The Reaping
We set off as a family at ten to 5, one of the latest reapings' in Panem. As an apology I let Ruby sit on my shoulders.
When we get into the square our blood is drawn and two unfamiliar peacekeepers try to remove Ruby from her perch. One dangerous look from me makes them stop in their tracks. I gently set Ruby on the floor, kiss her and Emerald's forehead and guide them towards the back of the crowd, with the other 12 year olds.
Alec has already disappeared into his section, and stands amongst his friends. As I walk past I give him a little wave with a wiggle of my fingers. He grins and nods back, before continuing his conversation.
I don't rush as I make my way to the seventeen's section. I locate my friends easily. They're not hard to miss. They're hard not to miss. Paris's horrible, disfigured face lights up with a smile when she sees me.
Her face had become badly disfigured during the middle sector when stealing some bread from the bakers. She got caught and the baker threw hot coals on her face.
"How do you feel?" Riley asked me. I give her a knowing smile and a wink.
"Positively fabulous" I purr, giving a wicked grin.
Riley is a bit of an abnormality in the district. Most of us are blonde haired and dull coloured eyes. She has wild, frizzy flaming red hair and bright moss green eyes.
Just then, Riley's twin brother walks over, Ryder, looking exactly like her. The red curls, green eyes. We had a lot of twins in Two.
"Good luck Liv." He says with a lopsided grin. "Don't forget me when you're big and famous, and alive."
The last part was said seriously. I nod, and smile.
The clock chimes five o'clock. We all turn towards the stage as the mayor takes his place. He shuffles some papers on the podium. Presumably, with the speech written down on it.
Stupid though, everyone knows it by heart.
There are four seats on the stage. One for our mayor, one for our escort, and two for our mentors. This year its Brutus and Alexandria. Alexandria won about two years ago, and is her first year mentoring. She sewed people's mouths shut if they got too annoying or spoke when she had something to say.
I guess I'll have to get used to not speaking when she's around. I like being able to use my voice.
I hear Riley and Paris move away from me. Taking this as a sign, I move to the very front of my section, almost in the eighteens' section. Ryder joins me just as the Mayor begins his long and tedious speech about the history of Panem.
Long ago, this land used to be called North America. Apparently, life was much different then and the idea of anything like the Hunger Games was unheard of except in old stories. They were beginning to run out of resources and many selfish people wanted it for themselves, so many wars broke out. The planet reacted badly to all the nuclear bombings, plagues, and other man-made weapons, so much so that a worldwide natural terror began. Land once dry was flooded, land that was once wet dried up. Fires were started that couldn't be put out until a merciful storm came that lasted for days at a time and drowned people. The resources were depleted and a brutal war was fought for the rights to have control of what was left.
When the mayhem finally ended and the waters receded on this land our ancestors were left with Panem. The shining and glorious Capitol and the rest of the land was divided into thirteen districts. People were divided into districts based on ethnicity or, in some cases, the people's overall skills. My ancestors were the men and women in the armies. The ones that survived anyway. The Capitol's residents were the war heroes, their friends and families, and other rich people who got in.
Panem flourished nicely for several decades, then the Capitol began to become unfair and the districts, under the leadership of District 13, rose up against the Capitol. A rebellion that was almost pitiful. Lasting only about a year, because the Capitol wanted to drag it on and cause the districts as much suffering as possible before being subdued. Thirteen was destroyed and the rest of our ancestors were brought back under the power of the Capitol. To punish our ancestors, and ultimately us, the Capitol created the Hunger Games. Districts 1, 2, and 4 never really viewed this as a punishment. We were richer and stronger than the others during the rebellion. We didn't fight against the Capitol. There were many children with skills that needed testing, egos that needed inflating. You know. Stuff like that. So, when the first tributes were called, volunteers eagerly stepped forward. But in the other districts the children, in most cases, were forced to go. Some even have had to be pried from a mother's arms as she wept and pleaded. Like that twelve-year-old from Twelve a few years back. His mother held him tight, pleading for someone else to take his place; she couldn't bear to watch him go. Unfortunately, he was the first killed. During the victory tour, the victor being Annie Cresta from Four, his mother grabbed onto Annie for dear life, saying she wished she had died instead. I hate to say it, but I felt sorrier for the poor kid than I did his mother. She wasn't dead.
So, our rebelling ancestors were left to die with the knowledge that they'd condemned thousands of children to death.
