Chapter One
I lay back on the thin, lumpy, slightly itchy mattress and let out a long slow breath of air. Today is the kind of day where you just don't want to get up. But bad news for me, because if I don't get up today, according to the law, I can be shot to death. I'm not kidding, there is an actual law that says that! And the Peacekeepers would be none too happy to oblige. Afterall their only source of joy in life is to beat down on the weak and helpless.
Not that I consider myself helpless. Trust me, you let me take my slingshot against one of the storm troopers and i'm the one walking out. But since that's impossible, unless I want a one way ticket to the afterlife, I have to settle for pushing myself up and praying that my brother had the sense to wash his dressy clothes last night like I told him too. Not that he ever listens.
My brother Astor and I are twins. I'm three minutes older though and I love lording it over him. Especially when he forgets. Even though he says he never forgets because it's impossible too since I remind him all the time. We're both 16, but we've been on our own since we were 7. Well, not totally on our own. We have our younger sisters Peony and Penny to look out for as well.
Our mom died giving birth to Penny and our dad was so depressed afterwards that Aster and I named her. We thought it would be a great idea, in our four year old minds, if Peony and Penny had similar sounding names. You know, to remember them better. Of course it only made it harder. You win some you lose some.
Our dad did eventually get better and started to step up more to support our rather large family. Everything was pretty great for three years. Until he died in a farming "accident". I say "accident" because everyone in our district knows exactly how the Peacekeepers cover up their mistakes. Beat on someone a little too hard? Accident with a scythe in the grain fields. Everything just gets swept under the proverbial rug.
When it comes to the Peacekeepers and their fun, best to stay out of it or get pulled into the whole mess. I've had to deal with their boredom once or twice and it didn't end pretty for me or my brother. I have the scars to prove it too.
I glare at the wall rubbing my shoulder and feeling the slightly puckered skin. They didn't heal very well and to this day my shoulder still hurts when I wake up. I've been told that it may just be psychological pain. Fancy way of saying it's all in my head. But I don't know what i'm supposed to do to fix it so it's staying right where it is.
I turn and tidy up my dismal excuse for a bed before walking across the small room to my brother's sleeping form. I bite my tongue as the cold envelopes me, shattering the illusion of warmth that I had tricked myself into believing for a short while under the blanket. Don't get me wrong, it is usually warm around here. But in the morning when there is hints of fog and the grass, fields, and trees are all dewy it can freeze you right down to the bone.
Unfortunately you have to wake up early around here to start your work. Does it matter that you've only had a couple hours of sleep after getting off the night shift? Nope. Because thats every day around here. They have us working day and night harvesting and planting. They even give you night vision goggles so you don't trip all over yourself. So nice right? Not. Most of them don't work because they just send us the defective or used ones. I've learned to cope without them. Which oddly enough has actually helped me see better in the dark.
I nudge the side of Astor's bed and shake his shoulder. This only makes him elicit a small mumble and hide his face in his pillow. He's trying to cling to his last few seconds of sleep and I don't blame him. But I also don't feel like getting a lashing for showing up late, especially on a Reaping day where there are even more Peacekeepers about. Not that you could think it possible for there to be more with the amount we usually have.
"Astor. If you don't wake up i'm telling Nyssa about the enormous crush you have on her." His shoulders tense and I know i've got him.
"Bullshit." I hear him say, the sound muffled by his pillow. I smirk.
"I see her the moment I get to work. It wouldn't be that hard." I say nonchalantly. "Ooh! Hey Nyssa! You know that brother of mine? You know the one who looks like a male version of me, only i'm way prettier? Yeah, so, he has these dreams about marrying you and having like a dozen childr-" I'm cut off by a pillow hitting my face and knocking me slightly off balance. I grab it before it falls and laugh at Aster's half-asleep face glaring at me.
"You wouldn't." He challenges and I roll my eyes.
"Of course not. I take our twin silence pacts very seriously." He seems reassured and about ready to go back to sleep, even with his pillow as my prisoner.
"Unless of course Bianca tells her. After all you should really watch out for those loopholes." I move out of the way as he tries to grab me. Instead letting him fall onto the floor. He barely catches himself before faceplanting on to the cold wood. I throw his pillow onto his back.
"I'm gonna get the girls up Penny has to be nervous. It's her first Reaping day." I tell him slightly quieter so that if the girls are awake in their room they don't hear. A string of curse words leave Aster's mouth and I watch him scramble over to his small dresser and pull out his rumpled and dirty - I can see the dirt stains from here - dress clothes.
"I told you to wash those." I say over my shoulder and without looking I know he's flipping me off. I just laugh shaking my head before quietly opening the door to the girls room.
