Burning Embers

"The parade's starting," Callie announced.

Her words sent shivers down my spine. Only a day had passed, but I felt like I hadn't seen Reed in years. Was he alright? Did the Capitol overwhelm him? What were the people like? Was he scared?

I would see my brother on that screen, but he would be worlds away.

"Let's go," Gale urged me, tugging at my hand.

We walked into the small room that held our dining table with mismatched chairs, a sofa near the fireplace, and a small television. Dahlia was propping our mother up onto the sofa, making sure there were enough pillows to keep her up. When she was finished, she sat down on the arm of the sofa. Griffin draped a blanket over our mother's lap and sat beside her. Callie knelt down in front of the sofa with Lily in her arms. I flicked on the television and watched the bluish glow leap forward to project the scene before our eyes. Gale and I then settled into two chairs by the table.

As I looked around the room at my family, I felt as if something was missing. Finally, it dawned on me that Clay was not there. He and Reed always used to sit at the table with me when we watched the Games. Every single year. But not this time, not for the 71st Hunger Games.

I was about to give up all hope of Clay showing up when I heard the door open. A long seven seconds passed before it closed again. Two people walked in: Clay and Fauna.

Fauna, normally cheerful and bubbly, looked worn and ill. Her olive skin was drained of color, her lips were cracked, and her eyes and nose were red. She looked like a single breath of air could cause her to crumple into a million pieces.

But how could anyone blame her? The love of her life was about to be sent to the slaughter for the entertainment of the Capitol.

"Hi Fauna," I murmured gently.

The rest of my family politely acknowledged her presence. We were all very familiar with the young woman before us, but she was with the wrong twin. Nevertheless, my mother smiled and Griffin waved. Callie and Dahlia, who adored Fauna, anxiously said their hello's.

Fauna tried to smile, but it looked like a grimace. "Hello," She replied in a voice just above a whisper.

Clay hurried to the table to pull out a chair for her. She sat down, and Clay took the chair beside her.

Before I had time to question Clay about the current situation, the music began and the first chariot began to roll out.

The boy and girl from District 1 were dressed in dazzling jewels. The rainbow of colors was nearly blinding, but also impressive to a girl like me. I lived in a District where most things were monochromatic. However, I quickly remembered the pair wanted my brother dead, and suddenly, their costumes were not so intriguing.

The tributes from District 2 were not to camera friendly. Neither smiled, but instead held their heads high and glared into the camera. They were older and looked frightening. Would the tall, brute boy be the one to kill my brother? Or would the girl with lean muscles and a menacing glare be the one?

As each chariot passed, all I could do is wonder if that tribute would be my brother's killer or if he would have to kill them. The boy from District 4 was a dead ringer for the victor several years back, Finnick Odair. He won by trapping his opponents in nets and spearing them to death with a trident. Would this boy try to be his copycat? The girl from District 6 had big blue eyes, couldn't be more than twelve, and was trembling. Would Reed have the heart to kill her?

It got more and more painful to watch the parade of children. I had to turn away when the District 10 tributes passed. Their familiar red hair and bright blue eyes was too much for me to handle, especially when the young boy looked quite similar to Griffin a few years back.

District 12 always went last. We were the poorest District, the citizens were in the worst conditions, and we really didn't stand a chance in the Games. The last Victor was Haymitch Abernathy, and he won twenty-one years ago. Needless to say, not many sponsors were betting on us.

When the last chariot emerged from the darkness, I spotted Reed right away. He looked intimidating standing next to the shivering little girl beside him. They both were in very familiar costumes. The District 12 stylist wasn't very creative.

Reed had on dark grungy pants, thick boots, and nothing else beside the headlamp strapped around his head. He was dusted in shimmering black powder that was so thick, I could hardly see the bare skin of his chest. His face was done more lightly, however, and I could make out patches of freckled skin. Thanks to his flaming red hair, he looked like a glowing piece of coal. I couldn't say much better for the girl from our district.

The chariots came to a halt, and President Snow said some words. I could hardly hear them, though, all I could focus on was Reed. His face was expressionless, but he didn't look scared… he looked determined.

I was carefully studying my brother's expressions, but suddenly, the screen faded to black and the light danced back into the projector. Reed was gone, and the parade was over.

"Reed!" Fauna suddenly cried out.

Glancing back, I saw she had jumped up from her chair and was about to pounce on the television. Luckily, Clay caught her arm and tugged her against his chest. She struggled for a moment before giving up and sobbing uncontrollably. At that moment, Lily started bawling. Clay led Fauna outside as I went to hold the screaming toddler. My mother looked overwhelmed, so the rest of my siblings went to help her back into her bedroom.

All I could hear was Lily crying in my arms and Fauna sobbing outside. This was what the Games did to the Districts; it caused devastation and heart break. Would Fauna lose her love? Would Lily grow up without knowing her older brother? How would my life turn out without Reed? My brother… my idol… my friend.

Gale caught my gaze, and for a long moment, we silently stared at each other. There was nothing left to say.