The. End.
The Mayor finishes, finally, then he proceeds to introduce our victors. I know most of them from the Trials. Brutus, Enobaria, Catia, Rip, Kyle, Alexandria, Duke, Nidd, Swale, Twylia, Cobalt, Roman, Diesel, Satine, Ulgart, Gloria, Twist, Rojam, Lois, Lyme, Von, and Ponny. They are our surviving victors. The others are long dead.
We have the most victors in all of the districts. Known for our refusal to give up, leaders of the Career pack, and our brutality.
Finally, the escort who had 'kindly' travelled all the way from the Capitol to receive the tributes comes onto the stage.
She has shiny silver skin and silver hair. Her hair line is beaded with dull grey gems. She is wearing a light grey frock with pearly white heels.
"Happy Hunger Games!" she trills out in that horrible Capitol accent. "And may the odds be ever in your favour!"
Shut up.
"I am May Gloss." She tells us. A pang of pain stabs my heart and I flinch slightly at the sound of May. "I hope I will be able to work with you kind people for many years to come."
I hope you trip and fall on an upright pick axe.
When no one responds-even Career districts don't like the Capitol escorts too much-she goes over to the girl's ball and puts her hand it. She rummages around and several sheets fall out. Finally, she pulls out one piece and carries it to the podium and smoothes it out.
This is it!
"Krikia Mice!" May calls.
From somewhere behind me I hear a little shriek of horror and a few giggles. Krikia emerges not a second later, looking unstable on her feet and deathly pale. She stumbles on the stage.
"Any volunteers?" May asks the audience eagerly. Krikia isn't much and would be dead within the first few minutes.
Frightened one of the other girls who also have the permit to volunteer, I leap forward, screaming, "I volunteer!"
I frantically look to all sides, scared someone might jump out and tackle me. It's been done before.
No one stops me, so I walk to the stage proudly, head held high with everyone's eyes on me, analysing me. Would I be a worthy tribute for District 2? Would I bring victory home, or would I be just a face in the sky?
Distracted by these thoughts, I almost lose my footing on the cobbled street, my black pumps twisting sideways and making my ankle click. I recover instantly though, and I doubt anyone saw.
The kids make a path so I can saunter forward with ease.
I climb up the steps and stand next to our Capitol escort. May Gloss smiles at me and she pats me on the shoulder.
"Hello, young lady. What's your name?"
"Olivia Bellona." I say, giving the camera my most cunning smile.
May beams. "Let's give a big round of applause to our newest tribute, Olivia Bellona!"
Almost everyone claps and there is a lot of whistling. I'm not just a tribute to the people of my district. I am a representative; I am responsible for upholding the honour of my district. And so is-
May clears her throat. I didn't notice her leave my side, but now she's at the podium and she's got the male name in her hand. The audience falls silent quickly. She smoothes out the paper and calls up an eighteen-year-old boy named Theodoros Gift. He mounts the stage without a trace of fear on his face and folds his arms, looking utterly confident. His skin is a bronze colour with shaggy black hair.
"Theo." Shocked whisper's follow the boy as he makes his way up to the stage. This confuses me as I have never laid eyes on the boy before.
He flashes me a winning smile that made my heart flutter, and I smiled back in almost a sneer before he spun and gave the district his heart stopping grin.
"Any volunteer's?" She calls. Theodoros raised his eyebrows at the crowd. No volunteer was forthcoming.
And then it hit me. Theodoros won the trials for the guys. He was the guy who won the male trials and would of volunteer, but he got lucky and reaped. I wondered why no other boy with a permit volunteered.
May Gloss beams. "Well, what an eventful day! Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the tributes of District 2!"
I grin then turn to face the crowd as the Mayor recites the Treaty of Treason. My eyes lock onto my friends faces first. Radley and Paris have moved over and have joined Jenna and Holly. They all see me watching them and beam up at me, flashing me proud crazy grins.
I see Krikia Mice standing not far from my friends, smiling with sweet relief that I had spared her a terrible fate.
Then my eyes find my family. I'm not prepared for that.
Alec looks horrified and a little disgusted. When he notices me looking at him, my brother shakes his head. Ruby is terrified, gripping a very numb looking Emerald. Dad's face is hard and disappointment becomes prominent when he realizes I'm watching him. He jerks his head sharply at Mum, clinging to him, and looking like she's ready to fall and faint.
