The 67th Hunger Games

Chapter 2 - The Reaping, part 2

Chapter 2 – The Reaping

Part 2:

As Joseph walk to the stage I feel the tears running down my cheeks. I'm speechless. I'm unable to move. I just cling to Tira as hard as I can and look at my brother. I want to run to him, hold him, protect him, but I know it is impossible. I can't do anything. If I moved from my line the Peacekeepers would get me, so right now my immobility protects me. I just cry, hard, as Joseph shakes hands with Andy Glamour, who then makes him shake hands with Annabelle. She is crying as she takes Joseph's hand and shakes it quietly. I don’t know if Joseph knows her but I think not. He doesn’t look at her with recognition. But his expression is hard to read.

“A big congratulations to our two brave tributes, give them an applause!”, Andy Glamour says with his Capitol accent and his discreet lisp, while he claps his hands. He is the only one to clap his hands. No-one else in the District does. They never do.

I can't believe it. My brother got reaped. My brother has to fight for his death. My brother. My brother of all people. There wouldn't be a volunteer. There almost never was. I can only remember two volunteers in my lifetime. Both had been boys, both lumberjacks. Strong boys with wide shoulders who knew how to handle an axe. One of them volunteered and became a tribute instead of a 13-year old boy. The other just thought he had a chance. And he had, he made it quite far. They both did, actually. But neither of them won. And no-one would volunteer for my brother. He's 17. He's a lumberjack. He is strong and has those wide shoulders that come with cutting down trees.He is tall. He is everything you could wish for in a tribute. Except he doesn't have the mind of a murderer.

The next thing I see is my brother and Annabelle being accompanied by Peacekeepers who take them to the Justice Building, straight across the district square. Andy follows them with swinging hips and right behind him walk the three previous victors. And as soon as we are allowed to move, I run directly to my mom, dad and siblings, who stand along the edge of the square, outside the roped area. My mom is crying. My dad just looks shocked. Eliza is crying too, possibly because mom is, not because she knows what is going on. Eva comes running, she cries too. I want to embrace her, disappear in her arms and hide my head in her shoulders, but I’m not given the chance. A Peacekeeper approach us and I remember that we have a final goodbye. I should be happy about it but honestly I don’t know if I can bear see him again. Not now where I know what is going to happen.

It’s the first time I’ve ever been inside the Justice Building but it looks pretty much as I pictured it. Lots of marble, colorful rugs, pictures on the walls of noticeable men. Lots of doors, all closed, probably locked too. Lots of corridors, and the Peacekeepers lead us down one and open a door, guarded by another two Peacekeepers. We enter a waiting room and I see Machelle. She is absolutely devastated. She sits on a chair with her knees bend and her forehead resting on her knees. In her hand she clenches one of Joe's t-shirts; a t-shirt she brought along for him to wear after the Reaping, since she knows how much he hates that white shirt she made him wear this morning. She uses her skirt to wipe her eyes and I can’t see her face since it is hidden by her hair. I can just hear her sobbing. I feel like doing something, but I don’t know what. My own head is so filled with thoughts and tears that I can’t get my grip on anything. I want to comfort Machelle, but I don’t know how. I don’t even know how to comfort myself; I don’t know if I can be comforted. But my dad walks over to her, puts a hand on her shoulder and starts talking in a quiet voice. I can’t hear what he is saying, but I honestly don’t care. I just look at my mother, then Eva, then Eliza and Luke. Even Luke has tears in his eyes and we all know it takes quite a bit for him to tear up. The only one who isn’t crying is Thoma, but he is too small and too fervently happy to be affected by all the sobbing around him.