Thank you if you've made it this far! Fingers crossed you enjoy the chapter!
Kaya Nivalis may have only been nine years old, but she knew that she saw and understood more than the other kids in her class. Her mom had said that she was "perceptive" once, but she didn't have a freaking clue what that word meant. What she did know, however, was that the girl in River's bed, was a Townie.
So, while many would have shrugged it off, Kaya needed to know. Who was the blonde girl? She was tired of sleeping with Mom and Dad! Why did River get her own room all of a sudden? Like, sure, the wood thing, but Kaya wanted her own room, dammit. Alas, for all of her thought on the matter, Kaya wasn't as brave in reality as in her own head, so when one of the two sleeping girls made just a slight noise, Kaya squeaked, eyes wide, and bolted from the room. That was enough excitement for her.
Old houses in Twelve were known to groan every now and then, but when River woke to what sounded like hurried footsteps, she knew that it hadn't just been the noises of the house. People were waking up.
With a sigh, she pulled Skylar closer to her for just a moment, burying her face in the blonde's back and breathing her in before releasing her entirely and gently shaking her awake. From there, they shared but three kisses before they were both dressed and Skylar was, once again, gone. As ever, she left via the old tunnels below the house, leaving River to breathe for a moment before leaving her room and joining her family as they too began to start the day.
The Nivalis house was quiet that morning. River imagined that most homes were on the morning of the Reaping. It was funny, in a way, how they all simply lined up once a year and waited to lose someone they loved. Luckily for River, she was currently the only child in the house of Reaping age. Of course, Nathan and Kaya, the twins, would be eligible in three short years, but that was a problem for another time.
River, unlike the majority of the girls, refused to wear a dress for the Reaping. It was bad enough that they had to doll themselves up for someone's untimely funeral, but to squeeze herself into a dress, too? No. Absolutely not. So instead, she wore the smartest pair of pants that she owned and one of her father's old shirts that, in exchange for five logs, a seamstress in the Hob had taken in for her. It wasn't exactly uncommon for some of the girls to not have dresses, so it wasn't as though she would stand out, but it was just a little bit of comfort where she could afford some.
Around the breakfast table, despite not having much, the family sat together. They ate what little the had, drank their teas and tried to sound excited about feasting later that day.
It seemed, to River at least, that the day had started in a haze. The Reaping days always did to her.
When the time came, the family of five left their house, greeted by River's twenty-two year old brother, Asher, and his wife, Clara. They were a sweet, fiery couple. Clara had pretty much been an outcast of Town when her mother and father's business folded, but she was unashamed to work in the mines and had quickly gained the respect of the Seam folk. Her parents, to no one's surprise, had taken a little longer to come round, but after a huge Seam party drew them in, they'd been accepted and accepting ever since.
So, the complete Nivalis family, seven strong, made their way to the square. River was one of the luckier kids in the Seam, not having to take extra rations. Her name was in that bowl exactly seven times. Never once had she had to offer it up for more. She was lucky in that sense and she damn well knew it. She knew that some of the kids of larger families were facing having their name in there almost fifty or more times; she could only imagine how they were feeling today.
It wasn't long before she was in line, letting some ass from the Capitol prick her finger, registering her on the list. Her family, she knew, were watching her from the crowd. She knew that their eyes would never leave her, but she didn't have it in her to look back. For now, she could almost pretend that she couldn't feel the nerves that were ravaging her stomach, but she knew that one look back at her folks would set everything off. Gone would be the numbness that currently clouded her body's desire to shit itself. In fact, she was worried that perhaps that's exactly what would happen. So, in the interest of everyone, she kept her eyes front and forward as she joined her age group.
She didn't look at anyone but Effie Trinket as the ludicrously colourful woman trotted onstage. Twelve's only surviving victor, Haymitch Abernathy, was nowhere to be seen, as always. On the stage behind Effie stood a line of Peacekeepers. Effie had once said it was to show what fine specimens could come from each district, but River knew, deep down, they were there to drag children such as herself away from fighting families and off to their deaths.
