The 67th Annual Hunger Games

Chapter 2

Cold wind ripped at my hair as I ran the length of the harbor, occasionally stopping to chat with the odd market owner. I couldn't sleep last night, because today was the big day; reaping day.

Father was due home around seven in the morning, but had not yet showed up and it was now half past. Al didn't seem to bothered, but he didn't know what they were doing out there. Maybe they're been caught going through checks? Maybe they were lost at sea? Maybe they were...

Back at the house, I collected some water from the sea, and added some scented sea weed from the market to the cool water and slowly washed my skin and hair, before changing into my simple white reaping day dress, which was brought in tight around my chest, but fell out in lose swirls to just below my knees, and swayed as I walked. I went to see Xavier, and helped him into his reaping shirt. It isn't right that a sick child like X should go into the games.

"What if I get picked?" X croaked as I did up his buttons.

"You won't." I said blankly, almost sounding mean. "Here help me put my necklace on." I handed him my mothers fish necklace and turned around.

"What Aubrey means is that even if you do get reaped, someone will volunteer. We're district four not twelve." Albert said from the door frame.

I stood up once X had fasten my necklace, knowing that mother would be with me from now on. I wandered over to Albert, looking him square in the eyes.

"You don't know that." I said. "He could get reaped, and he could end up I the games."

"Well that's highly unlikely." Albert said, before grinning weakly and pulling my into a tight hug that I didn't want to pull away from.

I walked Al to Denzel's, and they set off a few moments after me. I took in every inch of the harbor, the seagulls, the sand, the Sun. It could be the last time I ever set eyes on this place.

I knew I wasn't going to volunteer, and my name wasn't in there many times, because we'd only applied for one terese each, so I as unlikely to get chosen. Volunteer when I'm seventeen and ill have more of an advantage...

I joined in with a few of the school girls who I knew from the market and harbor. Us trainees have always been very popular among the normal school girls, especially the male ones. I was asked a million questions on the way down concerning who I thought would volunteer. They were like the capitol in some senses when it came to the games.

"Good luck." I said with a weak grin as I went forwards to get my mark with a peace keeper and joined my age group: like cattle rowing up for the slaughter.

I found my father and Brax falling into the crowd and looking around the boys to find my brothers. I could see Albert and Denzel near to the back, but there was no sign of X. Was he too tired to stand or maybe he'd passed out?

I look up at the shiny, marble steps at the the front of the justice building, and the clump of peacekeepers surrounding. It holds seven chairs, a podium, and two large glass balls, one for the boys and one for the girls. On the chairs is the mayor of district four, our district escort, a pale blue man, with long blue hair and matching beard (most saying he was destined for our district) called Augustus, and the five other victors; Mags, Finnick, Jordie, Coral and Troy. My mother would nnormally be sat up there along with the rest, her absence seemed to make her death more real to me in that moment.

Just as the town clock strikes two, the mayor steps up to the podium and begins to read. It’s the same story every year, and gets boring, so I zone out, smiling at a small girl who is shaking violently beside me, and placing my hand around hers. She must've been to loads of reapings, and she only had two or so years to go, but still I felt obliged to comfort her and her hand clenched around mine.

I look over to Al who is stood among a few other older trainees as well as Denzel. He's going to volunteer as tributem and there's nothing I can do to stop him.

Even though we're a 'careers' district, we don't win that often; that pleasure is taken by one and two mostly.

“It is both a time for repentance and a time for thanks,”  the mayor says after his lecture. I wouldn't survive a day in school if this is what it was like. Then he reads the list of past District four victors.

In seventy-four years, we have had fourteen victors, which isn't too bad going. Finnick won only a few years ago, and everyone in the town is head over heals for him. I recognise him from the training centre, and was quite nice to me and Al, taking a particular interest in my twin. He was just a bit too flirty for my liking. Then there was Mags, who never said a word, but makes all the victors cookies on a weekly basis, and used to look after us kids when we were younger. Jordie won the games around ten or so years ago, and he terrified me. He had long claws, and I sometimes saw him drinking from the fountain in the centre of the village, but my mother and him got on really well. Coral was another physco, and so was Troy, but these are people I'd grown up around. These people were like me.

After the Mayor finally finishes his speech, Augustus pulls himself towards the podium. It's like he floats by the way he walks. He's been doing four since I was about five, and has worked his way up the districts over time. He must only be thirty, but his access hair and long cape made him look sixty odd.

“Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor." Augustus shouted into crowd, his sparkling white teeth shining across the district.

I gave the girl beside me one last smile and reassuring hand squeeze, before glancing at Al and Denzel. Al smiles, and Denzel turns to Al before then looking at me.

"Don't!" I scream at him in my head, shaking my head slowly and begging him with my eyes, before directing my attention to Augustus once more.

"We'll start with our Gentlemen, just for a change." He says, giggling in his deep voice to himself, acting like this is all a big joke.

My head spins slightly, before remembering who I am. I squeeze the girls hand to regain myself. You could cut the tension with a knife.

Don't volunteer, don't Den, please.

Augustus cracks his knuckles and dips his hand into the bowl, closing his eyes and inhaling deeply, before withdrawing a small slip of paper out.

He grins as he read the name on the paper, and then frowns.

I narrow my eyes. The capitol don't care who gets picked, so why does he look so perplexed?

"Xavier Reffnott."