Hi, everyone! I inform you that there are still plenty of slots free for sponsors, if you want to participate in this story in a more active way. You just need to PM me or send a review if interested. All info is on my profile.
And now let's start with the Reaping of District 3, the first non-Career district! Enjoy your reading :)
The day before the Reaping
Georgiana "Georgie" Clares (14)- Citizen of District 3
"I thought you would have gone see your sister at the tournament," says Henry at some point.
"Nah, it's the same thing every year, I've got tired of it. Besides, I suck at chess," I reply, snorting.
"Well, your support is important to her."
"If you think so…"
No, I don't think my absence will upset Ambra. She's cold and calculating enough to win without my support, as she has already done other times, after all.
"I'm just saying that you should be there," insists Henry.
"Why are you saying that? You don't want my company, Henry?" I ask him.
"I didn't mean that. It's just…" he hesitates, and then looks at the two peacekeepers behind us out of the corner of his eye.
Henry and his parents are among the few people who can cross the fence surrounding District 3 without being punished. His family runs an apothecary in town, and they often need to gather plants to prepare herbal remedies. Such plants can be found only outside the district. Of course, they're allowed to do it only if accompanied by peacekeepers. No one can escape their surveillance, not even beyond the fence.
"Anyway, what plants do you need to gather today?" I ask him, while we're heading to the woods outside Three.
"Just some yarrow. My mother suggests it when… you know, when women… when women have those pains," he answers, red-faced.
I blush as well. Henry kneels down and starts gathering.
"We use yarrow flowers and leaves for the remedies… there, those tiny, white flowers," he explains, pointing them.
I kneel down beside him. I'm here to help him, but to be sincere I'm not good at distinguishing plants, even if it's not the first time I accompany Henry and, with all his explanations, I should have learnt something. The truth is that I like being out of District 3 for a while. The fresh air of the woods gives me a sense of freedom that I can't have inside its oppressive fence. That's why I accompany him. Yes, he's my best friend, but the time we spend together at school is not as rewarding as that we spend in the woods. Of course, the peacekeepers are here to remind us that we have to come back at some point.
"What were you saying when you stopped?" I ask Henry under my breath. I don't want the peacekeepers who stands further back to overhear our conversation.
"Nothing important," he answers in a whisper, without looking at me.
"No, no, you were talking about Ambra…" I insist.
"I was just saying that if I were you, I would have gone to the chess tournament."
"Why? It's so boring!"
"But it's important for your sister," he points out.
"She's never interested in what I like, so why should I?" I reply, annoyed.
"Well, tomorrow there will be the Reaping, she might be… you told me she had to sign up for tesserae last month…"
"I see your point," I interrupt him "But I can't pretend to get along with her just because she did that. After our father abandoned us, everyone has made sacrifices."
"She's still your sister, Georgie. I'm an only child, but I'd like to have a sibling. When I told that to my parents, do you know what they answered? That they were too afraid of the Reaping, that they didn't want to increase the chances of seeing their children get reaped. That is to say that you're lucky to have a sister, Georgie, and you shouldn't take her for granted."
"You're too negative, Henry. Our situation is heavenly compared to that of the majority of Three. The odds are definitely in our favour."
"I'm realistic, Georgie," he corrects me "No one can tell what may happen at the Reaping."
…...
The day before the Reaping
Ambra Clares (16)- Citizen of District 3
My opponent is watching the chessboard with resigned eyes. He knows that he's doomed, he has fallen into my trap. He makes his move, then it's my turn.
"Checkmate!" I say, victorious.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the winner of the 5th chess tournament is Ambra Clares!" announces the president of the chess club on the mic.
The crowd cheers.
The president shakes my hand. "Congratulations, Mrs. Clares. You played a really good game," he compliments me.
"Thanks," I reply, smiling.
He gives me a cockade and an envelope. Inside, there's a little amount of money. I love playing chess, but money is always money. Mom is doing all she can to support our family, she will certainly appreciate extra help.
I find her waiting for me outside the chess club.
"Mom! I thought you were still at work!" I say, hugging her.
I'm so happy and surprised to see her that I can allow myself a cuddle.
"Mrs. Thatcher gave me the rest of the day off, so I came to see you, dearie. I had to, especially after what happened last year," she replies, patting my head.
I nod. I won the chess tournament also last year, but nobody came to see me, so, while I was coming back home, a group of hooded guys attacked me and stole the envelope with the money. They didn't do anything to me, just stole the money. I couldn't find out who they were; after all, such episodes are the order of the day in Three. There's too much social inequality.
