People crowd in on both sides of me, jostling me around. I stand straight and try to peer over the heads to see my brothers, one in the twelve year old crowd and one outside, with the people who are safe from the drawing. Their little bodies easily fit through the gaps in the people and they stand up near the ropes, their faces tight with nerves but otherwise conflicted. I frown sadly to see them with so much worry and strife on their young faces, but it was a normal sight in this district. The others might enjoy at least twelve years of stress free life, but street-rats of 8 didn't have that luxury. I can only hope that Drew is safe this year.
My attention is drawn back to the stage as the escort, Kary Holtrik emerges from he carriage. She strides up to the microphone, her beautifully tailored dress of sunset orange and pink swirls, and her high heels, five inches tall, a perfect match. The dress is tight, following and exaggerating the curves of her body, and she has her hair in a perfect braid of carmel.
"Welcome, good citizens of district 8! How exciting that I get to join you yet again for another Hunger Games Reaping!" She chirps. I lose interest and look back at my brothers. Already, their eyes are slightly glazed form the speech that started out with little variation from every year back as long as I remember. She will just tell us about why were have the Hunger Games, and then she will tell us how much of an honor is is that she gets to be here and choose our lovely tributes for the year. Only when she states annoyingly, "Ladies first!" do I pay attention, my stomach tied in knots.
But then she pauses, unlike usual, and smiles an annoyingly bright grin. "This year, though, there is a special twist. Twice the tributes will be chosen! So now, I will choose district 8's four tributes for the 40th Hunger Games!"
She reaches one of her thin, delicate hands into the jar and swishes her wrist before plunging her hand into the papers. She pulls up her hand a second later, holding a slip. She uncurls it and calls out a name.
"Maria Lux!"
A shuffling comes from the 15 section, and I look back to see the crowd silently parts to let her through, and Maria walks onto the walkway between the children and walks to the stage, her face unnervingly blank. I watch her walk stiffly to the stage, ascending the steps silently. Kary smiles widely.
"Don't be shy, young lady. You just stand up here and look as darling as you are!" She reaches back in the bowl and pulls out another slip of paper.
"Clara Dukeum!"
Fear courses through me and I feel my muscle freeze, paralyzing me. I see the crowd looking around, and a few of them mutter to their friends in relief. Kary frowns and looks back down at the slip.
"Clara Dukeum?" She repeats, after several long seconds of silence. I take a sluggish step forward, and the crowd parts for me, flinching away as if I had some kind of deadly disease. Continuing forward, I emerged onto the passage up to the stage, and I heard a cry behind me. I looked back to see Tommy, his eyes filled with tears, duck under the constraining rope and run forward. His tears flowed down his face and fell to the ground behind him as he ran, and he bolted into me and hugged me around the middle. I stared at his head, but already I saw the peacekeepers coming for him out of the corner of my eyes. I crouched quickly and hugged him while he sobbed, until at last, the peacekeepers arrived and dragged him off of me. His scream cut through the air as they dragged him away.
For a long moment, i could move, and I feel as if my throat had swelled shut. I tried to control my breathing as I turned and walked forward, towards the stage that marked my impending doom, catching Drew's teared eye as I was walking. I smiled weakly to him, and a tear slid down his cheek, but he wiped it away and pulled on a blank look, the same that I was covering my face with now.
When i at last climbed onto the stage, I could see that Kary was shocked. She was frowning slightly, something I wasn't aware she was capable of until now. She didn't speak, only moved to the other bowl and looked out over the crowd for a moment before pulling her smile back, though it was weak, and announcing, "Time for the boys!"
She reached her hand in and pulled out her and, unfolding the paper with a flourish. I looked at Maria, and she glanced at me, and for a moment, I saw the fear in her eyes, and let her see the fear in mine.
"Daniel Lux!" Kary's voice jerked up on the last name, and I saw Maria's face crumple. She didn't cry, but she looked horrified and angry all at once. The boy's crowd split and a boy my age emerged, a shocked look on his face. His eyes were dry, and his posture strong, but he was staring at his sister, and she back at him, in such a way that told me that they were both terrified, because it was a gesture my brothers and I had exchanged many times.
Kary seemed drained of energy by now, and she reached into the bowl with little energy as soon as Daniel walked onto the stage. She pulled out a paper, letting it crumple in her fist before uncurling it and reading it with disbelief.
"Drew Dukeum!"
I felt my eyes widen and my jaw slacken as my brother walked stiffly forward, his eyes wide in shock but his eyes dry, like I taught him. He stares at me, and I see his chest moving too quickly. When he comes onto the stage, he stands to my right, and I feel fear pumping off of him, and his muscles twitch against my arm.
"There is one more change this year." Kary says, with forced enthusiasm. "Two victors with emerge from this years Hunger Games. Good luck to our tributes and may the odds be ever in your favour!"
And with those final words, we were lead off the stage and to the justice building, our holding quarters before we boarded the train to our doom.