The 35th Hunger Games -- SYOT (WRITER'S GAMES) {Semi-Closed}

Reaping Day -- District One Female

Lera Darling, District One Female! Enjoy, Jeannie and I will post a chapter later on with the scores :)

Lera Darling always felt Reaping Day was like a birthday party for a sick child. Everyone came with gifts, and food, and wished the young child another well lived year. It was smiles and light laughter, but there was the unease that everyone could feel when the cake was sliced with a butterknife. Would the kid live another year for this? Or will something disastrous happen in between?

It was that feeling Lera would get walking to the city square for the sixteenth year, her two brothers, Chandler and Wolf, clutching her hands, and mother falling behind. She could smell some sort of buttery food being baked the more they walked. Her mother had said those were special, only for this occasion, and that we must always buy them to show our support. Her youngest brother, Chandler, would always ask for one, and as soon as mother turned away would toss it into the fountain.  "Let us go stand with the Mylak's today hmm?" Her mother led them to an old lady with bright, neon, orange hair. She didn't stand out. It was a color Lera had seen on many of the other teens throughout the district. Mrs.Mylak was a teacher for the youngest of kids, and she used to teach Chandler. Now she stood with a chewed up lip and a hand cutting the blood flow from her daughter's hand. Mira Mylak was a wiry framed girl, the veins in her eyes a bloody red, and Lera had always steered away from her.  While Mylak and her mother chatted in the presence of Peacekeepers Mira turned to her. "You look...plain." The word plain could never describe someone in District 1. It just meant she was plainer than the normal today. In truth, she only wore a lime green sweater over too dark pants. Her hair was curled like rings down her neck, the color splitting from blonde to black at the scalp. Lips a dark red and lined with purple, eyes naturally large like a baby's, the color infused with a tint of gold.

"You look ready to stab someone, Mira." Lera's voice was soft and unthreatening through the threat. It was her childlike face and high voice that never let her be feared, yet they were trained from youth to fight. Mira smiled at this description and turned away once the buzz of a microphone rang throughout the square.  The man was clad in a dizzying silver suit and adorned with soft accents of turquoise. His hair was twisted up harshly, a style that pulled his face up along with his smile of pearly teeth. The jar, the same one they had used for as long as Lera could remember, was placed on the ground next to his feet on the stage. Above him they rigged a large screen to better show off the man and the action he was about to perform.  "Welcome! Welcome! To the 35th Hunger Games!" The crowd gave an electric shout with the acceptance of thundering claps of painted hands. The man looked thrilled by the greeting, "I'm so glad to see everyone could take time out of their busy schedules to be here." A low hum of laughter. Where else could they go? It was required after all.  "Now for the most exciting part," He took the one step off the platform and dug his hand in the jar. Lera noticed how the screen showed the glistening off his hand, and wondered if he had rubbed lard over it to give it that effect. His hand then raised to hover directly on the top layer of paper names and plucked from the top.  He hovered above the microphone, "Lera Darling."  She didn't have to pretend she hadn't heard correctly. The turns of all heads towards her was a give away. The cheering raised up for the female tribute. Chandler and Wolf clutched harder at her hands, both sets of eyes tearing up. Their mother kept still behind them, not bothering to comfort her daughter.

Lera didn't want to leave her brothers in the care of her mother. She was useless in the ways of family, Lera had stretched herself thin her entire life to keep her mother hidden from public eye. Secrets were always best kept hidden when only she knew them. Her mother would destroy what Lera had so desperately tried to keep hidden. With one last squeeze of her brothers hands she made her way up to the stage.  "Ah, Lera. Sixteen and still so childlike. Must have cost a fortune." He whispered the last sentence away from the microphone. Lera wanted to snap back and say she has spent no money changing her features, only the slight color of her eyes, and that was it. But he gave her no time to respond, and took her hand and raised it into the air for more applause.  The male tribute was called up next, a boy by the name of Bastion Sobel. He looked familiar, but not familiar enough for Lera to place him.The 35th Hunger Games has started.Her birthday was over.She was the sick child of a new year.