A.n. By the way this story is told from District 7's person view. So the first chapter was really a sort of overview for the districts to show you what they are like and how the people are feeling. Still love reviews if you wanna make my day :D
Chapter 1
The Reaping
District 7
I woke up and stared at the ceiling of my house. It was a log cabin that my great grandfather had built, and now it was occupied by his decedents. I heard a knocking on my door, and my ten year old cousin walked in. She smiled at me with her toothy grin. "Hey Calla we need to clean up for the Reaping today. We're going to help set up, and maybe we can throw stones at Pea while we do it." I smiled at her, and saw hers fade.
She crawled into my bed and snuggled with my side. "I hope you don't get picked Calla. You're too pretty for the games." I raised my eyebrows at her. "I mean there are mean girls who can go to the Games."
"I am a mean girl Pavia."
"But you are mean because you have to be."
"Not all the time." I said thinking about how I threw a knife at Siva just yesterday.
"The thing is Calla. I need you. I need you here. I would never finish my quota if you didn't help me every day. What would I do if I had to load the things alone? I don't have a clue." She rested her head on my shoulder. "Plus a whole bunch of the guys would be sad if you left. There would be no pretty girls to look at."
"You're pretty."
"Yeah but I'm eleven. All the guys here are like fourteen."
"You forget Pavia...you are Reaping age too."
She was silent. It was almost haunting the way her silence clung to the air. She sniffled and then snuggled tighter into my side. "I know." Her words cut through the silence like a knife in butter. "I know. I just don't know what I would do if I got picked. Mommy is still the Reaping age, and I don't want her to volunteer. I don't want you to either." Her words were getting frantic. She clung to my body like a drowning person would a life raft. "You are the only thing your mom has left. Plus mom has grown really fond of you."
"You are the only thing your mother has left too. Plus my mother thinks of you as a daughter."
"We need to get dressed."
I walked to the small box that held our "fancy" clothes. I handed Pavia hers and then grabbed mine. They were both gray with buttons down the front. Two of mine had been popped off, and the bottom was frayed from all its years of being worn. Thankfully, Pavia's was in better shape. She had all of her buttons and the bottom was only slightly torn up.
I had washed myself the night before, and Pavia had too. I buttoned up the dress, and pulled out the shoes. They were black shoes with a little bit of a heel. I gave Pavia hers and then slipped mine on. "Want me to do your hair?" She nodded silently. The brush was useless now, so I just used my fingers. I made two braids on the sides and then pulled the golden hair into a bun. Her wavy hair was sticking out at some places, but she could pull it off. I left my hair down. It was too long to do anything quick with it. "We look so different."
"Except our eyes."
"Except our eyes."
I smiled at her. Her skin was tan from all the days in the sun, while mine was a sort of pink-ish color. It made me look like I was always blushing. Then her long blond hair was wavy with small curls at the bottom, while mine was wavy and black. Our eyes were the only thing that made people believe we're related. Our eyes are both green like the leaves.
I walked outside and sat down on a tree stump near our house. The sun was already rising. The pink hues were streaking across the sky just over the treetops. I could still hear my mother and aunt sleeping. We were poor in our community, so my mom and her sister shared a bed so that me and Pavia could have our own. Our house was small, and the door was messed up. You had to lift it before you can turn the knob and open it. The windows on the house were caked with dirt and dust, but we never had time to clean it. All our money had been taken from us when the war ended. We had been on the Mockingjay's side, and it made us loose everything.
Pavia walked with me to the "town square" area. It was filled with grass and nice, clean, log cabins. The people who came out of those houses were the ones who sided with the Capitol. In the middle of the square some men were already getting the stage set up. It was a stack of wood with two staircases going up it. Basically. The back had a curtain and steps leading down. Our mayor's building was blown up when the war came here. We never rebuilt it. Pea Greene was already there with some awful outfit on. She was the woman in charge of getting the tributes to the Capitol.