My mother shakes her head. "Sorry, I shouldn't bring back bad memories. I'm proud of you, Ambra, you're a great chess player!" she says.
"It's all a matter of strategy, mom. Sometimes, you need to sacrifice some pieces in order to win," I explain.
"Ok, you'll tell me all the details later. Now, let's go home. Given that I have more time than usual, I could cook something special for dinner to celebrate your victory!"
"Sounds good to me!"
While we're heading home, I start looking around, nervous. I hope the hooded guys of last year won't dare to attack us. Perhaps they were there by chance, but a little voice in the back of my head says that they were keeping tabs on me. They knew I had the money and went out on point.
"Where's Georgiana?" I ask mom, willing to dispel these negative thoughts.
"She's with Henry. I told her to come to the tournament, but there was no way to convince her. You know how stubborn she is. I'm sorry, Ambra, I know you would have liked her to be there with you," she answers with a sad smile.
Henry Almonds is the son of our neighbours, who run an apothecary. He's the same age of my sister Georgiana. Evidently, she prefers her friend over her sister. But I shouldn't be surprised. I know they're very close. In addition, I'm pretty sure that Henry has feelings for Georgiana, even if she may not return them. The truth is that we don't get along with each other and, after our father remarried, our relationship has even got worse. He divorced mom because she's always at work. Well, being the mayor's personal secretary involves responsibilities and irregular schedules. That's no good reason to leave your family, but I can understand his reasons. He must have felt neglected. However, Georgiana is not willing to forgive him, whereas I'm more diplomatic. That's another breaking point between us.
"It's all right, mom, I knew Georgiana wouldn't come," I say.
Luckily, we get home without incident. I lay the table, while my mother is cooking dinner. From the smell, I can tell that she's making her delicious omelet with peppers. My mouth is already watering.
"How was work?" I ask her.
"Well, as usual. Molly do this, Molly do that… you know, Mrs. Thatcher is quite an authoritarian woman. She couldn't be the mayor of District 3, otherwise," she answers.
"But it was kind of her… I mean, giving you the rest of the day off," I point out.
"You're right. I didn't expect that. She said that she wants me to spend more time with my family."
Because of the divorce? Was she referring to that? Or because the Reaping is tomorrow? The mayor certainly knows that I signed up for tesserae last month. Divorcing was quite expensive. My mother cannot forgive herself for letting me do that. She has asked her boss to work overtime, because she doesn't want that to happen again. In any case, now I have three additional slips with my name on them in the Reaping ball. It makes eight altogether. Eight out of thousands. I know the percentage is small, but I can't help worrying. What if I was reaped? What chances would I have to win? I already know the answer: almost none. I'm not a Career, and I live in District 3. Our tributes rarely make that far.
My thoughts are interrupted by my sister's arrival.
"Oh, it was time you got home, Georgie! Is everything okay?" my mother welcomes her.
"I'm fine, mom," replies my sister, sitting at the table. "Did you win, Ambra?" she asks me.
"Yep," I answer.
"Congratulations," she says in a bored tone.
"Thank you. How was your day?"
"I helped Henry to gather some plants for the apothecary. That was the only noteworthy event of today."
"Georgiana! Your sister won the chess tournament, don't you think it is noteworthy?" my mother chimes in with a frown.
"Yeah, also that," she replies.
I don't want to argue with her, so I remain silent for the whole dinner. After it's over, I retire to my room. I flop down on my bed without changing my clothes. I start sobbing, burying my head in the pillow, so that no one can hear me cry. Why does my sister behave like that? Do I really count nothing to her? I think again about the Reaping of tomorrow. If I was reaped, how would she react? Would she be sad for me? Perhaps she wouldn't miss me at all. But my parents would suffer, that's for sure. I try to relax, to clear my mind, but even the idea of thinking of nothing is actually stressful. Anyway, don't know when, I'm finally able to drift off at some point.
…...
Present day
Henry Almonds (14)- Citizen of District 3
I wake up early and decide to stay in bed for a while. No school today. I don't mind having a day off, but at school I have something to do to pass the time, at least. There are some subjects that I really like. Chemistry for instance. Sometimes, I'd like to live in District 7, its education is certainly more interesting than that of Three, where we're taught all that boring stuff about technology and electronics. I really can't get it! I like imagining the vast forest of District 7, the green district. There are the woods outside Three, but they aren't vast… at least, they don't look so. To be sincere, I've never been allowed to walk away too much from the fence.
"Henry? Are you awake? We need to get ready for the Reaping!" says my mother, knocking at my door.
I snort. "Yes, ma'," I reply.
