A/N: So yeah, as I type this I am in class and with half an hour with nothing to do...so yeah... have another chapter :)
I wake up to the feeling of my mother brushing my curls out of my face
"Honey, it's time to wake up." She whispers and I come to my senses, peering up at her
"What if it's me?" I practically whimper and I feel her embrace me in a hug.
"It won't be you sweetie, it's only your first reaping." She says, trying to sooth me.
"But momma, my name's going to be in there 9 times. That's more than I ever shoud've had." She shushs me and begins to hum a soft tune in my ear. I feel my body start to relax.
"Now, I have such a pretty dress laid out for you, why don't you come and take a peek? Hm?" She smiles at me.
"Ok momma." I say, sliding off of my tiny bed, looking over at all my little sibling allowed to sleep in. Of course they'll still be at the reaping, but their in no danger of going to the capital so they don't have to look nearly as nice as I do. I try to shake the thoughts from my mind, I'm not going to the capital. It won't be me.
I look down to see my mother is allowing me to wear one of my nice dresses. A short-sleeved little blue dress with a darker blue bow. It looks ragged from being passed down from generation to generation, but it still looks nice enough. I love looking nice but rarely get to do so since working always get us so dirty and smelly, ew. She helps me put on the dress, even letting me wear one of her pretty bows in my hair. She smiles down at me.
"Now don't you just look beautiful?" She says, patting down the skirt trying to straighten it, this is when my father decides to walk in with my 5 still sleepy siblings.
"Well doesn't my little Rue Jay just look adorable?" he smiles down at me. My little brother and sisters peer at me with wide eyes.
"Rue you look so pretty! Like a fluffy little bird!" giggles Daisy, and I giggle back.
"Now come along children, we have to get you dressed before the reaping" whispers my mom, pulling them over one by one to dress them. I hide my anxiety well. It is just my first reaping. My mother and father made it through all of their reapings, I will too. I breath out as my mother announces it's time to go so I'll be there in time to sign it. Right, can't be late. We start walking down close to the Justice building, and I catch the eye of a couple other girls my age with terrified looks like me. I share a look with them before my father pulls be along the path.
When we finally get there and my parents tell me not to panic, because now's when we get separated. I have to get in line, and... get my blood taken? Why would they need my blood? I try not to question it, and ignore the stinging in my finger as they prick it and rub my blood on some paper before the lady points me to the section for 12 year olds. It's a wonder how they fit all of us here, it's almost full and there's still more coming. I slide my way in, waving at a couple of my friends on the other side. Well I think their my friends, we talk during school and stuff, and sometimes we get to work together on the field.
It feels like were standing there forever before the silly capitol people get there. Our escort, a woman named Twinkle Malone, who's name only makes me think of "Tinkle" which is what my mom calls peeing , practically bounces onto the stage grinning. Her hair is yellow, I think in an attempt to be like the sun, but it really hurts my eyes to the point where I have to squint at her.
"Hello there! First let me say what an honer it is to be an escort for district 11 this year again!" She says in her silly accent. It always makes me want to giggle. One of the boys on the other side gives a fake cough and goes "Bullshit!" and I gasp. He said a naughty word. You can see the peacekeepers raise their guns at him warningly, and he backs off, though there is a hint of a smirk there and his friends secretly laughing and giving him high fives. I actually smile for a second
Twinkle ignores him as if the boy never spoke but you can tell she was a bit ruffled by it.
"Now then, First let's let the mayor read the Treaty of Treason shall we?" She says, stepping back for him to step up, giving a small little clap that nobody else does. We sit and listen to the mayor drone on, reading about how everybody was bad and we lost the war, then he reads from our list of victors. There's not too many, but we have a few. I see Seeder the latest female victor, even though she's old, who will be the girl's mentor,Chaff who was a mentor until about 4 years ago when Jackson won the games, and he'll be the boy's mentor. He won by simply sneaking around and taking the tributes out stealthy. I wonder how he did it, it couldnt' be easy since he's even bigger then Thresh. Twinkle smiles when he's finished and bounces back up to the mic. Why do capitol citizens always bounce when they walk? How do they get around in those shoes with the pointy edges? I never want to find out.
"Now with any luck they'll be a new name on the list next year!" She smiles.
"Now on with the reaping! Let's begin with the girls." She says, her shoe's clicking as she walks over to the bowl. I close my eyes, and let my breathing slow, trying not to think about whoever's name is called we'll probably watch die.
"Rue McCarthy" Rings out over the fields. It take's me a moment to register that that's my name. My name was called. I'm going to the hunger games. My eyes slide open, hoping maybe it was a dream, maybe I was sleeping, only to see almost every face staring at my, except Twinkle who is still trying to figure out where I am.
"Rue?" She ask questioningly, as if she wonders if I'm here. I stand tall, putting on my brave face. All eyes, in District 11 and in Panem, will be on me. I begin to walk to the stage, the wind blowing my skirt. I look up a see a Mockingjay fly by, and suddenly wish I was a bird, wishing I could fly away from here, far away. The people on stage quickly watch me and mixed emotions pop up, relief from Twinkle, immediately replaced by annoyance. As if she knows I can't win and she's annoyed the bowl couldn't give her someone better. A look of pity and pain passes across Seeder's face, The mayor looks almost as annoyed as Twinkle, he never cared for us anyways, and Jackson doesn't look at me, he looks as though he's somewhere far far away. He never has been the same since he came home from the arena. I get up on stage and Twinkle grabs my arm, a little tight, pulling me to her side.
"Are there any volunteers?" She ask, almost hopefully. Not hope that somebody will take my place and spare me because I'm young, but hope that somebody who looks more worthy of winning would. When only the sound of the wind comes her mouth goes into a tight line.
"Very well then, on to the boys!" She yells, her energy suddenly back, pushing me to the side to wait. She takes her time going through the boy's bowl, almost hoping she won't get the same luck with me.
"Thresh Summers" She practically chirps into the air. I quickly spot Thresh in the crowd, and there's no hesitation from him as he starts going toward the stage, looking almost determined. Twinkle can't hide her delight when she spots Thresh, it's almost like I can hear her sigh from relief from over here across the stage.
"Wonderful wonderful! Are there any volunteers?" This time it's like she daring anybody to, to take away the chance that somebody could win from district 11. When allwe hear is the wind, she claps her hands together.
"Then I give you this year's tribute's from District 11!" She says, pulling us together into a hand shake. I dare to look up and see that same pity I saw on Seeder's face, quickly replaced by determination again. I just hope I get killed quickly for my family's sake.
There you have it Chapter 2! The reaping, now things are going! Now I realize Rue sound's pretty mature for her age, and I think she kinda is, but I try and throw some childish things in there now and again to remind every that yes, she is a child. Now I'm debating doing the goodbyes, or skipping them, or adding them to the train ride to the capital. What do you guys think? Let me know!
-Lexa