Her hair was no longer a puff ball, and it made her difficult to recognize. It was now straight and short. It went right below her ears, and she had bangs. Her outfit was neon orange, and the streaks in her hair matched it. A green handkerchief was in her pocket, and it matched her shoes and make up. She looked like a three year olds art project. "Go get the rocks and I'll finish up with the guys." I whispered to Pavia. She smirked.
As a kid growing up here, my dad always liked to find time to laugh a bit. He hated Pea, and often told me that she was really a whole lot older than she looked. He used to say that she made funny sounds when she is shocked or scared. So being the children that we (me and some of the neighbor's kids) were, we would throw rocks at her. It was true. She makes this kind of chipmunk sound. I guess by doing it this year we were carrying on the tradition.
I held the beam in place as one of the men hammered it into the other piece. The curtain was long and red. Silky to the touch, if you ever got a chance to touch it. I grabbed another nail and handed it to the man. He was already sweating, and his age was in his hair. "Pass me some water?"
"You don't have anymore."
"Fine." He grumbled something and drove the nail in a little too hard for comfort.
It was noon when the stage was finally finished. I was sweating and so was everyone else at this stupid place. It was around this time that all the "important" people were arriving. Siva threw a rock at me while I worked. I looked over, saw the bandage around his stomach, and just brushed it off. I got him a lot worse than he'd ever even attempt. The Reaping would start at three.
~*~ Three hours later
I slowly walked up to the tree. "Hi daddy...please come back. I don't like this tree anymore. It's not the same when you're gone."
I got in line for the sign in as my memories flashed across my mind. The woman grabbed my hand and practically stabbed the needle into my finger. I hissed and then rolled my finger across the page. She called for the next person and I walked to my designated area. Pavia was two spots in front of me. I saw my mother and aunt in their areas. This was their last years to be in the Reaping. Next year they'd be safe. Pea got up on stage. I don't know how she walked in those shoes. "Welcome people of District 7." She was expecting an applause, but got none.
The video played, and the anthem did too. I remembered days where my father would take me by the shoulders and hold me tightly. He'd kiss the top of my head and then walk off to his spot. While we stood there he would make funny faces at me, and we would laugh silently. Through all my years living here, I had never learned the anthem. I was too poor to go to school, and all words looked like were squiggles.
"And now comes the most exciting part of the year. Well...we'll start with the ladies shall we?" She smiled and then walked over to the bowl with my name in it. Every girl tensed. I felt the girl next to me hold my hand. I squeezed hers with fear. My palms were sweating, and I bit my lip to try and hold back the whimper of fear. "Oh here we go." She smiled and waddled back to the microphone. "Pavia Scarlet."
I felt like I had been punched in the stomach. No. Not Pavia. I looked at her. She turned and looked at me. Her eyes were like a deer's. "I volunteer!" My voice was not alone. I turned and saw my aunt looking at me with wide eyes. We had both volunteered. I shoved people out of my way. My aunt did the same.
"Lenta what are you doing?" I whispered harshly as we met. She grabbed my arms. "Lenta you can't volunteer! You are her mother she needs you-"
"Calista get back into your section I volunteered-"
"No! I will not sit down and watch you die!"
"Well this is a very interesting situation. We've never had two people volunteer for a Reaping before-"
"No! Pea you heard wrong. I am going to be in the Games-"
"No! I will not let you kill yourself Lenta! I will be in the Games!"
A Peacekeeper walked up to us slowly, almost as if he had never seen two women fight before. "Well. There has been a challenge issued apparently. This will be very interesting." Pea walked down to us. "In the case of more than one person volunteering for the Games, then there must be a tie breaker." She walked faster towards us. "You two shall have a race. Whoever gets to the finish line first wins."
"What if we both make it?"
"Then you will kill each other."
I looked at my aunt. She was already looking at me. I grabbed her dress. "Lenta please don't do this! She needs you! Please-please please give up! Please just give up. Let me do this!" She grabbed my hands off the neck of her shirt. "Please Lenta!"
"No Calista. I won't let you do this to your mother-"
"You are forcing me to kill you! I can't do that-"
"Then leave." I paused at her words.
