Love and Danger in the Arena || Lamina X OC

chapter one || the reaping

8:30 AM - District 1.

With a heavy heart and a scowl on her face, Michaela trudged her way towards the stage where the reaping was to take place. Every year, this day filled her with dread and loathing. The thought of it made her stomach churn.

Beside her walked her younger brother, matching her strides but with an equally disinterested expression. It was clear that he shared her sentiments about the upcoming event.

After a few minutes of shared silence, they go to the reaping stage and she looks at him.

She gives him a look as if she's saying, "You'll be fine." to which he nods before he walks into the large group of males varying in ages from twelve to eighteen.

She does the same but she walks to the large group of females. A few moments later, the mayor steps out onto the stage and greets them with a wide smile.

Nobody returned the smile, which made her smirk at the ground but her smirk was quickly swept away when she heard him walking across the stage.

He's walking towards the bowl filled with the male's names. She was practically praying that her brother didn't get picked.

She watches as the older man mixes his hand in the bowl, and she glares at him.

"The male tribute is ... Facet Farbrook."

Everyone's head turned, trying to look for the boy. He slowly walked into the middle of the two groups and made his way onto the stage. He stood to the right of the mayor who smiled at him and then reached his hand into the female name's bowl.

His eyes squinted, looking at the paper.

"Ah ..."

District 7.

Lamina locked the door of the cabin that her parents had left her when they passed away and left her alone.

Well, not completely alone.

She walked away from her home and towards the Reaping stage in the district. On the way, she bumped into her friend. Treech Lowlock.

He gave her a nod to which she returned.

"So, who do you think is going to get picked today? I have an idea of who. Hear me out. Birre Dayrock."

"Listen, I heard that her family has been struggling a lot. So that means she had to borrow coins from the District bank, meaning her name got put into the bowl a lot more." She rambled to him, to which he just nodded. He didn't feel like talking.

He didn't mean to be dull, he just didn't feel like talking. He was afraid that if he said a word, the world would target him and that his name would then be called out.

After she realised she wasn't getting anywhere, she quieted down and instead continued walking. After a moment of silence, he grabbed her hand and walked with her.

A few minutes later they found themselves at the reaping stage and he looked at her.

"Nothing's going to happen to us, we'll be fine. You'll be fine, Lamina." She looked at him and hugged him, desperately.

Once they backed away, they stood in the group of their gender.

Lamina watched the mayor tap the microphone, almost defeaning them. She cringed at the loud noise.

"Let's start with the male's." He spoke into the microphone, looking at the bowl of names. He reached his hand into the bowl and grabbed the first piece of paper he had felt.

"Hm. Treech Lowlock."

Lamina's whole world has stopped, she couldn't breathe. This couldn't be happening, he was the only person she had.

She screamed out, "Treech, I'm so sorry!" She felt as if it was her fault, she knew it wasn't but she still felt guilty.

He stood up on the stage and fixed his hat before looking at her. He gave her a small smile but the smile was deceiving, he had no emotion in that smile. He was probably in shock.

She watched as he fidgeted with the rim of his hat, the hat she made for him. On the top of his hat, it had their initials, 'L + T'. She loved Treech, but not in a romantic way. She always thought of them as brother and sister. And he did the same. Hell, he thought they were related when they were younger.

After what feels like an eternity, he walks over to the female's name bowl and grabs a few pieces of paper. He drops a few until he's left with one and he looks at it before reading out, "Lamina Ashcreek."

She dropped to the floor, her whole body went numb. She felt like she was dying a slow but painful death. Yet, the pain was just an illusion.

Treech's eyes widen when he hears her name and he screams in horror, "No, Lamina!"

District 1.

He looks up trying to find the girl despite him not knowing who she was nor what she looked like.

Everyone put their heads down, too scared to meet his eyes fearing that if they made eye contact the name would change to their name.

"Michaela Islette."

Her head snaps up, she hopes it's a dream. No, not a dream. A nightmare.

It has to be a nightmare, she couldn't have been chosen.

"Michaela Islette?" He repeats her name, wanting her to come up to the stage. And so she does, she stumbles up the stairs and stands next to him.

She glares into the cameras, those stupid cameras. She was only going to be used for their entertainment. The capitols entertainment, her death was going to be entertaining. God, it made her blood boil.

If they wanted entertainment, they were going to get it.

She grabbed the microphone and screamed into it.

"I have to suffer in that rigged arena, I have to leave my family for you! Well, you wanna know what I say to that?" She pauses, she's surprised the guards haven't detained her yet.

"I say fuck that, fuck all of you! Fuck the capitol!" She wails, glaring into the camera.

She steps away from the microphone before looking at the guards, she wants them to take her to her doom. Right now.

As she walks away, she sticks up her middle fingers at the cameras behind her back.