It's not my fault. They knew I'd volunteer. I had the permit! What did they think I'd do? Just forget about it? Besides, I hadn't hidden the fact I was going to volunteer.
I look away quickly. No one can see my resolve cracking. I cannot be seen as weak at any point from now on.
The Mayor finishes then the anthem is blasted over the speakers. Theo and I shake hands formally. In that moment, I see emotion in his eyes. Anger, fear, and, are my eyes deceiving me? Is that respect I see there too? I smile back confidently then let his hand go.
Six Peacekeepers come forward to escort us to the Justice Building. It's almost funny how they seem hesitant to force us to do anything. Anyone from around here knows most kids who'd been in the Trials carry some sort of weapon on hand. It came from years of being randomly attacked as we walked around town. It was effective, yes, but cruel in a way. There was a bit of time when I was eleven, when they started the random attacks, that I refused to walk alone and every sudden movement made me jump.
I didn't have a weapon with me now, unless you count a fork hidden in my bra.
I walk with my head high. Beside me, Theo surly, with his head down and hands stuffed in his pockets, probably curled up in fists. I wonder what is going through his head.
I'm escorted to a room and they close the door behind me. I hear the lock click shut and I kick on the door sharply, warningly. I don't like being locked in.
"Keep it unlocked," a familiar Peacekeeper, Grim, I think, murmurs. "She won't go anywhere."
There is a quiet argument then the lock is undone. Satisfied, I walk over to the grey velvet couch by the wall and flop down. I put one of the pillows on the arm and lean back. The room is very nice. Fancy pearly grey wallpaper lines the top of the creamy white walls and there are pictures of warrior's wielding big swords and an army of beautiful young girls clad in rock amour. Someone will be here to see me soon, no doubt. I take my fork out of my bra and absent minded I twirl it round my fingers.
I'm alone for quite a fair few minutes. I just sit there quietly, counting the seconds tick by and continue to play with my fork. I get to 3 minutes and 46 seconds and the door bursts open.
I'm on my feet and the fork is sailing through the air in a heartbeat.
Whoops.
It hits the wall barely half an inch above Mum's head. She screams in alarm, ducks, then races into the room. Dad follows her in and yanks my blade out of where it is quite deeply imbedded. He throws it back and I catch it by the handle then stow it back in my bra.
"Why?" Mother wails and pulls me against her tightly. "Olivia, why? You won your Trials! Why are you doing this to me?"
I don't respond and she shakes my shoulders. "Olivia Bellona, answer me!"
"It wasn't enough." I respond, but I don't make any noise. It was just a movement of my lips.
My mother wails and my heart breaks a little more.
"Imogen," Dad soothes and pulls her away from me. He guides her to the couch where she collapses in a fit of tears. As much as I try to tough it out, my insides wrench painfully. He sits beside her, murmuring something soothingly.
The next one to ambush me is Emerald. She jumps into my arms and starts crying.
"Olivia you can't go too!" she wails. "Promise me you'll come home to teach me!"
My mind reels to remember what she's talking about. It was at May's funeral. I'd promised her I'd teach her to throw a knife as well as May could.
"And I will," I tell her. "Just as soon as I get back." My voice cracks and I give her a watery smile.
Mother makes a loud wailing noise and we all stare. "Kids, say your goodbyes quickly." Dad instructs. "I need to speak to Olivia alone."
Shit. I'm in for it now. At least he can't really do anything to me now that I am a tribute.
Emerald hugs me tightly and kisses my cheek. "Olivia, you have to come back. I want my lessons!"
I nod and set her down. "Watch how I work in the arena. You'll be a pro before I get back."
I hug her tightly for a second and plant a kiss on the top of her head. Two seconds after she moves Ruby crashes into me.
"Promise, Olivia." She orders. "I won't leave this room until you promise me you'll come back."
I had no idea she could be so bossy.
I smiled. "I'll come back. Ask the trainers who worked with me. I'm hard to catch and even harder to kill."
"No, Olivia. Promise me you will come back!"
I sigh and place my right hand over my heart and put my other one in the air. "I promise I will come back."
That seems to be enough because she gives me another hug, allows me to kiss her forehead, then makes room so Alec can come and hug me. I thought he was trying to crush me for a second then gives me a kiss on the cheek. I laugh a bit and push his face away.
