It's raining the day of the Reaping. The kind of rain that soaks you in seconds and makes sight nearly impossible. By the time my family reaches the town center, I decide I'm never going to be dry again. On my left, my older sister releases my hand and walks towards her friends in the eighteen-year-olds' section. She's acting confident, but I can see her knees shaking. Meghana took tesserae this year, and this is one Games even the Career Districts may not what to participate in.
It's the 100th Quarter Quell this year. The Games have been especially harsh since the Mockingjay Rebellion failed fifteen years ago, but this year is even worse. President Storm announced that for the change in rules, half of the Tributes will be randomly selected to have their brains altered. Memories removed. Made more vicious and bloodthirsty. The other half would be left to deal with the fear of not knowing who the altered Tributes were.
I realize that I've stopped in my tracks, clenching my twin brother's hand. Kayden's deep brown eyes lock with my blue ones- the only obvious difference, besides hair length, in our faces. "Karalynn?" I force a smile. "I'm fine, Kay." I squeeze his hand one last time and walk towards the fifteen-year-old girls' section. Neither of us have tessarae, only Meghana. But I'm still scared, for all three of us.
The stage has a wooden covering over it, to protect the mayor and the Capitol people. The District Ten Victors sit in a small group. Just two- almost all the Victors were killed in the Mockingjay Rebellion. Some, like Twelve, have no Victors at all and are being mentored by some of the spare Career Victors. The mayor is talking, but nobody is listening between the loud rain and nerves. It's just one more Reaping, I tell myself. Like any other year, just a Reaping to stand through and then we can go home. The Escort, Dahlia Bloom, is talking about how great the Games are. I glance towards Kay, barely able to see him through the rain. I think I catch a smile, a hint of teasing in his eye, but then Dahlia is walking towards the Reaping ball and I make myself pay attention.
"Ladies first!"she shouts over the rain. Not Meghana, not Meghana, not Emma or Mira or any of my friends, not- Dahlia's voice just reaches my ears. "Karalynn Jackson!"
The crowd and the rain fall silent to my shock. Karalynn Jackson. That's me. That's my name. No, no, nonononono... Blood is rushing to my face, and I'm vaguely aware of my feet moving, one at a time, towards the stage without my permission. Meghana is pale and open-mouthed, but it's against the rules to volunteer for a family member since Katniss Everdeen fifteen years ago.
Dahlia says something to me, I don't know what, and I nod dully. I'm going in the Games. I'm going in the Quarter Quell. They're going to mess with my head, or...Dahlia is moving towards the other Reaping ball. "And for our second Tribute..." Focus, Kara, focus!"Kayden Jackson!"
There's a scream somewhere. Maybe it's my mother. Or Meghana. Or maybe it's me.
Reviews please? Chapter Two should be up right away. After that, I'll try and update every day, but no promises.