Breaking Point Sextet IV

Tempest: The 73rd Hunger Games

Chapter Five

District Four Reapings

A/N: Thanks to Starlight Bee and Persephone Fae for these wonderful Tributes!

Mari Simone POV

My feet hit the ground beneath me. I can feel the energy pouring through them and into the floor. I can feel how it'll push me, how it'll move me. I raise the spear as I run. In two strides, I'll be there, to the position I've calculated in my head. One stride, more energy flowing from my body into the ground. I bring my arm back. Another stride, more energy, and now I'm in the right position. I twist my body to the left to give me a clear view of the target and throw the spear at exactly the right moment, with the perfect energy, and the perfect angle. I duck to avoid counter-fire and put my head and body forward, my momentum trying to carry me slightly to the right of where I want to go, but I put a little more energy into my left stride and correct. My weapon races on ahead of me, impacting the target exactly where I expected it to. A fatal wound, certainly. I follow only a second behind my weapon, my fists slamming into the target one after the other. A knee, followed by a foot, ensures that my target is down for the count. Or, it would be, if it was a person. Instead, the poor punching bag sags, spilling punching bag filling out onto the floor and almost looking sad.

"Sorry," I say to the defeated-looking punching bag. "It's nothing personal." I grab the spear from the wound in the bag, leaving more filling to spill out onto the floor. A janitor will come and grab that later, I'm sure. I won't be here by then though. I toss the spear back into its rack, not even looking over, and hear it land perfectly. I grab my towel from one of the benches of the training center and walk back home. When I open the door, my dad is waiting there for me.

"You know you have to shower, right?" He asks.

"I know, I was going to do that now," I say, smiling at him. I'm always smiling at him so that he knows I'm alright even after… even after what happened with Mom. I walk to my room and shower before deciding what to wear, and eventually deciding on a purple dress. I put on the dress and style my red hair into its two normal long pigtails, then look at myself in the mirror. I smile at my emerald eyes before heading out into the living room to meet my Dad again.

"How do I look?" I ask, spinning to show off the dress for him. Normally, I wear athletic clothes out most of the time, but that would not be appropriate for today's event.

"Beautiful, as always," Dad says. He pauses. "Are you sure about this, honey? I mean, you know I'll always support you, but… you are a bit young for the Hunger Games, and…" he trails off. "I'm just worried about you, Mari."

"Thanks, Dad," I say, "but I'll be fine. You don't need to be worried about me. I was picked by the Academy, and at only fourteen! I'm the youngest Tribute to ever be nominated as the Volunteer from Four. It's an honor, Dad. Don't worry, I'll be fine. I've been training for years." I walk up to him and hug him. "Don't worry. I'll be fine."

He hugs me back. "You better be. I'll be watching, and if you don't come back, I'll kill you."

"Dad!" I laugh.

He squeezes me a bit tighter. "I love you, Mari. Good luck. I believe in you."

"Thanks, Dad," I say as he releases me from the hug. "Now let's head out."

"Let's," he says.

Ripple Fischer –18- -D4- POV

I tie my dark hair into my usual small bun on the top of my head and look at my blue eyes standing out from my tan skin, bending down a tiny bit to get the top of my head inside the frame of the mirror. Being only a few inches shorter than the ceilings, at six foot three (190.5cm), has its perks, mostly in the looks department, but also has its downsides, mostly in the walking through doorways and under trees department, something my sister certainly doesn't have to worry about. Lucky her. I smile at myself and walk out the door, bending down to not crack my head on the six-foot-tall doorway, and walk into the living room, where my great-grandfather and sister wait. Ninety and sixteen, I wonder if most people are surrounded by such diverse age ranges. Trina smiles at me.

"Hey, big brother. Ready for your big day?" She asks.

"Very much so," I say. "How are you?"

"Happy that I know there's a Volunteer," she says. "Mari, right?"

