The Daughter of the Sea

▬▬ 𝟎𝟐 ∙ 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗲𝘀

･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽

˚✩ ⋆｡˚ ✩┊ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐚 ┊✦ ˚ 　· .

▬▬ 02 ∙ 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚃𝚛𝚒𝚋𝚞𝚝𝚎𝚜

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It took a minute for my brain to register the news. I closed my eyes, replaying the event in my mind. I could see Moxie on that stage, calling out the name. Cordelia Opal Raines. It's me this year. There's no way.

"Cordelia?" Moxie looked out into the crowd of girls of all ages. Obviously, she didn't know who to look for, because I saw her gaze pass over me twice. "Honey, where are you? Come on up, don't be shy!" I want to scream that it's not because I am shy.

It's because I'm scared.

I don't have to do it, I thought. If I snuck out, I would be safe for another year, safe until the next Reaping, when my name would have greater chances of being drawn. And I would have if it weren't for Ashlyn. She was a courageous friend, who always knew right from wrong and never crossed the line between good and bad. She gently pried her hand from my grip, her eyes telling me that everyone would miss me, miss my laugh that brightened up a room, miss my beautiful words that brought hope to those in despair. Nevertheless, I was powerless against the Capitol's power; we were all powerless.

Brianna was on the left of me, tears forming in her eyes. I let go of my tight grip on her hand and walked out, distinguishing myself from the sea of girls. Her fingers grazed mine, but I pulled away and kept going. I did not doubt that if I let my fingers intertwine with hers, there would be no chance that I would make it on stage. As soon as I moved, everyone within 5 feet of me backed away, like I had some contagious disease.

Over a hundred thousand pairs of eyes fall on me. Through the sea of people, I see my parents in the back. But I don't dare to make eye contact for the fear that I would break down right then and there.

This made it easy for Moxie to find me, giving me a clear path to the stage. "There you are! Come on up now!" Her words were bright and cheery, making me wince at how anyone could enjoy the horror of having to take away 24 innocent children and forcing them to kill or be killed. It's completely barbaric.

My feet moved subconsciously. Every step I took felt like an eternity. Every step I took, I was inching toward what would surely be my death. I have to continuously tell myself not to look down at the ground as if it was the most interesting thing in the world. Once, I looked back and found Brianna and Ashlyn hugging, clinging onto each other as if their life depended on it, rivers streaming out of their eyes. The mere sight of it tore my heart out, and I practically had to force myself to face the front.

Still, I continued walking, my steps barely resting on the ground. I step up to the stage, next to Moxie, who smiles widely at me. "Very good! Any volunteers?" I caught my friends' gazes, silently willing them not to volunteer, telling them not to do it. I don't think I would be able to handle them being in the arena because of me. The district was silent, they all felt bad but at the same time, didn't want to be in my shoes. This was my community, and not a single soul had enough courage to save me from this terrible fate.

District 4 is a Career District. But I know for a fact that this year, everyone is too young. No female is 18 years old who is good enough to volunteer for the Games, not this year.

"No volunteers? Right then, and now onto the boys!" I hear her footsteps as she walks over to the boys' bowl, picking the name that will change one boy's future. As I stand on the stage for the whole country to see, playing with my fingers, I hear her announce the name, but I tune it out. Instead, I whip my head around to where I know Finnick is standing, dreading his reaction to me being chosen. Surprisingly, I can see that he is emotionless, clearly playing an act that the Capitol has forced him into. I know that later when he is away from the cameras, he will allow himself to break down. And it hurts me to think that I am the cause of his suffering. He meets my eyes, and I can see the pain flooding in them, the worry, the terror. But his eyes snap to someone beside me, and I turn to face the front again.