Sal
District 2 – Reaping Day
The streets of district two were dark and quiet, the only noise being the faint rumbles and screeches from the Capitol. The pavements were coated in a shimmering layer of water, after the brief rainfall of a few minutes ago.
This is my favourite time of the day in district two; before all the chaos of the day starts, before most sane people are out of bed, when it's still quiet and calm. My breath forms clouds of mist before my face as I slowly begin to loop backwards towards my home. My little sister would be waking up soon, and I didn't want her to worry about me, not today. Not any more than she has to.
As I make my way back down the quiet streets I begin to wonder how many other teenagers like myself are awake this morning, likely not having slept at all. All would be wondering if they would ever sleep in their beds again, ever see their families again after today was over with.
Today was reaping day. The day where two children from each district of Panem was 'offered up as tributes to fight in a pageant of honour and glory' I quoted in my head from the videos that they show in the main square every year. Of the twenty-four children selected, only one would emerge as a victor, after killing at least one of the other tributes. No-one survived without at least one kill. I shivered in the chill morning air as I crossed the street, getting nearer to home with every step. Last year was particularly bad, as the gamemakers hadn't even given the tributes any weapons to fight with, ensuring a more personal, hands on games. I prayed that this year there would at least be weapons, as the final images of the last games flashed through my head – The victor, a guy from district 3, had won by bashing in the head of the other tribute with a rock from the rubble of a building.
This year was my fifth year with my name in the bowl. At 17 years old I still had a year left to survive, then I'd be free of the shadow of the hunger games. Free to follow in my father's footsteps and become a Peacekeeper. Fortunately the rest of my family are safe, at least for this year. My older brother Achilles won it a few games back, having volunteered and won his games by allying with the 'careers' – what other districts called the tributes from 1, 2, and 4 – only to betray them once the numbers got low enough for his liking and simply outlasted the remaining tributes. He, my sister Evangeline, my parents and I live in the Victor's Village, with the rest of the district 2 victors. At the moment that's only three others, Brutus, Enobaria and Commander Lyme. Brutus and Enobaria still slightly intimidate me; especially Enobaria, with her teeth filed into points, but Lyme's a nice enough guy.
I near the Victors Village and decide to rest for a moment before going inside. Leaning up against the lamp post, I begin to stretch the tightness out of my muscles and try to calm myself.
When that fails, I shrug and turn to walk inside. Taking off my shoes first, I open up the front door, having seen the light in the kitchen from outside. My mum's already awake and cooking breakfast. Sighing in pleasure I enter the kitchen and pause to inhale the smells of her cooking. Hearing me enter, she turns and gives me a smile before asking "You eating or showering first Salamander?"
I grin at her, raise an arm and take a sniff "Shower I think"
She laughs quietly and nods her head towards the hallway door "You'd better get in there before your father wakes up then"
"Yes boss" I snap back at her with a smirk on my face. Making my way down the hallway, I gently open the door to my sister's room, see she's still asleep, and quietly close the door before gathering up a fresh towel and jumping into the shower. Once I'm out I see mum's laid out a nice set of clothing on my bed, and my heart skips a beat. For a moment I had allowed myself to forget what today was, but the evidence was laying before me on the matress. Sighing deeply, I put on the white shirt and navy pants, and am just sitting on my bed tying up the laces of the black shoes when there's a very quiet knock on my door. Looking up, I see Evangeline standing in the doorway for a second before she charges towards me, giving me only a second to sit up before her body slams into mine and she wraps her small arms around me in a hug. I wrap one arm around her and pat the top of her head with the other, making soft noises as she shakes with sobs, burying her head in my collarbone. We sit like that for a few minutes before her sobs change into soft hiccups. Gently I lean backwards slightly and lift her head with a finger under her chin. Her puffy blue eyes meet my green and she sniffs loudly as I murmer gently "The dream again?"
She nods, her lips tightening and her face screwing up. I pull her into me again with both arms and kiss the top of her head as I tell her in a soft voice that I reserve just for her "Evie, whatever happens, I'll always come back to you. Always"
I feel her nod again, and feel her body relax. For the past week she's been having the same nightmare: me getting reaped and dying in the arena. When she first cried out and I ran into her room, all she did was cry and clutch me so hard her nails left small scratches on my arms. It took almost an hour before she calmed down enough for her to tell me her dream.
In my head I curse the Capitol, how dare they do this? A familiar anger swells inside me as I look over her head and out my window. From my room I have a view of almost all of district 2, what with the Victor's village being higher up on the hill than the rest of the district. I look down at the Justice Building, and kiss the top of Evangeline's head again as I see that the screens have already been put up, and the flickers on them suggesting that everything's almost ready.
Slowly, Evangeline pulls away from me and wipes her eyes with the back of her hand, before offering me a faint smile. I grin back at her, quickly hiding my rapidly growing nervousness behind a curtain and I begin to tickle her until she laughs.
