Hello friends! Here is the latter half of the District 10 Reaping! My wifi is being weird, and I wanted to try and upload something, so this hasn't been proof read... sorry about that. I have had a quick skim through so there shouldn't be anything totally awful. Regardless, I hope you enjoy!

Ronin

He savoured moments like this, despite the situation that created them. He savoured moments where there was someone to talk to, someone who really listened, and didn't write him off and forget about his existence. Most of the time Ronin didn't speak. It wasn't so much that he was nervous or afraid to talk to people, but from past experience the boy knew that people preferred him more when he just wasn't making any noise. It was easier that way, simpler, just blending into the background had always served him well, he had never had any reason to give it up. But still, the rare moments he shared with his sister were so precious to him, the work load finally letting up so that his best friend could be with him. Even if it was only because there was a reaping going on.

Ronin walked side by side with his sister, Fia, their hands swinging, occasionally brushing against each other. He smiled at the contact, something he usually wasn't used to, and longed for nothing more than his sister to reach out and grab his hand, whispering that it would all be okay. She wasn't like that though, Ronin knew that, she was stern and calculated and emotionless. His sister was a product of the district, worked so hard and spread so thin just so they could afford the bare minimum, lost sight of everything that she had loved in the past. He thought back fondly to the days where he could just sit for hours with his sister and talk about anything, where the biggest worry they had was what was for dinner, not whether or not they could afford it. But times had changed and been though on them, she had lost her job, forced to pick up shifts wherever she could. It was unstable and messy, and Ronin did all he could to help and pay his way, but it was never enough.

That was why she had said it. The words still haunted Ronin every time he closed his eyes, or that life calmed down long enough for him to think, which wasn't often. But still, ten short words had ruined everything for him, etched at the front of his brain, a reminder that whatever he did it would never be good enough.

They had been sitting round the dinner table, if you could call it that, it was more a plank of wood propped up on some unused books, the remainder on the money they had left spread out in front of them. Spread wasn't exactly the right word, there were only three coins. Ronin could tell Fia was getting more and more agitated as she stared, willing the money to multiply but having no success, for obvious reasons. Ronin had wished there was something he could do or say to make it better, but there was nothing, their life for the last few years had just been surviving, not living, wondering when their next meal would be, or if there even would be another one. He had picked up the coins, juggling them in his hands, holding them to his heart as if they were the most sacred items in the world. As he settled the coins back on the table, she said it. Words that stabbed like a dagger, and splintered the tiniest shred of confidence that Ronin had remaining.

"If you got reaped it would solve all our problems."

It had been a little less than a month since it had occurred and still Ronin remembered every second. He remembered that what struck him most wasn't even the words she had said, but the way she said them. If it was in anger or in a fight, that would have made it so much better. But it wasn't. She had just said them, almost in defeat, as if it really was their last resort, as if she really wanted Ronin to get reaped. Of course she had apologised after, so sincerely that he almost believed her. But still, he couldn't shake the fact that even if it was for a few seconds, she had wanted him to be thrown into the games.

Ronin's blood ran cold as they entered the square, so much closer to the moment their fates were sealed. For the first time, Fia made eye contact with him, sending him a desperate smile. Things hadn't recovered since she had said it, and Ronin doubted they ever would. They might not have talked much in the past, but the pair had always been united, bonded together not only by blood but by circumstance, whatever life threw they were in it together. Now there was a divide that ran between them, almost as if they had been floating on an island with the two halves now slowly drifting apart. And, no matter how much Ronin wanted to reconcile and bring back what was lost, he just couldn't bring himself to forgive her. It was all he saw when he looked at her, the words she had said, reminding him that he was too much of an inconvenience for even his sister. In time Ronin knew things would go back to normal, they had too, they only had each other, all he could hope was that they were given that time and that Fia's words wouldn't come true in the reaping.

