kill for your love - the hunger games

(002) oh, what an unlucky girl

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KILL FOR YOUR LOVE.

act one.

(chapter two, oh, what an unlucky girl)

the justice building, 72 ADD.

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THE SOUND OF BIRDS chattering outside the boarded window made Juniper groan as she sat up in her makeshift bed, rubbing her eyes as she adjusted to being awake. 

When she opened her lids, she saw that the sunlight was creeping through the wooden boards, illuminating the dark room softly. It was morning, by the looks of it, and so, Juniper looked over to her brother, who was still sleeping in his bed. Their father's, however, was empty. 

And so, swinging her legs over onto the floor, Juniper stood up and creeped out of their small bedroom, being careful to not step onto the boards that normally creaked in attempts to not wake up her sleeping brother. When she finally managed to make it to the door, she let out a sigh of relief. 

But the sigh of relief turned into one of confusion as she walked further into the makeshift house, seeing her father sitting in a small chair next to a boarded window, peering through the cracks gently as a piece of paper was crumpled up in his grasp. 

"Pa?" Juniper asked softly as she walked over to him, eyebrows furrowing. "What are you doing?"

"... just thinking," he murmured as his daughter walked closer to him, hugging him from behind. His grip on the paper became tighter, but the girl didn't question it. 

Juniper just squeezed her father tight as she understood what he was saying. The Reaping was today, something that had been absent this morning from her mind until now. But as anxiety began to fill her senses, she tried to squash them by reassuring herself that everything would be all right. She had survived four-years of Reapings' and despite watching all her friends die, she had remained safe. This year and the next wouldn't differ. 

"We'll be all right..." Juniper managed to mutter as she heard her father sigh. "We have been for the last four-years."

"I know," he mumbled. "I know... just, whatever happens, it'll be okay."

"I know it'll be okay," Juniper told him. "It won't happen... I promise."

As her father went to go say something to her, the door from the bedroom creaked open and revealed Justice, who mumbled, "Family hug without me?"

"You're an idiot, Just."

And whilst the two joked the entire morning, Juniper finally let reality sink in when their father made them get ready for the Reaping. Justice had gone into a separate room to put on his simple shirt and pants whilst Juniper stood in the bedroom, staring at the attire that she laid out on her quilts.

But every Reaping was like this, Juniper having mixed feelings about it, but filling up with relief when she finally saw the two tributes that weren't her enter the Justice Building. Everything would be all right because everything was normally all right. Juniper and Justice would go through with the Reaping and would return home like they always did. Nothing would be different this year.