Hi Mrs. M. Is El ready?
Yes Emma. She's on her way down. Your mother made such a pretty dress for your first Reaping.
Thanks. Mrs. M.
Hi Mr M.
Hi Emma. And here's my little girl. Eleanor, you and Emma take a couple of suckers with you.
We'll see you two after the Reaping. Bye.
Bye Mom. Bye Dad.
Chapter One
My Name is Emma Dever
I'm usually pretty good at avoiding a punch. But this time he got lucky. A direct shot, knocked me across the room. He gets so angry at the littlest thing. This time I only came in fourth place in javelin. Not receiving another trophy set him off. Especially since it was all my fault. I fouled on my final throw that would have won. It's funny, he couldn't care less about the straight A's I've gotten since first grade.
As I look at the black eye in the mirror and apply make up to cover it, I think that it's a good thing I have a source at the apothecary to keep this stuff in stock for me and my mother. "Honey, are you all right." "Yes Mama" I reply. "You know hon, he only..." "Don't Mama" I interrupt before she can try to excuse him. "I laid out your dress." "Thank you Mama" as I crack a small smile and kiss her cheek.
I've seen pictures of my mother when she was my age. She was beautiful. Dark brown hair. Brown eyes. And a slim figure. She has told me, jokingly, that the boys were lined around the block asking Pop-Pop for permission to date her. While in nursing school she met the most handsome man in the Peacekeeper Academy. Tall, black hair and also brown eyes. Their photos while dating, their wedding tapes and for the first few years; nothing but a happy couple. I suppose we don't photograph our sad and angry family events. Why would we. We try to forget our sad times. Unfortunately, that's impossible for me to do. I look at them now. The alcohol and stress had not been kind to them.
I walk into the bedroom and see a white sundress with blue trim. It's a simple dress. Every year she makes or buys me a new dress for the reaping. This is my last year and I know she's praying that the odds will be in my favor. And they are. I have the minimum number of slips in the bin for a girl my age. I've never had to take tessarae due to the fact that I'm the daughter of a peacekeeper and we've always had enough money to live on.
He isn't just a peacekeeper. He works at the training academy. He is the Master Sargent. He trains the Sargents that train the peacekeepers. And he runs his household like it's the academy. He also trains me in the skills that will allow me to win at sports at school and in The Hunger Games. We're not supposed to train for the games so they disguise them as sports. Javelin, archery, shooting, boxing, fencing and the like. I excel at them all. I can run faster, throw farther, shoot more accurately than most. I can defend myself against anyone, even larger boys using hand to hand combat techniques that he teaches his cadets.
I don't get to date much. Boys are generally afraid of my father. Once I was home with a date and my father came home drunk. He just looked at the poor boy and scared him off. They are also afraid of me. I think they're a little intimidated. Once on a date, my date got angry at me because I didn't want to go as far as he wanted. He said I should date girls instead. I couldn't understand why he thought that was an insult. I just left and went home. He later started a rumor about me putting out. I kneed him between the legs. I got detention at school. My father was angry that I got caught.
I kissed my mother good bye and told her I'll see her later. "Come here girl" he bellowed. "Yes Papa."
"When you're picked, you show no reaction. You give nothing away. Hear me?" "Yes Papa." "Now get on. You're getting reaped today."
Since I was twelve he has told me I'm getting picked. I don't know why he says that. If he wanted me to be in the games he would have told me to volunteer, but he hasn't. Maybe he just dreams it in his drunken sleep.
"Hi Em." "Hi El" I reply. This is El, Eleanor. We been friends since first grade. On the first day of school I was standing behind her in line and she said "We are friends." I said "Why ?" "Because Em and El are together in the alphabet." That was as good a reason as any for having a friend.
Some people mistake us for sisters. I'm just an inch taller. We're both blonde. Her chest is larger and also her hips. And we're both very good at school. She's a girly-girl though. I like sports, she likes sports stars. I like boys also but she obsesses about them. Always looking for the perfect dress, the perfect eye shadow.
"...so I told him no. Hey, are you listening to me?" "Yes. Yes." "Did you have an episode?" "No. I'm fine." "Are you taking what my my prescribed for you?" "Yes. See I have the herb in my bag. I'm even growing it in my window box." "Okay. But I'm keeping an eye on you."
"What are you doing this weekend? "Well assuming I'm not picked, nothing. Why?" "Let's double date" she suggests. "No El. Not another setup. Please. Remember the last one." "Oh come on. He was cute." "Yes. Yes he was. But what kind of conversation can you have with someone that shy. I don't think he said two words all night." She's a hopeless romantic. She believes that there is someone out there for everyone. And she won't stop 'til she has found me a steady.
She's too polite to bring up my black eye. "You can talk about it ,you know." "I know, but I still don't know what to say sometimes. Here's another jar of your make up." She keeps me stocked. Her parents own the apothecary. Dad is an expert in medicine and mom is an expert in herbs. They're a good pair but frequently disagree on someone's treatment. They even keep their stock on different sides of the store.
"Stop here for a minute. Let me fix your make up, it's showing through." As she applies the make up she asks "Why does your father hit you and your mom? Is it because he's a peacekeeper?" "No, that's not it. I've met hundreds of peacekeepers and I'm sure the vast majority of them don't beat to their wives and children. It's him. He'd be like this if he were a miner or a mason. His brain is wired wrong." I get a puzzled look. "The part of his brain that should tell him not to slap around his loved ones is missing or broken. Now let me do you." "What are you taking about" she says with a confused look. "That love-bite Gerry gave you is showing through." "Oh, thanks. If my dad saw this he'd freak."
"Let's get a snack first, I didn't eat breakfast" El says while taking my hand and pulling me along. Merchant row is pretty empty right now with most of the stores closed today but the fruit and vegetable store is open. "Hello Mr. Dendritic. The flowers out front are beautiful. I'm surprised you're still open."
"I'm here for the last minute shoppers stocking up for their Reaping Day parties later." The parties are a big thing in District Two where the games are celebrated and the victors are worshiped. Even tributes that lost but stood out are looked highly upon. "Oh. Miss Emma, I've got a few pears left." "Thanks Mr. D. I'll take one." I love pears. They're my favorite fruit. They're hard to get though. The orchards don't grow many. They devote most of their space to apples, Panem's national fruit. I see El has bought an apple and is eating it. She sees me staring at her and says "What are you staring at?" My response "You're such a commoner."
"Com'on let's run" I suggest after finishing our snacks. "First of all, I hate running. Second, even if I liked it I couldn't run in these shoes. Let's skip instead." She takes off skipping like we're in grade school. I take off after her.
My name is Emma Dever. I am eighteen and today I will be reaped as the girl tribute from District Two.
