The Trials of Neo City [WINWIN • YUTA]

🖤 1. I Walk The Line 🖤

His mother had said he looked handsome that morning, his blond and brown hair clean and bright, contrast to the grayed green of the trees in their backyard.

There was a certain glint in her eyes, something melancholy. He wanted to ask why she had looked so sad, but he knew. Everyone in Panem knew.

Today was the day of the reaping. Today was the that two unlucky souls were sent from their home and across the country to lay down their life for entertainment...

For a game.

The thought made Sicheng's stomach twist and turn, his small breakfast of two honey rolls and a cup of water nearly coming back up from whence it came.

His mother grabbed his shoulders and pressed them lightly with the palms of her hands. "Oh, Winnie... love, you are tense." She smiled softly, but honestly she wasn't fairing much better. The reaping was in only a few hours and nobody in this household was at ease.

They knew just how many times Renjun, Sicheng's little brother, applied for Tessarae. They would have starved last winter if he hadn't.

If they had known, they would have stopped him. Sicheng would have applied himself a thousand times over if he knew that Renjun even applied once.

But he hadn't, and what was done was done.

Renjun had run off to the woods by himself again, most definitely to find peace of mind for the morning. He'd done that the past two reapings as well, Sicheng and his mother no longer surprised.

"Everything will be fine, Winnie. Would you like to come deliver a few honey rolls to the neighbors? Heeseung's mother." She asked, picking up a small basket with a fleeting smile on her face. "To take our minds off of this afternoon."

Sicheng nodded, holding the basket and holding the door open for his mother with his elbow, the older woman smiling gently at him.

They walked down the street, the hushed voices of citizens flooding the road. Sicheng felt eyes on him as well made-up teenagers, nosy adults, and playing children all stopped to stare.

They knew, they knew just how much danger the Dong family was in. It wasn't a secret.

They stopped in front of a shack identical to the rest of the street, Sicheng's mother knocking hard on it. The woman who had appeared, their neighbor, was carrying a child in her arms about five or six years of age. Sicheng didn't quite remember her name - Yoondae? Yoonah? Who knows - but she seemed nice and Renjun was friends with her oldest son.

"Oh, stop biting everything! Jungwon, you're quite the- oh! Hello Mrs. Dong, how're you?" She asked, shifting her attention from the child gnawing on her hair to Sicheng and his mother. Sicheng's mother clasped her hands over her skirt and hummed.

"Oh, doing fine, Miss Im. How is Heeseung? Is he all dressed and ready?" Sicheng's mother asked, voice quiet.

"Oh yes! He went to the town square to meet a friend, actually. He will be fine, though. I believe it." Miss Im offered and smile, although void of anything but empathy. Her expression was dark as she looked Sicheng's mother in her eyes before tearing her gaze away towards the boy in question. "My! I forget just how strong Sicheng has gotten! And tall! I remember when he came over our place for Heeseung's birthday party and I made those fritters... gosh, those were expensive." The lady huffed under her breath before turning back to Sicheng and his mother.

"Well of course... you must have strong hands to survive in Seven!" His mother beamed, bragging on Sicheng and making his ears turn a dark pink. She tended to do this, but he didn't mind much.

"Interesting... but where is your youngest?" The lady inquired. Sicheng's mother sighed and looked back at their house.

"If he is not in the house, he would be galavanting in the woods, darling. Please go and find your baby brother." She ordered, voice gentle.

Sicheng nodded, bowing slightly to Miss Im and handing the basket off to her before jogging down the road again, where it trailed off into nothing but dust, but dirt.