Thank you for reminding me of the hateful Reaping! I get up and dress. I've already chosen my outfit: plaid shirt, overalls, and booties. I look like a real lumberjack of Seven. Don't know why, but, in my mind, lumberjacks always wear plaid shirts, overalls, and booties. But maybe it's just an invention of mine.
I have breakfast with my parents in the kitchen. We live all on the one floor, in a small flat above our apothecary. The apothecary is our life. One day, I will inherit it. I can't imagine a better job.
"We'd better not take our time, even if we don't live far away. We won't find a good place to see the ceremony, otherwise," says my father, crunching his French toast.
In fact, our apothecary stands on a side street to the main square.
"Are you nervous, Henry?" asks my mother.
"I've got only three slips. I'm as safe as I can be," I point out.
"Many people aren't instead. Don't worry, son, everything's gonna be okay," says my father, but he doesn't sound very convinced.
We head to the square straight after breakfast. The place is already chock-a-block.
"Good luck, Henry," says my mother, hugging me.
"See you later," says my father, putting his hand on my shoulder.
They have both a worried smile on their faces.
"Hey, it won't take long. After the Reaping is over, we could do something together… have a walk or play a board game. What do you think?" I say with a wide smile, trying to sound calm.
Actually, I can feel all my limbs shaking with fear, but I don't want them to worry more than is necessary.
"We'd love to," replies my mother.
I part from my parents and head to the roped area reserved to those of Reaping age. I sign in and reach the fourteen-year-old section. Georgie is already there with a bored expression on her face. How can she be so detached? I admire her hard for this… and not only for this. I wonder if I should tell her about my feelings for her, but with the Reaping looming over us… no, maybe I should wait till we turn eighteen, when we're no longer eligible. But what if she fell in love with someone else in the meantime? Ah, I shouldn't think about that now!
Georgie's hazel eyes light up as soon they meet mine. "Hi, Henry," she greets me with a faint smile.
"Hi," I greet her back.
"Nervous?"
"Who wouldn't be?"
She just smiles in response. Her smile makes me relax a bit. With only three slips in the Reaping ball, my situation is not that bad. In the meantime, the ceremony has started. Charlotte Thatcher, the mayor of District 3, mounts the stage and pokes the mic to draw the attention of the crowd. She's a rather serious woman, in her forties, even if the grey clothes that she's used to wearing make her look older.
"Good morning, District 3. Today we honour the sacrifice of our youths, who remind us that we must be grateful for what we're given, because what we're given can also be taken," she says, solemn.
She reads the Treaty of Treason with the same solemnity. It's clear that she truly believes in what she's reading. But I'm not surprised. After the war, the Capitol has certainly made sure to choose mayors who are loyal to them. When Mrs. Thatcher finishes reading, the escort mounts the stage- a flamboyant woman in a broad, colourful dress. She watches the mayor from top to toe. Her appearance is the exact opposite of the mayor's grey countenance. The scene is almost funny.
"Thank you, Mrs. Thatcher, for your inspiring discourse. Now, let's go down to business! Shall we start with the boys just for a change?" she says in her Capitolite accent.
The crowd doesn't react.
"Henry Almonds!"
When my name is called, Georgie grabs my hand. Her hazel eyes are widened with terror.
"Please, don't go," she whispers, teary.
But I have to. My feet move towards the stage without me realizing it. In no time, I'm standing beside the escort, who smiles cheerfully. Her teeth are so unnaturally white.
"Oh, what a lovely boy! Looks like someone has chosen to use some colour, finally! Does anyone want to volunteer?" asks the escort, but no one answers.
I'm looking in the general direction of the crowd, but my eyes are actually staring blankly. It's like being hypnotized. I'm here on the stage, but I feel nothing. I don't even notice that the escort has pulled out a slip of paper from the girls' ball.
"Ambra Clares!"
I stare at Ambra, while she's mounting the stage with a resigned expression on her face. Her hazel eyes- like those of her sister- are unblinking. She's fidgeting with her long, dark hair... she's trying to calm down, I suppose.
"Any volunteer?" asks the escort.
This question is useless in an outer district. No one would ever volunteer to walk into a certain death.
"Very well, then! A round of applause for the tributes of District 3, Henry Almonds and Ambra Clares! Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favour!"
As soon as I enter the waiting room, I sit on one of the soft couches. I look around. The waiting room is as grey as the rest of the Justice Building. The only noteworthy thing is the giant map of Panem drawn on the wall. I stand up to watch it closer. There is the Capitol and all the districts with their seals. On that of District 3, you can see a factory and cogwheels. District 3, technology. With my fingers, I start tracing imaginary routes on the map. I'd like to be anywhere but here.