"Be smart, Liv," he tells me seriously. "You are not unstoppable. There are five others who have as much, if not more, training than you, and a lot of the others won't want to go down without a fight. Do not mistake physical disadvantages for weakness. Chances are they've had years to adapt."
These are things I learned years ago, but I'm glad that he bothers to remind me.
I nod seriously and kiss his cheek. "I know, thanks, Alec."
"Stay alive. Don't make Mum go through the torture again."
I recoil sharply and gawk at him. "What?" I feel a sting in my chest, and unshed tears prick in my eyes.
May...
He sighs, pats my shoulder then picks up Ruby.
"We love you, Liv!" Emerald calls as they open the door. "Good luck!"
"The odds are in your favour!" Ruby adds then they close the door, leaving me alone with my parents.
Dad beckons me over and I sit down on the edge of the couch tentatively. "Yes, Dad?"
He does the last thing I expect. He pulls me into a tight hug and refuses to let go despite my protests. After a moment, I give in and hug him back. Then he releases me for a second and Mum is pulled into a hug with me too. By the time he lets us go, Mum has calmed down enough to finally speak coherently.
"You can't not come home!" She wails. "Do your very best! I will not bury another child!" She screams at me, before collapsing on my father.
He sighs and strokes her hair.
"We love you Olivia. More than you know. Just come home to us." He says sadly.
Not trusting my voice, I only nod.
"We don't have a district token for you." My mother says quietly.
"I could take my fork!" I say cheerily, ignoring the disappointment. I really wanted to take something that reminded me of home, not a household appliance.
The door opens, and this time, I don't throw my fork. Think how bad that would be if it stuck in the peacekeepers arm, or head...
"Times up," he says gruffly.
My dad pulls my mother and me into another bone crushing hug.
"We love you Olivia. No matter what!" he whispers. He presses his lips to my forehead and holds my mother's hand. They leave the room, not looking back.
36 seconds later Radley and Paris burst in, Paris's older brother coming in too. Brok. They don't have much to say to me. They just take turns hugging me, wishing me luck, and giving me small words of advice. Brok gives me a kiss on the lips and I give him a punch in the gut.
Annabeth comes next, grinning like a fool. Together we do a little happy dance, squealing like little girls. She pulls me into a massive hug, and doesn't seem to want to let go. She kisses me on the cheek.
"I'm so proud of you." She tells me. I grin, and that's when the water works start. She collapses into a heap of tears- happy tears she says.
Trembling, she leaves me in the room on my own.
I have 16 minutes and 27 seconds left. I spend some of that time looking around the room for something I could use as a district token. I come up with nothing.
I lie on the sofa and consider taking a quick nap. I lie down and close my eyes when my ears pick up some shouting just outside my room.
I pad over to the door, and lean my ear against the wood so I can hear it better.
"Just let me see her for like a second! PLEASE!" Someone shouts. Recognising it as Alec, I wrench the door open and glare at the peacekeeper guarding my door.
"Let him visit me." I growl. He looks annoyed, but waves Alec through. The door is slammed behind him.
"What are you doing?" I ask him.
"How much time do I have?" He asks, chewing on his lip. I check my internal clock.
"4 minutes 53 seconds." I answer immediately. He nods, and reaches into his pocket. He pulls out his fist and I can see he has something hidden in there.
"Mum said you didn't have a token, so I ran home and got you this." He unfurls his fist, revealing a thick blue string with macaroni strung onto it. A homemade macaroni necklace.
I look back up at him, and his face turns an unattractive shade of red.
"I made it when I was like, 6. You don't have to take it, it's just you have noth-" He doesn't finish his sentence because I tackle him into a hug. He seems surprised, but hugs me tightly back.
My eyes drizzled a few luke-warm streams, some of which dropped on to my bottom lip and sunk into my taste buds. I tasted salt. I glared through my watery eyes to see Alec looking back at me, crying too.
I take the macaroni necklace and place it round my neck. From now on, I will never take it off.
I hug him again, almost squeezing the life out of him. Our perfect brother/sister moment is ruined by a peacekeeper storming in.
"Times up," I nod sadly. I give Alec another bone crushing hug.
"I love you." He says, smiling sadly.
"I love you too, little brother."
When the door closes behind him, I can't shake the feeling that the door closing symbolized something more permanent. Will I ever see him again?
Of course you will, I tell myself angrily. Stop it.