(A/N: In honor of the release of the Hunger Games movie I decide to give my spin to the first Quarter Quell. Yes I know that Catching Fire tells us the conditions of the 25th Hunger Games…but I am ignoring that….LOL)
The Reaping
Her hands shook as she brushed her sandy blonde hair. One more time, she thought. One more time and I'll never have to do it again. That wasn't entirely true. She still had six more years before her family was done with this awfulness. And what about the future? Her children? Her nieces and nephews? Would they have to stand there like she had for the last six years and pray not to hear their names?
Surely it couldn't go on that long. It had already been 25 years. 25 years of being reminded that they had fought for their freedom and lost. 25 years of knowing that their lives belonged to The Capitol.
Brie looked in the mirror one last time and took a deep breath. "One more time," she said aloud this time.
She stepped out of her bedroom and found her mother brushing her brother's hair, the same sandy blonde as hers.
"Trotter," she said with an uneasy tremble in her voice. "If you stand still this wouldn't take as long."
Brie couldn't blame him. Trotter was still young. The Reaping is still so frightening at that age. At 12 this will be his first Reaping Day.
A bell chimed in the square. Brie's father stood up solemnly. "Time to go," was all he said.
Trotter held tightly to his mother's hand until they reached the square. There the Peacekeepers ushered him into the barricade and off to the boys' side. Brie walked alone, her face blank and emotionless. She did not wait for the Peacekeepers to direct her, she simply walked into the girls' barricade and stood waiting for this day to end.
After a few moments the crowd grew to full size. A sudden hush fell as a woman mounted the stage. It was her, Orszebet Skiffle, District 10 escort.
Orszebet was the only image most of District 10 had ever seen of the Capitol and from the looks of her, the Capitol was no where Brie wanted to visit. Her long black hair was tipped with bright green. The same bright green was mirrored in her lipstick and the eyeshadow that formed a bar of color from temple to temple across her face. Her outfit was a skintight yellow bodysuit. The shoulders of it were boxy and pointed, a similar shape was added to the hips.
"Good Morning," she said in her familiar sultry voice. "Or should I say Howdy," she laughed. Her laughter sent chills down Brie's spine. "The day has come again, Reaping Day!"
The crowd applauded on cue.
"Now as you know this year is our 25th Hunger Games. Our beloved Capitol has decided to mark the event with a Quarter Quell, a hunger games unlike any other, an extra reminder of the dangers of dissention and rebellion."
There were murmurs throughout the crowd. What else could they do? The capitol was already taking two of the district's children and forcing them into the area to fight for their lives. What more of a reminder could they give?
"This year," Orszebet continued, "the tributes must be very special. This years tributes," she paused for effect, "must be siblings. "
There were shrieks somewhere in the crowd. They were quickly hushed as Peacekeepers moved in to find the culprits.
"This years ballots contain only the names of a sibling pair. If you have no sibling," she instructed, "you cannot volunteer, I am sorry." She put on a little pout. "Now," she said perking up instantly. "On to the excitement! First, do we have any volunteers?" She waited, as if she truly expected to hear someone speak. "No? Honor and Glory on the field of battle not appealing?" She shrugged her shoulders. "Oh well then, to the ballots."
She cranked the handle of the ballot cage and they started to rustle and tumble inside. When it came to a stop she reached in and removed one.
"This years District 10 tributes are…"
The silence was so thick it was almost touchable.
"Brie and Trotter Jamison."
Brie's heart stopped. The world around her started to spin. It wasn't until the Peacekeeper grabbed her arm and moved her toward the stage. She heard crying now. It was familiar. It was Trotter.
She yanked her arm away from the Peacekeeper and moved next to Trotter, taking his hand.
"Don't worry," she whispered. "I'll get you home. I swear."
They were hurried into the Justice Building. Trotter was shaking with silent sobs. She was trying to think of something to say to him when the door opened and her parents stepped in.
"Mommy," Trotter said rushing into the crying woman's arms. "Mommy I don't want to go. Please don't let them take me. Please."
Mrs. Jamison couldn't speak, she just hugged her son tightly.
Brie looked at her father, her blue eyes searching his for some kind of comfort.
"Can they do this," she asked simply.
"It seems they can," he said almost chocking on the words.
"I'll protect him," she said. "I'll do what I have to keep him alive and get him back to you."
Her father wrapped his arms around her. She could feel his tears wetting her hair.
He could say nothing. He knew this was what had to be. Trotter had to win and that meant Brie had to die.
