broken city: hunger games

Two

Day of Reaping (switching to first POV)

Today was it. Today was the day.

The apartment was quiet this morning, every girl to her own thoughts. Grandmother hadn't stopped cleaning since dawn even though today was a rest day for the whole District. Talullah was up pacing and vomiting just after the skies starting turning pink.

I took it slow. Waking at a late hour and taking my time dressing in my nicest dress. Grandmother couldn't afford new fabrics to make new reaping dresses so the one I wore was from Nance from down the hall that grew out of. The dress was a pale purple with lacy details on the hem and neckline and buttons down the front.

My fingers shook as I buttoned the front of my dress, everyone in every district was nervous. It could be anyone of us. Some have worse chances then others but everyone hopes the odds will be in their favor.

A knock on my door and the squeak of it turned me around. Talullah stood with a hairbrush and pins in the doorway, she had already done her hair in tiny little braids that formed one big braid hanging long down her back.

"Your turn?" I nodded with a chuckle and follow her as she sits on our bed and me on the floor in front of her.

We don't say anything, just her brushing out my hair and weaving tiny knots.

"Are you nervous for today?" I ask.

"That's a stupid question," she scoffs and I laugh, making her giggle.

Talullah and I aren't blood related but we're re sisters all the same. Growing up she lived in the apartment complex down the block and when we would have a free moment we would play in the street. I remember the day the factory her mother worked at caught fire like it was yesterday, a few days later her dad killed himself. I remember my grandmother walking the little thing that she was in, hand in hand, carrying her small suitcase.

She became my sister and as she did my hair I thought of all our moments together. I turned around from my sitting position to look up at her soft skin and kind eyes, and I knew if her name was called I would pledge myself to protect her.

"Tal," I looked up at her but i couldn't find the words to tell her how much I cared. She just smiled and nodded as if she understood.

I got up and sat next to her on the bed and hugged her close around her shoulders and her arms wrapped around my waist. Resting my head atop hers, I breathe the scent of her just in case it was the last time.

"Tonight how about we get a treat from the bakery to share and we'll go over all your designs you wish the capitol would use? How does that sound?" I whisper in her hair. She nods and replies that it sounded perfect.

—

I meant to meet Taylor in the greenhouse before the reaping but I ran out of time because Grandmother wanted to pray to some higher power she believed in.

Instead the siren sounded for all of us to gather at town square. We walked with the giant mob of people toward the square, hand in hand. This was the only time Talullah didn't care about being seen by her school friends holding hands with her family because we were all anxious and all need something to ground us. We walked like the children we were, holding our Grandmothers hand.

No smoke was rising from the factories in the town square, I guess the capital didn't want to see that. Giant televisions were being set up behind a small stage with a podium, peacekeepers were patrolling the area and pushing people to their sections. The four remaining victors from previous games where talking amongst each other, one of the victors, Celia, stomach was huge as she was pregnant again and looked tired.

We stopped before the line to get in and Grandmother kissed both our hands and said loving words with her eyes and said she was proud of us before joining the other parents. Talullah and I spilt ways to get into our age categories lines and I told her I would see her later.

After I pricked my finger, I stood with all the other District 8 fifteen year old girls but I was searching for my girl. My chest started to tighten with nerves as the escort, a dark dark woman from the Capital with big hair a light blue and multicolored moving butterflies sat in, Euphemia, took to the stage and started playing the video we watched every year.

It was too bright and I couldn't find her, I searched through the crowd but she was no where to be found. I started to panic, what if she skipped the reaping, she'll surely be taken in punishment. Just as I was about to turn and part my way through the crowd to find her, someone took my hand.

And there she was, I could breathe again. She pinned her hair back in a small knot at the bottom of her head so I could see her full face. Taylor gave me a small smile and looked forward toward the stage but I only looked at her. She was wearing a off white dress with little flowers and a small necklace with a flower charm, it was probably an heirloom.

"It's okay," she whispered, not taking her eyes away from the stage. I nodded and watched Euphemia walk forward and say her opening speech, I wasn't listening— I never did.

The two glass balls filled with Taylor's name, Talullah's name, my name, stared at me like giant taunting eyes. Euphemia laughed her own joke and the silence was deafening, she cleared her throat and said the all too familiar line.

"And may the odds be ever in your favor," she said it in the capital accent and I cringed inside. She clicked her heels all the way over to the girls glass bowl and made a show of digging through the slips of names before plucking one up with golden fingertips.

Euphemia clears her throat in her microphone. "For our female tribute," she agonizingly slow pulled apart the paper and leaned in front of the microphone.

"Jude Jersey."

Everything stopped. My heart beat was too fast, the world around me was swimming. The gasp beside me and the scream a few rows down brought me back. My mouth was open in shock and I felt Taylor drop my hand.

Euphemia call my name again the girls in front of me cleared a lane for me to walk. The steps I took were shaky and the peacekeepers formed a wall behind so I couldn't run like I wanted to. It was too bright. I don't know what drove me to keep walking up to the stage but only the sound was the ringing in my ears and the undeniable truth that I was going to die in two weeks.

At the stage, Euphemia held an outstretched hang toward me for assistance up the stairs. As I got closer I noticed green splattering of freckles on her cheeks, the same color as my fingertips.

Euphemia was talking again but i only heard the sobbing coming from my sister who was clinging to my grandmother who stood with tears in her eyes. On the other side of the square I found Taylor's eyes, she had one hand over her heart and she stared blankly at me.

"Leather Phillips."

I watched my young district partner start crying and backing up away from the peacekeepers. He was small with curly dark hair and long scar on his neck. I knew by the look of him he would not survive, he and I both understood.

The peacekeepers grabbed his arms and dragged him up the stairs. Euphemia guided him to his spot of the stage and spoke about what an honor it was but I only heard the sniffles of the boy who lost his life. I suppose I should be crying too, because I too am losing my life but how really great was it to stay alive? I was only living for my girlfriend, sister and grandmother.

Euphemia told us to shake hands and pushed us lightly toward each other. He looked up at me with doe eyes and leaked tears and his palm was small in my hand and sweaty. I tried to give him a smile but might have come off as grimace. This poor kid.

I got one last look of District 8 before the capital sunk their teeth in me before being pushed into the cold dark capital building.