I hear the door open. I turn around and see my parents in tears. My mother hugs me tight.
"My son! My son! You're too young to die! That's unfair!" she says, sobbing.
"Don't give up on him, Linda. Our son is strong, aren't you, Henry?" replies my father, wiping his tears away.
I break the embrace. "I'll do my best," I say.
I want so badly to cry, but I know that I must keep my cool. I can't be targeted as a weakling before the Games start.
My parents look at each other, then my father pulls out something from the pocket of his jacket. It's a spherical vial tied to a twine as a pendant. Inside, there's a purple flower dipped in formaldehyde.
"It's safflower. A peacekeeper from another district gave it to me years ago after I had healed his wife," he explains.
But I know better. That's not safflower, although it is very similar to it. Certainly, my father knows it. That's colchicum autmnale, also known as fake safflower. You can recognize it by the number of stamens, six over the three ones of safflower. But the most significant difference between them is that while safflower is edible, this one is poisonous. Practically, my father is giving me a deadly weapon. My blood turns cold in my veins at the thought. But why lying to me? Why telling me that's safflower? He certainly knows that I won't buy it. Then, a thought hits me. The cameras! We may be on camera right now! But I avoid looking around not to raise suspicions. If the Capitol knew that this flower is so dangerous, my parents could be punished.
After they leave the room, Georgie comes to visit me. She hugs me, teary.
"Oh, Henry! I don't want to lose you! You're my best friend!" she says.
Just best friend? Just best friend? My heart sinks.
"I'll do my best to survive," I say, swallowing hardly.
But I know what my survival would mean. If I won, her sister would die. Would she forgive me for letting her die?
"How's Ambra?" I ask her, breaking the embrace.
I want to think about something else.
"She'll be fine. If you want to ally with her, I'm sure she'd agree," Georgie answers with a sad smile.
"Guess that's the best strategy."
We pass the rest of the time in silence, sat on the couches. Georgie holds my hand the whole time. I want to cry, to tell her that she's more than a friend to me. But I hold back. It would be useless, it would be painful for both of us. Only when I'm left alone, I break down.
…...
Ambra Clares (16)- District 3 female tribute
Eight slips out of thousands. It was destiny, evidently. I want to scream, but what for? Georgiana is safe, at least. But for how long? Victory or not, her life will be still at stake next year. I shake my head. Now, I'm a tribute, I must think only about my survival. I must think as a tribute. First of all, please the audience. Secondly, find capable allies. The rest will follow. I'm from District 3, it won't be easy. I could ask Henry for a start. At least, we'll be fighting for the same district.
My mother and Georgiana come to visit me first.
"Ambra, dearie! It's… it's all my fault! I shouldn't have let you sign up for tesserae!" says my mother with tears flooding from her eyes.
I shake my head. "It's not your fault. Perhaps it would have happened anyway," I say, hardly repressing my tears.
"Promise me that you'll do your best, that… that you'll fight hard to come back!"
"I promise."
Then, my sister Georgiana gets closer to me. "I've got a present for you, Ambra," she says, sobbing.
She gives me the cockade of the chess tournament. "To remind you that you're a winner, that you've got someone to come home for!" she goes on.
She's not able to hold back any longer and hugs me. I burst into tears.
"Thank you, Georgie. I'll keep that in mind," I say.
My father comes next. He immediately hugs me. He doesn't say anything, just hugs me, shaking. Does he feel guilty because I took out tesserae to help mom after their divorce? Or is he simply sad for me?
When he breaks the embrace, I watch him, waiting for an answer. Since it doesn't come, I take the word first. "I didn't expect to see you," I tell him.
"You're still my daughter, Ambra, I will always love you, no matter what happens," he replies.
"Thank you."
We sit on the couches. He starts talking about the past, when we were still a united family. He says that even though he has a new wife now, he'll always look after us.
"Take care of Georgiana and mom. I'll be away for a while… maybe forever," I say.
"You'll come back, Ambra! I know you can! Is that understood?" he rebuts, watching me right in the eye.
A peacekeeper enters. "Time's up!" he shouts and yanks my father away before I could hug him one last time.
"I'll do my best," I whisper to myself, when I'm eventually left alone.
So, another Reaping is done. The friend zone hurts, doesn't it? Poor Henry! But at least he has an ace up his sleeve, and Ambra found out that her sister loves her. What do you think of this chapter? If you were Henry, would you confess your feelings for Georgie?
Thank you for reading :)