"Yeah," I say, thinking about the fourteen-year-old girl who the Academy had recommended to Volunteer this year. I will admit that it rubs me the wrong way a tiny bit that she was recommended at fourteen, when I, who has been training since age six, was only recommended at eighteen. I guess I should just be happy I was recommended at all, but of course, I was. I had to be, its been my goal for years, since I was, well, six. "You know," Trina continues, "you could be like her boyfriend or something. Maybe that would help you win."

"Eww!" I say. "First of all, Trina, she's like four years younger than me. Second of all –,"

"You know," my great-grandfather cuts in with his raspy voice, "Trina is right, Ripple. Having a romantic connection with another Tribute, as long as you don't actually have any feelings for them, can," he coughs, "be a great asset in the Games. You remember Lily and Arc from three years ago?"

"Of course I do," I say, "and they also didn't win."

"Yes, but Miss Cross made it further because of her supposed attachment to Mr. Woods than she would have alone," great-grandfather says.

"Still," I say, "if I were going to romance someone, it wouldn't be someone as young as her."

"You know," great-grandfather Reese says, "in my day, it was considered a good thing to have a younger woman on your arm."

"Grandpa!" I scold him, shaking my head. "Can we just leave? Please?"

Mari Simone –14- -D4- POV

I arrive at the Reaping and leave Dad to talk to my friend. My one and only, and therefore best, friend, Grant. I see his sandy blond hair towering over the crowd since he's only a tiny bit shorter than my partner this year, Ripple, he dominates the much shorter teens crowding the square. I run up to him and hug him from behind. Although I can't see it, I know he smiles.

"Hello, Mari," he says. "How are you?"

"I'm good," I say, releasing him and stepping back. He turns around. "Excited for the big day!"

"I imagine," he says. "You've been working for this for years. And you're the youngest ever!"

"I know, right!" I say. "It's so exciting!"

"I know," he says. "I know." His eyes fade a little bit, and I know what he's thinking.

"Hey," I say, lowering my voice. "It'll be okay. I'll be fine. Remember, I'm not just doing this for me."

He nods. "You're doing it for your mom."

"Yeah," I say, remembering the day just before…

Ohh, flashback time…

The day before the Reaping, District Four

I walk into the graveyard. This graveyard is one of only a few in the entire District, and one of the smaller and more private ones. It sits on top of a hill, overlooking the entire District. Mulberry Graveyard, it's called. To me, it's just where Mom is. I walk the well-traveled and completely memorized path slowly, carrying a small bouquet of flowers. Red roses, Mom's favorite. She always said they reminded her of me, of my hair. Even though I wasn't there for her as much as I should have been, she loved me. And I loved her, even if I didn't show it. I walk over to her grave and read the familiar inscription.

Clare Simone

31

Beloved wife and mother.

Red roses

By any name

Could not be as sweet

As she was

I give a tiny smile at the epitaph, my vision already clouded by tears. I kneel down on the grave, placing the flowers in front of the stone, with so many others that I've put there before. So many wilted, just… just like her.

"For you, Mom. I love you," I tell her. "I'm volunteering tomorrow. It's the fourth. It's Reaping day." I sniffle. "Don't worry, Mom. I'll make you proud, and… and I'll have the biggest smile for you when I win. Okay?" I smile at her, placing my hand on her headstone. "I love you, Mom. I love you."

Back to the present…

"Yeah," I say again, repeating myself. "I'm doing this for her. I… I may have been the reason she did what she did, but I'll make her proud. Even if I only do it after she's dead."

Grant nods. "I know you will, Mari. You're the strongest, fastest, best-trained person I know. And you should have seen the look in your eyes right now. I wouldn't want to have been standing in your way."

"Thanks," I say. I try to smile. "You know I would never hurt you."

"I know that. But if I was someone else, one of those other Tributes," he shakes a little bit. "I would be very afraid."

This time I do smile. "I'll take that as a compliment."

"You should," he says.

"Hello, and welcome to the District Four Reapings!" Bella Trinket says from onstage.

