Snowdrop ➳ A Hunger Games Story {Wattys 2019}

Chapter Three ➳ Bitter Goodbye

come away little lamb
come away to the slaughter

What have I signed myself up to? I think as I walk towards the stage. My steps are stiff and small, and I'm sure you can't miss the terror on my face.

"A volunteer?" Maximus looks up abruptly. "Oh, I think that we – um – then..."

We haven't had a volunteer for years, if ever. Volunteering is like signing a death sentence, and people want to stay alive, even if it's a miserable existence in Twelve. Maximus looks unsure of what to do. Acacia leans over and whispers something to the mayor, her usually implacable face slightly alarmed, then she nods at Maximus. "Let her go."

Maximus stares at her, surprised, and then he grins once more. "Well then! Let's have a round of applause for our volunteer!" He claps, the sound echoing through the microphone around the square, but mercifully nobody follows suit. "Come on up, dear."

I know everyone is staring at me, shocked, and briefly I wonder what Ember will think of me doing this. I know, from Bailey's fierce glare and clenched fists that she certainly isn't happy with my decision, but I couldn't let her go in there alone. She would do the same for me, I'm sure.

"And what, my dear, is your name?" Maximus asks as I mount the stage.

He tilts the microphone towards me, throwing an enthusiastic arm around my shoulders. I swallow. My throat is dry and I think I might choke.

"Melia Cressview," I say.

I wince at the sound of my voice. Weak. I sound weak.

"Well, Melia, this is very exciting! I don't believe we've had a volunteer from an outlying district in a Quarter Quell before," Maximus says.

Never mind that we've only had one other Quell.

He grins his scary grin and crosses to the other reaping ball. "And now for the boys."

My stomach squelches into knots again as I stand beside Bailey. A wind is beginning to pick up now, but it's warm and does nothing but dry the sweat on my hands and face and make me feel disgusting and sticky.

I look down at the crowd. My mother stands with my siblings. She has a comforting hand on Bailey's mother's shoulder, but even from up here I can see her pained expression. A small, twisted part of me is glad, because she should have looked after me while she still could.

Kaitlynn has buried her face in her hands and Burnet shifts Posy on his hip. She must have been passed over to him after I volunteered. She mustn't quite understand what's going on, even though she's nearly five, but she looks upset and clutches her doll to her chest.

Maximus heads back to the microphone. "Ember Cressview!"

My mother changes in a instant. Her knees buckle and she sinks to the ground with a strangled cry. "No, not my babies!"

Kaitlynn crouches beside her, pulls my mother's head onto her shoulder. Bailey's mother crouches too, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder and murmuring something. Burnet looks distressed, but he stays silent.

I close my eyes and exhale, a whimper slipping out of my mouth before I can stop it. My lunch threatens to make an appearance, my stomach churning uncomfortably. Bailey's hand takes hold of mine and squeezes hard. Even though I've made her angry, she won't abandon me. Not now.

I open my eyes again and look over to my brother's age group, squinting hard to try and stop the tears. It's not hard to find him, all heads are turned towards him as he moves to the stage. His fists are clenched, his face drained of all colour, and I'm not sure if it's because I volunteered or because he was reaped. He looks up at me for a fraction of a second, and seeing that little flicker of anger makes my eyes well up. He takes his place beside me and grabs my other hand.