six times. You've only got a couple years left. I've only got this year and the next."
"I love you, Stag." Maria's fingers intertwine with mine and her lips push against mine in a passionate kiss. The wind blows her hair in my face, and the world seems to stop for a moment.
She pulls away and turns to leave, but not before placing something in my palm.
"I love you." She repeats before going ahead.
I look into my hand to see what she's given me... it's a ring. A plain silver ring. I put it on my finger and- after getting my finger pricked gently by the Capitol needle- I go to join the other boys my age.
The tension isn't nearly as sharp as I pictured. Don't get me wrong; it's still tense. But things in Ten are more relaxed here than in most other districts.
Isadora Prattle is our Escort... she looks like a peacock, wearing a tight blue dress, black thigh-high boots, and all sorts of outlandish jewelry. She has a headdress to go with her outfit.
"Happy Hunger Games!" Isadora squawks with vomit-inducing enthusiasm. She focuses her attention on the screen, as do most of the other people. I watch intently... this is basically just another routine.
"War... terrible war..."
Only this year and the next, I reminded myself.
"Widows... orphans... a motherless child..."
That was the part that generally hit home for me. I missed my parents so much... they'll never get to see me and Aries graduate school, they'll never get to see Peregrine get married, they'll never get to watch Lark grow up...
"Thirteen districts rebelled against the country..."
The video went on and on, droning about how it was decreed that each year one man and woman would fight to the death in some sort of pageant... the lone victor would be bathed in riches... as a symbol of their "forgiveness".
"How... EXCITING!" Isadora chirped happily. "It is now time to select our tributes. Ladies... first."
The bird-woman reaches her hand in and grabs one of the first slips of paper... unlike most escorts who like to take their sweet time.
"Fawn Nightingale?"
No one steps out at first, but eventually two Peacekeepers come forward dragging a young, sobbing, auburn-haired girl up to the podium. I recognize her instantly... Fawn is one of Peregrine's best friends at school. Fawn is kicking and screaming, and I think I see someone in the crowd- her mother - crying as well. At twelve years old, and being so little, Fawn has little to no chance of making it.
It takes a minute, but Fawn does stop crying. When she's reduced to just a sniffle, Isadora asks, "Any volunteers?"
I feel worse for her knowing no one will take her place. Peregrine's too young to volunteer, her other best friends don't like her well enough, and her older sister would never dream of doing such a thing.
"And now for our young male tribute." Isadora goes to the second reaping bowl, and on this one she takes her sweet time. It's about three or so minutes before she reads the name.
"Aries Browning."
I look around waiting for someone named Aries to come out, and that's when I realized... that's my Aries. My brother!
The dark-haired teen boy comes out and starts his slow walk to the stage. He has stolen and lied to good people, but he doesn't deserve this.
I realize what I have to do.
"Aries..." I call out, coming out of my post. "Aries, stop walking." He doesn't hear me. "ARIES! YOU COME HERE RIGHT NOW!"
Aries stops walking and turns his head toward me, a look of shame on his face.
"I volunteer, as District Ten's tribute." I call out bravely. "I volunteer."
"Well... this is... thrilling!" Isadora twitters in her sugar-coated enthusiasm. "Come up, dear, come up."
"Go back. Now." I hiss to Aries in a low voice. I come up to the stage and look out into the crowd.
"What is your name, dear?" The bird-woman asks me.
"Stag Browning. I am the male tribute of District Ten." I say, sounding more confident than I feel. I look out into the crowd at all the familiar faces... Peregrine, tears streaming down her face, little Lark, not understanding what's going on... Maria, down on her knees, her face buried in her hands... several kids are crying at me going into the arena. I want to cry too, but I can't. I have to be strong for them, and I have to come back alive.
"Happy Hunger Games," Isadora cheeps, "And may the odds... be EVER in your favor."
So that chapter was written by Affinity! Do you guys like Stag?
Next chapter will be up Tuesday!
~A.K.A Anonymous