Chapter 3 - The Reaping: Part 2

To confirm my thoughts, I hear Effie saying my name clearly into the microphone. At first, I stand in my place, paralysed in shock, unsure of what to do with myself. I can feel everyone staring at me and I feel my cheeks flush with embarrassment. For a brief moment, I look around me and see the relief on the other girl's faces, which only fills me with more dread. Unreasonable thoughts of running away enter my mind but I know that I cannot escape; I can only desperately hope that it wasn't my name that was called out, that it was someone else's instead. My name was only in there five times, the odds should have been entirely in my favour.
I must have been standing still for too long as the next thing I know, I'm being grabbed by two peacekeepers and dragged by my arms towards the stage. This brings me out of my trance and I immediately wrench myself from their grasp. They go to grab me again, thinking that I want to escape, but where would I go?
"I can walk by myself!" I shout, my voice cracking in fear and desperation. I attempt to release myself from their grasp once again. I hear a grunt from one of them and they drop me rather violently, shoving me forwards, and I struggle to keep my balance as they do so. As I walk, they dig their batons into my back to ensure that I walk in the right direction. Everyone's eyes follow me as I walk down the middle of the crowd, which makes me uncomfortable so I do my best to fixate on a point ahead of me, avoiding any eye contact and keeping my head high. Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry,I chant as I walk.
I reach the steps leading to the stage where Effie stands at the top with a fake smile plastered across her face, ready to lead me to my place. One of the peacekeepers gives me one last painful shove with their baton, digging it into my spine to prompt me up the steps. I bite my lip to stop myself from wincing and I mount the steps up onto the stage. Effie gently puts her arm around my shoulder once I've reached the top and carefully leads me to a place next to the microphone.

"And now for the boys!" Chimes Effie, trying to sound as enthusiastic as she possibly can.

While Effie goes over to the bowl containing the boy's names, I take a moment to glance back at my parents seated behind me. Already, I can tell it was a mistake. They're both clutching onto each other, my Father's eyes are watery and his jaw is clenched, my Mother's face is buried into his chest, her body shaking as she cries. I pull my glance away immediately and bite my lip once more, choking back the tears. Don't cry. Don't make yourself look weak. It's all going to be okay.I stare ahead of me and fixate on the hills belonging to the woods beyond the fence. Memories of my mother taking me hunting and stopping for some bread and cheese upon those hills come to mind but are soon cast away as I hear Effie read out the male tribute's name.

"Ruben Bransworth." Says Effie as her eyes search the crowd for the 'winner' of the boys reaping.

Oh God, I think, not him, anyone but him. Ruben Bransworth: the boy in the year above me that nearly every girl at the school is head over heels for.Imagine the heartbreak those girls must be facing, how truly devastating, I think sarcastically. He's your typical tall, dark and handsome type of guy; 'deeply honey' comes to mind when looking at his smooth, golden skin. His usual wild, poufy curls have been somewhat tamed and rest in wet ringlets upon his head. It's a shame his pretty face has an ugly personality, he's cocky and completely self-centered with little regard for others, perhaps he's finally getting what he deserves. But no one deserves this...
He barely has time to register his shock before a path clears for him as the boys around him step away. He recovers quicker than me and obediently makes his way to the stage without the helpful encouragement from the peacekeepers. He stands in his place calmly and looks out blankly towards the crowd, with no emotion shown on his face. He's a notably taller than me, which is pretty tall considering I'm around 5'8, although, he's clearly muscular due to him being the blacksmith's son.
As the Mayor returns to read the dreary Treaty of Treason, I look out to the crowd and end up catching the eyes of my relatives. My brother Rye stands with my Grandmother, my Aunt Prim and Gale and they're all fighting tears. Once the Mayor has finished, he gestures for me and Ruben to shake hands. He shakes my hand and we share a very awkward glance. In those few seconds, I notice his eyes sharing a likeness to the meadow at the beginning of spring; a lush, pale green of the new grass sprouting, with patches of earth still recovering from the winter thaw. Did I seriously just analyse the colour of his eyes? I blame my father for teaching me colour theory. We stand once more to face the crowd as the anthem blares out, signalling the end of the reaping. Once the anthem finishes, we're lead into the Justice Building and taken into separate rooms where we'll say our goodbyes to our families and friends.

I might be waiting here a while, I think. No doubt there'll be many people visiting Ruben but as for me...family is all that I have. I have no friends but I assume no one wants to be friends with me because nobody wants to be involved with a Victor. People believe it can only lead to bad things and that includes being involved with Victor's children, therefore, Rye and I only have each other to keep our company. I decide to take a seat at the window bay and watch as the crowd slowly clears out. I start to think about what would happen if I didn't survive; Rye would be terribly lonely, I couldn't imagine spending a day without him. My mother wouldn't be able to handle it, she'd most likely fall into a depressive state and my father would be too busy trying to keep her together to notice Rye falling apart. Aunt Prim is too busy studying to be the District's Doctor; she's even been planning to reopen our family's Apothecary store, along with my Grandmother's help. Gale works down in the Mines every day and has his own family to care for.

I press my head against the icy window pane, squeezing my eyes shut and willing myself not to cry. I get a fright when the door is brashly shoved open, and my Brother, Aunt Prim and Grandmother, come rushing in. Rye is the first to throw his arms around me.

"They can't take you!" whimpers Rye, "You can't leave me! I won't let them take you away-"

"Rye, it's okay-"I start, but I'm cut off by his sobbing.

