Chapter 6- Dove Rosestar
Mum pushes a last strand of hair back into place behind my ear. "You look lovely," she says to me. Her smile is forced and I know she's trying to keep me calm. I throw my arms around her.
"I'll be fine, you know I will," I say. She nods.
"I know. You'll be just fine."
"Come on," Cabel says, stepping into the room. "They'll be coming by to make sure everyone's out of their houses soon, and I don't want to be here for that."
The door shuts behind us and Cabel locks it. He looks at me reassuringly. "Don't worry, we'll be home soon."
"I know. I just hate the reapings, that's all," I say.
"We all do, Dove."
The walk to the city square is a quiet one. I can feel the tenseness radiating off my mother. She's been like this every year since my father died, maybe even before then. I can't remember. But she's scared and trying to hide it.
Cabel, on the other hand, is as strong and stable as always. Please don't let anything happen to my brother, I think. How could Mum manage without him? How could I? None of us tries to make conversation as we walk, so I concentrate on navigating through the crowd. Cabel reaches out to me and holds my hand tight.
"Get over! Move along!" shouts a Peacekeeper as we approach the square. Since Ferrick Stone was shot, two more suspected rebels have been executed here. Cabel has been even quieter at home than usual lately; he knew both of them. What if they think Cabel is involved somehow? He promised he wouldn't be, but still!
"Fourteen-year olds! Fourteen-year olds sign in here!" shouts another Peacekeeper; I recognize some of my classmates being herded in her direction. Cabel gives my hand a reassuring squeeze.
"See you after the reapings," he says, then I'm pushed one way and he goes another way towards the sixteen-year-old section.
After I sign in, I find my friend Opal and stand next to her. We smile at each other but say nothing. There will be time to talk afterwards. For now, I watch as the square fills up around us with the eligible children of District 6. Ringed around the outside of our groups stand the families; everyone hoping that their children or siblings come home today and not go to the Capitol. Just the sheer number of people overwhelms me.
Opal pokes me in the side and I train my eyes forward to the newly constructed stage at the front of the square. They put it up every year for the reapings and take it down right afterwards. Now the mayor has come out to read the compulsory history of Panem and the reason behind the Hunger Games.
"In the Dark Days, the thirteen districts rose up against the Capitol in an act of disgraceful rebellion. Through swift retaliation, twelve districts were subdued, the thirteenth annihilated from existence. As our reminder in the districts that such a rebellion must never happen again, the Hunger Games were born."
There's more to it after that, but I stop listening and start biting my nails instead. I come back into tune when the mayor steps to the side and our district representative, Albinia Locket, comes out on stage, followed closely by the reaping bowls, filled to the brim with white paper. Somewhere in there is my name and I suck in my breath.
Albinia is a tiny woman; she must be shorter than me and I'm not that tall either. She makes up for it with these wicked heels that make her totter around the stage a good six inches taller. Today she's wearing an absurd hairstyle that can only be a wig; it's as tall as a toddler and bright pink, dotted with something I can't see clearly. It's her face that gives the shivers, though; grotesquely tattooed with pink swirls that swoop under and over her eyes, curling around her mouth. Capitol fashions.
"Hello, hello District 6!" she crows, her voice lower than the usual Capitol accent. Everything she says is still very clipped at the ends of her sentences, though. "Well, we're running a little behind, so let's just get to it! Let's start with the gentlemen today!"
I chew my nails and hold my breath as Albinia ruffles around the boys' bowl with her hand, finally settling on one slip and walking crisply back to the microphone. She opens it, reads it, then says into the microphone, "Cabel Rosestar!"
I feel like I've been punched. Opal grabs my arm. No! No! This isn't supposed to happen! They weren't supposed to choose my brother! No!
Cabel pushes through the crowd, tall and steady as always. I focus on the back of his head, the black hair that matches my own, and had matched my father's. No! Not my brother!
He passes the mayor and goes to stand by Albinia, his expression unreadable. I try to seek his eyes but they seem to deliberately avoid me.
"Do we have any volunteers?" Albinia asks cheerfully. Yes! Someone volunteer for my brother! Please!
But nobody does. There's only quiet with some soft whispers in the crowd. And nobody volunteers for Cabel. When the allowed time is up, a Peacekeeper on the stage motions him backwards and Cabel steps back to await the female tribute.