"There we go" I grin as her laugher turns into shrieks of mock frustration "that's my little Evie"
Just then a large shadow appears in the doorway and we both look up simultainiously at the massive figure of our big brother looming in the doorway, with a scowl on his face. It lessens when he sees Evangeline, but then focuses back on me and he growls "Keep it down will you? Dad's just starting to get ready"
Evangeline and I trade smirks as he stalks away down the hallway. Achilles has always taken his role as the eldest child far too seriously, yet we both grow sombre as we realise that he was right, and dad would be getting ready to leave soon to start setting up the Peacekeeper patrols for during the reaping. Our father was a Peacekeeper Commander of District 2, and although he didn't often have to take part in patrols himself anymore, on Reaping days all Peacekeepers were needed. I shivered involuntarily as I glance back down at my clothing and begin to feel the familiar knot of tension form in my stomach.
Of all the people in District 2 I'm probably one of the most qualified and capable to enter and win the games, having been trained (illegally) since I was little, and having a history of Victors in my bloodline, Achilles being the most recent, with my grandfather being a victor in the 6th Hunger Games. So why am I so nervous?
Looking down at the sweet, worried face beside me I answer my own question instantly. I don't want to leave Evangeline. Of all the members of my family, it is only me who can get Evangeline to calm down after one of her fits of terror, and only me who she fully relaxes around. She loves my parents dearly, but there's something about the relationship between the two of us…
I let the thought trail off as I force a smile at her and stand up carefully, disentangling myself from her as I go. "We should go and get some breakfast" I tell her quietly, leaving it unspoken that I will have to leave not long after our father leaves in order to get to the reaping in time. She nods and grasps my hand tightly as we make our way down to the kitchen together, knowing that this could be the last time.
"Next" Grumbles a deep voice, making me jump slightly in surprise that I was already at the front of the line. Without looking I step forward and hold out my hand, muttering my name at the grumpy man sitting in front of me. Looking around, I try to see if I can locate any of my friends amongst the throng of young boys and girls. All I see is an ocean of the same expression on a multitude of different faces; naked worry and terror. No matter how prepared or trained one may be, they were all faced with the possibility that after today they may never see their friends or family again.
Trying to shake off the melancholy that's settled over me, I step away from the man and his pile of needles, turning to see Jessie, my best friend, about to hit me on the shoulder. Laughing, I quickly dodge his fist and grasp it as he overbalances, pulling him into a rough headlock. He curses me and swears foully until I release him.
As he straightens up he pushes his long blonde hair behind one ear and flashes a charming smile at everyone around him. That's Jessie, always smiling and full of himself. We've been friends since we were kids, his father being one of the best stone-masons in the district. Jessie was already taking over from his old man, who really was old, him and his wife having had Jessie when they were already in their 40's. Already people were coming from all over the district, and even from the Capitol itself for some of Jessie's works. I grinned at my friend and his clumsy attack. Having shown promise at stoneworking from a young age, Jessie was never chosen to train to enter the games, and so was one of the few whom I sincerely worried about today. If Jessie was chosen we both knew he wouldn't be returning home. Yes he was strong, he couldn't work the stone in such amazing ways if he wasn't, but he was far too gentle and soft-hearted for the games.
Jessie and I looked around, and didn't have to wait long before his younger brother came into view, puffing along behind his brother like a loyal and adoring puppy. Born only 2 years after Jessie, Argus was everything his brother was, gentle, kind, but without any skill in working stones. In fact, with his asthma and limp (obtained after breaking his leg chasing after Jessie when the two were kids), he had very few talents. This was his first year with his name in, and I knew instantly from the way that Jessie looked at his young brother that he was painfully aware of that fact.
Argus grinned at me when he saw me towering next to his brother, and hesitated slightly before wrapping his arms around my waist. Playfully I tussled his messy dirty-blonde hair and laughed as he stepped back and cursed me.
In what felt like no time, Jessie and I were being lead to the 17 year old section, having to bid farewell to Argus, after promising that after today was over he could come over and see Evangeline. 'Hmm' I grumbled quietly to myself 'Better keep an eye on that'
A loud gong rang out a few seconds before the doors to the Justice Building opened, and the Mayor, the head Peacekeeper, and the Victors drifted out from the large white building. I saw Achilles look smug as his eyes drifted over the crowd, lingering on mine for just a second before continuing to survey the crowd. I scowled back and cursed him under my breath as Zeus - the escort for our district - strode out of the building, wearing a bright blue suit that contrasted horribly with his fluorescent green hair.
I barely even listened to the mayor's speech; I just stared at my brother as he leered at the crowd. I can't help but wonder how much is him and how much is the persona that he 'created' for his games. My brother has always been mean and vindictive towards me, but even for him, the cruel sneer on his face sends chills down even MY spine.
Before I know it, the mayor has stepped away, and Zeus is reaching towards the large bowl in the centre of the stage.
