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Okay, i was going to add more to this, but i wanted to get a new chapter out there before someone dies of a hemorage. so here ya go! Happy reading! Well...okay this time maybe not so happy.
21
Reaper
I was sitting in my usual chair at the front of the Reaping Stage. Another year I would have to train two kids, knowing only one, if any, would return. I could get one of my friends. Tristan sat beside me this time, my best man Crabbe on the other. I'd gotten a lot better at making my face a clean slate, so I think I blended better. After all, I'd grown up. Now I was in love, I was thinking about my future, so everything else sort of paled in comparison. Everything could just roll off my shoulders.
I found Annie in the crowd. Her face had been creased with worry, but when she met my eyes she actually managed a smile and waved. I threw her a wink for good luck. It seemed so childish, so silly that she had to stand there with everybody else like mindless cattle. Could no one see how much she meant? How different she was?
I scanned the faces of the crowd and found Echo in the younger section of kids, staring defiantly up at the stage. She was tough, like Pearl, but enough Annie to give her a compassionate touch. Pearl and Stephen stood at the lines for the on looking adults, cradling their new baby close to them. Sooner or later-which I'm sure they were realizing right now-Kai would have to join this crowd. And if they lost him, what would they do? As if the first year of parenting wasn't hard enough, let's force them to watch children assemble into a death trap.
I tuned out the process on stage to watch Annie instead. Was she nervous? She sort of looked bored. She was wearing the this green dress I found at the market place the other day. I had to say that green definitely seemed to be her color; it contrasted her hair and skin perfectly and made her eyes glow like lanterns. Good thing she was all the way over there, and not over here, or I-
A name had been spoken, by Garcia. Who was is? Eyana Asterce or something like that?
I crunched my eyebrows and joined the crowd, their heads swinging back and forth in search of whatever girl had just been called. No one came forward. I saw an official holding a clipboard give Garcia a tiny but stern shake of her head. Garcia licked her lips and looked back at the sheet of paper.
What is going on?
I looked up to see Ivan staring at me from the crowd. He'd blended in so well in his all-black suit I didn't even realize he was nothing more than a shadow. What was that look? He looked like he was waiting for the opportune time to sink his teeth into my throat.
"Oopsie," Garcia recovered with a relieved grin, "I read that backwards."
Well then, who is it?
"Annie Cresta."
"No!" I shouted out loud before I had even comprehended what was happening. The crowd parted and Annie stood there like a ghost, her eyes locked on the stage in front of her. She wasn't moving, it looked like she was cracking.
No, not Annie. This isn't happening. It's not. No. This is a dream and I need to wake up.
Why can't I wake up?
It felt like someone had doused me with a bucket of ice water. I stood up, I started to walk for her, to protect her. Was I still shouting? I didn't know. I couldn't feel anything but this uncontrollable need to get to her. To get to Annie before the peacekeepers did.
Strong hands clamped on my shoulder like steal vices and forced me back into my seat.
"Let me go," I demanded, trying to shake them off. I caught a look at Tristan's face that told me that wasn't an option. "Tristan, let go!"
