A New Tribute
2 minutes… that's what they told me. 2 minutes to grieve for the life you are exiting. 2 minutes to see your district through glass, for the final time. 2 minutes to farewell everyone you have ever known and loved. They will be watching you, but only when you are in your last seconds from death. Every other time, in your dreams.
My first visitor creeps through the door. A face I see everyday, my teacher. Her eyes are slightly red against her pale face, but she holds a weak smile across her face. She looks as if she could burst any second, I hope I don't have to see it.
"I thought you might need some last minute learning." Last minute. Her voice is trembling, however it is honey sweet. A lot nicer than when she is strict.
She holds out small parcel with my name in fancy scrawl. It looks almost like she expected me to be reaped. I carefully unfold the layers of paper, revealing a small golden pin, that shines in the false light. It is a single flame, a tiny fire, with a circle border. My eyes well up with tears, the last gift I will receive. I can't bear to open my mouth, even to show my gratitude, so I wrap my arms around her, embracing her for the first, and last time. She smiles, but it doesn't quite reach her eyes. Before I question, she is gone. Back into the comfort of our district… her district.
I expect my second visitor to arrive, but a peacekeeper pulls open the door, and I have a feeling that he isn't saying goodbye. He storms toward me, pulling me to my feet by my arm, sending a streak of pain through it. Pain was something that I used to crave, until the upgraded security in the orchards. I might learn to crave it again… when others are the recipients. I push the horrid thought away.
"Your time is up." I check my watch.
"It's only..." he cuts me off.
"Your time is up!" I cower my head in defeat. Ugh, I hate people underestimating me… daily.
He pulls a cuff around my wrist, and attaches the other end to his waist. Really? Cuffs? He leads me onto the train and cuffs the side attached to his waist onto my chair. Wow. The are worried about me jumping off a locked, lightning fast train. If the train wasn't locked, they would probably be right. Edward Finkle sits in the chair across from me, and a sixteen year old boy sits next to me. Even I would mistake him for a career, if I didn't know which district he came from. He must be the tribute that was called when I blacked out. My eyes skim downwards to his own cuffs, they are a lot more bulky than mine. The fourth seat at our table remains empty.
"Rue and Thresh," Usually, my head would turn sharply at the sound of my name, as it would usually be a threatening peacekeeper. However, I never even flinch.
"Congratulations! The reaping was picked... " Edward looks downwards as if reading off something. It wasn't even the rustling of cue cards that gave it away.
"well." he finishes his sentence with an obvious tone of disbelief. His false smiles and gestures are very misleading.
My head only turns at what Edwards says next.