Dangerous Charm [2]

04

|FEAR THE REAPER|

The walk to the justice building was excruciating and Knox couldn't help but feel like she was being marched to her death as she walked beside Lenox and her father along the dusty roads. A recurring feeling, amplified each passing year.

The crowd was just as overwhelming as it was the year before. Tears and goodbyes were exchanged between each parent and child as peacekeepers separated them, internally praying to whatever god was out there that it was only a temporary separation.

Knox was separated from her father and Lenox and shepherded by a peacekeeper over to the long line of girls waiting to be signed in. As she was waiting, slowly stepping forward every so often as the line moved down, she felt a soft tap on her shoulder. She glanced behind her to see Linara there with a nervous expression.

Her soft brown hair sat in neat waves around her shoulders and she had on a soft pink dress with small white flowers scattered around the fabric, she looked sweet and too innocent to be here.

"Hey," she greeted with a half-hearted smile.

"Hi, how are you feeling?" Linara asked, gently curling her soft fingers around Knox's wrist. Knox glanced around them reflexively, but the small squeeze on her wrist pulled her attention back, "sorry." She apologised, "I'm fine. As fine as I can be on reaping day."

"Are you scared?"

"Of course I'm scared," Knox answered honestly, "sixty-seven is a big number, but, I'll be alright. Right?"

Linara opened her mouth to assure her but closed it again and resolved to nod her head lightly, lest her voice betray her and reveal her worry.

Noticing a peacekeeper looking in their direction, Knox brushed Linara's hand from her wrist and turned back around to face the right direction.

The line seemed to move impossibly fast from there, and before she even realised it she was in front of the peacekeeper's table once again. He uncaringly grabbed her wrist as she held it out and pricked her finger, stamping the blood onto the paper and scanning the sample to confirm her identity before sending her off toward the line of fifteen-year-olds in front of the stage.

Make that Sixty-eight times.

Once everyone had been signed in the peacekeepers on duty joined the others already patrolling the crowd, keeping everyone quiet and in order as they waited for the district escort for the games to arrive. The two large familiar bowls were brought out and placed at either side of the dusty stone stage, taunting them. Every single teenager's name was in the bowls at least once, some way more than others.

The citizens of District 10 fell dead silent as their district escort made his way onto the stage. Venable Reems wore a bright green suit jacket with butterflies scattered down each of the sleeves and a long flowing white skirt underneath. His hair was longer than last year, all combed over to one side leaving an abundance of curls on the left of his head and a ridiculous green butterfly broach kept it all pinned on the right.

Venable took his place at the microphone and cleared his throat, "Welcome, welcome to the reaping of the tributes representing District 10 in the 67th Hunger Games." he spoke cheerfully, his voice contrasting the atmosphere greatly though he didn't seem to mind, "as always, ladies first," he made his way over to the large bowl, reaching his slender hand inside and pulling a piece of paper from the pile.

Knox kept her eyes on the folded paper as Venable trotted back to the microphone. She held her breath as he unfolded the paper in front of him, "The female tribute representing District 10 will be..." Knox wanted nothing more than for the ground to swallow her whole as Venable paused for whatever bizarre reason he did as if the tension wasn't already eating at every single person in the crowd, "...Knox Codie."

It sounded so foreign. Her own name had been read out yet it was as if she'd never heard that name before. She let out a shaky breath, audible to everyone around her as Venable smiled widely, "what a beautiful name." he said and Knox wanted to vomit.

With Bile rising in her throat, she stepped forward. The girls beside her stepped out of the way as she made her way to the empty aisle between the two crowds of children. Peacekeepers were at her side immediately, one of them shoved her forward and so she began the walk to her death.

She was ushered up to the stage and Venable extended his arm towards her as she walked across the stage, "And what a beautiful girl to match," he complimented, his arm around her back, but Knox couldn't find it in herself to be thankful.

Venable squeezed her painfully, excitement radiating off of him, "Oh wow you've got strong muscles," he commented but only she could hear it as he was too far away from the mic for it to pick up sound.

She didn't know where to look. She could barely process what the flamboyant man was saying as he let her go and stepped back up to the microphone, "and now for the boys." he giggled before walking over to the other bowl.

Knox was sure the dread was visible on her face as she stood on the stage for all of District 10 to see, for all of Panem to see she reminded herself that the reapings were all broadcasted.

Venable stepped back up to the microphone, paper in hand. He unfolded it, just as he'd done hers, "And the male tribute representing District 10 will be...Buchannon Feilds."

A shriek broke the silence of the crowd, ripping Knox's attention away from the vibrant escort. She knew Buchannon, he was Linara's twelve-year-old brother. She watched as Linara dropped to her knees and sobbed for her brother, completely helpless, until...

"I volunteer as tribute!"

Knox released a painful sound of dread at the all-too-familiar voice. Lenox shoved his way through the crowd, surfacing in the aisle, "I volunteer as tribute," he repeated, calmer this time, breathing deeply.

Venable clapped excitedly, "A volunteer!" he exclaimed as Lenox was led to the stage by peacekeepers, "How exciting!"

She wanted to scream. She wanted to grab Venable and yell at him that this wasn't exciting. How could it possibly be exciting that in a few weeks time, either one or both of them would be dead. But she couldn't.

When Lenox reached the stage Venable wrapped his arm around him and asked his name.

"Lenox Beltran." Lenox told him, looking guiltily at Knox. Venable squeezed him with a delighted smile, "wonderful!" He beamed and reached over to pull Knox closer by her wrist.

Squeezing them both into his sides Venable beamed out to the crowd, "and this concludes the reaping for the 67th annual Hunger games, may I present the male and female tributes from district 10, Knox and Lenox!" He released his hold on the two, "tributes, shake hands," he instructed.

Instead of shaking hands as instructed, Knox grabbed Lenox and wrapped him in a tight hug. Venable cooed but they ignored him. Lenox pressed his face into Knox's shoulder and she squeezed her eyes shut to stop her tears, gripping him tightly and wishing that everything would stop and all of this would go away.