The Name of the Game I Finnick Odair

Kenzie's First Reaping

❛ I've seen you twice

In a short time

Only a week since we started ❜

Her breathing turned shallow, as her head snapped to the left and to the right. She hoped that she was the only person who had heard the name "Mackenzie Turner" be called from the escort of District Four, a young man called Sirius, however she did not get to be that lucky. 

Once the teenager caught sight of her mother's pained face, tears began to brim her sight. Her name was called again, the crowd parting to let her through, knowing that the girl was in shock. Sirius was getting impatient, tapping onto the ground with his foot. Kenzie had been taught not to show any weakness, but honestly there was no way she would survive anyway, so she allowed the tears to stream down her face freely.

Another girl nudged her forward softly, while Mackenzie tried to ignore the loud sobbing from her parents. She walked towards the stage, stumbling sometimes, her legs trembling heavily. It felt as if the justice building was towering over her, ready to fall down and squish her like a bug.

She choked back a sob, while Sirius bit his lip and raised a confused eyebrow. He turned to look towards the mayor of their district, silently pleading for help. The Career tributes, which included District Four, were usually more in control of themselves and their emotions. They trained their whole lives for this and the escort had no idea how to deal with the trembling girl.

Deciding he would just let her regain control over herself and leave her for a moment, he made a big show of drawing the male tribute from the little box.

Mackenzie had stopped her sobbing, but the tears were still pooling in her eyes. She looked around the stage, her eyes snapping from one detail to another. In the state of panic she was in, everything seemed more livid. The dark sunglasses in the mayor's hair, which glistened in the bright sunlight, the paved floor with the grains of sand on it that didn't belong there, and the intense, sea green eyes of Finnick Odair. The victor of the last Games and her mentor. The thought alone caused her stomach to twist in disdain. If she had eaten that day she probably would've had vomited it on the spot.

Finally, Sirius had drawn the male tribute and Kenzie felt horrible when she saw the young boy, who could've only been about twelve. She shook his hand and briefly wondered if she should just step off the pedal, which took her to the arena, early and blow up.

Probably a better death than being killed by another tribute, Mackenzie thought drily.

She was marched into the justice building by a peacekeeper, who was surprisingly gentle with her, probably because he knew that this was her last week alive.

Most Career tributes were excited for the Games — Well, the tributes from District One and Two — because they were either well trained or just excited to bring "glory" to their district. However, Kenzie was not like the most Career tributes. She might've been training for this since she was six, but what no one could teach her, and what she could never do, was taking away a whole life. She was no murderer and no killer either.

She was in some kind of trance, not noticing that her parents were talking to her. She saw that her mom hugged her, but she couldn't feel it and she couldn't move her arms around her mother either. Her dad scooped her up in a hug, too, but this also went by without response. The only thing that Kenzie heard, and which ultimately pulled her out of her trance was the peacekeeper's voice.

"I'm sorry for your loss, Mr. and Mrs. Turner."

She was going to die and everyone was already aware of it. It was honestly kind of pathetic in her eyes, but oh, well.