The Final Reaping
A/N I do not own The Hunger Games or any of the places featured in the books or this fanfic. I wish I did.
Also, please review because this is my first fanfic in ages and I want to know how I'm doing. If I don't get any reviews, I won't publish the next chapter! So please review if you want to keep reading!
The sky was grey on the day of the reaping, the sun not wanting dawn to come, much like the children in the Capitol. Those who managed to sleep the night before woke, lying with the covers pulled over their heads, desperately wishing that they were still dreaming. But reality was crueller than they initially thought. Parents arose, much earlier than usual, out of sheer worry for they never had to face such danger and grief for their children. They never went hungry, unlike in the districts, and they never thought that their own offspring would have to compete in the most gruesome sport in Panem, never conscious of the fact that the tributes each had families of their own, each had lives that were cut short in the arena. For people's entertainment.
The mood in the districts, however, was much more varied. Some celebrated because the Capitol would now repay them for the suffering that they were forced to go through. Some were relieved that they would be spared from the last Hunger Games. And some were saddened, infuriated by Katniss Everdeen, the girl who decided that there would be more suffering, more bloodshed and more grieving over innocent deaths.
Katniss, however, was having second thoughts, sitting with the gamemakers in a secret location in the Capitol. She had seen the faces of parents, drained of blood, wandering around, buying last-minute reaping outfits rather absently minded as they were constantly reminded of what might happen to their precious children.
"Wait", Katniss said suddenly, "We can't go through with this. I can't let them go through what we did, what I did. What Prim did," Katniss added quietly. Her sister's death flashed in her mind, and a solitary tear ran down her cheek.
"It's too late to stop it. If we back down now, the mutts will go crazy, meaning more deaths in Panem." the head game maker said with an air of authority.
"Isn't there something we can do?" Katniss begged.
"No, not a thing. Anyway, don't you want the Capitol to pay for what they did to your sister? Wasn't it her who made you volunteer for the Games in the first place?"
"What about that district 10 girl, Ruth, was it? Rue? Don't you want people to pay for her death too?" another chipped in.
She almost believed them, but then Peeta made a comment that swung Katniss back around.
"Do you really believe that that's what Prim and Rue wanted? For more children to die just for them? Prim was a born healer, you know that, Katniss. Do you really think she wanted 23 deaths just because of hers? Stop this barbarism Katniss."
"The Games stop," Katniss ordered.
"The Games continue," the head gamekeeper commanded. "Look, people are already gathering for the reaping."
He was right, Katniss could already see a dozen children behind those ropes, wishing, praying that they wouldn't be chosen.
With a sigh, Katniss returned to face the gamemakers. She had no power over this. The only thing she could do was try not to pick a twelve year old's name from the bowl.