Chapter 2
The Reaping
Justice Square is jam packed with people, all divided into different sections. Theres the 'safe zone' as many call it, where all the citizens not eligible for the games gather. The thing with the Reapings are that they are mandatory, whether you're eligible or not, you're required to be here, and they check too, theres no skipping out on the Reapings. If you're not at the Reapings you better be dead or damn close to it. My stomach drops at the thought. Then closest to the stage are fourteen sections, where all the 12-17 year olds are gathered split apart by gender and then age.
Ara and I hustle down the middle row, towards our section, the ceremonies haven't begun yet, but everyone is already in place, voices hushed, under the weight of the peacekeepers gaze. We reach our section just in time. Theres a loud metallic bang as someone slams the gates to the square shut and some of the younger girls yelp, already a bit jumpy from the stress of their first reaping. I take another superstitious glance at the seventeen year old girls section, but of course Mayla is not there, I knew that, you can't get in without 'checking in' but I cant help it, the weight of her absence is crushing.
'It'll be fine' I breathe out, almost silently to myself, 'She won't be chosen...they'll have no idea, her and Burnan probably lost track of time...or...' I swallow, a feeling of nausea rolling over me 'or what? Where the hell else could they be? Unless something was wrong...unless something happened...Oh! Burnan!' I glance over to the 'safe zone' and see a mob of grim faces. I keep scanning, see my father, my aunt...Burnan's parents and...Burnan. There he was staring at me, he looked like he was about to puke, his face flushed with a tint of green. 'So he's here?' He seems to read my face easily enough and gives a minuet shake to his head, as if to say'don't worry about it' but the panic in his eyes said differently. Just then a loud screeching from the microphone sounded over the loud speakers, every person snaps to attention.
Beatilce Navely giggles into her microphone "Oh, oh I am terribly sorry! Forgive for my obviously startling introduction" She giggles again, and somewhere from the back of the square a baby bursts into sobs "Oh dear!" Beatilce says holding her blue tinted hand up shielding her eyes from the sun "Well then, I guess we should start! Welcome! Everyone...to the 71st Hunger Games!" Theres a pause, as if she's waiting for some kind of cheering. Silence.
Ara leans over to me, her eyes remaining on Beatilce as she murmurs "She thinks she's in the career districts again." I snort. After a few more seconds of the dreadfully awkward silence, Beatilce's smile falters a bit. " My god, does she thinks she's a freaking unicorn now?" A small hat rests a top of Beatilce's curly fluff of light blue hair with a horn like a white cone shooting from the top, a matching metallic looking jacket covers her dyed blue arms and a startling umbrella like violet skirt shoots out from her waste, ending at her knees. As usual she's managed to live up to the Capitols's ridiculous dress attire, or more like costumes as my mother used to say.
"Well, before we go on with the drawings, we have a short message from your capitol" She nods, with an overdone smile and clicks of the stage, taking a seat next to Mayor Dabsty, who immediately ducks his head and conspicuously scoots his chair in the opposite direction, Ara slaps a hand over her mouth, suppressing a laugh.
A large screen sparks to life on the far right of the stage, and the Capitol Anthem blares out from the speakers. The oh too familiar words, coming straight from President Snow's thin mouth carry over the square..."The dark days" this..."your lovely Capitol" that..."and thus the Hunger Games were born!" Another pause for cheering, another dreadfully long silence. After the Reapings, when everyone returns home to celebrate not being picked, or goes home to draw their curtains and hide out, waiting for their friend/ family member to appear on TV after having been chosen, we get to see the Reapings from the other districts. The other tributes being chosen, and every time, I'm shocked to see the reactions of the other districts citizens. I mean, granite many of them react like District 3, with an obvious, borderline hatred for the Capitol, illuminating out of the screen. However, there are also a surprising amount of Districts who do, in all seriousness, seem genuinely excited about the games, with a genuine devotion to the Capitol. It makes me sick.
The video ends, and Beatilce walks back to center stage, grinning wildly "And now..." She announced "for the moment we have all been waiting for" She let out a childish squeal of excitement "Ahem, Gentlemen first then?" another beaming smile "excellent!" She walks to the large glass bowl on a small podium on the right side of the stage. Pin drop silence, as if the entire square is holding their breathe at once. She tilts her head back, squeezing her eyes shut as she slides her bony blue hand in the the bowl, circling it once, before suddenly plucking a small folded note out and holding it up high, as if to build some kind of excitement within the crowd. I can feel the cool silver ring still in place in my palm, which is now sweaty and hot 'not Dekus' I breathe softly, feeling a guilty selfish pang 'just please, not Dekus.' "Fry Dabsty!" She announces loudly, and I feel my entire frame stiffen 'No, no, not him either.'
"Oh jeez." Ara says, her mouth hanging open. The entire crowed bursts into, disbelieving sounds. Astonished. I along with every one else, crane my neck around the large crowd of people, looking for Fry in the 17 year old section. 'There he is' I see him through a small gap of people, his dirty blonde hair, stylishly messy as usual, his face is blank, pretty much the norm for Fry. Except that every ounce of arrogance seemed to have been wiped clean, now that is not the norm for Fry.
Suddenly a loud cry sounds from the back of the square, from the 'safe zone.' Everyone goes silent, straining to understand the words flying from Mrs. Dabsty's mouth. As upsetting and tragic it may be for a parents child to get reaped, the Capitol has made it quit apparent, that their is nothing to be done about it. You simply have to accept it, go home, and pray that by some miracle they come out of this thing, or at the very least, pray their death is fast and painless. Mrs. Fry seems to have forgotten this unspoken rule."No! That makes no sense! His name was only entered six times...SIX! Please no!" She cried, violently shoving her way through the crowd until the peace keepers cease her arms blocking her from passing to the 'Bait pit' where her son, is still frozen, his face paled to an unhealthy looking white. "Please!" She cried again.
Suddenly a loud scrape sounds from the stage, a metallic squeal from Mayor Dabsty's chair as he rises to his feet, his face the exact shade of white as his son's. "He waves a hand at Beatilce to continue and hustles down the steps towards his hysterical wife, and nearly drags her out of the square. The moment they are gone, the crowds attention, snaps back to Fry, who has finally seemed to come back to life, and was now making large determined steps towards the stage, two Peacekeepers at his side. His eyes stay straight ahead, narrowed slightly, his mouth pressed in a tight line.
"How...How is that possible?" I ask Ara in a hushed voice. She doesn't answer, just sputters a bit, her eyes wide, fixed on Fry. "I mean...he's the mayor's son."
"Right this way" Beatilce exclaims, motioning as Fry makes his way to center stage, head held high. "So, first I must ask for any volunteers, in Fry's place, hmm?" Silence. As beloved as Fry may be to District three (or at least as beloved as he believes himself to be)...he's simply not worth dying for, and we are not a career district, were too smart to be convinced by the Capitol that entering the games is a kind of honor rather than a tragedy. Fry flinches slightly, too slightly for anyone to notice if they weren't expecting it.
"Fine then" Beatilce smiles. "Now for the young lady tribute!" Her heels click as she moves over to the other glass bowl. She doesn't hesitate this time, apparently she figures Fry getting picked was enough excitement, and plunges her hand into the bowl, grabbing the first peace of paper her hand touches and pulls it out. My heart skips a beat as she slowly unfolds it, her fingers seeming to move at snail pace, Ara's breathing has literally stopped, along with just about every other girl surrounding me. "Mayla Bennis" She announces, and the ground falls out from under me.