DISTRICT 5 REAPING
It's a joke to the people of the other districts about how power hungry District 5 is, its specialty being power. Of course, it's not meant in a literal sense. District 5 supplies electricity. Everyone knows that.
Emilia Gray and her family had escaped from District 13 soon after the war started. They wanted no part in this catastrophe, which they were sure it would turn into. They were right - District 13 was no more.
Today, Emilia had her hair up pretty. She wore a pretty red dress and looked pretty. Back in District 13, this was all anyone asked for - the boys to look sophisticated, the girls to shut up and look pretty. Part of the reason why Emilia's family had decided to move to District 5.
Their escort, Donna Gates, made them watch a thirty-minute movie. Once it was over, she reached her skinny, anorexic hand into the bowl and fished out an envelope. She opened it.
"Savannah Gray!"
Emilia's sister stood from her chair, which some kind soul had donated to the District. There was one for each twelve-year-old. If they were going to die, at least be comfortable. Right?
Savannah walked up toward the stage. She turned to the crowd and began to sob.
Donna patted Savannah's back and tried to soothe her for a few minutes, but all was not well. Soon, Donna gave up and returned to the boy's bowl.
Jamie's life ended the moment Donna called the boy's name. "Jamie..." her smile even disappeared. "...York?"
Jamie's mother cried out; she was somewhere to his left. "Jamie! NO!"
One of the regular peacekeepers found Jamie in the fourteen-year-old section and helped him onto the stage. "What's wrong with him?" Savannah asked. Obviously, she didn't realize that he could hear just fine.
The peacekeeper (one of Jamie's favorites, a boy named Perry) whispered, "He's blind."
Jamie tried to imagine Savannah's face, but he couldn't see it. He didn't even know what she looked like.
He felt someone grab for his hand, and he suspected it was Savannah. Then, another someone (Donna, maybe?) raised his left arm and Savannah raised his right. "I present to you, the tributes of District Five," Donna said solemnly. Unlike the other district mentors, Donna actually lived in District 5, although she was Capitol-born. She knew these two kids. She knew about Jamie York, District 5's charity case. She knew about the last remaining survivors of District 13: the Grays.
Savannah leaned in. "They're silent, but I guess you can hear that. They're all holding their left hands up, palm forward. The gesture for apology here, I think."
Jamie removed his hand from Donna's grasp and raised it. Someone began to cry. Jamie wanted to go to that person. Don't cry, he wanted to say. I don't think you're supposed to cry at a blind person's funeral. I know I wouldn't want anyone crying.