Thank you to those who reviewed the first chapter! Every review helps me refine and flesh out my ideas, so I can make my story that much better. So, as a thank you, I give you...
Chapter 2: The Reaping
The next morning, I wake up to Jack gently shaking me awake. "Hey sleepy head, time to get up."
I groan and roll over in a vain attempt to return to my blissful reality of sleep.
"Five more minutes," I croak out, my words slurring together from my drowsiness.
"Nope, we don't have five minutes. Get up, you lazy bum," he says before grabbing my pillow out from under my head and giving me a solid thunk with it. My response is to pull the covers over my face, hoping for him to go away. He tosses the pillow at me, then leaves. He comes back a minute later. I hear him stop next to my face.
"You asked for it," he says, as he dumps a bucket of icy water on me. I yelp and bolt out of the now quite unwelcoming and soaking-wet bed and onto the cool floorboards.
"I'm awake! I'm awake!" I cry as I wipe the water out of my eyes.
Jack laughs, still holding the bucket in his hands. I pick up the now very wet pillow and fling it at him, hitting him square in the chest. This just makes him laugh even harder.
Between gasps for breath, he says, "My parents said that if you want to stay with us, then you'll have to work with us on the boat."
"I can do it, you know that. In fact, I'd be happy to. You and your family are so gracious to take me in like you're doing."
His smile is just so warm that I can't help but return it.
"My mother has made us a small breakfast, and my brother, you remember Gunnar, right? Well, he found some old clothes that'll fit you that you can use," he says as he tosses me a bundle of clothes.
"We're going out on the water today, so I hope you still remember what to do." And with that he left me to change.
We ate some bread with butter, and were about to leave when Jack's mother handed Jack, his brother, his father and I a rare treat-a hard boiled egg. You see, eggs were hard to get in District 4, and what ones you could find were expensive. By the time we were at the boat, I had already eaten mine. While I chewed, I thought about this simple gesture of kindness, and it made me love Jack's family even more, however impossible it seemed.
We spent the entire day out on the water, hauling in nets and enjoying each other's company. The smell of the salt in the air, the cool breeze whipping my hair around my face, and the sound of my own laugh all combined to create a day of carefree happiness. But, like all good things, it all to soon came to an end.
When we made port at sundown, we met the peacekeepers who unceremoniously confiscated our catch and paid us our meager wage. After this exchange, we made for the district square, which was always bustling with people going about their business. We picked up a few much needed items, and were about to head home, when an important looking peacekeeper stepped up onto the steps of the Justice Building.
"Citizens of District 4," his voice bellowed, "may I have your attention?"
We all stopped what we were doing and stared up at him.
"Thank you," he said as he withdrew a piece of paper from his pocket. I noticed that it had the Capitol seal.
"I have an announcement, straight from the desk of President Marks, our great leader."
Numerous people looked around, murmuring questions. Some winced at the sound of the president's name. I stood rooted to the ground, emotionless.
The peacekeeper cleared his throat and began to read from the paper in his hands.
' "On Monday, August the first, at noon, a public Reaping will be held. In this Reaping, two children, one boy and one girl, who are between the ages of twelve and eighteen, will be chosen in a lottery to be entered in the Hunger Games, a televised pageant of honor, courage, and sacrifice, where twenty four children will fight to the death, until one lone victor stands. Each eligible child in every district across Panem will be entered once, and the winners of the Reaping will be taken to the Capitol for special preparation in anticipation of the Games. A certified peacekeeper will contact you for registration within the next three days. Thank you, and may the Odds be ever in your favor." '
The peacekeeper fell silent and began folding the paper back up. With one parting glance, he stepped inside the Justice Building's wooden doors, and let them bang closed behind him.
A heavy silence hung over the gathered crowd. Jack was the first to break it. "August first... that's-" "Next week." I said, confirming his fear.
That night, we walked home in silence.
The week leading up to the Reaping flew by faster than I wished. The only thing out of the ordinary was the expected visit of a peacekeeper to register Jack, Gunnar, and I for the Reaping. Before we knew it, August first was here, we were getting ready to head out to the district square to find out who was going to be chosen to compete in the Hunger Games. Mrs. Odair was braiding my hair so that it looked like a waterfall of braids was cascading down my head and onto my shoulders. Fear of the unknown was prevalent in the house, and it even made Jack fall silent. We all walked to the square together, and before Jack, Gunnar and I were forced apart, we shared one moment of peace together, and it was as if there was no one else in the world but us three, holding each other together so we didn't fall apart.
