I silently braid my sisters' hair and add in a diamond piece I bought at the Jewelers this morning. Her black hair fine and long, is rather easy to do.
I look into her sad blue eyes, tears at their brims.
"Whats wrong China?" I murmur quietly so I don't wake our mother in the next room.
She lets out a deep sigh as I continue doing her hair, adding bobby pins and eventually starting over. "I'm scared Glimmer. What if one of us gets reaped?"
In D1 there are rules on the reaping.
On special years there are pre-reaping's if there is someone ready to go into the games, but this year there wasn't one for the girls. You can only volunteer if you are related to the person who was reaped.
There are four of us Halestorm girls that are eligible, and I happen to be the eldest.
Its myself, Shimmer who's 13, Twinkle who is Shimmers twin so is also 13, then Shine at 9, Minti is 11, and China is 12.
"Then I will volunteer, just like Lunae did for me, just like Breeze did for Lunae, and maybe I'll win like Marble did." I try to show a smile but fail.
Breeze and Lunae both went into the games, and they both lost their lives.
Marble, that idiot, got shot in D11.
So most likely, if I go into the games, my odds won't be real high.
At last, I finish Chinas' hair and move onto doing some simple makeup. "Please don't volunteer Glim. Mummy needs you. Ever since-"
"I know China. But I gotta do what I gotta do. Besides, what are the odds of one of us getting reaped? Next to nothing, three out of a couple hundred." I say sternly, I know I'm the reason our family is still eating and frankly I'd love to not go into the games but things happen.
I dress her in a beautiful china blue dress and walk into Minti's room to do her hair and makeup.
Minti is the polar opposite of China, and the same as me, long curly blonde hair, olive green eyes.
"How'd you want me to do your hair?"
She doesn't even acknowledge me, she just continues staring into her mirror.
"Would you really volunteer if one of them gets reaped? Are you that stupid?"
I feel a pang of hurt in my chest. "It probably won't even come to that situation Mint. Just don't- don't worry okay?"
"I want a fishtail braid and makeup like Breeze did hers."
All I do is nod and get to work.
I put the finishing detail on my own outfit and slip on my nude heels.
I run down our dumb spiral staircase just as the bell summons us to begin making our march to the Reaping Centre.
We live fairly close since we're in the rich part of town, so we only have a five-minute walk.
Of course it seems longer since we do so in silence.
China is hanging on my arm, like she always does on reaping day, but she holds on tighter this year, because this year her name could be called.
I know it's a pretty big fucking deal, your first reaping. It sucks, you're scared, you don't want to be here, it just makes you sick every time a 12 year old is called who either doesn't have family or does and they refuse to volunteer.
When we finally arrive were pushed and separated from our mum.
They take our blood.
China seems horrified by the idea of them taking hers; I end up holding her down.
I drop her off with the other 12 year olds with reassuring words.
I walk to my own section and take a seat in my assigned chair.
We wait for a while, the talk that surrounds me doesn't particularly interest me so I sit and wait for my aunt and uncle, Cashmere and Gloss, to take the stage with Domitia Allardyce, our escort and Auntie Cashmere's best friend.
Eventually the three of them take the stage, applause filling the large room.
"Thank you District one for the very warm welcome! This is the reaping for the 73rd Hunger Games! This, this is the best District I have ever worked!" The cheers are loud, the applause just as brash. "We currently have the highest amount of living victors! And have the highest number of overall victors, highest number of volunteers, and the highest odds put together! So yes, the odds are in your favor!" This feels more like a party, hell, it does every year. Everyone stands, and yells, and cheers, forgetting that we still lose victors.
She yells more things that pull roars from the crowd, and even me. She has me believing her words.
Eventually she calls for silence as they bring out the modern looking glass globes.
One labeled Ladies and the other Gentleman.
She poofs her blue hair and announces gentlemen first.
The boy was pre-reaped. "Damask Romanfell!" Everyone and their mothers clapped. He comes up grinning and pumping his arm.
God I hate him.
He'll most likely never come back home.
Has he seen the D2 boy, Cato Hadley? Or hell, his district mate Valeska Mason who looks like a stone cold bitch.
Then there is Damask, the pretty boy from D1.
He is dead meat.
"And now for the ladies!" She shuffles her hand and pulls out a pale pink slip of folded paper. "China Halestorm-"
Oh. Fuck.
China yells, struggles, and nearly punches a Peacekeeper. Neither Shimmer nor Twinkle makes a move, thank god. I stand up quickly.
"I volunteer as tribute for the 73th Hunger Games!" I yell the line my trainer has beat into my head since I started at Academy. China starts crying all over again. She's calling my name, so broken.
I allow the Head Peacekeeper to direct me to the stage where Auntie Cashmere is trembling in her place.
Domitia smiles, "Your name my dear?"
"Glimmer Halestorm" I say weakly, the crowd claps, but with less energy this time.
I shake hands with Damask who kisses my hand with a smile.
Domitia finishes off her speech and we are guided into the back rooms where we would take visitors.
District 1 is the largest, there are smaller and larger towns, but from the high rise I can see it all.
I place a hand to the cool window and allow a shiver to rack my body.
The door cracks open but I don't turn to see who is there.
"You shouldn't have volunteered Glim… What're we gunna do if you don't come home?" It's Twinkle who speaks, but I can sense Shimmer is with her. Of course they sent in the twins alone. They supposedly look up to me.
I don't bother to look at them; we sit in silence for a moment. I can't look at them, I know I'd cry, and I can't do that. I have to stay strong.
"I need you two to take care of them. I just- keep them safe. Please" I whisper, I don't know if they can hear me, I don't know if I wanted them to hear me.
More silence, they're crying now, begging me to look at them, but I can't.
If I do that will be my last image of them, broken and crying.
That on it's own would kill me, much less the Hunger Games.
Eventually the guards come in and drag them out.
My mum, China, Shine, and Minti come in next.
Mum who hasn't spoken two words since we lost four of our family members, is just as silent as ever.
I decide to turn and face them, it's the least I can do.
'Mum! Listen to me! Say something! We need you!" Glimmer screams, trying to get a reaction from Ivory Halestorm-Luxburry.
"Glimmer… shhh, it's not worth it." Lunae Halestorm pleads from her little sister, scared of what might happen at todays reaping.
Glimmer continues attempting to coax Ivory to return to a state of lucidity.
Glimmer sits silently with Ivory as they watch the 71st Hunger Games where Lunae is struggling to run in the sand dunes. Ivory is twiddling her thumbs as she watches her daughter run with the career pack, not hopeful in the slightest.
The other children are in bed resting, knowing that Glimmer will tell them everything the following morning.
It' down to the final four, Lunae is still alive but only barely so. Her leg is cut, and she is desperately thirsty. The boy is unknowingly following her from D4. As she lies down to rest he throws his trident from a tree, killing her. Glimmer screams out in agony as she watches her sister bleed out. A single tear runs down Ivory's' cheek as she stands and moves to go to bed: wordlessly.
Minti runs forward and hugs me tight. "G please try to come home…" My mum speaks lowly, her voice croaks, most likely because she hasn't spoken in two years.
"Okay. Okay, but promise you'll take care of them mum. I won't be here anymore! Look at me! You have to step up. You will all die if you don't go back to work. I wont be here to run the Jewelry store anymore mum!"
She is crying, "I promise G, god I'm so sorry I left. I'm so sorry. Please come home, please!" I'm crying now too. The three kids are still hugging me. Mum also steps forward and joins the hug. Mum with her black hair and blue eyes, tall and thin, but so caring.
"I promise I'll try mum. I promise."