Fox faces sister
( Part 2)
the 77th annual hunger games.
District 5
I couldn't believe it was really me. I had nightmares about this but I never really believed that it could happen. I remember when Finch was chosen, I remember her name being called and her slowly walking up to the stage I remember how it felt like she was never going to get there I shudder remembering them agonizing seconds of her walking up to the stage when the only sound was her footsteps, I remembering how scared she looked I had never seen her that scared before in my life. I don't want Fiona to see me like that so I walk to the stage swiftly although I am careful not to be too fast for it to seem like I was rushing up their because I was sacred, I wanted to walk up their at a normal steady pace as if this where an everyday thing. I tried letting my face remain emotionless although I knew I couldn't do that so I let myself look sly. Gabriella always thought it was funny how mine and Finches natural expressions always looked sly, maybe that was a good thing for now, perhaps it wouldn't show how scared I really was. Yes I could try making it look like I have some hidden skill or something. I mount the stage take my place and decide on a point in the distance to stare at. My heart was beating so fast in my chest I thought that it might burst.
I catch a glimpse of myself on the screen, I don't look nervous at all if anything I look a bit bored. That is what I want, I will not give them that satisfaction of seeing my scared, I will not look weak. I will stand my ground.
I scan the crowd of children, I am actually looking for my family and friends but I hope it could be mistaken for me scouting out my rival. I find Gabriella she looks more scared then I am she is curled up in a ball on the ground and rocking to and forth, you would think she would be embarrassed but really she is beyond that. She tends to make things seem like they are much worst then they actually are but you can't really do that with the hunger games it's the worst thing that could happen I am just glad she wasn't picked. Finn and Fion are identical and they bout wear the exact same expression, terrified with a mix of confusion we are triplets and I guess they didn't think that I could be chosen. Then I see my older brother Fallon he is mouthing something to me, he has to repeat it a few times for me to understand it.
"Don't show your fear."
I nod. I don't plan to let them know that if they weren't watching I would most lightly be crying, screaming and trying to escape. They don't have to know that. I take a deep breath and stare right into one of the cameras, grinning ever so slightly. All I can think is it is lucky I am good at acting.
"Any volunteers?" Bexie asks although I think she knows the answer. Everybody pities me but no one pities me enough to take my place. "Crossly, was that your sister in the seventy forth annual hunger games. Right?" She asks sounding delighted at my misfortune.
"Yes she was my sister." I replied flatly staring up at her with a look that is a mix of cunningness and curiosity.
She obviously was expecting me to silently nod or freak out definitely not for me to be so calm. They were about ten awkward seconds of her thinking of what to say when she finally came out with.
"Well it has become a bit of a family tradition hasn't it?" She doesn't give me a chance to respond and she just takes the microphone out of the stand and walks over to the ball with the male tributes names in it. She hastily plucks one out. "The male tribute representing district five for the seventy-seventh annual hunger games is-." She gave a short pause to build emphases. "Evan Daily!"
A massive boy from the front of the crowd walks up to the stage. He must be three times my size. He must be eighteen. He looks a bit stunned and is doing his best to hide it.
"Any volunteers?" Bexie asks again as the boy takes his place on the stage. There is no response. "Well then, I give you the tributes from district five!" Usually the tributes would shake hands at this point. He extends his I turn away on my heel and jump down the steps I walk towards the Justice building. Peace keepers surround me to escort me there. I don't walk away without giving the cameras a cunning smile. Although I know I am going to die, I think I might as well let the capital like me.
-The justice building-
As soon as the peacekeepers threw me in the room and slammed the door behind me the real panic begun. My breathing became faster and irregular, I paced to and forth thinking of all the ways I could die when I was in the arena. Tears threaten to come out; I bite down on my tongue to stop myself from crying I actually bite on it so hard that my mouth fills with blood. I spit the blood on the floor and I realize that this is how I will look when some career sticks a knife in my back, I will spit blood, the cannon will fire and I will be dead. I am going to die in the next few weeks. I am going to die like my big sister.
Although for most people this thought would make them even more nervous it makes me a bit calmer. I know I am going to die. I sit down on the couch in the room and stare up at the ceiling trying my best not to cry. I put my feet up on the couch and rest my head on my knees. I undo the bun in my hair allowing it to fall over my face. I open my closed eyes and look at my hair. It is the exact same shade of red as Finches. People say that I look exactly like her and I do except that my face is less fox like. I think back to her reaping. I am ten years old again walking to say good bye to my sister. Don't think about it. I tell myself but it is too late.
FLASHBACKâ
I walk into the justice building clutching Fallons hand in one hand and eight year old Fiona is holding on to the other. I had only been in the justice building once before, when me and Finch where accused of robbing a house. We did rob the house but we got off the hook because they weren't enough evidence and nobody thought that a fourteen year old and her nine year old sister would be able to pull of such a scheme. That day always made me smile up until now because this time was different than last time, last time I me and Finch walked out of here holding hands and giggling about how sly and cunning we where but this time I knew I would not be walking out of here holding Finches hand I may never hold her hand again.
