Don't forget them, but don't remember them either.
Vivian Sable, 15
District Ten Female
I wish Aunt Rebekah would stop trying to wake up Byk, because she's stopping me from getting some much needed sleep. I don't like waking up until late on reaping day, and she knows it, so she won't try and wake me up until an hour before the reaping, and I'm glad for that. Unfortunately, Byk is a deep sleeper, and she doesn't have any problem waking him up. Very, very loudly.
I pull the covers over my head again, trying to block out the noise. If I can block out the noise, maybe I can block out everything else too. Like Pasu. I don't want to think about Pasu's death, and I don't want to talk about it either. I was nine, he was twelve, and he and Ma were very, very, very dead by the end of the 80th Hunger Games. If only Pa hadn't died when I was five.
"Byk, get up now or you're not getting anything to eat today." Aunt Rebekah yells, and I can't help but smile. She'd never really stop him, but he's kind of gullible when it comes to food. We don't get enough anyway.
"Alright." I can barely hear him mumble. I almost laugh, and then pull myself out of bed. The faded green dress hung on the back of the door yesterday has fallen onto the floor. I pick it up and put it on. I've worn it every year since I was twelve, and it shouldn't still fit me. But I haven't grown very much at all. It still fits me, unsurprisingly, and I grab a single black ribbon off my the windowsill and tie my hair back in a ponytail. I open the door and head into the kitchen, where there is no food on the table. Byk is sitting at the table, his hair messy and he has bags under his eyes. No one really sleeps that well on reaping night. I take a seat and my eyes meet my cousin's.
"Sleep well?"
"No. Unsurprisingly." I reply.
"Scared?" He asks.
"Yeah." I tell him. "I'm absolutely terrified." Who wouldn't be terrified on reaping day? It's scary, scarier than the peacekeepers' punishments. And that's very scary. I hope so, so, so much that I never get my name drawn for the games. My eyes are drawn to the corner of the window, where a spider is spinning itself a web. I like spiders, and I can't seem to stop myself from watching it. I can get lost in it's little spider world of web-building.
I end up drifting into my own little world and am only pulled out by Aunt Rebekah tapping me on the shoulder to hand me a cup of water. I take it and down the whole cup, not that there's much in it. Then it's only a few minutes until we're out of the door, heading for the square. It's Byk's last reaping, and he says he won't let me face the games alone if I get reaped. That doesn't sound like a good idea to me, but he's completely set on keeping his promise. He won't let me take tesserae either.
The dusty road splits in two, and Aunt Rebekah has to leave to stand in the streets near the square. From what I've seen most of the other districts have everyone in the square, but we seem to have lots and lots and lots of kids. More than most districts.
Two minutes in to the reaping ceremony I've found another spider. It crawls across the ground near my feet, trying to find it's way away from the people. I keep my eyes on the spider until our escort appears, and then I turn to the stage.
"Thank you, Mayor." He says, beaming at all of us in the crowd. I smile back. At least the escort is nice. "Now, as is tradition, we will choose… ladies first!" He cheers, and reminds me of the old Capitol presenter, Ceasar Flickerman. I've seen him on Hunger Games reruns. His death shook a lot of people, and his son isn't a very good replacement. Iasonas reaches into the reaping bowl and pulls out a slip of paper, unfolding it slowly for dramatic effect. "Vivian Sable!" I can feel myself tearing up, because I know this is the end. There's no way I'll get out of this alive, because there are careers who are strong and fast and they've all been trained to kill from a young age. As I walk up to the stage, I notice Byk staring at me.
"Now, for the gentlemen." Iasonas declares, and reaches his hand into the next reaping bowl. Before he can unfurl the slip, I hear a familiar voice yell something from behind me. It sends me into another round of tears. Because the voice belongs to Byk, and he's keeping his promise, and the entire square can hear what he said, and Aunt Rebekah will be devastated.
"I volunteer as tribute!"
The people who don't want protection are the protectors.
