The Tickling Games

Reaping Day

Alexandra woke up in bed, and stared up at her crumbling ceiling. She lived in the slums of City 66 of State 16, probably one of the poorest of the states.  The ginger girl groaned and hobbled out of better, she shivered feeling her bare feet on her cold concrete floor.

She turned on her sink and waited till the rusty water turned clear, and then washed her freckled face.  "God I wish we could get a new bed..." She complained, turning to the calendar.

"REAPING DAY" was circled in red on the calendar.

"Fuck!" She felt a shiver run down her spine.  "I completely forgot that was today..." She said.

"Alexandra! It's 8:30 we need to leave for the reaping." Her mother yelled from the other room.

Alexandra sprinted to her closet and found her nicest blouse, tie, and skirt.  She pulled up her long cotton socks and ran out her bedroom slipping on her dress shoes.

"S-sorry mom!" She said.

"Really, are you trying to get the peacekeepers to come here?" Her mother said, distraught.

"N-no ofcourse not, sorry." She whimpered.

"Okay, remember there are like 350 others girls that could get picked, the chances of getting chosen are low." Her mother pet her hair.

They walked out of their house towards the city square, where the reaping would take place.  She remembered last year the two that got chosen. 

A girl two years older than Alex at the time, and a boy who was just one year older.  Mally and Oscar.  Oscar seemed to taken stoically, but Mally was a wreck crying and begging they had to use a neutralizer on her... her giggles and crying mixed together in a scary way, as she was drug away.

The men and women lined up in the city square, the peacekeepers wore all black except white faceless masks they all stood at attention, as an obvious reminder not to step out of line.  Hundreds of men and women all virtually dressed the same in greys and dull blues and blacks.  A Party member stands on the stage, a woman with her skin dyed pale white, a dress covered in rainbow covered feathers, and absurdly long nails.  

She spoke into the microphone, "Goo-" The microphone squealed, "Oops!" she giggled, cheerfully, expecting the crowd to laugh.  None of the crowd laughed, causing her to frown awkwardly. 

"Well- uh Good Morning! Ladies and Gentlemen! I am sure you are all very excited today!" She continued trying to hype up the crowd, which stared at her.  

"As you all know, today is the Reaping of the 82nd Annual Tickling Games!" She yelled, shaking her arms as if to cheer, "We will start with the boys!"

She stuck her fingers and long pink glittery fingernails into a bowl full of paper slips.  She grabbed one and put on a pair of reading glasses.

"Reily Jones." She said, with a smile.

Everyone looked over at Reily,  who was escorted by a peacekeeper towards the stage, his legs seeming trembling.  He was a 6'0" 19 year old, with black scruffy hair, he stepped up on stage and attempted to look brave while rubbing his hands together, nervously.

"Now for the ladies!" She said, with a wink.

She reached into the bowl once again, fishing for a name.  Time seemed to move infinitely slow for Alexandra.  She felt so much anxiety.

"Alexandra Orwell." She said, with a smile, waving at her.

Alex felt her stomach drop, she stood in place and began hyperventilating.  "No.. no.. this can't happen to me... State 16ers never win the games... This is how my life ends..." She said, tears rolling down her cheeks.

She felt a rubber glove, roughly yank her arm and drag her to the stage.  She walked up staring in one direction.  She stood their feeling the stadium lights shining on her face, she saw her friends and family looking at her.  "This can't be happening."

"The Champions of State 16!" The woman yelled, reaching out in both directions poking them both.

Reily jumped to the side, and Alex yelped and felt tear in her eyes realizing how ticklish she is.

The party member took them both by the hand and drug them into the city hall ready to get on the train ride to the Capitol.