The Reaping
I look up to the stage and see an eccentric person with glasses smiling out at all of us, who are to be our escort. The escort looks like a woman but you can never tell with the people from the Capitol and I've gotten use to not assuming. Behind them sits the only living Victor for District Six and is to act as a Mentor for the 'Players', as the Capitol calls them, that are chosen. In the wealthier Districts that have many Victors, the Players can choose who they want as their Mentor. Whoever gets chosen today are stuck with this Mentor who looks to be bored out of his mind as he rolls his eyes at the woman standing at the microphone.
"Hello, children," the escort says into the microphone, "My name is Hanji Zoe, well, what an exciting time it is again. It's the time to choose the Players for this year's 74th Games and to make your District proud!
"I will draw out one lucky boy's name from this bowl here," gesturing to a giant glass bowl filled with every single boys name in the District between the ages twelve to eighteen, "and one lucky girl's name from the other."
I scowl; they think we're so lucky to be a part of these awful games. I bet they never had to worry about being chosen coming from the Capitol. The escort continues and I snap out of my thoughts, I don't need to worry about missing anything important though, we've heard these same rules every year from them.
"Once I call your name would you please make your way up to the stage to join your Mentor and me. Alright, let's start with the gentlemen, shall we?" Hanji practically skips over to the bowl and reaches a hand in and grabs a slip of paper. Hanji pulls it out and reads, "Eren Jaeger!"
My hand reaches up to clench the red scarf that I always wear around my neck and I feel my heart dropping into the pit of my stomach. And suddenly it feels like I'm losing my family all over again. I look over to try and find Eren but I can't see him. I find Armin, who has a look of pure horror written all over his face and he sinks down to his knees. I then look up at the big screen and the cameras already found him as he makes his way up towards the stage. The look on his face at first is shock and something else but then he notices that the camera is on him and it turns to determination. He gets up onto the stage to stand by Hanji's side. I feel like they are going to take him away from me forever. Just like my parents, just like my foster parents. My mind is racing a hundred miles an hour.
Hanji smiles at him. "Look at you. What a handsome, strong Player we have this year." Everyone remembers the male Player from last year. It was a small, scrawny boy that could barely feed himself because his family was so poor. He didn't stand a chance in the Games. "And now the ladies," Hanji says and reaches into the other bowl and pulls out a name and reads it.
I don't know whose name the escort reads because all I know is that it's not mine and immediately I cry out, "I volunteer!" Because all I can think of is that I have to protect Eren. Before the other girl has a chance to move I run up to the stage. But I feel like I'm running through a fog and I can't see or hear anything around me. I can only see Eren standing up on that stage. I get up onto the stage and I look at each of their faces. Hanji looks absolutely thrilled, Eren looks furious, and I notice that the Mentor is sitting forward in his chair and there's a spark in his eyes that wasn't there before.
"Well, well, well!" Hanji says and looks me up and down, "who do we have here, that would so eagerly volunteer? Did you know that girl?"
I start to speak put Hanji pulls me towards the microphone and I can see myself on the big screens and I look out over the crowd. "No," I finally say, "I didn't know her but-," I look over at Eren who is now clenching his fists and looking hard at the ground.
Hanji catches on quick, "Oh, so you know this boy!" and places a hand on Eren's shoulder and he flinches, "Is he your brother?"
"No.."
"Oh, a boyfriend maybe?"
My eyes widen, "No!"
"Well, whatever he may be that was very brave of you for volunteering to be with him. What is your name, dear?" Hanji asks.
"Mikasa," I say to the cameras, "Mikasa Ackerman."
"There you have it folks," Hanji says taking mine and Eren's hands and lifting them, "The Players for this year's Games!"
The cameras zoom in on both of us and I look emotionless as ever and Eren still looks angry. And suddenly something unexpected happens. Everyone's right arm comes up and they place a closed fist over their heart. It is an old salute, usually only used by soldiers in the old days before the Walls. It stands for 'We dedicate our hearts to you'. Mostly everyone in our District knows of my dedication that I have for Eren and now they are the ones dedicating me for staying by his side even now.
Then the cameras are off and we are being pushed into the building that is behind us and are followed by Hanji and our Mentor. Before we even have a chance to talk to each other we are pulled into different rooms and I'm left alone to await any visitors who wish to see me before I leave for the Capitol. Not that I'm going to have much for visitors. My whole family besides Eren is dead.
This building is probably the most expensive building in our District. And it is only used for when we have visitors from the Capitol, which never happens, or on the Reaping days. I look at one of the lamps that could probably buy a family a whole year's worth of food. I remember one of Eren's angry rants about how the Capitol does nothing to help out the poorer Districts like ours and the only way to help is to win the Games but we can't win the Games if we don't have the resources to teach us how to fight or food to feed us to make us strong. And I tell him that he's right, the system is unjust and cruel but there is nothing we can do about it. That was when he would just look at me and say, 'Not if we overthrow the Capitol'. I would tell him that if the Capitol heard him talking about a rebellion he would be executed on the spot. But he would just laugh and say he was only joking. Somehow I knew he wasn't really. It was always Eren who would bring up how sick he was of living like cattle and being caged inside these Walls. If anyone would be stupid enough to start a rebellion it would be Eren.
I sink into one of the richly lavished chairs and finally let my thoughts sink in. I know what this means now that we're both in the Games, only one of us can survive it. But I was perfectly aware of this notion when I volunteered. It's never been my intention to survive, only to protect Eren. And that's what I will do in the Games as well.
I lift my scarf up to my face and breathe in; it's the only familiar thing to me right now. Everything else in this room is foreign and strange and it makes me uncomfortable but the scent of the scarf settles me and I close my eyes and picture myself out under the giant oak tree with Eren.
Suddenly, I hear the door open and I open my eyes to see Armin entering the room. I cross the room to meet him halfway and hug him. As I pull away I can see that he's crying. "Have you seen Eren yet?" I ask.
Armin nods, "He's really angry at you. He's over there throwing a fit and breaking things. The Military Police are having a hard time with him."
I smile. "That sounds like Eren."
"Why would you volunteer, Mikasa? You know as well as I do that both of you won't come out alive," Armin cries.
"I know, Armin. I plan on staying with Eren till the very end to make sure he is the one to survive the Games," I tell him, strangely calm.
Armin shakes his head, "NO! I can't lose you both!"
The Military Police enter. "Times up," they announce and grab ahold of Armin.
He turns toward me and shouts, "Just come back alive, okay?"
"What did you say to Eren?" I call back.
"The same thing," he was able to say before the door slams in his face.
I laugh at the impossibility of that. There has never been a double victory before nor will there ever be. The Capitol is not that merciful.
A few moments later the door opens again and it's the Military Police. They march in and grab each of my arms. "Time to go to the Capitol," they command and drag me out of the room and haul me off to the train station.