Into the Flames [Watty Awards 2012]

Chapter 1

I walked into the square, my feet splashing in the flood water. I passed by way too many piles of broken, rotting wood. It was hard to believe those piles had been houses only a couple days before. The wood and equipment for reconstruction wouldn’t arrive until tomorrow. Then, we can start rebuilding and get ready for our rebellion. I was so excited to be leading the rebellion with my twin Mist. It was a great honor. I walked past some of the men I would command, most of them had kids and some of them even had kids with their names in the reaping bowls. I waved at Trout’s father, he was one of my good friends and I often watched Trout for him, especially after his wife died.

It was my second time to walk to the square after the hurricane, the first being to see the damage. I stepped into line right after Mist. I watched as her muscles tensed as peacekeeper pricked her finger before I stepped forward. I felt the needle puncture my skin, but it was nothing to fish hooks, those hurt to get out. I stepped away from the table, almost running into the boy from the night of the hurricane. “Oh, sorry.”

“I should be sorry. I should have looked where I was going.” His face turned red and he looked down.

“It’s okay.”

The boy smiled, but before I could say anything else, the reaping began.

“Welcome, Welcome. The time has come to pick one boy and girl, but first let us hear from your mayor.”

I watched as the mayor stepped onto the podium and started on about the history of Panem and why we had the Hunger Games, nothing more than what we learned at school. I walked over to my section and stood next to Mist. “Who was that?”

I shrugged. “It was that boy from the warehouse.”

“Oh.”

We turned our attention back to the podium as the Mayor stepped down and the escort stepped back up. “Let’s start with the girls.” The escort, Coelia, stepped over to the pink tinted bowl on her right and pulled out a name. “Aline Harris.” A murmur ran through the crowd, but no one stepped forward. I looked around trying to find her amongst the crowd. She lived only a few houses down from Mist and I. She had only been twelve for two months. One silent tear fell down my cheek as a peacekeeper stepped onto the stage and whispered something to Coelia. She blinked and gave the peacekeeper an odd look as he left the stage. “Well, it seems Aline has perished in the recent hurricane. Let’s try again.” She stuck her hand back in the bowl.  The noise of the crowd grew. No one knew who all had died since the hurricane had been only two days before. I watched as Coelia plucked a new strip of paper from the bowl. “Waterlily See.”

I stood stock still as everyone around me and my sister moved away. A peacekeeper walked up to me and grabbed my arm. I walked next to him to the stage silent tears running down my face. As I stepped into the stage I heard the boy’s name, but it didn’t matter who my partner was. I was going into the Hunger Games.