The Blue Games | Hunger Games

Chapter 2

The only thing I'm aware of is  sound. It sounds like applause, but the people of District 11 would never do that. I don't move. I just let the hands of strangers push me to the Peacekeepers. I hear one of them mutter "darn rain". So that's what it was. Rain. I love rain. Rain taps out melodies and beats into the ground. Rain brings life and hope, a reminder that life's not always that bad. But now it couldn't be worse. By now I have reached the podium. The woman greets me, and offers her hand for me to shake. I look up into her eyes. They're the color of cold grey stone. Lifeless stone. How fitting. She grabs my hand, shakes it hard, and I let it drop. She turns toward the audience, and announces,
"Let's hear some applause for the tributes of District 11!"
The only thing I hear is the sound of Mother Nature's tears hitting the ground.

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     The Peacekeepers send me to a small room in the Justice Building. I can hear the walls creaking and the roof squeaking, like the entire building will collapse at any moment. The room seems to murmur, seems to talk. I listen to it, sitting on a sofa that is as old as the building, trying to think of anything but the present, until the creaking  door interrupts my listening. I finally look up. I haven't raised my head since my name was called. My Momma is standing in the doorway, holding little Catrina. Chip and Ruth stand beside her. Chip is hiding behind Ruth, who holding Momma's hand.
"Blue."
Ruth breaks away from my mother's hand and hugs me, tears streaming down her face. I hug her back, and she sits next to me on the sofa. It feels like eternity before either of us moves.
"BlueBird, come here."
I look up. It's my momma, her arms outstretched. I detach myself from Ruth's clinging arms, and stand, looking up into my momma's eyes. I look into the brown eyes of my mother, brown like soil after rain. So different than my own. I fall forward, just a little bit, and my momma catches me, and I let myself break down completely in her arms. I stand there, unmoving, sobbing. I feel Chip hugging my side, and little Catrina at my knees. Ruth is standing again, and she joins us. We stand there, a family that has worked so hard to keep us together, only to be separated by cruel fate. Fate no one can change. We stand there, like a family that has lost all hope. I struggle to control my breath, but my tears refuse to stop running. At last I speak.
"Chip, Ruth, Catrina, y'all are going to have to work real hard now that I won't be here."
"But you're going to come home though, right Blue?" Chip says, looking up at me.
My tears run even faster now. I detangle myself from the sea of arms and crouch down, looking into Chip's eyes. Brown like my mother's. Brown like tree bark on a citrus tree.
"Chip," I say, "Chip, I don't think I'll be coming home."
I stare at him, and he stares at me, and I think I can feel that beautiful heart of his break.
"But you'll try, won't you Blue, won't you?" He sounds angry now, but I don't know at what. Angry at me? Angry at the world like I always am?
"Of course I'll try, Chip." I say. But it may not be enough.
He turns away. I look at Catrina. She just smiles a me with those big brown eyes. Brown like my mother's. Brown like Chip's. Brown like a rabbit's. But rabbits are scared. Catrina's eyes are to young to know fear, hate, and pain. The pain of losing a loved one, the feeling of hopelessness. Those toddler eyes of hers can only see the good in life. I hope they never change. I hug her, and I turn to Ruth. I open my mouth to speak, bug she  silences me.
     "I only want to say this, I know that you love me, and I love you. You'll always be my big sister."She hugs me again. I've started crying again.
     "Take care of them." I say. She nods.
My momma embraces the two of us and after a moment Ruth lets go. My momma looks at me now. From the pocket of her fancy dress she takes out a long blue ribbon. Deep blue, navy blue. Deeper than the color of the sky at noon, but not dark enough to be violet. Almost the color of the river. Almost.
      "Blue, like your eyes." My momma says. She always knew the right words.
She pushes my hair back, wet with tears and rain, and braids it from the side of my head  down, braiding  the ribbon  into my hair. She kisses my forehead and we stand there, my eyes closed. I hear the door open and close. I open my eyes and see a Peacekeeper standing there. My mother sees her too. She looks back at me, and whispers, "be a good girl now Blue." And walks out the door, leading my family away. The Peacekeeper follows them out. And there I stand, with complete silence surrounding me. District Eleven is noiseless, sleeping. I hope its grieving for the loss of its children. The children it's supposed to protect, but with what? Fences? Those fences weren't made to keep things out, they were made to keep us in. And now I finally get to break past those fences, but I won't be coming back.