Status: Complete
Alive Till Kingdom Come.
The Reaping pt. One.
We arrived at the justice building rather quickly. It was decorated, and packed with people. The cameramen were everywhere. My father and little sister made their way up to the stage. Willow is only eight so she’ll be safe for a couple of years.
“Lets register and then find where you’re going to be sitting.” Talon nodded and followed me. Registration only took two seconds and I was guiding Talon to the 12 year olds when I ran into someone.
“Oh, sorry! Uh, Hi.” I said softly and smiling like an idiot.
I looked into the eyes of Liv Connery. A very pretty sixteen-year-old girl. She smiled weakly and swiftly walked away with out saying a word.
“smooooooth.” Talon said under his breath.
“Shut up.” I messed his hair up a little and walked over to the 16 year old section, where all my friends are. We small talk for a little while but then I look up to the stage and see my dad, Willow sitting on my mom’s lap and my mother. She is wearing all black keeping in-style with the black widow theme and she has a distant look in her eyes and looks uncomfortable with Willow on her lap. Willow smiles and waves and I wave back. Chaff and Seeder, other victors, where sitting next to my mother. My eyes bug out a little when I see Oswald, district 11’s capitol spokesperson. He’s wearing a painfully bright green suit and long, literally gold curls. I’ll never understand capitol fashion…
The ceremony begins with my father making the usual speech about the dark days and why we have the Hunger Games (like we all could forget). Oswald was being a bubbly freak like usual. I don’t really pay attention until I hear Oswald say “Ladies first!”
I look across the isle to see Liv looking at me. She notices I’m looking at her and she jerks her head towards the stage, blushing. Did I do something wrong?
“And the girl tribute for district 11 is….” I pray it’s not Liv, “Rosemary Tay!” For a moment I feel extremely relived it’s not Liv and then I see the 12-year old little girl with blonde locks in pigtails and in a baby blue dress walk up to the stage. I think I might throw up. She reaches the stage and looks like she’s going to break down at any moment. Her mother screams her name and her father hold’s the girl’s mother back. The little girl sniffles.
“Congratulations Miss. Tay! Now for the boy tribute…”
As Oswald reaches into the large bowl full of papers. Four of which are mine and one is Talon’s. It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. I’m practically screaming in my head, begging and pleading its not Talon. If they could pick a little girl why not a little boy? My nails are digging in to my palms and I look up to my father. His gaze lands on me and I believe he’s thinking the same thing. I don’t think I could handle seeing Talon on T.V like that. Talon is small and weak, He wouldn’t stand a chance. My palms are sweaty and painful; I feel queasy. I feel like my head is going to explode, I need to know my little brother is safe, I need to know my family would stay the same for at least one more year.
“And the district 11 boy tribute shall be,” he unravels the little paper. “…Abram Wellwood!”
Complete silence. I let out a sigh of relief. It’s not Talon. He safe! And then it dawned on me. A cold sweat rolled down my neck; accompanied by chills. It wasn’t my little brother’s name, it was mine…
“Lets register and then find where you’re going to be sitting.” Talon nodded and followed me. Registration only took two seconds and I was guiding Talon to the 12 year olds when I ran into someone.
“Oh, sorry! Uh, Hi.” I said softly and smiling like an idiot.
I looked into the eyes of Liv Connery. A very pretty sixteen-year-old girl. She smiled weakly and swiftly walked away with out saying a word.
“smooooooth.” Talon said under his breath.
“Shut up.” I messed his hair up a little and walked over to the 16 year old section, where all my friends are. We small talk for a little while but then I look up to the stage and see my dad, Willow sitting on my mom’s lap and my mother. She is wearing all black keeping in-style with the black widow theme and she has a distant look in her eyes and looks uncomfortable with Willow on her lap. Willow smiles and waves and I wave back. Chaff and Seeder, other victors, where sitting next to my mother. My eyes bug out a little when I see Oswald, district 11’s capitol spokesperson. He’s wearing a painfully bright green suit and long, literally gold curls. I’ll never understand capitol fashion…
The ceremony begins with my father making the usual speech about the dark days and why we have the Hunger Games (like we all could forget). Oswald was being a bubbly freak like usual. I don’t really pay attention until I hear Oswald say “Ladies first!”
I look across the isle to see Liv looking at me. She notices I’m looking at her and she jerks her head towards the stage, blushing. Did I do something wrong?
“And the girl tribute for district 11 is….” I pray it’s not Liv, “Rosemary Tay!” For a moment I feel extremely relived it’s not Liv and then I see the 12-year old little girl with blonde locks in pigtails and in a baby blue dress walk up to the stage. I think I might throw up. She reaches the stage and looks like she’s going to break down at any moment. Her mother screams her name and her father hold’s the girl’s mother back. The little girl sniffles.
“Congratulations Miss. Tay! Now for the boy tribute…”
As Oswald reaches into the large bowl full of papers. Four of which are mine and one is Talon’s. It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. I’m practically screaming in my head, begging and pleading its not Talon. If they could pick a little girl why not a little boy? My nails are digging in to my palms and I look up to my father. His gaze lands on me and I believe he’s thinking the same thing. I don’t think I could handle seeing Talon on T.V like that. Talon is small and weak, He wouldn’t stand a chance. My palms are sweaty and painful; I feel queasy. I feel like my head is going to explode, I need to know my little brother is safe, I need to know my family would stay the same for at least one more year.
“And the district 11 boy tribute shall be,” he unravels the little paper. “…Abram Wellwood!”
Complete silence. I let out a sigh of relief. It’s not Talon. He safe! And then it dawned on me. A cold sweat rolled down my neck; accompanied by chills. It wasn’t my little brother’s name, it was mine…
♠ ♠ ♠
xo, Jessie