Our house isn't very big at all. There are three rooms, the main room, the bathroom, and a small bedroom. Aster and I sleep in the main room where the kitchen is off to one side. And the younger girls share the bedroom. In the winter it can get pretty cold in that room though so we've all taken to sleeping in the main room with whatever kind of fire we can get.
It was a lot harder when Penny was younger. Aster and I had absolutely no idea how to actually take care of a three year old. Sure we'd helped dad with feeding and changing and all the normal baby stuff, but he had taken care of the big things. Getting her the right food, knowing what to do if she got sick, the right way to get her to go to sleep. It was a nightmare, and more than once I thought we were going to accidentally end up killing her.
Thankfully a local healer known simply as 'Old Nan' took pity on us more than once and was able to get rid of any colds and teach us what to feed her. When Aster and I were made to work all day and we would have to leave Peony and Penny alone she would watch after them. We would slip her money that we could spare, because she refused to take it outright. But Aster and I felt bad for not paying her. Our dad always told us that no matter how bad we have it, someone out there has it worse and we owe to ourselves and to them to help no matter what.
I look into the room and see Peony curled up under her blankets still sleeping soundly. She could sleep through a trainwreck so i'm not surprised. But the bed across from her is trembling. I walk over to Penny's bed and sit on the edge hearing her small almost silent sniffles as she tries to control her crying. I figured this is what was going to happen.
Penny is a much more sensitive kid than Aster, Peony, or I. Aster and I had to grow up quick in high pressured circumstances and we have thick skins. Peony followed our example and is good at bottling up all her emotions and hiding them from the world. But Penny, she never met our mom and barely remembers dad. To her, we are the only family she has ever had. And she is constantly afraid she's gonna lose us too. Penny's not stupid. She knows all about the games and how they work. Aster and I have tried to keep the two from watching them but I know that Peony likes to sneak around, and Penny usually follows. And this year she's 12, therefore qualified for the Reaping. Qualified for the games.
"Penny." I say softly placing a hand on where her head must be under the covers. I peek around to see her face but all there is is a curtain of hair.
"Come on Pen. Look at me." I tell her and I wait as she sniffs one more time before taking a small shuddering breath. She looks up, out from under the blanket with her eyes red, puffy, and rimmed with unshed tears while tracks run down her face. And eyelash clings to her red cheek after falling out from continuous hands rubbing at her eyes. I give her an understanding smile, remembering my first Reaping day. I wouldn't have gotten out of bed if it hadn't been for Aster and him literally flipping my bed over with me on top of it so I went crashing to the floor.
"Come on out. Remember what Old Nan always says." I say and she blinks.
"Everything's better once you see the morning light." She hiccups out and I nod. She pushes the blanket off of her face and sits up in the bed looking out the small square window as the first rays of morning shine over the fog. I smile as her eyes widen and marvel at the truth of Old Nan' words. First sunlight of the day has always been a way to cheer her up. It worked with me when I was younger too. I could be pissy and angry at everything and everyone but the moment I opened my eyes in the morning and watched the sun rising over the orchards and the fields, making every dew drop glisten in the warm light, all my frustration would just melt away and i'd forget what it was that I was so mad about.
"What if I get picked?" Her voice is small and still shaky but she refuses to look at me. I know she's trying so hard to be a big girl like Peony, to not cry and act like a -in Peony's words- baby.
"Your name is only in there once Pen. It's not gonna happen." I reassure her but she doesn't let up.
"Well what about you? and Az, and Peony? Your names are in there loads of times!" I take her hands forcing her to look at me and I give her the most convincing look I can muster.
"We are gonna be fine. Peony only has her name in three times. No one wants Aster anywhere near the Capitol. Best keep the riff raff where it's supposed to be." I joke to her and she gives a small giggle. "And as for me," I pause thinking about standing in those pens, staring at that stage with the two clear glass globes. Astor and I each take out tesserae every year. We split it so he takes it for himself and Peony and I take it for Penny and me. My name is in there 15 times. And since i'm taking out tesserae again this year that's another three entries. I push down the nerves nibbling in my stomach and keep my smile up.
"I'm just too lucky." I tell her with a wink. She is smiling again and her eyes have gone back to normal size. I stand up and walk to the trunk at the foot of her bed. It's my mother's old trunk. We keep all of her stuff that we still have inside. She had been born into one of the wealthier families in the district and as such she was able to acquire some of the more luxury items. Like dresses.
Every year for the Reaping everyone is expected to dress appropriately for their on air appearance. Afterall, you never know who the "glorious" tribute could be. So ever since I turned twelve, and Peony two years after me, I have donned one of mom's old dresses that she was saving for us.