Just like every year, Effie gave a speech. She spoke about what made the Capitol great. She told those poor, starving kids, about the luxury that she was used to. How dare she. Alas, River decided, she was probably just stupid.
Once the speech came to its end, the video of President Snow telling them all why they would lose two more kids that year came also to its end, Effie announced that it was time. Time to choose two more dead kids walking. Time for the district to go home that night and pretend that they weren't pleased. Sadly, at the end of the day, everyone but the families of the lost would rejoice. It was sick in so many senses, but it was the single time of year that all barriers seemed to be broken down, making space for sharing, joy, love and family.
While Effie circled the glass bowl, announcing "Ladies first!", River thought about the chicken that she'd traded from Rooba. You see, if she didn't think about food, then she'd be thinking about the poor bastards who were picked and she couldn't do that. She didn't have it in her to so much as offer a smile, even as a name was called.
Just like every other year, there were gasps as someone shuffled away from the girls' section and, sobbing, made their way to the stage, but River paid them no mind. She couldn't. She could hear the poor girl's sniffles as she fought tears on stage, Effie's microphone forced into her face, but even then River didn't really hear as she confirmed her name.
Then, just as quickly, all thoughts of chicken were gone. Carter Imrin, a boy from Town, was called up. Immediately, River's eyes shot up. Carter, many a moon ago, had asked River out. He had always been one of the few Town boys who wasn't ashamed to be seen with the Seam kids and, somehow, was still popular with both sides.
That, however, was all it took. By the time Carter had reached the stage, River had seen exactly who else was up there. "No." She breathed, feeling everything inside her drop what felt like a good few feet. Her stomach felt like lead and her head felt empty. Before she knew it, she began shoving other girls out of the way until she stumbled into the open walkway between the boys and the girls. A peacekeeper was quick as ever to grab her by the arm, but in her haste, she threw a fist hard into the side of his helmet, ignoring the pain that spat up her wrist and knuckles.
He staggered, not from the force, but from shock. That seemed to sober the teen. Undeterred, he extended his baton with a quick flick of his arm and advanced just that one step, raising his arm, readying to strike hard, only to be stopped.
River almost didn't hear the words leave her mouth as she raised her hands to soften the blow that never came. Much to her surprise, when she cracked open an eye, the Peacekeeper was tentatively lowering his baton and stepping aside. "I volunteer." She repeated, muttering as she looked up, almost as if she thought she had to clarify to him why he shouldn't crack her skull with his baton.
The silence surrounding her was beyond deafening. It threatened to swallow her whole as the Peacekeeper stepped aside, revealing the rest of her path to where Effie Trinket was jovially announcing that there was a volunteer. Twelve's first ever volunteer. River, without thinking, began to march. She heard and ignored the wails of her mother and the sounds of fighting as others held her back from running to River. She knew that if anyone could give them hell, it was her sweet mother.
By the time her feet left the dusty floor of the square and met the polished wood of the stage, River finally allowed herself to look up at Skylar. In that single moment, nothing was quite so terrible. Either forgetting herself or simply not caring, Skylar lurched forwards and grabbed River, dragging her into the tightest of embraces. Both of their faces were in one another's hair as Effie remarked loudly what a lovely display of gratitude it was. "You can't do this." Skylar cried into River's shoulder, her fingernails gripping painfully into the brunette's back.
"You can't stop me." River cried, thankful that no microphones were between them as she pushed Skylar away, immediately missing the oh-so-familiar warmth as soon as it was gone. With eyes as stony as she could muster, she stepped away from her lover just as quickly as the Peacekeepers began to march her from the stage. The rest of the ceremony was much of a muchness and before long River found herself being left inside a waiting room, awaiting her family and friends to say their goodbyes.
Naturally, her family all but fell through the door, enveloping her in a huge, unrelenting hug. "Why, River?" Her mother sobbed into her daughter's hair.
