Ascendance: The 99th Annual Hunger Games

Chapter 9

District 3 Reaping

"What's this?" I ask as a walk down the hall.

"Happy Birthday Fern!" My mother says happily.

On the circular, wooden dining table, a small cake lays in the middle.

"But my birthdays in three days?" I say again, still wondering why my mother has decided to celebrate it early.

"I- I just thought it would be a nice surprise and... um. You know what today is! And of course you only turn 18 once!"

Oh. It's about the reaping. Of course. She doesn't think I'll make it past this year's reaping. I plaster a fake smile on my face.

"Thank you mother." I say, trying to sound happy.

I can see my mother is holding in tears. I'm her first born, her favorite. It's going to break her if I don't come home. I sit down and my mother starts to cut the cake.

"So, tell me how your technology studies are going at school?" My mother asks me.

A great change of subject, I know everything about the technology we're learning about. I've even build some of my own creations, so that when I'm 18 in three days, I can get a job and one of the technology companies that work to supply the capitol and publish a patent on my new designs. It's all I've ever dreamed about.

"Oh well you know, same old same old. I'm doing really well. I'm at the top of my class as usual." I say.

"That's great!" My mother tells me.

I check the my watch. I made it myself a couple years ago, the markings on it are made of real gold.

Shoot. A quarter past 9. The reaping starts promptly at 11. I have to get ready now if I'm going to make it on time. I take one last bite of my birthday cake and rush down the hall to get dressed.
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I look in the mirror, I'm wearing a lush green dress that matches my name. I've tied my dark brown hair into a tight bun on the back of my head.

"Fern! Your going to be late!" My mother calls from down the hall.

I rush down, my shoes clicking on the wood floors. Before I head out the door, I hug my mother one last time. We head out the door as my mother wipes one last tear off her check.

I close my eyes as the peacekeeper jabs a needle into my finger and presses the blood onto a peace of paper. I then walk over to the 17 year old section and watch as my other three siblings go into their sections.

I have two sisters and one brother. Pixelle, Jolie, and Flick. Pixelle is 13, Jolie is 15, and my youngest brother, Flick, is 6.

Our mayor then introduces our bubbly escort Kitty Wire. She bounces onto stage giggling happily. I used to laugh and say how funny her name was, but once I was old enough to get reaped, all of a sudden it wasn't very funny anymore.

"Hello district 3!" she shouts into the microphone.

I wince as the sounds of her high pitched voice echos across the towns square.

"Before I pick your very brave tributes for this years 99th annual Hunger Games, I have a special film to show you from the capitol!"

She then shows the long film that has been playing for who knows how many years.

When it's over, Kitty then says "Ladies first!"

And reaches into the first clear bowl filled with girls names on them, including 6 of mine. My mother's job luckily supplies us enough money to were neither I or my siblings have to take tesserae.

Kitty swirls her hand inside before latching one of her long, sparkly green fingernails onto one and snatches it out of the bowl.

"Fern Byte!" She shouts.

"Come on up here!"

Oh no.

I swallow hard, look at my mother who has her hand clamped onto her face. I keep my face plain, neutral, as I walk up the stone concrete steps.

The steps of doom.

What a great birthday present, being reaped for the 99th annual Hunger Games. I take a seat as my vision becomes blurry for a split second. I steady my self and watch as Kitty latches her claws onto another poor child's name.

"Dysc Tele!" She calls.

I see a boy from the 14 year old section walk up the steps nervously.

"Oh no need to be nervous Dysc, take a seat by Fern."  Kitty says with fake empathy.

Dysc comes and takes the empty chair next to me as Kitty shouts out our names one more time. The peacekeepers then forcefully grab my arms and haul me into the Hall of Justice as if I can't walk.