I sigh dejectedly, glaring at the ground - as if it is to blame for my troubles - as I shuffle up to the check-in table. The Peacekeeper manning the table pricks my finger with her DNA scanner, checking that I am indeed who I claim I am. She looks up at me and glares for a brief moment before nodding and motioning for me to continue on into the square. I wonder why she's angry - then I remember that she probably knows about Team Chessie.
The square is jam-packed with District Four citizens, all dressed in simple daily clothes - a quiet act of unrest, as the reaping is supposed to be a happy holiday, and you're supposed to dress up. Yes, a happy holiday where you send two kids off to die. Plodding over into the 15-year-olds' section, I glance over at my Chessie counterpart, Chase. When we spread out across the districts, he insisted on staying in Four. For some odd reason, he didn't stay with his sister Brooke, who went to Six with Mariner. But that's beside the point.
Mayor Reilly begins reading the dry old Treaty of Treason, which surprisingly hasn't changed a bit since the Dark Days - even though the Capitol, murdering scumbags that they are, just quashed another rebellion. I still listen for any changes, although I doubt there will be any.
But then something she says catches my attention. "It has been brought to our attention that there was a group of rebels that had fled to every district in order to preserve themselves."
Damnit. They know about us. We're all going to be dead soon.
"Fortunately, all of them are tribute-age." Oh, no, no, no. This is worse, much worse. I must be having a nightmare or something. But the entire thing is just too real...
I turn and glance at Chase. The frozen expression of horror on his face matches mine exactly. I shake my head. There's no hope. Especially for thirteen-year-old Brooke, his sister, who he's sworn to protect no matter what. She'll probably be one of the first to die.
"Therefore, our tributes are Marlyn Cresta and Chase Cadlin."
I step towards the aisle that separates the boys and girls, not needing the Peacekeepers who flank me. They're probably here to make sure we don't escape or kill anyone, not that I would. Yet. As I ascend the steps to the stage, I hear a yell of "Fuck you, President Snow! Fuck all you Capitol douchebags!"
Oh, Chase. You could never resist an opportunity to turn heads.
We're immediately ushered into the Justice Building, and that part of the reaping was probably censored for language and rebellious content... or some crap like that.
But that's what most of the country is thinking, anyway. It'll take them a while to cool down from the Mockingjay's Rebellion. In the meantime, we'll all be killing each other.
As we're pushed onto the train at gunpoint, thanks to Chase's outburst at the reaping, I plop down in the nearest chair. "Screw all this," I groan dejectedly, "now we'll all be dead."