Author's Note: I'm not a big fan of this chapter, but here it is. I edited it myself instead of having someone else do it, but for some reason I don't think the edits in the first half of the chapter saved, so sorry for the mistakes. This is considerably shorter than the other chapters, so sorry again, but I have chapters four and five written already, and I think those are better because we're getting to the good stuff (: Please review!
Chapter 3
The Reaping
I wake up in Logan's arms to his little sister, Dorcas, jumping on the mattress. "Wake up! Wake up!" I groan as my eyes adjust to the light and pull the thin sheet higher up to my chin. I feel Logan roll over and sit up.
"How was your sleepover at grandma's?" he asks her. Dorcas and Logan's mother, Mary, had a girls' night last night and slept at her grandmother's house.
"Good," she answers. "Mommy says you have to get ready to go soon," she tells us before exiting the room.
I pull on the shirt in a crumpled heap on the floor by the mattress and roll off slowly. Reapings take place today and everyone is dreading them. Except Dorcas apparently, who seems like she's actually excited. She's too young to understand, though. Mary lent me one of her dresses for the reaping. It's white and ties around the waist. I think it's very pretty. I can imagine Mary wearing it when she was my age. "Turn around," I order Logan, so I can change.
"But I-"
"Turn around." He does, reluctantly, and I change into the dress. "I'm done," I tell him so I can change. I brush out my hair and pull it back into a ponytail.
When Logan and I arrive in the kitchen, Logan's older brothers, Michael and
Fredrick, are sitting at the table. "You two get a good night's sleep?" Fredrick asks. "Or was it a rough night?"
I reach across the table and smack him. Mary sets a bowl of broth down in front of me and I eat it quickly. After, we head down to the main square for the Reaping. There is a table full of sign in books with Peacekeepers who prick our fingers to take blood for the sign in. Logan and I go stand with the other fifteen year olds, Fredrick with the seventeen year olds, Michael with the eighteen year olds, and Mary and Dorcas with the adults and young children. I spot my father and Gracie standing next to them. "Good morning, everyone," Mayor Cresden greets us. His normal cheeriness is gone. I feel like I'm going to throw up what little food I had this morning. Mayor Cresden starts talking about the Dark Days and even shows video footage of the Capitol attacks. It's extremely difficult to watch, and I can tell others find it upsetting too. "And now I'd like to welcome Quinia House, the district 12 escort."
Mayor Cresden leaves the podium and Quinia House steps us. I immediately hate her. She's obviously from the Capitol. She has bright green hair and a neon color dress; it's the most disgusting thing I have ever seen, but it's typical Capitol fashion. "Hello, everyone!" Her voice is so annoyingly high pitched I want to rip my hair out. "I guess we'll get right to it!" She walks over to the two glass orbs on the stage. One for the boys, one for the girls, each one filled with names. Five of them say Karen McGrady on them. Five of them say Logan Hearth. Logan finds my hand and gives it a gently squeeze. "Ladies first!" She digs her hand and picks out a piece of pulls it out of the orb so slowly I swear she's doing it just to torture us. "Karen McGrady!" At first I don't even register that I actually have to go but then I notice everyone staring at me. My first instinct is to run and hide. Run to the woods and to the place where my mother used to come as a child and live where the Peacekeepers and the Capitol can't get to me. But the Peacekeepers are approaching so Logan kisses my lips and lets go of my hand, and I absolutely hate him for it. I can't help but thinking he's leading me away to slaughter. But the Peacekeepers are doing that, really. I walk shakily up the stairs, gripping the railing so tightly on the railing I think it might break, and stand where Quinia tells me to.
She shakes my hand and goes to the boys' orb. I pray it isn't Logan, Michael or Fredrick. But I can't pay attention to what Quinia is saying because everything just seems like a blur. Before I know it I'm shaking hands with a trembling boy. I don't look at his face but I can tell it isn't Logan, Fredrick, or Michael. "Happy Hunger Games, and may the odds be ever in your favor!" Quinia lets out a high pitched giggle and takes us to the Justice Building.
