Highway to hell

05. The Reaping

Mara's POV:

"Nervous?" Asks Clove. I swear to God she can read my fucking mind.

"Of course not." Yes I am nervous you stupid bitch.

Cyra Dayholt's voice wraps the square and all I can now hear is her marked Capitol accent. Behind her, on the stage, are the mayor, Brutus, Enobria and Aymen, who is whispering something to Enobria and looking at me.

Cyra is a middle aged Capitol woman, you can tell by her perfect purple hair and matching makeup, that in my opinion is ridiculous. She has a marked Capitol accent that's impossible not to notice and her dress is just, how to say this, absurd.

"Welcome, welcome, welcome. To the seventy fourth annual Hunger Games. And, may the odds be ever in your favor. Well before we pick our brave tributes, we have a very special film, brought to you, all the way from the Capitol." Says the purple haired lady.

A video plays on the screens. The same video from last year, and the year before, and the year before that, well you get the idea.

I mouth the beginning of the video at Clove as she tries to contain her laugh. When the video ends, Cyra's voice enters my ears again. "Now, time has come for us to select one courageous young man and woman for the honor of representing District Two in the Seventy Fourth annual Hunger Games. As usual, ladies first."

She picks a random name from the big bowl and shouts a name that I've never heard before. A twelve year old girl mounts the stage with a terrified look on her face. "Any volunteers to take her place?" She asks to the crowd.

Clove nudges my side and I react. "I volunteer! I volunteer as tribute." I yell. As I expected the same exact words come out of someone else's mouth. I turn around to see the person I least wanted to see, Veronica Talon. Yay!

"Well done girls but the person that should come up is the first to volunteer." Cyra explains. I see Enobria giving me an encouraging look from the stage.

"Oh well that's me." Veronica's stupid voice lies. She grabs my beautifully done hair and pulls me to the ground, getting my dress dirty.

I get up and tap her on the shoulder and apologize for being such a bitch. When she asks me why I just shrug with se responds by waving me off. I turn around to look at Clove, she winks her eye at me, I take a moment to look at the crowd too, I can tell they know that Veronica's not going to end up well.

The girl turns around to mount the stage and I kick her leg so she trips. When she turns to face me, still on the ground, panic all over her face, I throw my knife at her. Not hitting her directly, but yes piercing her dress, right next to her leg, she is now stuck to the ground with a knife.

When blood stains Veronica's dress I knew that my intentions were fulfilled. She takes her shaky hand and approaches her leg. A scream leaves her body as she touches the wound, a satisfied grin appears on my face.

I get on one knee and whisper to her ear. "You're weak, you wouldn't last five minutes in the Games. That's why I take your place." I go on the stage and Cyra asks my name. "Mara, Mara Black." I answer.

"Well that's a beautiful name isn't it?" She asks to the crowd. Silence. She has a scared look on her face when she looks at me. "Well now, for the boys." She picks a name out of the crystal sphere. "Jester Black!"

My heart stops. Jester wouldn't make it five minutes in the arena. Right now, my only hope is Cato. Who thank god, takes a while, but ends up yelling the same words as me. Making us, Mara Black and Cato Hadley, the tributes of district two in the seventy fourth annual Hunger Games.

"Now shake hands." Says that Capitol woman. Cato and I do as we're told and after we do, I clean my hand on my dress. He sees this and gives a look full of hate.

Four peacekeepers take us inside the justice building into different rooms. I wait for the visits to come in, meanwhile I take a look to the fancy space. The red velvet couches are the fanciest thing I've ever seen in my life, but I'll surely see better stuff in the Capitol.

I sit on one of the couches and softly caress the smooth texture of the furniture. I rest my head on the couch and wait. A few minutes pass and my brother enters the room.

"There's my little rebel!" He says cheerfully. "You don't let one slip do you?"

"Oh, you know me Caspian." I shrug

"Well it's reliving to know that you have a good aim." Says Jester. It's the first thing he's said to me in a while, and by a while I mean a week.

"Good? She's got the best aim. I've been to her training, no one compares to her." Compliments Caspian. "Promise me you'll try to win."

"I promise." I say. Jester gives me a big hug and I feel my dress getting wet. "Don't cry. No! Don't cry. I'll come back. I promise."

I'm hugging my mum when a peacekeeper enters the room, saying that our time is up. They say their last goodbyes and the door shuts with a loud thud. I look out the window and look at my district. It's likely that I won't see it again. No! What am I thinking, of course I'll see it again. I have to win. I promised.

The door opens again and Clove comes in with my knife in her hand, laughing her ass off. "That was hilarious, I swear." She hands me the knife that I tuck in my belt. "Well you put on quite a show." She hugs me tightly. "Let them know what you're made of. Let them know you're the best."

"Thanks." I say. "I'll miss you."

She hands me a small silver necklace. A sword. I take a look at the jewelry. It's small, that's for sure but it has something intriguing about it, Clove shows me that, if you take the handle off it reveals a little spike. She whispers that said spike is poisonous, I figure it's arduous to find the needle, which is perfect, no one will find it.

"But you'll see me again in a few weeks." She promises.

"Of course you will." I promise back. A peacekeeper enters the room saying the same word he pronounced to my mother. Meaning that our time is up. I wave her goodbye a last time and the door closes.

A squad of peacekeepers take us to the train station where our ride is waiting. I look straight ahead, ignoring all the people around me, even Cato, and Cyra and the peacekeepers. Everyone. I don't know why, but my gut is telling me to. And I trust my gut more than anything else.

"So you're not going to talk to me?" Asks Cato. I look at him, his face is so expressive that he doesn't need words to tell me that he's nervous.

"When we get in the train. Too many people." I explain coldly. Said train is enormous, like five times my house. My mouth drops, but I instantly recover and put on a straight face again.

"Well I know it's impressive, but you'll se better things in the Capitol itself." Brags Cyra. I doubt that there are better things than this, the furniture, the food, the views, everything is beautiful.

"Now will you talk to me?" Asks Cato again.

"I can't wait to kill you in the arena." I mumble softly to myself.

"What was that?" Wanders Cato. I tell him that it's nothing and he approaches me confidently. "Well, it must be something if you're keeping it away from me." He insists.

"I said it's nothing, now piss off." I exclaim loudly, maybe too loudly, maybe Enobria or Brutus heard me, or maybe Cyra, but I don't care. I'm too mad at him.

"I can't wait to kill you in the arena." He whispers to himself, but loud enough so I can hear. What the fuck? I think to myself. I swear he didn't hear me. My thoughts are interrupted by Brutus and Enobria, a.k.a my mentors.

"Well what do have here?" Speaks Brutus.

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