My Grandmother gently coaxes Rye off of me and calms him down. "Now don't you worry about Willow, she's brave and strong, just like your mother."

"Yes," continues Aunt Prim, "and she knows how to hunt! She'll win, she has every advantage."

"Exactly!" I say, "I will be the one coming home, I will win, I won't leave you."

"Promise?" he asks.

I look at him for a moment, it seems he's more afraid for me than I am for myself, and I reply, "I promise." Somehow, I manage a smile.

The door is shoved open once more and two Peacekeepers come storming in. "Time's up." One grunts, grabbing at my family to be pulled away.

"No!" cries Rye, and he latches onto me for one last hug.

I hold him close to me and bury my head in his dirty blonde curls. "Hey, it's okay! I love you Rye and I'll see you soon, I'll be back before you know it!"

Just then another peacekeeper enters the room to remove Rye and he's ripped from my arms. I watch helplessly as I see him carried out of the room, kicking, screaming and crying. And then there's silence. I feel suddenly overwhelmed: my throat has gone tight and my eyes sting with tears. You can't cry, you mustn't.I manage to blink back the tears and take in a deep breath. You're going to come home,I think, you have to.

I'm lead out of a back door and into the car. The journey to the train station is a short one, and once we arrive, cameras are there to greet us. Good thing I hadn't been crying.
I board the train, avoiding as many cameras as I can because the constant camera flashes are aggravating. The doors hiss as they automatically close behind me and I take a seat by the window. I look out, letting my mind wonder when my eyes find Ruben, waving to the cameras, putting on a show while Effie waits for him at the doors of the train looking impatient. I roll my eyes; he's already flaunting himself to the Capitol, how ridiculous. Effie finally manages to coax Ruben onto the train and he decides to seat himself opposite me.
"Having fun?" I say tauntingly.

He rests his leg on his knee and folds his arms behind his head before replying, "Oh I'm having a whale of a time, thanks for asking! Although, you would have thought there'd be a red carpet, quite disappointing really."

30 seconds alone with him and already, I can't stand his vexing attitude. "We're tributes not royalty."

"Speak for yourself."

"You know, cockiness is a very unattractive quality."

"First of all, I'm not cocky. Secondly, even if I were cocky, I could never be unattractive, it's just impossible."

I scoff at that last comment.

"Oh Willow, let's be honest. You're not exactly an oil painting are you?'

"Excuse me?"

"Not to worry, though, you'll still have lots of sponsors which means I'll have to try a bit harder to keep up with you."

"Keep up with me?"

"My goodness, I thought you'd be a little brighter considering."

"Considering what?"

He lets out a little sigh and shifts forwards, his arms acting as a pillar for his body as his hands rest on his knees. "You're the daughter of 2 Victors."

"So?"

"So, you're already in the spotlight and no doubt that the Capitol already loves the girl of fire's daughter! I mean just look at you, you're basically just a younger, less talented version of Katniss!"

"How dare you!" I yell, rising out of my seat.

He matches my height, towering over me. "Trying to be intimidating are we?"
"Oh shut up. You think you're so prestige, don't you? Well, wake up sunshine, because an attitude like that certainlywon't get you any sponsors."

"Oh, but if it were up to your personality, I'm pretty sure that sponsors wouldn't even bat an eyelid at you. Thank goodness for that sterling reputation of yours because let's face it, without your parents' status and reputation, you're nothing!"

I feel my face go hot with anger and I grab for the bottle of whisky, resting on the side table next to me and swing for him. He veers back and laughs as I hit all but the air in front of him. I immediately regret my actions but I stand my ground regardless.

"Okay Willow, how about you put that down, or give it to me before you hurt yourself." He says, still laughing. He reaches forwards to take the bottle from my hands however, I kick him before can get too close. I was aiming for his leg however, my kick went to a more central area, causing him to cry out in pain and double over.

"What in the hell is going on?!" Shouts Effie as she steps through the doorway with the other Victors behind.

Her outburst startles me so much that I drop the Whiskey, smashing as it hits the floor.

"Ah great, I was saving that Whiskey." I hear Haymitch mutter in the background.

Effie's face has turned an odd purple colour and her face is scrunched up with rage. "Fighting with another tribute, before the games? What on earth were you two thinking?! Surely you both know the rules?"
We both nod.
"Right then, I expect you both to behave in a more civil manner, do I make myself clear?"

Again, we both nod.

"Good." Says Effie, letting out a sigh of relief. She waves her hands over her face and recomposes herself and suddenly switches mood. "Who wants some food? I must say, these biscuits are absolutely divine!"

"I'll pass," I say. "In fact, I'd rather be alone right now." With that, I walk through the doors towards the back of the train.

I sit at the back of the train, looking out of the window. I watch as the train station of District 12 becomes nothing but a blur. A thought occurs to me that I may not see District 12 ever again and I feel a pang of sadness. I think about allowing myself to cry when I hear the cart door open. My mother and my father walk in, hand in hand, and I'm filled with relief. We all sit together, held in each other's arms and I bury my face into my father's chest, taking in his scent. He smells like freshly baked bread and cinnamon, the smells that I associate with home. No one says a word, but we don't need to, for actions speak much louder than words.

Author's Note:

Hello! So Ruben (one of my favourite characters) has just been introduced, what are your first impressions of him?

I don't have much to say other than thank you for reading, and I hope you continue to enjoy my fanfic!

A special thank you to those who have left me reviews, I really love reading comments and it motivates me to keep up the writing!

Liv