.Forest Fire (Johanna Mason X F.OC).

-Reaping-

There it was, the day of reckonings, the reaping.

"If you get reaped, show them hell Sapling." Paige said as she hugged her brother, both sitting on his bed, one last moment of comfort before needing to conform to the law of the peacekeepers. "You are fast and a good climber, don't forget that."

"You give 'em hell too if you are chosen Sequoia." Marcus said back with his own nickname thrown in. "Find two axes and mince them."

"Will do bud." She ruffled his hair before standing. "Come on, in clothes."

Unlike others from their district, they were exempt from many rules to 'show' others the life of a victor, this simple clothing one being another of them, they didn't need to conform to the rest.

Paige wore her hair down today, a long light brown turtle neck with a worker leather jacket thrown over it with something the Capitol called 'jeans', something they once invented but founding not flashy enough to remember, some leather work boots too, Marcus having a similar choice of cloths but instead of the turtle neck it had a tanktop.

"Zip it up, you'll catch a cold." She told him and he zipped the jacket.

"Who do you think will be reaped today?" Marcus asked, both talking about this day almost like any career district would, not with the true horror of it in their voices.
They were raised to be the perfect winner after all, understanding how to act and how to think to keep themselves safe, knowing of the horror of killing 23 each year but knowing also of the Capitol.

"Well if they want to reap me, today is the last day for sure." She said.

"You should really stop going behind dad's back and get in trouble."

"It is worth it Sapling, we have all, while those families.... They have nothing, they need our help, they need us."

"I know but.... How many times is your name in?"

"I think I have fifty that I remember.... So there is a big chance that they will rig the female tribute pull and pull me, the peacekeepers have been getting antsy with my antics."

"Then give them double hell." They walked down the stairs and out of the house, seeing their father wait at the main road the connected the victor homes to the rest of the district.

"I will." She grinned. "Dad prepared us for this."

"And the male tribute?"

"Ashton has been causing a shit tone of trouble, only reason he is alive is because his mother is sleeping with the mayor and he covers for him, I'd bet on him."

"I bet he has hundreds of slips with his name."

"Children, silence." Brent spoke up, both shutting up and following their father in silence tho not without a cheeky smile.

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Paige squeezed Marcus's hand one last time as she joined the other 18 year old girls in their sections but stood to the side, it was the peacekeepers' doing, wanting to separate her even more, her darker clothes compared to the off-white clothing all were forced to wear.

"Welcome to the 71th reaping." A solemn voice said, the escort from the Capitol that was district 7 very own.

Paige didn't like the Capitol but learnt to play the game of chess it was with her few appearances when she got older, she only liked this man, Manson Gervirman, because he was showing his opposition to the game by wearing somber black clothing reserved for a funeral and sounded sad each time he needed to announce another set of tributes to send to his death, the only reason he was still alive was that he was a small fry in the pool of influential people, not even worthy of being snuffed out.

He was getting on in age, a thick but well groomed beard, wrinkles starting to show through the plastic surgery the Capitol threw around as if it was free, ball, a magnificent tailored suit of whole black on his smaller stature.

"Lets open up this game with a reminder."

And Paige watched on the film they played each year, knowing it by heart.

Her eye shifted to her father and the other victor, Johanna, sanding behind the man, almost to be shown off like decoration, her father played the game but well.... Johanna never did, picking her nails and covering a yawn with her hand, it amused Paige.

"Now lets get to the reaping." Manson said, a hand on his heart for a moment to show sympathy but few were the people outside of Paige, Marcus and Brent that saw him as sincere and many would have spat on him for his 'fakerie'. "Ladies first."

He grabbed a name, black silk for his glove firm on it as it unfolded it, taking a deep breath.

"Kiran Larosh."

Paige looked towards the mentioned.

Seeing a young girl no older then 12, probably her first year, stumble out of the crowd with heavy tears down her face, sobs already loud but the worst? The cast on her leg.

Paige remembered the accident, hell she was the one to pull the girl from under the pile of logs that had been knocked over by Ashton as all others affaired to lift it off the little girl.

She looked at her father.

Brent's eyes went wide.

Paige took a breath, stepping out into the line.

"I volunteer as tribute." She said through the echoing silence.

"Come up to the stage young lady."

She walked ahead, avoiding her father's gaze, offering a silent smile to the still sobbing girl who looked at her.

She stepped up, the wooden stage creaking loudly as she faced the crowed, hands cupped behind her back.

"Your name young lady?"

"Paige Halavey."

"Then, everyone, applaud miss Halavey." But none did, not even Manson. "Now for the male tribute."

Paige knew she had her chances or she would have been more worried then she felt right now, the games still scared all that participated, from 1 to 12, all were scared no matter how much they trained, some were just more confident in their skills and hid it better.

Manson almost visible shuddered when he looked at the name of the tribute, unable to say it for a while.

"Ma..... Marcus Halavey."

Paige felt her heart drop to her stomach as the name knocked around in her skull, refusing to believe it until she saw her brother walking towards them.

"NO!!!!" Many peacekeepers rushed to grab Brent, the man trying to get to the children. "YOU CAN'T DO THIS!!!!"

"Shake hands with your fellow tribute and lets get the games rolling." Manson said in a sigh, Paige grabbed Marcus's hand tightly in her own and didn't let go, plastering a neutral look on her face as her father's screamed his throat raw, finally losing it.

The only sound came of the man being dragged away as he bellowed from the top of his lungs, a cry of pain that moved everyone, even his fellow victor tho she didn't let it show, nothing more painful than losing a loved one and no parent should bury their child and on this day.

Victor of the 46th games was losing them both at the same time..