Why? What a question. "I'm so sorry." River furiously wiped the tears from her cheeks as they all came apart, though no one was willing to let her go completely. What could she possibly say now to make things any better?
"Listen, kid, you can win, okay?" Her father began to babble. He was a tall man whose shoulders used to float with pride, but the mines had broken him beyond repair all those years ago. "Y-You just need to get an axe, okay? You're good with an axe! Or... or a pickaxe! And-"
"The kids from Seven will get the axes." River's voice came out weakly, cutting her father off.
"Survive." Came Asher's voice. Her older brother looked beyond devastated, as did Clara and the twins. "That's all you have to do. Don't fight anyone, just outlive them. You're smart, River. You can do it. You're used to being outdoors, used to the cold and the hunger."
So many emotions were floating around the room, but it suddenly wasn't enough. There wasn't enough time as the door swung open. "That... that wasn't a minute!" River belted, her voice breaking as she surged through her family and into the chest of an unmoving Peacekeeper. "No!" She yelled. "You can't take them!"
Only, he could.
River may have been a scrappy young woman, but she couldn't contend with decades of experience wrapped in armour. Not untrained, at least. Least of all while her emotions were running so high.
Her family was gone but a minute later with a final yell of "Sponsors, River! Play the cameras!" from Clara, then River was alone. Again.
Looking around the room, she saw a small window. Too small to leave through, not that she'd get ten feet without being gunned down even if she were to squeeze through it-
"River!" She hadn't even heard the door open again, but at Skylar's voice, she spun just in time for the blonde to crash into her, arms thrown around River and constricting until breathing felt impossible. River simply squeezed back as tightly as she dared, finally feeling something break in herself. A sob shook her body first, then another and another until finally she and Skylar fell onto the single couch in the room and River took as many seconds as she could spare to cry. "We can make a break for it." Skylar's voice was as weak as River felt. "Right now. Let's just run."
She chuckled darkly into her lover's neck. "What, so we can both die?" She sighed, sitting up a little straighter.
"You're not going to die." Skylar told her stonily, though River could hear her voice breaking. "I won't let you die. Not for me." She added, turning and so very softly bringing their lips together.
Releasing a shaky breath, River drew away. "We don't have long." She croaked, eyes flitting up to the face of the blonde beside her. "I need you to keep an eye on Nathan and Kaya. They're good kids, but I know that when- I, uh, you know... I think they'll-"
"You're not going to die!" Skylar barked, tears overflowing from her beautiful blue eyes.
Turning quickly, River grasped her hands in her own. She looking into the eyes of the girl she loved so very much and gave a weak chuckle. "Look after them, okay? Don't ever let them put their name in that bowl more than they need to." At these words, the door swung open again, but River didn't move an inch. "Keep selling wood, get Asher to help-"
"Time's up."
"-and Clara can help with the money. I kept a ledger under my bed and an emergency stash of cash in my woods. Keep the business going. Use the money to make sure the-"
"I said, time's up."
"-kids have school stuff. New shoes for Nathan-"
"Are you fucking deaf?"
At that, River lurched forwards and crashed her chapped lips into Skylar's soft ones, just in time for the blonde to be yanked from her grasp. "Keep them safe!" She yelled out.
She saw understanding in the blonde's eyes. "I will." She muttered, forcibly turned and marched out. "I will! River, I lo-" And she was gone, a door slammed between them.
This time, truly alone, River broke.
She cried, she screamed, she trashed the room. She threw the coffee table. She tipped the couch. She smashed the vases. Even if all she did was cause some inconvenience, she wanted them to fucking feel what she was feeling. Even a fraction of it. Only, she feared they never would. She knew deep down that some poor kid her own age would be cleaning up this mess, but it made her feel better for a second, knowing that she was at least costing the bastards the money it would take to replace what she had destroyed.
Please let me know what you think of things so far! If all's well and good then I'll post the next chapter in a few days to a week, but I'm impatient as hell so it may well be tomorrow.
Have a great day and thank you again for reading my rubbish!