The streets of district 12 were bustling, but not with joy or happiness. It was the day of the reaping, a day they would send more of their children into the hunger games. A cruel fate set up by the capitol as entertainment, and a way to keep them in their places. Many people were heading towards the center of town, the spot everyone was supposed to be gathering at, most were hurrying over not wanting to be in trouble by taking their time or being late, while others were dragging behind wishing for the day to just vanish and never return. One though fought against the flow of the crowd, in search of a face before he was forced to go to his spot, he wanted to walk with her to hold her hand on the way and reassure her that everything would be alight as he's done for two years now. (He had already escorted his younger brother and mother to the town square before slipping off once more. He had stood and hugged his mother most of the morning whispering reassurance to her until she calmed enough to get ready herself, before he moved on doing the same with Jonathan talking the boy into being strong.) He spotted her finally, and rushed to get to her pushing a boy from his path and barley murmuring an apology. "Hey Silver!" he shouted over the crowds towards a girl with dark brown hair but skin pale enough it seemed to glow in the night.
He was dressed in his Sunday best a nice white shirt and good pants and shoes, protocol for the reaping. He gave the girl Silver a concerned look upon reaching her, her eyes full of worry and stress, as he was she was dressed in her Sunday best, a deep blue dress pulling the color from her eyes, her hair made to curl and fall down her neck in beautiful waves framing her face. But she was nervous as every year. "Haymitch, I'm glad I didn't miss you!" A genuine smile broke through her worried mask, her thin arms wrapping around his waist, strong muscular arms encircling her in return. All the youth were headed towards the center of town, once there they would be separated by gender to be reaped for the games.
"You would have to of been trying to get through the crowd for that to happen sweetheart." Haymitch spoke playfully, teasing the girl as he nuzzled his face into her hair for a seconded before placing an arm around her waist and slowly making his way into the line of people. "You weren't trying to do that were you?" He sounded hurt though it was all an act, a tease really.
"Of course not, why would I even consider such a thing! Besides what if it's the last we'll see each other?" And there it was the worried mask back upon her face as she stopped walking, looking up at her boyfriend her blue eyes scanning his face. He gave a small sigh bringing a hand up to cup her cheek; she's been like this ever since they started dating two years ago.
"It won't be the last time…" She opened her mouth to protest that it could be but he placed a finger over her mouth. "It want be, even if one of us is reaped today, it want be the last time. I promise." It would be taken as an empty promise, as there was no set way of for sure coming back, but he didn't intend to break it either. He kept his arm securely around her waist for the rest of the walk, only parting ways when he was forced to even then he searched for her once he was standing in the crowd of boys both older, younger and the same age (He was around in the middle of the group not young enough to be in the back but not old enough to be right up front, it was the same for Silver.) He spotted her and gave an encouraging smile as well as wink earning a smile in return, though only a small and timid one.
Moments later the tapping of a microphone was heard as the woman on stage cleared her throat lowering her hands. She had a smile upon her face as she looked giddy, excited for the revealing. Her strange clothes and dyed skin and hair only giving her the look of a siren in search of her next meal, it made Haymitch skin crawl in a way as she spoke clapping her hands together as she greeted everyone and talked about the Quarter Quell, this being the seconded one before saying President Snow had an announcement. He watched the screen in silence as the president was shown; he pulled a yellow envelope out of a box with a twisted smile breaking the seal with ease. In honor of the quarter quell there would be twice the number of tributes. Two males and two females from each district, this only upped the chances of being chosen, and upped the chances of losing your life. As the screen went blank later and it finally came time for the 'lucky' tributes to be chosen everyone fell silent.
"Hmm. We'll choose our first girl, and then our first boy then we'll go back to the girl." She announced as she made her way to the glass orb full of papers. Each delicately printed and folded to conceal the name of the tributes. Haymitch glanced towards Silver who had her eyes locked on the woman, he looked back as well as she fished her hand around the globe before pulling out a paper with a small hum of approval. She made a smack with her lips, breaking the seal and reading the name to herself before smiling into the microphone. "Our first female tribute is Silvia Rosehearty!" Every muscle in his body seemed to tense at first part of the name, it wasn't Silver though and he could find himself relaxing and able to take a deep breath. The girl one he had seen a few times around the soup kitchen made her way up the stairs, she was healthier than most, her parents making plenty to keep them from starving. He watched in silence as she introduced the girl asking a few questions before walking over to the boy's globe. "Our first male tribute is, Huck Ivory!"
The same thing happened once more before she was back at the girl's globe announcing the next tribute to be Maysilee Donner. "Our final tribute is…" The woman seemed to take her time to choose the name, her fingers carelessly dancing across the papers until finally resting upon one. "Haymitch Abernathy!" Her voice echoed around the street, breaking the silence. Eyes fell upon him, but none I paid attention to. Slowly he pushed his way through the other boys and into the opened path, catching Silver who looked horrified her hand over her mouth as her shoulders shook. He then glanced behind him caching sight of his younger brother Jonathan, his eyes were watering, and Haymitch could only give a forced smile before he forced himself to look away as he made my way to the steps, staring down at the people below with little to no concern. He was to be the entertainment this year, the tribute for their 'crimes' but the only thing he could think was thank God it wasn't his family or Silver. After shaking hands with the other victors he was led away, to where he could say his final goodbyes. Before being wisped away he caught sight of his mother, her body was shaking uncontrollably as she sobbed clinging onto her youngest son, and she was staring at Haymitch, wanting nothing more than to run to him and shield him from this, to keep him hidden behind her skirts where they couldn't take her son. Haymitch felt a lump in his throat his fingers twitching in longing, longing to run to her and hold her, tell her everything will be fine, to tell Thomas to be strong again and his mother not to cry, he would be home before she knew it. He was being pulled from the stag, herded away, a lamb being led to his slaughter.