"Is Finch gona die Faye?" Fiona asks looking up at me with big scarred eyes.
"Let's just focus on saying good bye now." Fallon tells us through tears then he wipes his tears away with his sleeve."Fiona why don't you sit over there and we will wait to be called." He says gesturing over to an arm chair. She nods and runs over and sits on it and begins fidgeting with her skirt.
Fallon takes me by surprise, he grabs my shoulder gets down on his knee and looks me in the eye, I want to look down but he forces me to stare him in the eye. "Faye, listen to me." He says in a stern tone. "You can't cry, okay?" I nod.
"For Fiona?" I ask.
"No." He replies. I was unsure what he meant if I wasn't crying for Fiona then who? He takes a deep breath. "You can't cry in front of Finch. Because she loves you so much if she sees you crying then she will also cry and honey she can't cry."
"Okay." I replied in a shaky tone. Then I take a deep breath and try look as calm as I can be and I repeat. "Okay." This time my voice is a lot steadier and you can't really hear the fear.
Fallon smiles in approval. "Faye I know how hard this must be for you but you have to get through it okay because Finch needs all the support she can get." Fallon tells me. I nod and then he hugs me.
"Why can't we all go in together?" Fiona asks us.
"Because our family is too big. Me, you, Fallon and Faith will go in and then the rest of your brothers." I tell her in a happy tone although on the inside I feel like I just want to cry. But Fiona doesn't know that. I was good at acting then and I am good at acting now.
One of the peace keepers carries a two year old Faith into the room. He genteelly places her on the ground and she runs up to me and sits on my lap.
"Oh, great." Fallon jokes. "I am stuck with all the girls."
This makes me realize that if Finch dies I will only have two sisters and six bothers. I will have no big sister to steal clothes from or to tell my secrets to. I will have three older brothers who now will probably be over protective of me because of what happened to Finch, I will have two twin brothers who won't ever want to leave the house again and I will have two younger sisters and a younger brother who will be confused on what happened to their big sister. I know it is selfish to be upset for myself right know but I can't live without her. Finch can't leave me alone; she can't die on me because if she dies I don't know what I will do.
FLASH BACK OVER -
My train of thoughts where abruptly ended by a knock on the door. I take a deep breath and smile. I will not let my sibling go threw what I went threw when I saw Finch shivering out of fear on the couch. They will not worry about not crying because that will make me feel worst about it.
"Come in." I saw in a calm voice.
My younger sibling where first in. I am glad I calmed down. I smile warmly at them as they walk in. First comes in Fiona, her eyes red from crying she is followed by Finley who is crying very badly, he is only nine and he is clutching tightly to his little sister, (Faiths) hand who is crying her eyes out. She lets go of Finleys hand and runs over to the couch where I am sitting she jumps on my knee and hugs me.
"Faye don't go." She whispers in my ear. "Stay here don't go away." She begs.
I kiss her on the forehead and smile at her. "I have to go. But I will really miss you."
Finley and Fiona sit on either side of me. I put Faith down between me and Finley so I can hug Fiona. I hug her and whisper in her ear. "It's okay Fi, you can cry it doesn't matter what Fallon says you can cry if you want to."
She looks up at me her sadness replaced by confusion.
"How did you know he told me not to cry?" She asks looking at me suspiciously.
"We Crossleys are very sneaky." I tell her as if I were talking to a child younger than Faith.
She smiles at me not a forced smile but a real one. Then she bursts into tears. I hug her again.
"I don't want you to die as well." She says trough sobs.
I don't say anything. I will not make promises that I can't keep. I won't tell them I can survive if I can't.
I turn around to look at Faith and Finley, he has her arm around her and she is crying so much. I pick her up again and hug her. How can I leave her? I love her so much. Finley wipes tears from his own eyes and says in a quiet voice. "You could win Faye, you are as smart and quiet as Finch was and since she died you got really good at throwing knives. But they one thing you can do something better than anyone else in all of Panem, you can act because Faye, the tributes aren't the ones who decide if you survive or not. It's the capital.
I smile. When did he get to be so smart. I love that they think I can win, but I can't win. They need to know that because I believed that maybe Finch could win and that just made her death worst.
"Guys, you know I can't win." I tell them in a calm voice. Before I can continue Faith puts a finger on my lips and takes of her charm bracelet she had since she was a baby she takes of a charm and presses it in my hand.
"Faye, have faith." She tells me just before she is carried of by the peace keepers. She doesn't kick or scream she just stares at me with her amber eyes, the same amber eyes finch had before they where gouged out of her body and put into some capital mutt. The same eyes I have and my brothers or Fiona don't have. I realised soon she would be the only one with them eyes left.
The door banged shut. That was the last time I would ever see them again. They where a knock on the door and the rest of my brothers entered. I looked down at the charm Faith had given me. I gasped when I realised what it was. It wasn't just any bird, it was a Finch.
