Mockingjay's Redemption (Book Two in the Mockingjay's Daughter Series)

Chapter Three

It's been two days after my talk with my mother. Two days for me to wrap my mind around the prospect of the upcoming Games. But I've also had two days to freak out. The first thing I think of when I wake up is that it's reaping day. My heart thuds with nerves. I get out of bed and brush out my hair, then braid it. I pull on trousers and a plain shirt. No one else is awake yet, so I quietly make my way downstairs and out the door, into the woods.

The forest is my sanctuary. I only feel at peace here, surrounded by trees and wildlife. I pull my bow and quiver out from behind a tree. I notch my arrow and begin to decompress. By the end of two hours, I have a good-sized haul. I count three rabbits, four quail, a few fish, and some katniss roots. During my hunting time, I had forgotten about the reaping. As soon as I think abut it, my palms get sweaty and my pulse quickens. I dismiss my thoughts and concentrate on getting home without running into any annoying people.

I make it home unscathed. Everyone is up and moving about, trying to keep their minds off the reaping. I busy myself my kneading dough. I'm not talented at baking, unlike my father or Skylar. The first time I tried to bake bread, I caught the kitchen on fire. I haven't tried baking since. The only thing my father lets me do is knead bread. It's a good stress reliever. I listen to my mother hum a song only she knows and watch my brother build a house with sticks. My father is working the bakery, preparing for the customers celebrating the lives of their children. As I knead the bread, I concentrate on Skylar.

He's grown up too fast. I guess I have too. That is what happens when your family becomes a victim of the Capitol. My brother's arms are muscular from helping out in the bakery. His blond hair is disheveled as always, but his gray eyes are bright. He's a smart boy, always getting good marks in school. I'm mainly worried about his survival skills- which are nonexistent. He won't go hunting with me and won't listen to my lectures on poisonous plants. I don't think he realizes the possible immediate danger he could be in.

I stop kneading the dough and make my way upstairs. I bathe and dress in a green dress. My mother braids my hair in a special braid that I could never replicate. I walk downstairs and see Skylar. He looks handsome in clean, black trousers and a green shirt.

"We're matching," I say to him.

He gives me a nervous smirk and says, "I pull it off better."

I smile at him and pull on my boots. As a family, we walk to the reaping. The crowd is already gathered. I walk towards the stage, but give Sky a hug first and tell him that I love him unconditionally. I climb up the steps and sit down between my parents and Haymitch. The mayor sits beside my mother.

The new escort for District 12 appears on the stage. She introduces the mayor, who drones on and on. I zone out after the first sentence. When the escort regains her position at the microphone, she says something interesting.

"To mix things up, boys will be chosen first!"

Whispers fill the air. The purple-haired Capitol woman puts her hand into the bowl and pulls out a name. I already know how it is before she reads out the name. I find my brother, pale as a ghost, making his way up to the stage. My world feels like it collapses, but I guess it doesn't because I jump when I hear a voice call my name. I look up in surprise. Glances of horror are looking back up at me. The escort is looking at me expectedly. I stand up and walk over to my brother. Before I reach him, I hear my mother whisper, "This wasn't part of the plan."