Warriors

I Volunteer

Warriors
I Volunteer(Chapt. 2)

Katniss winced as the sharp object poked her finger. As she pressed her finger on the white paper she looked around for Prim.

Prim was nervous. The young girl had never been entered into the reaping before. In order to enter the town square you had to 'check in'.

Basically you go up to a table get stabbed with a needle and press your bleeding finger onto a sheet of paper.

Everyone was used to this ritual except for the twelve year olds. When you turn twelve your name is entered for the first time. Your name stops being entered when you are eighteen.

Prim had just turned twelve and was now eligible for the reaping. Katniss locked eyes with Prim and gave her a small nod.

As Prim finished checking in Katniss started looking for a place to stand. Prim and Katniss reunited and walked towards a large group of girls.

Eventually Efffie Trinket came onto the stage. Each year she had just as horrendous of an outfit as the last.

This year she was wearing a bright pink wig and a spring green suit. Effie starts talking and drones on about what an honor it is to be here.

Katniss looks around in the crowd and spots Gale. When it is time for the drawing Effie says as she always does, "Ladies first!".

She walks over to the glass ball with all the girls' names in it. She reaches in, digs her hand deep into the papers and pulls out a slip of paper.

The crowd draws a collective breath and you can hear a pin drop. Everyone is desperately praying to not hear their name.

Prim now kinda understands what Katniss said about their friendly little fires being blown out. The young girl looks up when she hears the sound of Effie opening the slip.

"Primrose Everdeen" Effie exclaims. Prim looks around, she is in a state of disbelief and warm salty tears are running down her face. The crowd makes a path for her to go through but she stays in one spot.

Katniss is feeling the same way but instead she pushes through the crowds to get to the aisle.

"I volunteer, I volunteer as tribute!" Katniss screams. Prim runs to her sister but only gets a quick hug before guards take her away.

Effie claps her hands together in a 'cute' way. As if to say, yay for once there is some action in my life.

***

After the reaping the tributes go into a room where they can say their final goodbyes. The boy tribute this year is Apollo.

Katniss does not really know Apollo except she made contact with him one time.

It was a rainy day and Katniss had been out all day searching for food but had found none. She was sitting under a tree that was close to the bakery. She heard some ruckus in the building but kept to herself.

Then through the back door came a boy, later she would find out that it was Apollo, who had a hand mark on his face and a burnt loaf of bread in his hand. He threw a few pieces out to the pigs then threw the rest of the loaf to Katniss.

He saved Katniss' family from hunger that night and she greatly appreciated that.

Snapping back into focus Katniss hugged her mom and Prim. Before they had to go Katniss pulled her mom aside.

"Don't cry. Don't leave her. You can't do that again and you need to stay strong," Katniss mom nodded in agreement holding back tears.

Katniss had one more person to say goodbye to, Gale. Gale walked up to her and gave her a firm hug.

"Don't let them starve please" Katniss said as the guards pulled Gale away from her. The young girl turned around and tried not to cry.

***

The train has a steady beat that one could fall asleep to. Katniss looks out the window while enjoying the coldness on her face.

The girl was glad to get out of the train station as soon as possible. The place was swarming with reporters and guards from the capitol. Apollo had cried when saying goodbyes, at the station, on the way to the station, and on the train.

Katniss had decided not to cry because she didn't want to seem like an easy target. She was smart and didn't want to seem weak and little.

Apollo is making himself seem weak with all of the crying, Katniss thought.

Little did she know that he is stronger on the inside than she thinks on the inside.

A/N
For anyone reading this you can thank  Winkdogg for making me update it.