"Demeter Bloom"
I don't bother to swing my head over to stare at the girl, only begin to count in my head '1, 2, 3 –
"I volunteer", "I volunteer as tribute" "I volunteer" rings through the air as the owners of the three voices race towards the stage, pushing and shoving each other in order to reach the stage first.
A few seconds later, a tall, athletic looking girl clambers up onto the stage. Her nose is bleeding slightly, but she holds her head high as she strides over to Zeus, before declaring proudly into the microphone "My name is Penelope Sage"
A small round of applause echoes through the surrounding area, as Penelope moves to stand slightly to the left of the victors, oogling my brother slightly as he scowls at her. My head spins quickly to Zeus again as he reaches into the bowl to his right, the one with the names of the boys in. I take a slow breath in and hold it as he pulls a name from the top of the bowl, slowly unfolds it and sings the name out into the microphone "Argus McCloud"
Silence. For a whole second there is silence until a loud groan comes from beside me as Jessie struggles to stay standing upright. I grip his shoulder tightly, trying to hold him back as the camera focuses on his petrified little brother. Jessie wrenches his arm out of my grip and croaks "I v-volunt-"
"I Volunteer as tribute"
Jessie's head spins and he almost falls as the camera moves to focus on the slightly startled face of the new volunteer. Out of the corner of my eye I see a face blown up on the screen. Wide green eyes, tanned, muscly skin, framed by a mop of auburn hair. The face sets itself in a stubborn expression as it moves forward towards the stage; long legs crossing the distance in no time at all. Surprisingly, no-one else volunteers, they must see the determined, slightly frightening glint in the otherwise kind looking face, as the tall, fit young man climbs the steps to the stage and moves to stand beside Zeus.
The normally excited and chatty escort swallows loudly as he stares up at the mountain beside him and murmers into the microphone "Well, a volunteer. What's your name young man?"
The camera pans down until it's focused on the face of the male tribute as he opens his mouth, showing a set of beautiful white teeth as he purrs into the microphone "I'm Salamander. Salamander Savage"
Next thing I know, I'm standing alone in one of the rooms in the Justice Building. I take a deep breath as I look around me at the neat room, so painfully neat and clean that I'm sure if I brushed a finger along the mantelpiece there'd be not a speck of dust on it. Looking at the sofa next to me, I contemplate sitting for a moment, but my keyed up nerves and the adrenaline running through my veins would render sitting still impossible.
After a few minutes of pacing in the corner of the room, I hear footsteps approaching from the hallway. I stop pacing and subconsciously straighten up my shirt and brush my hair back, as the footsteps pause outside the door for a moment, before the door bursts open, and my family flood into the room. First through the door is little Evangeline, sprinting towards me and leaping into my arms. She sobs into my shoulder, while pounding me with her small fists. I ignore the pain as one of them connects painfully with my rib, and stretch my arms around her back, holding her close. I mutter comfortingly as she sobs and beats me, looking over her head at my parents as they enter slowly though the open door. Mum's eyes glisten with tears, and dad's face is stone, not moving or betraying any emotion; his Peacekeeper uniform pearly white in contrast with his dark expression.
Mum walks over and lays a hand on my shoulder, and Dad closes the door behind him. I frown for a moment, so Achilles isn't coming to visit then. I'm not really that surprised, but a little stab of hurt churns in my gut before I lower my gaze to Evangeline's tearstained face. She's trying to scowl at me, but her puffy red eyes and quivering lower lip offset the look. I stroke her cheek gently, wiping away the tear-tracks, and kiss the top of her forehead before looking at her seriously "You know why I had to do it don't you?"
She sniffles and after staring at me for a few seconds, she nods, burying her head gently in my collarbone. I rest my chin on top of her head, breathing in the smell of her shampoo, and taking comfort in her presence, before looking up at my parents. They both meet my gaze, but say nothing. They know too, if I hadn't volunteered instead of Jessie, I'd never have forgiven myself.
Mum cleared her throat and knelt down to wrap her arms around both her children. I felt Evangeline stiffen slightly, but she soon relaxes again as mum starts to sing softly. A song she sang to us when we were scared during storms when we were little.
Far too soon there's a knock on the door, and a Peacekeeper sticks his head through the door, telling us our time was up. Mum gently prises Evangeline away from me, but just before she separates completely, Evangeline presses something into my hand, then turns with mum and the two walk away as dad stays standing still. Mum gently grasps dad's shoulder, then leaves, Dad and I alone for a second, before he crosses to me in one step, clasps me around one shoulder, and mutters "You come home to me boy. You hear?"
"Yes dad" I mutter back, a catch in my voice as I try to keep my emotions in check. He pulls away, searches my eyes, and nods. I nod back, and a small smile twitches at the corners of his lips before he turns and follows mum and Evangeline out the door, leaving me alone once more.