solane

the reaping

song of the chapter -> hidden in the sand (tally hall) 

I don't normally do this, but after rough nights, I like to sit at the largest tree in the orchard and watch the sunrise. I strolled through our village. Despite the morning darkness that still existed in the sky, the streets were busy. Sleep doesn't exist in District Eleven. I waved at a couple of familiar faces before rushing to the orchards.

Once there, I plopped my small bag at the foot of the large tree and started to climb my way to the top. I grasped onto the usual branches and after a couple of small scratches and leaves in my hair, I reached my destination. I silently watched as the sun began to rise over the horizon. This was my calm before the storm. Watching the beauty of nature was almost enough to make me forget what today was: Reaping Day. For the fifteen years of my life, I have always been wary of the Reaping. My mother died when I was young and my father is unknown to me, so my grandmother, Eden, is the one who looks after me. Though Eden would never admit it, she is getting too old to keep working for money, so ever since my mother died, my name has been entered in the lot more times than I could count.

"Hey Y/N! A voice yells from below. The greeting is met with a flying apple that, I assume, was supposed to hit me in the head. I glance at the ground to see my best friend Stella standing at the foot of the tree.

"The hell Stella! Are you trying to kill me?" I ask. Stella merely shrugs and leans against the wood.

"Eh, maybe," she responds. I turn my body so my feet are now hanging over her head.

"Two questions. How'd you find me and why are you up so early? That isn't like you."

"Well, I stopped by your house and Eden told me that you'd probably be here and I don't sleep the night before the Reaping. You know that."

Stella has had the worst luck when it comes to the games. Her mom and younger brother were reaped and died. Stella's dad passed away not long after her mom. Her boyfriend, Knox, and his family took her in when nobody would. I've known that Stella masks her traumatic past behind jokes and a nonchalant attitude, but I know that she has been living in fear of her own name being pulled and following in her family's footsteps.

Stella then shifts her attention to my bag and I can hear her rummaging around.

"You're not gonna find anything interesting in there," I assure her, but she doesn't stop. I didn't expect her to.

"Then what is this?" She asks as she pulls out three knives.

"Umm, those would be mine, and put them down before you kill someone!" I tell her as she is now mimicking the way I throw them.

"You know, all the years of knowing you, I still don't know why you mess with these," she says as she sticks them in the side of the tree.

"I just like to be prepared. Just in case ya know."

___

After a couple of hours of Stella and I catching up, we began to see more and more Peacekeepers enter the orchards and the district as a whole. We decided it would be a good idea to head back to our respective houses and prepare for the Reaping Ceremony. I quickly rinsed my face and body and threw on the nicest dress I had. It wasn't anything special; a short tan/orange dress with black formal shoes.

 I stood in front of the mirror, brushing my hair of all tangles and knots when Eden walked into the room that we shared. Though she is no longer eligible for the games, she was always afraid for me. Eden looked very young for her age. Though her body was small and frail, her face had little to no wrinkles and her dark hair had no more than a couple of greys poking out. She looked at me with concern.

"You'll be okay. You always are." She assured me. Eden then handed me one of her necklaces. It was a simple gemstone on a plain black cord. It was her favorite one. According to her, it used to be my mother's. Every year she gave me this necklace to wear at the Reaping so that if I were chosen, it would be my token in the arena. Once I was ready to go, I walked around our small and empty house one last time before heading out to the Community Hall where the reaping would take place. I gave Eden a tight hug and then made my way over to the girls in my age group.

The Peacekeepers pricked my finger and took the print. Afterward, they instructed me to go stand with the others. I looked around to see if I could find Stella in the sea of girls, but after a while, I gave up and decided to stay where I was. Once everyone was set up and in their respective areas, District Eleven's very own escort made her way to the stage. If I remember correctly, Onyx is her name. The Capitol's fashion always astounded me. Onyx had black hair that was pulled back into a high ponytail and her pupilless-looking eyes were splashed with paint that matched the dress she was wearing. Onyx is tall but that is only because of the shoes she chose to wear for the occasion. They did the usual ritual. Onyx greeted the crowd in her obnoxious Capitol accent. She then played the video shown every year that reminded us of the origin and reason for the games; as if we could ever forget. If it wasn't for the adrenaline that was running through my body, I would've fallen asleep.

"And now we choose the tributes for the 71st Annual Hunger Games." I could feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. The girls around me all stiffened their posture as we stood there with anticipation.

"As always, ladies first," Onyx declared. She raised her hand high into the air, I assume for dramatic effect, before placing her hand in the bowl. She gave it a stir for good measure and slowly pulled one of the folded pieces of paper. I could feel the butterflies, not just in my own stomach, but in everyone around me.

"The female tribute for this year's games is...Y/N Solane."

No no no no.

My vision instantly became hazy. I could feel everyone's eyes on me as time seemed to slow down. I began to lose balance. If it wasn't for the kind girl beside me, I would've fallen to the ground. When it became obvious that I wasn't moving, to no fault of my own, the Peacekeepers came to escort me to the stage themselves. As they dragged me by my arm, my eyes scoured the crowd for Eden, Stella, Knox, someone I could look to for comfort. It wasn't until I stood next to Onyx, that I saw Eden. Her eyes were red because of tears but her face remained still, knowing there was nothing she could do. That's when I saw Stella. Her hands over her mouth, trying to stop herself from screaming. She looked into my eyes. For years she had joked about my self-training, claiming I was overpreparing for something that was never going to happen. I could see the regret piling up on her shoulders.

By this point, the "excitement" had calmed down and Onyx began to choose the male tribute: my partner in the mess that was about to unfold. Onyx did the same ritual, making sure it was just as dramatic as when she pulled my name.

"The male tribute that will accompany Ms. Solane into the arena is...Knox O'Connor." 

My heart stopped. This cannot be happening. I knew Knox. He was Stella's boyfriend and a friend of mine. A scream erupted from the crowd. Without looking, I knew who it was. My eyes shot to the boys. Knox isn't hard to spot. His skin is paler than most in the district and his eyes are an ice blue. He examined his surroundings, possibly looking for his family. Not wanting to get pulled away like I was, he slowly made his way to the other side of the stage. We shared a glance with one another. He nodded to me and turned back to the crowd before him, remembering we were on camera.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, the District Eleven tributes for the 71st Annual Hunger Games!" Onyx had to speak over Stella's cries that now filled the ears of everyone in the Hall. It was at this moment that I realized how much I despise the Capitol.