In each of the remaining twelve districts, teenagers were corralled into their respective venues for what would become the first ever Reaping ceremony. The kids were too naïve to understand the full breadth of what the Hunger Games were, but they knew they were being punished for the rebelliousness of their parents. They understood that a boy and a girl from each district would be selected at random to compete. Then they learned that only one of those twenty four kids would make it out of the Games alive.
Kids were frightened. Parents wailed. A select few found the prospect of exorbitant wealth and glory enticing. In any case, there was no erasing or revising the charter that sentenced twenty three teens from across Panem to die, all for the amusement of the Capitol.
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DISTRICT 1
In District 1, the charter was met with the most...glee, if you could call it that. Unlike in the higher number districts, which are more impoverished, residents of District 1 pined for prestige. They are the Capitol's lapdogs. When the charter was announced to them, the Games seemed as much of an opportunity as it was a punishment.
It was here that the first tribute was reaped.
"Angela Babicz!"
"No!" her sister Susan exclaimed.
As if expecting to be reaped, she unlocked her fingers from Susan's tight grasp and ascended the stairs to join the escort onstage. On the outside, she maintained her dignity and poise, but on the inside, she wanted to scream.
Next was the male representative. But before the escort, Ruperta, could even read the name of who would be reaped next, a voice rung out from among the District 1 boys: "I would like to volunteer myself."
He was by no means loud, but his audacity to interrupt the Reaping, especially with baton-wielding Peacekeepers lined up every ten feet to intercept him, spoke volumes. This interruption, however, was met with jubilant praise.
"A volunteer?" Ruperta sang. "Now that is what I call a tribute, boys and girls! This young man is an example to you all! A young man eager to compete!"
He climbed onstage and pivoted to face the other District 1 teens who had officially just...survived? missed out? on the first ever Hunger Games. His left eye was covered by an eyepatch. His right eye darted to the row of 19s in the front row of the boys' side, spooking them. He recognized most of them as his childhood tormentors who teased him for losing his eye. Seeing them flushed with fear and envy, flinching at a wayward glance...it satisfied him more than he'd like to admit.
"What is your name, my dear?" Ruperta cooed.
"Christian," he stoicly replied. "Christian Polar."
"Ladies and gentlemen, the representatives of District 1!" Ruperta boomed. "Angela Babicz and Christian Polar!"
Little did Christian know, he was setting an example for Reapings to come.