"That's my cue!" I say. "I should be going anyway, don't want to get fish smell on me!" He laughs.

"Bye, fish girl!" He shouts. "See you in a few weeks!" He does smell a bit like fish, which makes sense as he probably came right from the fish market where we both work.

"As always, ladies first!" Bella shouts from onstage after I reach my section and everyone has settled down. Bella reaches into the bowel and picks out a slip of paper, unfolding it.

"I Volunteer as Tribute!" I shout. I walk up to the stage confidently. I am confident. I can do this. I will do this. For Mom.

"And what is your name?" Bella asks.

"Mari Simone," I answer matter-of-factly.

Bella laughs. "It appears we have a bit of a coincidence." She shows me the slip of paper.

Mari Simone, 14.

Red hair, 5'4", 115 Ibs, green eyes

I'm a little surprised by how much detail there is, but I guess it makes sense. I take my position on stage behind her.

"The Female Tribute from District Four is Mari Simone!"

Ripple Fischer –18- -D4- POV

I reach the Reaping and leave Trina to find her friends or whatever, and great-grandpa Reese to… watch, I guess? Either way, I set off to find my friends, Elias and Sol. Well, technically, Sol's my ex-girlfriend, but we're still friends. I mean, after dating for three years, how could we not be? And to think that I asked her out on a dare.

"Hey, Ripple!" Sol's voice greets me from the side and I turn to face her.

"Hey, Sol!" I say, smiling at her blue eyes under her dark red hair. Her name is appropriate, with her red hair, blue eyes, freckles, and fiery personality, she acts like the Sun. "How are you?"

"Happy this is my last Reaping," she says. "There's a Volunteer, right? That Mari girl?"

"Yeah," I say. "She looks sort of like you, actually."

"She as hot as me?" Sol asks.

I roll my eyes. "What is with you people today?"

"Us people?" Elias asks, walking up. "Who are 'us people'?"

"First my sister's all like, 'you should hook up with Mari'," I do a fake high-pitched voice, "then Reese is like 'you really should, it's great for the Games and like a badge of honor or something,'" I do a fake old man voice for great-grandfather Reese, "and now Sol's saying the same thing."

"Hey, I didn't say you should hook up with her, I just asked if she's hot," Sol defends herself.

"Uh-huh," I say. "Look, I am not hooking up with my District Partner or anyone else, but especially not her. She's fourteen, my goodness! Drop the subject, okay?"
"Okay, okay," Sol says. "I was just teasing anyway. So, are you excited for your big day?"

"Of course I am," I say.

"Yeah, you've been training for it for years," Elias says, running his eyes over me. "And that's certainly paid off. I'm sure you'll do well."

"Thanks," I say. At that second, Trina comes over, almost colliding with Elias.

"Oh!" She says. "Sorry, Elias, I didn't see you there!"

"Hi, Trina," Elias says distractedly. "How are you?"

"Oh," Trina says, straightening up and playing with her hair. "I'm great, how about you?"

"I'm fine," Elias says. "Say, Ripple, we should –,"

He's cut off by Bella starting the Reaping. "That's my cue to go and Volunteer," I say. "See you all in a week." I hug Sol goodbye, and Elias walks with me to our shared section, although conversation is impossible just by the challenge of navigating through everyone scrambling to finish last-minute conversations and get to their sections. I see Mari Volunteer, as expected, and then it's my turn.

"The Male Tribute from District Four is…" Bella starts, unfolding the slip of paper.

"I Volunteer as Tribute!" I shout. I stride to the stage.

"And what is your name, young man?" Bella asks.

"Ripple Fischer," I say.

"The Male Tribute from District Four is Ripple Fischer!"

"The Tributes from District Four are Mari Simone and Ripple Fischer!"

A/N: So, what did you all think of this chapter? Which one of our Tributes do you like better? Are you looking forward to the next one? See you all soon (in District Five)! –JStar14H