Ronin turned to give one last look at his sister, longing to feel something other than hurt, but there was no success. He smiled at the ground, aiming it towards Fia but unable to meet her eye as their fingers were pricked. He prepared for them to be separated, but instead, they were directed to a row together.

For the first time, Ronin looked around, taking in his surroundings, this reaping so different from any other he had attended or seen on TV. What struck him first was the sheer amount of people, almost the entire district here and ready to find out their future. He felt a small weight lifted off his shoulder, as he slowly considered his chances. There had to be 25,000 people here at least, the overflow from the town square stretching off down the surrounding streets, the odds of his name being called were so small, it was barely worth worrying about. Ronin looked up, noticing the tannoys that were hung along poles, something not usually present at the reapings. The pool of potential tributes was larger this year than ever before, and so, Ronin concluded, was the efforts brought in by the Capitol to make sure they all ran smoothly.

No one ever spoke about the smell of the reapings, which was ironic, Ronin felt, as it was all he could focus on, even as the escort made her way up onto the stage. Ronin had watched countless interviews of the tributes past and present, they always discussed the amount of people and how they felt being in such a crowd, what they failed to mention just how much it stank. It was something the boy had noticed every year, but this one more than most due to the amount of people almost doubling. It was the middle of the day, people had come straight from work, still smelling of farms and animals, and worst of all, abattoirs. To add to that, the harsh sun that beat down on them made the smell of sweat more overwhelming than it usually was. Ronin didn't know if it was the smell or the nervousness that was making him heave, but he supposed that neither was very helpful.

He turned to the stage, hoping that focusing on the female tribute would make things seem a little better, and help him to ground himself before the inevitable fear of hearing his own name returned. Ronin had always thought that if he was to be reaped, he would stick with his district partner. Getting along with people wasn't exactly his strong point, and he would have to spend so much time with whoever was reaped with him, he supposed there would be no way they wouldn't become friends. Thinking of things like this didn't help in any way. In fact, it made everything so much worse, not that the killing of 23 innocent people wasn't bad enough already…

What faced the crowd was something so horrible, none could comprehend. Dragged by her wrists, was a young girl, who Ronin concluded could be no older than six. She was screaming and crying and the sickness he had been feeling came rushing back in full force. It was a child, a fucking child. The disgust the district felt was clear, no one could look at the stage, and those that tried had turned their heads within a second. What was harrowing, or more harrowing that the realisation that a five year old would be massacred, was the glee the escort appeared to have. Out of the corner of his eye, Ronin could see the woman smiling, taking pride in the fact that she had picked such a tribute. He knew that the Capitol was sick, they did invent the games after all, but this was another level, and one he wasn't sure that the Capitol could recover from.

To start with, Ronin wasn't aware that the reaping had continued, all he could think about was the face of the child as she was torn towards the stage. It wasn't until a Peacemaker was standing at the end of his row did he realise the proceedings had started once more. He stepped backwards, waiting for the male tribute to walk past and accept his fate. But no one did. He looked up at Fia, searching on her face for an indication of what was happening. Ronin received the sign almost instantly. The sheer horror on her face broke him.

And, if the paleness of his sister's face, and the stares from citizens nearby wasn't enough, the escort spoke once more. "Ronin Cormac? Please make your way to the stage."

The nausea was all he could focus on. He had kept it at bay for so long, but now there was no point. Ronin took a deep breath and gagged, the relatively minimal contents of his stomach spilling across the floor. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, and prepared for the walk to the stage, a thousand eyes burning against the back of his head.

The phrase be careful what you wish for had never rung so true.

So there we have it- 20/24 tributes introduced, and I hope you're loving them all. As for the train rides for the second half of the tributes, would you prefer the actual train rides (like I did for the first 12) or a first night in the Capitol thing, just to spice it up?

As always, thank you for all the love and reviews, it means the world. I hope everyone is staying safe and well, and the situation your country is in is treating you well. I'm off for my daily one hour of exercise!

Please don't hesitate to message me if you need to talk about anything.

Until next time,

Alice xxx