Lenta's eyes were as cold as her voice. Her red hair was up in a bun, and her eyes had dark shadows under them. I grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards me so that I talked into her ear. "You were the only thing that kept her going after that day. You were the only thing that kept her from making a new one and going back. She won't care about me. She never has, but she can't loose you Lenta. Willow can't loose you. She needs her big sister."
Lenta's gaze softened, and she turned back to my mom. My mothers eyes were red and she was crying hard. One of the women in the crowd held her hand, but you could see the pain in my mother's eyes. "Come you two. This is definitely a big, big, big day." She clapped her hands together, and I felt a Peacekeeper shove me forewords.
We were led to a small area on the far side of the district. All the people at the Reaping had stayed behind. The camera crew was hovering over our heads as we walked to the field. "Okay now here are the rules. There is a glass of brandy somewhere in this part of the woods. The Peacekeepers are surrounding the arena, so if you go to far they will stop you. The first one to find this glass of brandy and bring it back to me is the winner-"
"What is the catch?"
"There is only one glass of brandy, and several people have volunteered to make your quest harder. If you die then the other person automatically wins. If you both get to the finish line, and one of you has the glass, then you must go to the death. You will have no weapons, but there will be one at the finish line. You can not take it until you have the brandy."
"Knew there was a catch." I mumbled.
We were both led to different areas. We would enter at opposite sides of the "arena". Then we would be let in, and our true battle would begin. I breathed in deeply and stared at the tree line. "Go!" I took off running. I leaped over the fallen trees, and felt my feet pound into the dirt. The shoes were a disadvantage, and so was the dress. I took the shoes off and ripped the dress. I kept the shreds, and then continued running.
Birds were silent, and I could hear a wolf off in the distance. Hopefully it would be too far away to hurt Lenta. I gasped as something plowed into my side. I quickly swung my legs into the object. I heard a grunt. It was a man. I rolled backwards just as his fist came down to hit me. I shoved my elbow into his neck and then ran. He didn't follow me, but I needed to keep my wits about me. There was a bottle of brandy in the woods. If I were a bottle of brandy where would I be?
I stopped as the base of a tree. The redwood. I turned to the left and sprinted towards where I thought the tree was. I heard a scream, and I hoped desperately that it wasn't Lenta. I kept running and paused as I saw a man. I tried to dodge him, but he grabbed my arm at the last minute. I screamed as he threw me to the ground. I kicked him in the stomach and quickly wrapped the sliver of my dress around his throat. I only choked him till he passed out, but it was too much time. I grabbed the jacket off the man, and ran on.
The soil got wetter under my toes. I was getting closer to the tree. It was near a small river, and the tree was huge. I heard footsteps running, and looked to the right. Lenta. She knew. I tried to run faster, but she was fast for her age. "Give up Lenta!" I screamed. She looked at me.
"Death first!"
I pounded my feet into the soil of made it to the small clearing. Lenta made it soon after. I ran up to the redwood. The brandy was high up in the tree. I was so glad that the redwood wasn't fully grown. I grabbed the sliver of my dress and tied it to the sleeve of the jacket. I knotted it tight, and then leaped onto the tree. I found some notches, and fit my feet into the holes. Lenta was higher up, but she was running out of things to grab onto. I kept climbing, and I moved to the side of the tree so that if Lenta tried to do anything, she would have to move to the whole other side of the tree. I climbed higher, and reached a branch. It wouldn't hold my weight, I grabbed onto a piece of the tree. It was jutting out and looked pretty solid. I grabbed onto it and hauled myself up. I looked up. The brandy was so close now. However Lenta was gaining on me again. She had found a rhythm. I kept moving, and gripped the jacket in my hand. I put the sleeve into my mouth and held tight. I would need it later. I grabbed another hand hold, and moved my foot. I paused. Lenta was going back down the tree.
I looked up and held back a scream. A bobcat was perched in the tree. It's eyes were fixed on me. I growled in the back of my throat, and heard the animal growl back. I watched as it stood up. I gripped the tree tighter and showed my teeth to the animal. My eyes glared into the bobcats. Its body shifted as it stood up on the branch. "Come on. Come at me. Come try and rip my throat out." I snarled. I threw my body upwards. It flew down at me.
