District 2- Reaping Day
Corvinus awakes with a startle. The same dream for over a year now, has haunted his sleep. The dream starts with his next door neighbor Cato being mauled to death by mutts, yet always ending with an almost silent plea for a quick death. Corvinus could not blame his neighbor for the almost silent plea. There was so little of him left by that point. He could not even blame the future winners of the Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen for putting him out of his misery. She could not have been expected to help him. That was not part of the games.
Slowly he got out of bed and began dress. Today was reaping day in District 2, today was his second chance to enter the Hunger Games. He looked into the mirror and made sure everything was perfect.
"Breakfast is ready," His mother called from the kitchen. Without a word he made his way to the kitchen. She had only placed his father in his usual spot. His father was a former Peacekeeper, he had been retired for almost 20 years when he was called to serve again just last year. His father never said what happened last year, but he came back different. He rarely speaks at all anymore and his health is diminishing quickly. This saddened Corvinus, because all of his life his father was the strongest person he knew. He was the one that created the exercise routine that Cato and Corvinus followed to get in the shape that they were. Now he was just a shell.
He quickly ate his breakfast. He did not say a word, instead just kept going through the things that had to go in his way to be the tribute from District 2. Last year he attempted to become one of the four male tributes, but because of the very complicated rules to volunteer in District 2, he was not allowed to show what he could do. Instead he spent the next year preparing for the games. He watched every one of the past games to prepare for this one. He watched what the past tributes ate, drank, and fought with, how they managed to stay alive.
"Do you want us to walk to the square with you?" His mother asked.
"No I promised the guys I would go with them." He said as he put his dish in the sink and walked out the back door. It did not take him that long to make it to his best friend's house. A slight knock on the door, "Liber?" Corvinus whispered and a muscular boy came running out of the back door.
"About time, I was beginning to think you had decided to go to the square alone," Liber said as he came to a halt.
"No, I just had to get rid of the parents."
"You know they are going to be shown on television if you get chosen."
"My dad will not allow himself to be shown in that condition. He is above all things proud."
"Have you talked to your aunt and uncle today?"
"No, they know what I am doing. They are just worried that Caepio will try to volunteer today. It is all that he has talked about for two years."
"He is just as capable of winning as you are!"
"More so! Have you been watching his work outs later? He is twice as strong as I am! But I cannot let him! I cannot do that to my Aunt and Uncle! At least not yet, he is only fourteen. There is plenty of time for him to get better and walk away with the win."
Corvinus stopped walking and looked up at the line that was forming in front of him. Hundreds of teenagers were already standing ready for the check in. He stood in line with Liber, not saying a word. Now was not the time to talk.
He made his way to the spot where the other sixteen year old boys stood. Silently he stood there. A few moments of meditation. He ignored the video that his mentor played explaining the war with the capitol. He even ignored the escort as she pulled out the name the girl that would be the tribute for District 2. He watched as a courageous little girl stepped forward. She could not have been more than eleven. She did not cry, as so many other girls her ago would if their name was pulled out. This girl looked like she relished the idea. A move in the crowd caught his attention. A single girl in the seventeen year olds made a move to volunteer. No one followed her. Nerva was by far the most likely of girls to volunteer for the games.
Corvinus let a smile approach his lips. She would ensure that both of them made it to the very end of the games. He had watched her practice during the Peacekeeper training. Her aim as just as deadly as his with a knife, and a spear. She was just as deadly with a sword or a club.
"And now for the boy," the escort said as she accepted Nerva as the female tribute. Once again she pulled out a single name from the dish.
"Liber Wolten" She said with a smile.
Corvinus gently put his hand on the shoulder of his friend.
Liber walked from the group of sixteen year old boys and up the stage. "Any Volunteers?" The escort asked. Almost immediate ten other boys stepped forward, including Corvinus. Very well," she said with a smile.
The way of selecting a volunteer was very complicated. Slowly one by one the mentor began to narrow down the volunteers. First by age, then by strength, it took about 30 minutes before it came down to the final test. The mentor would make the decision. Brutus stepped forward and looked over both boys.
"I pick Corvinus," Brutus said with impatience.
Corvinus just nodded and climbed the stairs. He reached out his hand to Nerva. Quickly she grabbed it and shook. He could not help but thinking that with the two of them as this year's tributes, the odd makers had no choice but making them a favorite to win the 76th Annual Hunger Games.
