TheGirlWithTheStories

Quarter Quell – Maysilee Donner

CHAPTER ONE: THE REAPING

I held onto Gracie's hand. We were so nervous. After President Snow had announced that the Quarter Quell this year would call for four tributes for the fiftieth Hunger Games instead of the usual two, we anticipated the worst; that we would both be selected and have to kill each other. I would never be able to. I would kill myself before killing my best friend.

We stood in the packed District Twelve town square, waiting for our fate. I began to think, what if Gracie gets called and I don't? She would never survive out there without me. I couldn't bear to watch her die mercilessly at the hands of her ruthless opponents. Her being the daughter of the apothecary and I being a merchant's child, neither of us knew hunger particularly well, but I knew it much better than she did. Just because we make more money than those in the Seam doesn't mean we're always well-fed or better off. The money doesn't really belong to us and most of what we make goes right back into the Capitol to buy more stock to sell. Honestly I don't understand the cycle at all. I did know what it was like being hungry for a couple of weeks and how to deal with it. Plus, because Gracie was the Apothecary's daughter she knew plenty about the certain berries safe to eat and which roots you can eat raw. I knew if Gracie got into a food problem she would attempt to live off of berries and roots, but I just couldn't see myself watching her on the screen suffering. If she got called, I knew exactly what I would do; I would volunteer to take her place.

The Capitol woman dove her hand deep into the glass-orb that was presented onstage. My heart throbbed about one hundred times a second. Please not Gracie. Please not Gracie. Please not Gracie.

"Maysilee Donner!"

Well, it wasn't Gracie.

I walked up to the stage – or at least I attempted to. Gracie wouldn't let go. She was sobbing, begging for me to stay even though she knew fully well that I couldn't. By the time I had reached halfway out of the Year Seventeen section, my sister was on my other arm, crying for me not to go. I didn't have a choice. I would stay if I could and they both knew that. I was dangerously close to tears. I looked at Gracie and gruffly told her to let go. She did. I then turned to my sister and grasped her shoulders firmly with both hands. "I'll be alright. I will win for you. I promise." I kissed her forehead and walked calmly to the stage.

The rest of the ceremony carried on but I couldn't concentrate. Soon we were ushered into a building and our families came to give us goodbyes. The first in were my mother and father, followed by my sister. I have never seen my father shed a tear, let alone openly cry like this. It tore my heart to shreds. My mother gave me one last lingering hug and took him out with her. My sister simply walked up to me and forcefully embraced me. It hurt a bit, but I didn't want her to stop. I hugged her back – not as forcefully, but tightly because I didn't want to let go. I feared that if I let go of her, I let go of my life all altogether. After a bit of silence, she looked into my eyes and said to me, "Remember what you promised." She placed something in my hand and closed my hand over it. I went to see what it was but she told me to wait until the end. Then, she left. That was it.

I know I made a promise I couldn't keep. I felt horrible. If I died, which was very likely considering the odds were not in my favor, a piece of her heart would be dead as well. It sounds conceited taken out of context, but if you thought about it: my sister and I did everything together. Two peas in a pod as one might say. We're twins, so the whole togetherness thing seemed essential to us. We've been doing everything together since we were born; if I died it would be like killing part of her. I felt like I betrayed her by making that promise, understanding quite clearly that once I go in, there's a ninety eight percent chance that I won't come back alive, but still and lifeless in a wooden box.

Gracie comes in and starts yelling about how she'll go volunteer now and how she hates the fact that she didn't volunteer for me at the ceremony and how because she's a horrible friend, I'm going off to my death.

"Gracie, the only one whose fault it is that I'm going into these Games is the Capitol's, not yours. You are the greatest friend I could have ever asked for. Don't sell yourself short and don't be crazy. They won't let you volunteer now. I won't let you volunteer now." She looked upset and terrified. She knew I wasn't coming back. I took her into my arms, my closest friend. I would never see her again. "Gracie," I instructed, "listen to me. Look after my sister for me. You know I won't make it back, but I sure as hell won't go down without a fight. Do you hear me Gracie? I will not give up. I will win or die trying."

She quietly nodded and kissed my forehead. She whispers, "I love you, Maysilee. You are the best friend I could have ever asked for. Stay strong for me. Stay strong for your sister." I promised. She gave me a final hug and left.

I looked down curiously at my still-closed fist. I opened my hand and stared in awe at the magnificent golden pin that sat on my palm. On it held a songbird so majestic, clutching an arrow in its mouth, wings spread wide. There was a boy in the Seam who sang so beautifully that all of the songbirds would stop and listen in amazement. I would stop along with those birds, spellbound by each stanza he would sing. Most often his song of choice would be 'The Hanging Tree'. A haunting song, but enchanting none the less. I grasped onto the pin tightly and held it to my chest. A little piece of home to keep me going in the arena. I pinned it on my dress, right over my heart, so that everybody could see the songbird. The mutation of the jabberjay and the mockingbird. The Mockingjay.