"Try and keep her alive, okay?" I choke out to my father between my uneven breathing.
"Try and win," he tells me. Try and win. It almost sounds like a joke. Twenty four of us locked in an area to kill each other. One comes out. The odds are absolutely not in my favor. I nod my head anyway. My father hugs me and I give me a kiss, and I kiss Gracie. Peacekeepers usher them out and Logan walks in.
I immediately pull him in for a hug and sob into his chest. "Stop," he tells me and pulls me away. "You can win this, you have to. You have to try." I wipe my tears and sniffle a bit. How am I supposed to win when there are people from the other districts who have had food to eat and have some level of knowledge for using weapons? That's right, I'm not.
The Peacekeepers come back to take Logan. "I love you!" he shouts as they pull him out the door, and I hate him for it. I hate that I'll never get to chance to say it back to him, and now his last words to me are "I love you." So when I die he'll never let go. I'm escorted to the train when I actually look at my fellow tribute for the first time. He has shaggy brown hair and blue eyes that are so light they're almost white. I feel like I know him, but I can't place it. Probably just from school or around the district. But I can't help the nagging feeling that he's familiar. He hasn't said anything to me, so we probably don't know each other.
The train is absolutely marvelous, but I hate it because it screams Capitol.
Food lines the compartment and there's a big television set up. A big, fancy table is anchored down for us to eat at. I've never seen this much food in my life and it makes my stomach grumble. I still hate it, though. "Sit down, sit down! It's time for lunch," Quinia's voice rings out. We both do as we're told and sit down across from each other, with Quinia at the head. I take a bowl full of purple chowder (I'm not sure what it is but it smells good) and some apple slices. I gobble down my food as fast as possible while the boy across from me takes his time. I can tell he's not from the Seam. I take another helping of chowder and some oranges before Quinia decided to start a conversations. "Enjoying the food, Karen?" I nod and finish my plate. I look at the desserts and choose a white cake, and a square of something that looks like cake and tastes very chocolaty. I force both of those down even though my stomach feels like it's going to burst. "The brownies are my favorite," she giggles. That must be what the chocolaty cake is.
"They're very good," I agree.
She directs her attention to the boy now. "Are you enjoying the food, Oliver?" she asks. He nods and continues eating, but I catch him sneaking a glance at me. We know each other. We must. "The other Reapings are on television," she tells us. I look over to see it turned on but muted. "You've already missed eleven, ten, and nine, but you can watch the other ones." Some servants come and take our dishes and I go sit on the couch to watch. My stomach is killing me so I slouch back as Quinia turns up the volume and sits next to Oliver, who is next to me.
They announce the girl tribute from eight, Wendy, and they are about to announce the boy when I lean over and vomit into the wastebasket. Small stomach, I guess. I head into the compartment Quinia said is for me to sleep in, and it makes me hate the Capitol even more. Just the luxury of everything- the clothes, beds, different soaps and shampoos and scrubs- and I can't even get a decent bath a home. I rinse out my mouth and brush my teeth. I'm back to watch the rest of the Reapings by the time they are on district seven.
I take note of the girl, Rose, who has strong arms. She's probably good with an axe. The tributes from six, Noah and Nova, don't look like they would do good outdoors. It's the tributes from four that really get my attention. The boy, named Finn Terra, seems to be about seventeen or eighteen, good looking, and muscley. The girl, Daisy Spar, is extremely pretty and looks like she would be smart. I'd want those two for allies.
I'm distracted when the workers on the train bring out more food and Quinia says it's time for dinner. I feel like I just ate minutes ago, but a look at the clock tells me it's been several hours. I eat generously, but not as much as last time. Quinia tells us it's going to be a long day tomorrow so we get to bed right after dinner.