It was obvious that it was the reaping day. Order was dominating the streets and the usual bustle of District four was nowhere in sight. Gone were the callings of fishmongers attempting to sell their stock and the beach was as deserted as a wasteland. Families stayed in, the possibility of not seeing their loved ones again too overwhelming to ignore and mine was no different however under no circumstances were I going to be intimidated by the whims of the Capitol.
Walking along the beach, I smiled at the sensation of the soft sand sinking between my toes. It was a luxury having sand like this, the only other Districts I knew had sand were one and two but none had it quite as rich as we did, ours thrived and it was probably due to the amount of sun we got. Days were long and nights were short but of course, who was going to complain about that?
Usually, walking along the harbour region you would see countless stores hoarding a variety of produce, the customers piling over each other in an attempt to get the best bargain. Boards of wood would be taken into the ocean and people would stand on them almost gliding across the waves and more often than not you'd fall in but it was a fun experience nonetheless. It was a hobby for some, an exercise for others and just some fun for anyone who wanted a quick thrill.
The trees slowly swayed along the length of the beach, their leaves rustling gently. It was a welcoming breeze; it was as though the air shaped around me and wrapped me into a hug, was it the only one who knew? Who understands how hard it was sometimes?
"We should head back…" said Sarah, regarding me with a quick glance and taking my out of my trail of thought. "We need to get ready and…the reaping is soon." She finished with a weak smile, gesturing with her left arm back to the main part of town.
"Yeah, sure." I replied and, with a sigh, I turned around, heading back along the harbour with her.
Sarah was a childhood friend of mine. She had short pixie cut hair as black as night and quite a pale complexion for someone from District 4 and enjoyed wearing some kind of make-up whether it is heavy on her eyes or just a light blush of rogue on her cheeks. Sarah's family, like mine, were pretty well off meaning she could afford this kind of thing which, in turn, meant she attracted quite a lot of attention from boys. I am always on the guard around her though, she had been hurt in the past and it was my duty as best friend to make sure that didn't happen again.
People often thought we were courting or would end up together however we always brushed it off. Why can't a guy and girl be friends without everyone assuming there is something going on? She was more like a little sister to me anyway and I simply couldn't see us being anything more, our bond is quite strong and has been since we first met.
Back in primary school some girls were pushing her around, teasing and pushing her around because of how she looked and how 'she wasn't a girl because she had short hair'. I, ever the valiant one, shouted at them and hugged Sarah and we've been friends since, always walking to and from school together and spending most of our time together. It was soon after that we discovered that we lived a matter of houses away from each other and then we increased the time we spent together even more. Our families promoted this, apparently we were healthy for each other and her family found it a pleasure having me over for tea most nights of the week anyway.
We were both quiet on the walk home, separate thoughts shrouding us and our worries. What if one of my brothers is reaped…or her sisters? We can't think like this. We can't afford to think like that. We had enough money to sponsor them and give them as much help as possible but it's not just about how fancy your equipment is or about how many allies you have. If the citizens of the Capitol don't love you or you don't provide a quality show there's little chance of you getting out of there alive.
Since Sarah and I are sixteen our names are in the bowl four times this year. Little though it may be there is still a chance that we can both be reaped. Now that the thought was in my mind it grew like a small sapling given sunlight for the first time. What would happen if we were both reaped? Would our families be okay? Who would be the victor if it came down to just us?
We inevitably reached her house; I always walked her home first, and hugged briefly before I smiled at her. "Good Luck," I started.
"And may the odds be ever in your favour." Sarah finished in a high impression of Delilah Perry's, District four's escort, voice. Chuckling, she entered her house whilst I walked the few metres to mine.
Opening the door, I ruffled my hair and closed my eyes immediately hearing the hustle and bustle of my family as they panicked. Pinching the bridge of my nose I walked upstairs to start getting ready…I had a reaping to go to.