I scrunched up my body and felt relief as it flew over me. However, my back was now feeling like ripped paper. I landed on the branch the cat had previously been on. I ripped the jacket out of my mouth as a scream ripped through my throat. I felt blood drip down my back. I forced myself up onto the branch, and screamed again just to release the tension in my body. Maybe if I screamed enough my back would stop hurting. I grabbed the bottle of brandy. Damn brandy. I was risking my life and that of my aunts for a fucking bottle of brandy! I shoved it into the pocket of my dress, and then grabbed the sleeved of the jacket. It had no holes, and I tied the arms into tight knots. The brandy made my dress sag in the front, and I didn't bother to pull it up. I had an underskirt, and I doubt I was very attractive with blood on my body.
I grabbed the knotted sleeves and jumped. I felt the wind pass over my legs, and then pause when the makeshift parachute worked. I saw the ground get closer. When I was a few feet off the ground, I dropped and started running. This race wasn't over yet.
I ran and heard a thump behind me. I didn't look back, I just kept running faster and faster. That was when I realized it though. Pea had never told us where the finish line was. That bit-something slammed into my stomach. I felt my rib crack, and I threw myself forewords. Soil flew into my face, and I felt the brandy bottle break as I connected with the ground. I felt a shard cut into my lower stomach. "What the mother fuck-"
"Watch your language!"
I rolled over and saw Lenta. She grabbed the biggest shard and then ran off. "Oh hell no!" I yelled as I forced myself up. Blood was flowing from my wounds, and I could feel them be opened and reopened with every movement I made. I saw my aunt. She wasn't very far ahead of me, but I would let her lead. Maybe she knew where the finish was.
We ran for what felt like forever. However, we found the finish. I ran faster, and hurled myself at my aunt. She fell and I grabbed the big shard of the bottle. "Give it up Lenta!" I said while trying to pry her fingers off of it. I felt her shove her hand against my stomach and screamed as the shards of glass cut deeper into my skin. I kneed her in the face and grabbed the bottle. I ran to the finish, and felt something grab my hair. I was yanked back and I swung my fist and the thing. However, I missed.
I felt my body be yanked back farther, and farther. The glass was tearing at my muscles. I quickly pushed on the balls of my feet, and felt my body flip over. The person was shoved to the ground. I punched it and moved to the finish again. There was a small dagger at the end. I grabbed it, and felt my feet be pulled from underneath me. I twisted my body, and watched as my aunt fell onto me. "L...Lenta..." I asked. She stared at me with pained eyes.
I rolled us over, and looked. The dagger had impaled her. "Lenta..." I felt tears come to my eyes. She slowly reached up and pulled my face down so she could talk into my ear. "Lenta please don't-"
"Hush honey. It's okay...it's okay...I'll be with him now...it's okay."
"Lenta! Lenta!" I took the jacket and pressed it against her bleeding wound. "No! No! Lenta no!"
She swallowed hard, and then looked up at me. She smiled and coughed slightly. I pressed on the wound, but it wouldn't stop bleeding. It soaked through the jacket in minutes. "Calista..." I took her hand and nodded. She squeezed my hand weakly, and then whispered. "Are you...coming to the tree where the dead...man called for... his Willow to flee?" I nodded and felt the tears fall down my face. I watched as her eyes lost their shine. I put my hand on her cheek, and rested my forehead against hers.
"Lenta...Lenta!" I closed her eyes, and felt my sobs grow louder as I saw the bloody hand print on her cheek. I looked at my hands and saw her blood. "Lenta!" I screamed her name loudly. I grabbed the shard of the bottle and slowly stood up. I looked straight into the camera and said in a clear voice, "She died to save her child. Is that what we must all do? Die to save the others? Just like Mockingjays we only repeat what we hear, so repeat the screams of the people who have died in these games. For my aunt will always be my remembrance. What is yours?"
I walked up to Pea, and shoved the bloody shard into her hands. "There is your fucking brandy bottle. Now let's get out of here. The sooner I get to the Games, the sooner I can die."