Rebekah Shepherd
Aunt of Vivian Sable
"Byk. Wake up!" I yell at the door. I don't get a response. "Byk, you need to wake up. You'll miss the reaping." Still no response. "You'll get in trouble with the peacekeepers." Nothing. I give up. Maybe I can afford to let him sleep a little longer. It is reaping day after all. He's probably had a hard time sleeping. But life goes on, and he needs to get up or all three of us will get in trouble with the peacekeepers. I try again. "Byk, get up now or you're not getting anything to eat today."
"Alright." Is the reply I get from him. Doesn't matter. In another room I can hear Vivian getting up. Good. I don't particularly want to have to wake her up. She was affected very badly by her brother's death in the 80th Hunger Games, and now she's sensitive to the slightest things. Which isn't great for someone in the livestock district, but she'll find a way. That or she'll starve. Which isn't an option I like to consider but there's nothing I can do about it. You survive or you starve, and I'm not sure she has what it takes to survive.
Outside is an escape from looking after two kids, one of them only half there. It's definitely not the best existence. The road is dusty and dry, the hot summer sun beating down on me. I should go inside before we have to go to make sure they're ready for the reaping, but I still have plenty of time. Standing in the sun is something I do regularly, just because I can, and can't I have just one thing that I do with no interruptions and no worries? But today I'm still worried, because it's reaping day. I head back inside.
The first thing I notice is Vivian fixated on a spider. It happens often. A bit like me standing in the sun. I have the sun and she has spiders. I tap her on the shoulder and hand her a glass of water, and then go and find Byk because we need to leave for the reaping.
The road is filled with people, all of us heading out into the street towards the square, and then comes the part where I have to leave them. I hate this part, and hug Vivian goodbye before they're both swallowed up by the crowd. In the streets around the square, the people of District Ten watch the screens intently, and I can tell from everyone's faces who are parents. They're the ones with concern written all over their faces. I could pity them, but my mind is going down the "rather them than me" route. And it's true, I would prefer that one of their children was chosen over my son and niece. They're probably thinking the same thing.
The seal of Panem appears on the screen, blasting the national anthem through speakers hidden away somewhere. I watch as the mayor rises and gives his yearly speech. He talks about both rebellions and how it was a betrayal of the Capitol, he talks about the reasons for the Hunger Games and the formation of Panem. He talks about the hardships the human race experienced. As if anyone gives a damn about that. All we care about is that our children are safe. Then Iasonas Naevia steps forwards, thanking the mayor.
"Now, as is tradition, we will choose… ladies first!" Then he steps forward and pulls a slip out of the reaping bowl, unfurling the slip and then yelling. "Vivian Sable!" The camera zooms in on Vivian. I almost scream. Vivian? There's no way it's Vivian. It can't be Vivian. She walks up to the stage, and then Iasonas pulls out another name. Before he can unfurl it, a voice yells out so loudly I can hear it without the speakers.
"I volunteer as tribute!" The camera zooms in on Byk, and I find myself cursing his impulsiveness. Everyone in the square stares at him for a few seconds, before Iasonas starts laughing.
"Did no one tell you? There is no volunteering this year." Iasonas yells to the square. Thank you. Somehow, the world is looking out for him. Byk looks very unhappy at this. Then he continues opening the slip, and reads out the name on the slip. "Byk Shepherd." What? This can't be happening. This isn't happening. There is no way that this is happening. But Byk walks up to the stage, openly smiling at Iasonas. Isonas's face is shocked, but I don't laugh at his expression, all that I can think of is that I will lose one of them, at least. Maybe Byk could win, but it's unlikely.
The two of them shake hands, and Vivian seems to be comforted by Byk's presence, the fact that he's there with her. Iasonas seems confused at this turn of events. But that doesn't stop him from turning to the audience in the square to finish the ceremony.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the tributes of District Ten!"
So, the District Ten reaping. It's a bit short (sorry), but there's only so much you can do with one family. A huge thank you to Sarcasmhonesty, who submitted Vivian and Byk.