By noon, we were all gathered in the square, boys on one side, girls on the other. I was thrown in with a couple of girls I didn't know very well, who were nervously whispering to each other. Then, out of what seemed like nowhere, the strangest person I had ever seen stepped out of the Justice Building and onto the stage, where a microphone and two glass balls filled to their brims with little white slips of paper stood. At least, the word person wasn't exactly the word that first came to my mind. Think more along the lines of rainbow fish.
The man that walked out of the Justice Building looked so strange to us, that many an eyebrow was raised, some grinned at him, and many sniggered to their neighbor. I overheard one little girl say to her mother, "Mommy, why does the man look like a rainbow?"
She was right, he really did look like a rainbow. The first thing I noticed were his clothes. His suit was bright pink, his hair was dyed an odd shade of green, and his shoes were yellow. Aside from his taste in style, the second thing that struck me about him was his face. Tanned until his skin was almost orange and bleached until his teeth were obnoxiously white, he looked like nothing I had ever seen before. That paired with the fact that his lips looked like they had been stung by bees and stretched unnaturally far didn't help matters. Overall, he looked completely ridiculous.
"Good day, and welcome!" Mr. Rainbow Fish said, in an extremely annoying sounding nasal voice, "Happy Hunger Games to you all! I am Grandis Edenthaw, and I am here in your lovely district to draw the names of two very lucky children, one of which may just win eternal fortune and glory in the Hunger Games!" He smiled stupidly, then went on about the Treaty of Treason, and how wonderful the Capitol is, how much we owe them, blah blah blah. I tuned out pretty quickly, and settled with scrutinizing the dust on my shoe.
Grandis Edenthaw regained my attention when he exclaimed, "And now, it's time to select our tributes. Out of politeness, we shall select the female tribute first."
With that, he stepped over to the glass ball to his left, and stuck his hand deep into the sea of little white slips of paper. He fished around for a moment, then dramatically whipped out a single piece of crisp paper, with some unfortunate soul's name written neatly upon it.
Grandis Edenthaw scuttled excitedly back over to the microphone and unfurled the piece of paper. Then, hardly able to contain his excitement, he proudly read off the tribute's name.
"Summer Remet!"
In that one moment, my life was changed forever.
"Summer, where are you darling?" I hear Grandis Edenthaw say, but I am paralyzed. I can't seem to be able to move, to react. The girls I was standing by pointed at me, signaling to the peacekeepers that I was the new tribute. In what felt like a haze, I am pulled from the crowd and shoved onto the stage next to Grandis. As I walk up, I hear shouting behind me, then a scuffle, and then a cry of pain. I pay it no mind. It's as if I'm disconnected, and I'm watching everything from a million miles away, seeing some other girl in my place.
Once beside Grandis, I gaze out into the crowd. A group of peacekeepers are surrounding someone who I guessed was the person I heard. I can't tell who it is from my view, but the voice did sound familiar. Too familiar.
"Now it's the boy's turn!" Grandis said enthusiastically, seemingly unaware of exactly what was happening. Walking to the glass ball on his right, he grabbed another slip of paper, and returned to the microphone. Once again, he read out the name of the next victim.
"Jackson Odair!"
I am floored when the person who shoves through the peacekeeper's ranks is none other than Jack himself. As my best friend makes his way toward me and the stage, his expression cold and unyielding, I fight the urge to burst into tears. This can't be happening. Jack... they can't take Jack...
Grandis says something, then makes us shake hands before we are taken into the Justice Building and put into separate rooms, where we will wait until we are put on the train bound for the Capitol. In the meantime, family and friends are allowed to see us off and say goodbye.
As I sat in shocked silence, I had only one clear thought: this is happening. My worst fear has just become my reality.
In a minute flat, the Capitol had managed to shatter everything that I thought was real, and replace it with my now everlasting nightmare.
R/R Please! Constructive criticism is welcomed. Until next time...
Harley of Narnia
