Red

Chapter 3: the second goodbye

I sit in a little ball on the floor staring at the doors until they open and my brother Steven walks in with his wife, Rose. I rush up to greet him and look around in confusion.

"What, no Dad?" I ask with a relief.

"He wants to spend his whole time praying so I convinced him to let us come in first," he explains. He's just as grim and serious as usual so I'm not seven sure that he's all that upset. Rose however can't seem to handle any kind of stress and will usually start laughing from nerves. Fortunately she doesn't.

"Steven, what am I going to do?!"

"Do nothing and pray that our savior will still welcome you in death despite your wicked sins," he says mocking every piece or advice we've ever gotten from our dad.

"Not funny, I'm being serious." I grumble, "if I wanted to hear that I'd actually ask DAD. You're the sane one here." I punch his shoulder.

"Wrong." Says Rose for the first time since entering the room. She grabs my hand and instead of holding it or giving me tender advice she forms it into a fist. "Thumb out, or it'll break. Wrist straight, or it'll break too. Now try."

I punch Steven again. A little harder this time.

"Owwww, Rose!" Steven exclaims in surprise. I've never actually hurt him before. He rolls up his sleeve and sure enough there's a large pinkish mark coming up above his elbow.

"She'll need it where she's going," Rose isn't smiling. I've never seen her this serious before. She teaches all the year one students at our local school. Working with such young children, she has to be all smiles and sunshine.

"Wait how do you know all this stuff?" I ask.

"Everyone knows how to punch. Er- almost everyone," she says and glances at Steven. He crosses his arms and pretends to be mad at her. I swear, they're one if the cutest couples ever. "Also, my brother wasn't nearly as nice as that lump over there and I learned to fight back fast." She smiles and giggles.

We hear soft footsteps outside.

"Well I suppose we gotta go fast. You're the best little sis a guy could hope for, I hope you know that." He hugs me, "Make 12 proud this year, I know you will." It takes him a while to smile and I realize that he knows I don't stand a chance. Before 5 years ago, only 1 person from 12 had ever won the games in its entire 50 year history. Last year, our female tribute had finished in the top 15, the year before our female tribute bled out over the course of an hour at the Cornucopia. Haymitch won because he was lucky. I however don't have an ounce of luck in me. There is no way I'm even making it past the first day.

Rose leans in for her hug and hisses in my ear, "Every shot, punch, stab, kick, or throw is for the kill. Do it fast, without warning, understand?"

I slowly nod.

"I consided you my little sis too. I wish we'd spent more time together!" She smiles as if our last 5 seconds of dialogue hadn't even happened.

The doors open and the two of them leave. I'm never going to see my brother, my best friend ever again...