I wasn't going to update this but I kinda felt like I had too? Idk. I haven't been writing for around three months so sorry if it's really bad, enjoy
Oh and thanks too thedaniellepeazeranon for proof reading / editing this for me go follow her guys!
My grandmother combs through my hair, her soft fingers braiding my
blonde locks neatly. Her poker face is down and I can see the tears in
her eyes, she's trying to hold herself together for my sake. I ignore
it as I look up into the mirror, applying just a little bit of lip balm
to my cracked lips.
"You look beautiful." My grandmother sighs, wiping her tears away.
I turn around to look at her, her skin is battered and warn down from
her years and her eyes look tired but yet she is still so beautiful.
"She looks just like you in those old photographs."
My mother smiles, patting me on the back while hugging her mother. I
couldn't agree more, I'm even wearing her dress, seeing as I only have
two more reapings to go it's my turn to wear the dress, after I am
immune, my younger sister will wear it. It's kind of a family
tradition, a joke even, a sick twisted family joke.
"You are brave today, okay? The odds are not in your favor and I'm
sorry for that." My mother sighs, kissing my cheek.
"Where are Primrose and Bay?" I wonder, completely ignoring my mother's
comment.
"They have already set off. They're going to meet us there."
I couldn't help but feel angry at this, this could be the last time
they see me and they have just walked off. Of course, it could be one
of them instead of me, but it won't be, I can just feel it."
As we walk down to the square I think of Chaden, the strange boy I met
just yesterday. It seems like years ago and how he must be feeling.
Would he be chosen? Would he volunteer? Probably not, he didn't seem
like the type but then again I don't even know his last name, he could
be a freak and I wouldn't know.
My mother drops my hand when we enter the square, we don't speak or say
goodbye, there will be time for that later, if needed be. I sign in,
not even looking at the women sat behind the desk as she pricks my
finger, as soon as the blood hits the paper I run, looking for my
sisters. We stand one behind the other linking hands. We'll face this
together, as one for as long as possible.
"Welcome, welcome." Alexis Jones calls out into the microphone.
For someone who's from the capitol she's dressed pretty normally, her
black hair falls straight to her waist, her blue eyes are plain and
simple. There's nothing unusual about her, maybe apart from her crisp
pink dress and heels but that's just the capitol speaking.
"Before we get started here today, we have a message from the capitol."
She goes off, speaking about the rebellion and how we should be
great-full for what the capitol does for us.
"Well let's begin, ladies first."
She seems almost bored, our lives are being held in her hands right
now and she couldn't care less. Alexis dips her hand into the large
reaping bowl, digging around deep. There had been rumors going around
this year that only mine, Bay's and Primrose's names would be put in. I
don't know who started those them, probably some girls from school,
trying to scare Bay.
"Baylor Everdeen."
I tighten my hand around Bay's, she freezes. Her fourteen year old
frame is stone cold.
"No." I whisper, pulling her close to my body, peace keepers come
along, pulling her away from me, she claws at me, trying to keep a hold
but she can't.
"Please." She begs, looking directly at me. I nod, knowing that I could
never let her go in; she's so young, so naive. She is pushed up onto
the stage, Alexis shakes her hand, leading her to the side.
"For the boys, we have." She sticks her hand into the second bowel.
"Genta Green."
"Genta?"
Was that even a name? A boy who could be no older that thirteen climbs
up on stage, tears falling from his eyes.
"I will ask this only once." Alexis begins but I have already stepped
forward. "Do we have any volunteers?"
"I would like to volunteer." I call out, walking towards the stage.
Bay has started crying now, once I get onto the stage I kiss her head
and push her away, she would now have to go stand with our sister and
watch me leave.
"And what's your name?" She asks, pointing the silver microphone to my
face.
"Aven Everdeen." I whisper.
My mouth is dry as it hits me; I will be dead in less than two weeks,
no doubt about it. I could never kill a child such a Grenta, or a girl
like Bay. I just couldn't do it. I shake hands with Grenta, squeezing
just a little tighter to calm him down a little but I think I just
scared him.
We're guided into the justice building and separated. I wait for my
mother and sisters to come into the room. They don't take long, just a
couple of minutes.
"Bay, are you okay?" I ask her, pulling her into a hug, ignoring
everybody else. She nods as she weeps into my chest.
"You'll be okay, I promise, you have the family and I'll be home before
you know it." I lie, kissing her on the fore head.
My mother and Primrose sob as they say goodbye to me, I tell my mother
to be strong, that they need her now.
They are gone within a flash and I'm alone again until someone walks
into the room and very nearly throw a punch but I don't, instead I let
a fresh layer of tears cover my face.
"Dad?" I choke out, running over to him and wrapping my arms around
his neck. He holds me tight to his body, whispering into my ear. "What
are you doing to her?"
"I couldn't let us end like this." So he has no belief I will come out
either. "I love you Aven." He slips something into the pocket of my
dress, when I open my mouth to ask what it is he holds his finger to
his lips and silences me.
"Stay strong."
With that he leaves and in come two peace keepers. They take me from
the justice building to the train. It's all a blur, before I know it
I'm sat next to Grenta, nibbling on cake and talking to our mentor,
Tabitha Scott. She won the year my uncle lost, I feel like I should hit
her, scream at her but I don't. She didn't kill him. A couple of
tributes did on the second day.
"We have a pretty good chance this year I think, the careers don't look
as strong as they have been and the only real threat is from thirteen,
they have been training since day one but they look arrogant."
Grenta begins to ask questions about thirteen but I stay silent, I
already knew about them making a comeback.
"Can we watch the reaping?" I ask, finally putting some input into the
conversation.
Tabitha nods, flipping on the screen, it starts from 1, a tall boy
with no muscle to be seen and a petite girl with long black hair, she
could have been Alexis little sister. It moves on quickly, over half of
the tributes have been volunteers but they don't look very happy about
it. It then shows us, Bay crying on stage and me taking her place,
barley speaking as I go, then Greta crying his eyes out as soon as they
call his name. Then comes district thirteen, the girl is young, maybe
only thirteen, her strawberry blonde locks are curly and she's shaking
as she says hello to the crowed. The host then moves on to the boys.
'Chaden Kask'I bust out In a fit of tears then, shaking and trying to
listen the best I can to what he has to say, he doesn't look surprised,
or scared he looks almost happy about it.
"Are you okay?" Tabitha asks me, stroking my back.
"Yeah, I just. I miss my family." No, the only thing close to a friend
I have will be dead, very soon.