I pick up the soft light blossom pink one that I wore to my first Reaping and hold it up for Penny to see. Her entire face lights up upon seeing it and she scrambles out of bed. She was always complaining about never getting to wear the dresses before while Peony and I got too so I know she's excited about it.
"Do I really get to wear that? It's so pretty!" She gushes and I lay it on her bed for her to inspect closer. It has a circular neckline and babydoll sleeves with a layer of light pink lace over the skirt. The textured pattern looks like flowers. I roll my eyes pulling out Peony's lavender purple dress. She wore the pink one last year but it won't fit her now. The lavender one has long sleeves and a collar to button up. Peony will like for how modest it is. She's never been a fan of lace and straps. They both have matching flats.
I take both dresses and hang them on hooks on the wall. While we are at work for however long they'll keep us before the Reaping, they get to air out and get rid of any wrinkles. Penny is still stuck looking at her dress and I snap my fingers in front of her.
"Time to get dressed for work. And don't get too dirty. We're already gonna need to wash before going to the Reaping. Wouldn't want to soil your dress would you?" I add seeing her nervous look come back. She looks at the dress again with a small smile before pulling open her dresser to get out her work clothes. I walk over to Peony and with one tug pull the covers off of her watching as she tenses as the cold air whooshes over her body.
"You're a special kind of demon aren't you?" I hear her mutter and I laugh.
"Yep. I came for your soul but i'll settle for toes." I tell her grabbing at them. She yelps and tries to kick me off. She is so incredibly ticklish on her feet i'm surprised she can walk through grass without flopping all over the place.
"Woah! Jeez lady. Aren't we a little old for this?" I scoff at her chastising expression.
"I cannot believe you are saying that to me. Too old? One is never to old to act like a child. I'm gonna have to knock that attitude out of you right now, lest it cause further damage to your obviously already fragile wits." I tell her, lunging for her toes again. She pushes herself up, laughing, trying to get away from my attack.
"Okay! Okay stop! I surrender! Childhood restored!" She yells out and I stand tall victorious.
"Then the world is right once more. Hurry up and get changed or Aster will eat all the food." I tell her walking out of the room.
Back in the kitchen I don't see my brother any where. His dresser drawers are all open with clothing strewn about, meaning he got dressed and like usual decided not to clean up. I don't go near it, thinking about how funny it will be later when he inevitably trips over something. Instead I walk to my own dresser and pull out a pair of dark brown pants and a white tank top. I pull on my leather vest over that and tuck my feet into a pair of dark brown boots.
I grab my slingshot out of the tops drawer and attach it to the hook on my belt before grabbing my pouch full of rocks and strapping it to the other side. Then I slide on my fingerless leather gloves and twist my already messy hair up into a bun so it doesn't get caught on anything while i'm working. I am totally looking forward to a bath today. I don't get to take them often what with work being so demanding. The water will be cold of course and it'll take a while to fill the tub but it'll still be nice to feel clean.
I tuck a few strands of escaped hair behind my ear and turn to look and Aster comes in through the back door. I see him carrying a small sack full of something and he smiles at me smugly.
"Nicked em' from Lahey's tree." He says coming over to me and opening the sack. I look in and see at least 6 bright red apples inside. I close the bag with my own hands and look at him annoyed.
"Are you crazy? We don't steal on Reaping days. We agreed." I whisper harshly at him not wanting the girls to hear. I place the bag on the table in the kitchen and turn back to him. "We play it smart Az. Or we don't play at all." He sighs and walks over to me grabbing an apple out of the bag and tossing it up into the air before catching it.
"I was smart Rose. Didn't even catch glimpse of one of their stupid white helmets." He says cockily before taking a bite out of the apple. I roll my eyes at him frustrated.
"And if you had? They would have grounds to kill you." I remind him. He scoffs at me.
"Yeah, same goes for every time we do it. Why are you getting on my case now?" He asks walking towards the sink and pouring himself some water. I open my mouth to tell him exactly why. The reason being a feeling that i've been having the last few days. Like something really bad is about to happen. But the door to the girl's room opens, Peony and Penny walking out. Having spotted the apples on the table they both rush up and grab one for themselves munching happily.
"It's nothing. Forget about it." I mutter shaking my head and taking one of the apples myself. I try to brush off Astor's questioning look. I really hate our twin telepathy sometimes. Instead I take a bite of my apple, relishing in the sweet taste and feeling a little better with food in my stomach. I'm probably just nervous about the Reaping. It's Penny's first time and I have a lot of entries in. I just have to calm down and go to work. It's not like i'm going to get picked for the games. Like I said. I'm lucky.
Bonus chapter! Since like I said, my updates may be spotty, I decided that I might as well give what i've got. So. Here you are. Hope you enjoy and that you like Rose! Reviews are always welcome and appreciated. Happy Hunger Games!
~AMS