After the Rebellion

Part 8

Hey y'all! I just really want to thank everyone who has taken their time to read my story! This is so rad! I really want to make this more than a fanfiction. I am going to change the point of view because Katniss is not going to be in the next Hunger Games. I am just going to make her be a watcher so when I flash out of what is going on during the Final Hunger Games, she will be narrator! I hope you like it and keep reading! Sorry for this being long :/

POV Grayson
"Come on Jane. Don't be such a scardy cat. It is just a prick on the finger. Your going to be fine. Look at all the other kids doing it." My sister is hanging onto my leg and dress with all her strength and if I move, I swear it will rip. I have to detach her with my strength. I grab her hand and we then slowly walk-I am actually pulling her-along.

"Do you think our names will be picked Grayson?" That hits me harder than any time I have played over in my head. Hearing that coming out of a sweet and innocent twelve-year-old's mouth makes the butterflies fly rapidly in my stomach. I have to answer. I need to stay strong for her.

"I am sure we will be fine. There is so many children, although I would hate for anyone to be picked. We will just have to wait and see." With that Jane gives me a hug. We are finally at the small table where the children are being documented.

"Name and age please."

I look at Jane and her eyes are wide with terror. I know nothing is going to find it way out of her mouth so I answer for her.

"She is Jane Kayter. Twelve." I grab her hand and hold to the people at the desk and with my other hand I cover her eyes. I feel her body tense, flinch, and then relax.

"Next. Name and Age."

"Grayson Kayter. Fifteen." I hold out my hand and I feel a small warm swell on my finger. Not bad. With that I drag Jane to a place to stand and wait for the reaping to begin.

I have watched them on T.V. because that is what everyone watched. I enjoyed watching the Districts with tributes volunteering with zeal. I was vexed by reapings with crying mothers and fathers. Especially when a twelve year-old is reaped.

I look at the table and there is no one left coming to be documented. I think the people who were performing the pricks is telling a peacekeeper about the children who did not check-in. Now I know that it is going to be a while until the picking of the names start.

I have Jane in front of me and my arms are laced around her. I will not let go. She is shivering. Not because of the cold, but because of fear. Fear is the only thing that kills you when you are in perfect health.

"Grayson."

"Yes." I swallow and barely release the word.

"Why are you holding my hand so tight?" I look down and I see that our hands are turning whiter because I am cutting off the blood flow. But I know why I am holding so tight.

"Just because I don't want to lose you. Not in that way, I just don't want to lose you within the crowd." I hide my real answer. I am holding her hand so tight because I want to let her know that i will never let her go. I love my little Jane so much losing her, would be the death of me.

Just then I hear the microphone scream. I look up to see that Effie. The escort of the tributes from twelve.

She clears her throat and begins, "Hello everyone!" She has excitment which makes me sick. "Welcome to the final reaping that will ever occur hear in our very own, now well and fairly controlled Panem! I think everyone knows why the Hunger Games have become, but now we are switching it up! The games have always been entertainment for the people living in the capital. It was always unfair, so now it will be used for amusement for the districts!" Just then another person walks on stage and i recognize him as Haymitch. He was the guy who fell off the stage two years ago at the District 12 reaping. Yes, we all called him a fool.

He walks up to the mic and says, "I know you all may think that this sounds cruel, well at least for the capital kids and fams, but this is what you all put us through for the last seventy-five years! Y'all better be scared because guess what?! That was all of us every single year. Just want to clarify that." He then pecks Effie on the cheek, grabs her hand, lets go and then walks off stage. Buzzed, for sure.

"Thanks Haymitch! Well I will now state the rules." The rules are the same as every year. There will be training and interviews and a secret arena and all the crap nobody likes, except that the capital people did like. I don't know If i can say I enjoyed it myself. I never watched it, I just liked not having classes or lessons during that time because my parents and other family watched. I remember hearing them bet and how they contributed money to sponsor their favorites. I usually took Jane and did something else. I didn't want her to see that and I didn't want to see kids die either. They were my age!

My friends at school, well I don't think I could even call them friends because they made fun of me a lot but the past is in the past right, would always bag on me about how I should watch it and then came the ridicule about how I am too this and that because I didn't waist my time watching it.

"So lets get right to the fun part! Choosing names!" I close my eyes and I am hoping that Jane's name is not pulled out.

"Ladies first!" I am absolutly dreading the next ten minutes. I don't want to hear who will be entering the arena. "Mary Piper." This is the first name called and I am relieved that it is not Jane. But I know her and I am sad for her. The peacekeepers pull her out of the crowd and she is seated in a chair on the right side of the stage.

I don't need to count, I already know there is twenty-four. Twelve on one side and twelve on the other. Twenty-three of the people about to occupy these will be dead.

The names continue, "Athene Wiser, Glazel Pacer, Shine Pastel..." I am counting in mI y head the names being called. They are naming them off slowly and me hoping it won't be little Jane, makes the time seem longer. They are at four. "Charlott Tamber..." Five. "Capela Charming..." Six. "Naypa Hipe..." Seven. "Maylow Tike..." Eight. "Grayson Kayter." Nine. My eyes widen when I know I heard my name. It wasn't from anyone around me, but it was from Effie. I look up and I swallow. I was chosen. I need to show strength to my sister. I need to show my parents I am strong so they don't hurt more than they probably do right now.

I whisper in Jane's ear, "I love you. I will be fine." I give her a hug and with the strongest force, I make sure to make every bone in my body look strong. I am not your ordinary capital kid. I want to be fearless. I want to show the people of the districts that they have a fighter. She will not kill, steal, cheat. She will be pure. That is what will hurt the capital.

I can tell my feet are numb from the slow walk to the ninth chair on the right side of the intimidating stage. I sit down. I look at all the faces in the crowd, I find my parents. They had tears running down their faces. We made eye contact, then I nodded at them, they nodded back.

Then I found Jane. There was a boy who had lived down the street from us who was holding her as she was thrashing and crying. I watched her until we made eye contact and I mouthed the words, I love you. Stay Strong. This really hurt. I was going to die in these games and I have to leave her. Hopefully I can get one last goodbye.

Time has flown. I look at the chairs all on the stage. They are all full. And we are all doomed.
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{ Wow a long chapter!! I think this is a good start to the story. I am really debating what will happen in the games but I think this will be a fun story to write! I will get to update more because my summer starts next Thursday and right now I am finishing up finals (eww) but yay don't forget to vote and comment and thanks for all the views again!!! }