The Hunger Games - Peeta Mellark (1)

}2{ - Cato Hadley

At one o'clock, they all headed for the plaza.

Attendance was mandatory unless you were on death's door.

In the evening, officials would come around and check to see if this is the case. If not, you would be imprisoned.

It's too bad, really that they held the reaping in the plaza- one of the few places in District 2 that could be pleasant.

The plaza was surrounded by shops, and on public market days, especially if there was good weather, it had a holiday feel to it.

But today, despite the bright banners hanging on the buildings, there was an air of grimness.

The camera crews, perched like buzzards on rooftops, only added to the effect.

People filed in silently and signed in.

Livia squeezed Dominic's hand as she split off from him and her parents.

She caught back up with Augustus and Ambrose and they headed towards check in.

Upon entering the square gathering, everyone's finger was pricked and their name added to a bowl.

Livia supposed reaping was also a good opportunity for the Capitol to keep tabs on the population.

Twelve- through eighteen-year-olds were herded into roped areas marked off by ages, the oldest in the front, the young ones towards the back.

Livia parted from the twins, with one last good luck.

She headed towards the front with the other 18 year old girls, while the twins ended up somewhere in the middle on the boy's section.

Family members lined up around the perimeter, holding tightly to one another's hands.

There were others, too, who had no one they loved at stake, or who no longer cared, who slipped among the crowd, taking bets on the two kids whose names would be drawn.

Livia considered she might take part when she was finally done.

The space got tighter and Livia got more claustrophobic as people arrived.

The plaza was quite large, but not enough to hold District 2's population.

Latecomers were directed to the adjacent streets, where they could watch the event on screens as it was televised live by the state.

Livia focused her attention on the temporary stage that was set up before the Justice Building.

It held three chairs, a podium, and two large glass bowls, one for the boys and one for the girls.

Two of the three chairs were filled by the Mayor- who was a tall, balding man- and Pluto, District 2's escort, fresh from the Capitol.

His hair was a vibrant blue that matched his eyebrows and sat atop his head was a feathery black fedora.

His outfit coordinated with blue, white, and black and was flashy like most capital clothing. His eyeshadow was a shimmery blue that swirled up from one eye, while white liner framed half of his face.

He tapped the mic twice before bending down to speak.

"Welcome! Happy Hunger Games!" He spoke with a smile.

The crowd cheered and he only gleamed more.

"Alright! Alright! Now, before we begin, we have a special message brought to you all the way from the Capitol!" He exclaimed gesturing towards the screen.

Skulls flashed across the screen, hundred upon hundreds. An explosion.

"War. Terrible war. Widows, orphans- a motherless child."