Chapter 2- No turning back
A/N: Hey guys so this is only the second chapter in my first fanfiction ever! What do you guys think so far? Any sort of review would be helpful! Also, I do not own anything!
Once Sparrow had helped Lichen out of bed and into the kitchen for breakfast, she went about the tedious task of getting ready for the Reaping. Freshly bathed, she gazed down at what she was to wear for the ceremony. A plain lavender colored dress, it complimented her figure and her light brown eyes nicely.
One part of her enjoyed this fearful day because it allowed her to look nice for once. It allowed her to pretend that she could afford items like this dress for every day wear. Too bad the only time she got to dress up was for this sick and twisted event.
"Sweetie are you ready to get your hair done?" Sparrow's mother called from the kitchen.
"Yes mother that would be nice, thank you," She said quietly.
Her mother came into the bedroom and quickly began styling her hair into intricate braids. Sparrow could see her mother's fingers shaking but they both chose to ignore it, just as they always did.
Her mother stepped back while Sparrow marveled at her appearance in the mirror. Her hair, normally limp and tangled with bits of twigs and dirt, was shiny and smooth and woven into designs atop her head. She managed a smile at her reflection and she saw a ghost of a smile appear on her mother's face too.
"Thank you mother. For everything. I don't say that enough," Sparrow turned around and embraced her shaking mother.
"I love you Sparrow. Everything's going to be ok, I know it is" Her mother whispered back.
Sparrow only nodded and stepped away, not wanting her mother to see the tears beginning to gather in her eyes.
After breakfast, her parents and brother began the laborious journey of walking to the Town Square. A journey made that much more difficult by Lichen's illness. Ever since he was a few years old, he begun having difficulty walking and now uses canes fashioned out of wood from the forest to help him. Her father, Walker, had made these supports for Lichen and now walked alongside him, giving support when needed.
Even with Lichen slowing them down, they arrived far too quickly for Sparrow's liking and soon enough she split from her family and headed towards the Peacekeepers. She held still as her blood was taken and kept a stoic expression as she walked towards the fifteen year old section.
"Sparrow! Hey, Sparrow wait up!" Eleni, a girl from her class who she considered to be one of her best friends ran up to her looking breathless.
"Hey," Sparrow said swallowing a lump in her throat.
"Sparrow it's going to be fine. We will definitely not be picked this year. You know Jade from the class above us? She has her name in twenty-four times!" Eleni looked as though she was trying to convince herself as much as Sparrow.
"Even if I don't get picked someone has to. Two children from our district will most likely die this year and there's nothing anyone can do about it," Sparrow said quietly, watching the square fill with all of the twelve to eighteen year olds.
Eleni put a hand on her shoulder and they simply stood that way until the video began playing. The video that they watched every year which broadcasted the horrors that the Dark Days brought upon them. Sparrow looked for her family in the crowd and found her father smiling confidently at her with his arm around her mother.
The district's escort walked on stage and spoke about how excited he was for the games. How disgusting. Sparrow fought back her anger and nausea as she listened to him speak in his stupid Capitol accent.
Their escort walked over to the bowl that contained all of the girl's names. She had a good chance this year. She hadn't taken that much tessarae at all compared to some. Only eleven slips with her name on it were held in that bowl, the same age as her brother. Barely any at all.
She was so busy worrying about everyone and everything that she barely heard the name that rang out through the square : "Sparrow Dolan!"
Her vision blackened at the edges and her legs went numb. No. No that couldn't be right. She must have misunderstood. It can't be her. Her brother and parents need her and she needs them she can't die yet!
She barely registered Eleni crying next to her as she concentrated on stepping towards the stage with a blank look on her face. She would not cry or show weakness. For the sake of her family and for herself she must be strong just as she always had been and always would be.
"Congratulations my dear. What a great honor this is for you and your family," Their escort simpered as they shook hands.
Once more, Sparrow had to fight down the feeling of being sick as she looked out over the crowd at her family. Her mother was an absolute wreck, clinging to her father and sobbing. Her brother was the worst though. He had a look of complete and total hopelessness and despair etched in to his face. Sparrow hoped that look would go away as quickly as possible once she died. She looked out over her home, over the forest where she had spent countless happy hours. She would probably never see it again and that thought alone almost sent the tears she was trying so hard to conceal down her face.
" Everest Spade!" That must be the boy tribute. Sparrow looked in to the crowd and watched as a small blond haired boy from the thirteen year old section made his way to the stage, the look on his face similar to Lichen's.
"Shake hands now my dears. You are district partners after all!" Their escort coaxed them towards each other.
Sparrow grabbed Everest's small hand in her own and looked in to his eyes. She nodded at him and he looked as though he relaxed, if only a bit.
Sparrow took one last glance around her home before being lead towards the imposing doors of the Justice Building.