Into the Game - A Hunger Games Fanfiction

Chapter One: The Reaping

I feel the soft pinch of the needle the peacekeeper uses to take my blood.

"Quinn Baker" reads the robotic voice as a headshot-like picture of me appears on the small screen. It depicts my dark skin, thick black hair, and medium-brown eyes. I am average height for a 13-year old, but deathly skinny. A lack of proper nutrients will do that to a person.

"You may proceed" the deep voice of the white, male peacemaker orders, shoving me along.

I flip him off as I walk towards the part of the girls section for 13-year-old. After shoving myself into the crowd, pushing myself through so I wouldn't be at the edge.

I am not wearing 'reaping clothes' as I own none. I am dressed in black pants, which are so worn that they are starting to tear in multiple places, and a gray shirt in the same state. My feet are shoved into sneakers a size too small, with holes in the top and the sole worn almost completely worn away.

Oddly enough, I am also wearing my most prized possesions. An extremely worn red tie that is tucked under my shirt, and a matching hairbow that is around my wrist, instead of on my head. I ran my fingers through my thick black hair in an attempt to make it look a little nicer, although it did little to help.

I stand silently for a good 15 minutes before an extremely annoying, high pitched capitol accent pierces through the crowd.

"Hello district 11! Welcome to the reaping for the 82nd hunger games! Happy hunger games and may the odds be ever in your favor!" announces Isla, escort of district 11. She is about 5'6 and has an inhumane and definitely surgically altered body type. Her skin is unnaturally pale and she wears a fluffy, bright blue wig and matching dress and heels.

I once again raise my middle finger in her direction. I fucking hate this lady.

"Before we choose our wonderful tributes, we have a lovely film from the capitol!"

Images fill the screen behind her. Rebellion blah blah blah. War blah blah blah. The capitol is merciful blah blah blah (fucking lies). one girl and one guy from each district to die (as if we aren't all painfully aware of this).

Once the film is over, Isla claps. She is alone in this applause.

Each of district 11's past victors are listed and the ones still alive walk onto the stage. We have had five total, three of which are still alive.

Moss won the 6th games, but he's dead. Same with Guillame who won the 25th games which was the first quarter quell. First to enter the stage is Seeder, who won the 33rd games and next is Chaff, who won the 45th games and is clearly intoxicated. Finally, Geranio, victor of the 77th games, is brought out and he looked fucking miserable. He had volunteered for his games, intending to kill himself had he not gone in. Somehow, he made it out. An absolute fucking legend in my opinion.

They take their seats in complete silence.

"Alrighty, lets begin." Isla says, as though we aren't the ones waiting for her. "As always, ladies first."

She reaches her pale hand into the large glass bowl, digging around before pulling out a handful of small white papers and letting them slip through her fingers before pulling out the last one, almost as though she is teasing us.

Isla walks back to the microphone, unfolds the paper, and reads out the name.

"The female tribute for district 11 is... Sage Hammond"

The audience is silent for a moment, other than the few cries out from the girl's friends and family, as a girl emerges from somewhere around the middle of the crowd of girls and is immediately flanked by peacekeepers.

She is is pretty average for our district, dark skin and hair. She is wearing a nice green dress and her hair is slicked back into a ponytail with a matching green ribbon.

When she gets to the stage, She stands quietly beside Isla. She is not crying, but instead looks almost numb.

"How old are you dear?" Isla asks her.

"15" Sage's voice is quiet and full of mourning as it floats over the crowd, as if she has already accepted her death.

"Wonderful! Lets give Sage a round of applause for her bravery!" Isla claps and a few people in the crowd join in, though theirs is completely half assed.

"Next, our boy tribute!"

Isla undergoes the same stretched out project in the other glass bowl before walking back to her microphone.

"Our boy tribute is... Flynn Hammond"

I watch the face of Sage constrict from one of numbness to absolute horror as I recognize that they have the same last name.

"No!! please no, Flynn no!!" Sage cries out.

In a completely different tone, Isla announces "Oh, how wonderful, are the two of you siblings?"

Wonderful? What the actual fuck, Isla. Sage simply continues crying out for her brother. When he reaches the stage, I see the similarities in their features as he embraces her in a hug, murmuring something in her ear.

"Now, darling, are you too siblings?" Isla asks.

Flynn leans into the mike and says a single word. The one word I hoped beyond belief he would not say, his voice empty, void of all hope "Yes."

Well, shit.

A/N: Thank you so much for reading!! Please feel free to leave any notes/errors you notice/anything else in the comments :)