No one breathed for a moment, and no sound could be heard. All of the Shingashima District had silenced.
A lump had formed in Sasha's throat, and her eyes were frozen to the small stage in the center of town. Her heart thrashed inside her chest, and sweat had found it's way all over her body.
The man on stage, a blond man who had said his name was Erwin, dug around in the girls' bowl, looking happily ignorant of the fear and worry around him. Inside the bowl was slip after slip after slip of paper, and one had her name on it.
She bit her lip. After all, what was the probability that she would have her name pulled? There were hundreds of other girls in the district who were of reaping age. Her teacher had mentioned probabilities in a math lesson once, and though Sasha had only been half awake, she had listened to her teacher explain how the larger something was, the less likely that someone would win.
Or, in Sasha's case, lose.
Erwin smiled, though Sasha could not return it. He pulled a piece of paper out of the bowl and held it up.
Sasha's heart skipped a beat when he read it.
If it weren't for the weight of everyone's eyes on her then she would have thought that she was just having a nightmare, the usual pre-reaping stress other kids her age had.
But no, it was real.
"Sasha Braus," Erwin repeated, the smile fading from his face.
Sasha forced herself forward, the crowds of students parting to let her through. Some had stopped looking to her and instead looked at the ground, as if they were in shame.
The lump in Sasha's throat only tightened further. Though she had been hungry earlier, now she felt as though she would vomit up her breakfast at any time.
It had been so unlikely, Sasha thought, jumping back to what her teacher had said. How could it still happen?
She could only imagined her father's horrified face back at home. He was probably just as shocked as her, wondering what he could have done to deserve this. Already, he had lost his wife and youngest son due to a lack of food. Now, his daughter would be gone too.
I'm sorry, Sasha thought. I'm really, really sorry, Papa.
She couldn't be sure if she would be able to tell him that out loud. How much longer until she was shipped off to compete in The Hunger Games?
The stage spotlights were bright, as if to make up for the cloudy sky.
"I am so glad to see you." He smiled, one of those fake Capitol smiles, and then reached into the next bowl.
Who would it be? Hopefully not her best friend, Connie, with whom she had always played tricks and joked around with. He had been the closest that Sasha had to a brother when her little brother starved. Or could it be Marco, a nice boy in her class who always found ways to compliment everyone? He was too good to be lost. Or what about Reiner or Bertholdt? They couldn't be kept apart.
Erwin brought the slip of paper out in front of him. "Eren Jaeger."
Sasha froze. Eren had been another boy from her school, though she had never gotten to know him well. Though he certainly did have a temper, he was also incredibly loyal to his friends. He certainly did not deserve to be sent off to die.
Eren stepped forward, clear to see even in a large crowd.
No, Sasha thought. No, no, no, please no.
Eren's mother would be devastated.
A familiar hand was raised, though this time it was not to answer a teacher's question. "I volunteer." Mikasa's blood red scarf flowed slightly in the wind. Her dark hair flowed with the wind as well, blocking Sasha from seeing her eyes. "I volunteer as Tribute."
The silence returned, though Erwin had joined along. He stood straight and tall, his eyes on the other girl. Mikasa only drew closer, walking past Eren and Armin. Again, the stunned crowd parted to allow her through.
"Well," Erwin said once the steel eyed Mikasa got on stage, "this has never happened before. This is sure to be interesting." He grinned.
Sasha's stomach twisted. How could he possibly be happy about this?
They met eyes for one moment, Mikasa's eyes as hard as steel. She stood where Eren would have had she not volunteered for him.
But, Sasha thought, you don't deserve to die either, Mikasa.
"Congratulations, Shingashima District!" Erwin held his hands out towards both of them. "These two young women will be representing you and the one hundred and seventh annual Hunger Games!"
Her teacher certainly could not have calculated this, no matter how hard that she may have tried.