Lila Wood POV
I hadn't slept at all last night. Something had kept me up. Not fear or apprehension for the reaping, something I just couldn't entirely put my finger on. I thought for only a moment before discarding it. If I thought for too long, memories that I had so carefully suppressed would resurface. I couldn't let that happen.
I stumbled out of bed after my fruitless attempts at sleep. I felt my way over to my closet and picked out clothes at random and pulled them on. I carefully walked into my bathroom and found a comb to brush my curly silver blond hair with. My eyes are a haunting shade of blue, and I can only assume that they still are that way, since the accident that left me almost completely blind. I have never actually seen it myself, but people tell me that almost my entire face and several parts of my arms are marred by horrible burns. When I could trust in my eyesight, before the accident, I knew that I was shockingly pretty. My face had been nearly flawless. Now people flinch away from me. I also used to be happy and animated, but now I am silent unless spoken to directly. Although I cannot see, my other senses are greatly heightened.
I scrub my face gingerly, because even though the scars are years old, they still burn sometimes. I can see a tiny bit of light through the shrouds of blindness in my left eye, but to my right it is dark. I carefully place my feet as I walk out to the kitchen where I hear my mother making breakfast. Once I am out of the hallway, I no longer need to feel my way around. I know our house like the back of my hand. If I could see the back of my hand.
"Hey sweetie, pancakes." said Mom. I sit down at the table and Mom passes me a fork.
"The boys left just a few minutes ago to go find their friends." Mom told me as I ate. I didn't say a word and she continued.
"It's almost noon so we should get going in about a half hour. Does that sound alright?" She wasn't actually asking my permission, she was just trying to get a response out of me.
"Sure." I answer. My voice has gone from tinkling and girlish, to cool and a little raspy since the accident two years ago. Since I stopped talking as much, my voice had taken its toll.
We both ate in silence after that. I realize that she may think that I blame her for the fire that made me this way, but I don't. She did nothing to cause it and tried to stop me from going back in. I had only grown cold because if I let myself think of the pain I cause her, it makes me remember. Memories hurt more than the burns.
We left together and she guided me to the thirteen's. I didn't have to see to know that the other kids were avoiding me.
I sat in stoic silence and listened to the mayor's speech and waited, willing it to be over. The mayor introduced District 11's escort, Garnet Limase, and there was a short silence.
"Lila Wood!"
Without thinking about what had just happened, I stand and carefully, oh so carefully, make my way to the stage. I look down and strain my left eye to see my feet. All I can make out are two grey blurs. I feel somebody touch my back and lead me forward. I stiffen. I do not like any kind of physical contact, especially not from a stranger. Unfortunately, I have no choice but to let the stranger guide me to the stage.
When a boy joins me and we shake hands, I feel the same emotion I had felt most of last night when I was trying to sleep. I name it loneliness.
Jaidyn Trich POV
This morning I was up earlier than usual. Today is reaping day, so nobody goes to work today, but I went into the butcher shop first thing in the morning to try and get a few sales.
A few people came in, but since nobody expected it to be open on reaping day, most people just passed it by. After a couple hours, I closed the shop and took my few earnings home.
Mom and Dad were at the table eating breakfast when I got home.
"Where have you been, boy?" Mom asked sharply as I walked in.
I sighed. "I was at the shop."
"You can't be sneaking around like that." Dad said sternly.
"I wasn't sneaking around! I was working!"
"That's enough. You go to your room and get properly dressed. We are leaving in an hour." Mom said, ending the conversation.
I left for my room, still angry at my parents. I throw on a green tunic and beige pants. I have short dirty blond hair and dark brown eyes. I'm kind of tall, with a lean and muscular build.
I went back out to the kitchen reluctantly. When I appeared, my parents inspected my outfit then went back to their food. I grabbed some water and went back to my room.
I lay down and closed my eyes. Only two more reapings, then you're free. I hate the Hunger Games. They are a horrible punishment for a crime we didn't commit. Nobody in Panem personally fought in the rebellion so long ago. Nobody living did, at least. So many kids die already, every year, without the Games. Why do they insist on killing twenty-three more? I drank my water in one gulp and went back out to the kitchen.
"I'm going out." I told my parents.
"Where?" asked Dad.
"To find Devin."
Dad grunted and I took it as an 'Okay, you do that,' and I left.
I found Devin hanging around the front of his house.
"Hey." I said.
"Hey." Neither of us said anything for a bit. If he was thinking the same thing as me, which he probably was, then we were both too nervous to talk. He had his name in six times. I had mine in eight times, because of two tesseraes.
"My parents are freaking out over April. She's taking it better than they are." Devin informed me. April is his twelve year-old sister. This was her first reaping and apparently, her parents are not happy about it.
After only a few minutes, it was time to leave for the reaping. Devin and I sat next to each other in the seventeen's.
It was almost silent while everyone in District 11 waited for our mayor to make an appearance. When he finally did take the stage, the silence was complete. Everyone listened half-heartedly.
A woman from the Capitol fished around for a girl's name.
"Lila Wood!"
A girl from the thirteen's had stood. She stared at her feet while she walked very slowly to the stage. The mayor whispered something in the escort's ear, and the woman walked down the stairs of the stage and went over to the girl. She touched her back and Lila stopped for a second before looking away from her feet and letting herself be guided. A couple of people gasped when she revealed her face. Her whole face was covered with burns. She's blind, I thought with a terrible certainty. She won't stand a chance if she can't see.
When Lila reached the stage, the escort picked out a boy's name.
"Jaidyn Trich!"
The rest of the reaping was a blur. I don't remember anything the mayor said after I got called. All I remember is shaking the scarred girl's hand and officially giving up my life to the Capitol.
Heh! This is the longest chapter so far. Thanks for reading and reviewing! Also the next chapter will probably be posted in a few minutes, but don't get too excited, it's just an update. Thanks!
-Natalie