"Now for the ladies!" Albinia says, still chipper. My heart beats fast in my chest as she dips her hand into the girls' bowl. I keep looking back and forth between Cabel and Albinia. My brother is unreachable, staring into the distance. Why did she pick him?
Albinia marches back to the center of the stage, opens the slip of paper she chose, and leans into the microphone again.
"Dove Rosestar."
No.
No.
NO!
This can't be happening, it can't be me, it can't be both me and Cabel! There has to be some mistake! I'm stepping backwards, preparing to run, when Opal catches my arm. The look on her face breaks my heart again and again, until there's nothing left of it to splinter.
No!
Albinia speaks again, but I hear her as if she was underwater. "Dove Rosestar, please come to the stage."
I can't, I can't go up there. My ears hear everything a little muffled, until the Peacekeepers start to come down the stage to get me. Then everything clears and I move forward as if in a dream. The crowd parts before me as I move through them, and, still dazed, I make it to the stage.
A Peacekeeper is waiting there and takes my arm, half helping me, half dragging me up the steps to the stage. For a second I meet Cabel's eyes, and they're full of pain. Then I'm led to Albania and let go.
"Do we have a volunteer for Dove?" she asks, peering down at the crowd. People mutter more now, now that two Rosestars have been chosen. What are the odds of that happening? I search the crowd for my mother, and see her at the back, crying. My heart snaps again.
No volunteers. No one speaks up to save me. Why won't anyone speak up? Would you? I think to myself; would you volunteer for someone else? And I know the answer is no.
The Peacekeeper gestures me backwards by Cabel. We stand side by side, unmoving, until Albania announces, "The tributes of District 6!"
The crowd claps, as they're supposed to do. From years of watching the reapings I know that Cabel and I must shake hands, to show that we will go in as allies, at least at first. Instead, he grips my hand so tightly I think he will never let go.
But he does, once the ceremony is over, and we're herded in two different directions into the City Hall by Peacekeepers.
"Cabel!" I shriek as I'm led up some stairs to a beautiful room, much nicer than anything I've ever seen in District 6. There's a soft yellow couch and little else in it, but the wallpaper is nice, all vines and flowers. I stand there, unsure what to do. My heart beats fast and I swallow another scream.
"Sit," says one of the Peacekeepers, then they leave me alone. Of course. This is when I say my goodbyes, in the one hour I'm allowed. I want to see Cabel, but I suppose I'll be seeing him quite a bit over the next while.
How am I going to face my brother in the arena?
The first person who comes isn't my mother; it's Opal. Mum must have gone to Cabel first.
"Dove! I'm so sorry!" Opal says as soon as she walks in the door, and she bursts into tears. That sets me off and we both end up crying on the couch.
"You have to win, Dove!" Opal says, finally sitting back.
"But if I do, then Cabel dies!" I say, wiping my eyes and crying more.
"Maybe you can both win."
I shake my head. "They'll never allow that. There's never been two victors."
"Maybe because you're siblings they'll let you!"
Too soon the Peacekeepers signal our time is up. Opal squeezes me one last time, kisses my cheek, and is ushered out. I try to take deep breathes to calm down.
The next person who comes in is my mother, and I can't help but cry when I see her. She has tears pouring down her face too, and for the first bit she just holds me and rocks me like she used to when I was little. I feel little now; more four than fourteen.
Mum takes my face into her hands and just looks at me, like she's trying to memorize every bit of my face. "My beautiful girl," she whispers.
"Listen, Cabel and I have already talked. You're going to come home, don't worry."
"But what about Cabel?" I ask.
"He insisted that you would be the victor. He's going to look out for you in the arena."
"But I don't want him to die!" I sob, hugging her tight. She's crying harder too.
"I don't want either of you to. But I'm going to lose one of you," she says, and her voice breaks.
"You be good and behave in the Capitol. Show them what District 6 is worth. Get a good score. Oh sweetheart, what am I going to do without you?" Mum says, weeping still.
"I love you, Mum," I say, muffled. Her tears drip on my face.
"I love you too. More than you'll ever know."
Then the Peacekeeper is back, signalling our time is up.
"No! Don't go!" I scream, and Mum holds tight to me.
"Let's go!" he says, pulling at her arm.
"Mum! Mum!" I shriek, reaching for her and falling off the couch in the process.
"I love you! I love you!" she calls as she's dragged out. The door slams and I collapse in absolute despair on the carpet. Nothing is going to be alright.