Hurricane • F. Odair

two » the reaping

A L T H E A

Graham woke her up the next morning, running a calloused hand through her hair and apologizing for storming out the previous night.
   "I'm so sorry, Alt. I shouldn't have stormed out on you."
"It's okay," she murmured, but her voice still managed to crack. He gripped her tightly in his arms, unwilling to let go. Willow had already laid out an outfit for her older sister. A light blue t-shirt and dark jeans were waiting for Althea when she exited her bathroom after taking a shower.
Breakfast was silent. Logan had slicked back his long hair and was wearing a white suit jacket over a light blue shirt, matching his daughter. Blaze's eyes were red and swollen and Willow seemed to be unable to speak.
A car picked up the entire family and took them to town square, where the citizens of District 5 were filing in. Most looked joyful that they were not going to be picked, but others, like Elaine, looked devastated. Althea hugged her brothers, kissing them each on the cheek before turning to Willow. The pregnant woman's eyes filled with tears turning the blue in them into an ocean. They pulled each other close, the younger girl trying to stay calm in front of everyone.
"I love you, Willow," Althea whispered.
"I love you, too," the girl hiccuped. A Peacekeeper guided Logan and his daughter rather roughly to the stage. Laguna Wellbrook stood in the middle in all of her purple glory. The woman's pale lavender skin was much better looking than the last time Althea saw her. Last time, the woman was a brilliant orange that was rather hard to look at. Laguna smiled sadly at the Hawkforges. On the right was a bowl with a single slip, on the left, two slips. Already on the stage was Thatcher Golsbane, the only other Victor. He was only a year older than Althea. His dark hair, bright green eyes, and chiseled face had immediately won over the Capitol in his games. He was tall, much taller than Althea at her 5'7" and built like an ox. His family, parents and a kid sister, stood next to the three Hawkforges in the audience.
"You all know how this goes," Laguna stated into the microphone. "Ladies first," it was barely a whisper, the woman's emotions almost getting the best of her. Her deep purple fingernails picked up the singular slip. "Althea Hawkforge." The crowd did nothing. What could they do? None of them could or would volunteer, and they all knew that she was the only female Victor. The oldest Hawkforge daughter stepped forward and stood next to Laguna, who grasped her arm tenderly for a moment before letting go. Althea gulped down the lump in her throat, meeting eyes with her siblings. Willow had lost it, crying silently into Graham's side, and both of her brothers stood teary-eyed. "And now for the men," Laguna announced. Althea held her breath, her hands unable to still, so she tucked them behind her back.
Her father could absolutely not get picked. It would destroy her already demolished family. Laguna picked a slip and Althea watched as her shoulders seemed to slump even further.
"Logan Hawkforge."
Althea sunk her teeth into her lip to avoid screaming out, but Graham had no such self control. "No! You can't take them both from us, you can't!" he bellowed. Blaze grabbed their younger brother, struggling to contain him and his tears. Before anyone could do anything else, something happened that shocked Althea straight to her core.
"I volunteer."
Althea ceased breathing as Thatcher stepped forward. "I volunteer as tribute," his voice was quiet, yet everyone heard and felt his words as if he had shouted them. Thatcher's sister cried out, but it was not in devastation.
   "Make them pay, Thatch! Show them all!" She screamed triumphantly, holding her pinky to the sky. He returned the gesture, and his mother's eyes filled with tears as both of his parents held up their pinkies too. Peacekeepers roughly grabbed the two victors, making confusion and biting anguish race through the woman's veins.
"Wait! We don't get to say goodbye?" Althea startled, yanking her arm out of the Peacekeeper's grip.
"New policy," he growled, shoving her along. She looked helplessly at Thatcher, who matched her expression. Logan was following the duo, he would still have to mentor them. As if it wasn't enough that he had to watch his daughter go through this once already.
The three people, along with Laguna, were shoved onto the train rather roughly. Before the doors were even fully shut, the train took off, sealing their fates along with the doors. Althea turned to Thatcher and threw her arms around him. He seemed startled by the contact but hugged her back.
"Thank you," she whispered, afraid her voice would betray how truly terrified she was. He only nodded in return.
Pulling away, she frowned. "I just don't understand why," she muttered.
His face contorted shortly before smoothing over. "Your family has lost enough," he explained in a whisper. With that, he walked down the train's hallway and disappeared into his room.

«•»

"District One, Cashmere and Gloss," Althea snorted at the sibling duo. Of course they'd been chosen. "And District Two, Brutus and Enobaria." The Hawkforge girl curled her own lips in disgust when Enobaria parted hers to reveal sharpened teeth. Logan continued down the list, Wiress and Beetee, Finnick and Mags. The thought of Finnick, Althea's secret best friend, made her smile small. It disappeared quickly with the surfacing thought that one or both of them were going to die in the games. The morphlings from Six, Johanna and Blight from Seven, and many others, ending with Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark, the star crossed lovers from District Twelve. Logan turned to his daughter. "You're in love, a secret love," Althea sputtered, not having processed that this was the strategy he was giving her, "and you're devastated because Willow is having a baby and you won't be there."
She nodded, understanding completely. It was true, her strategy. Partially, at least.
"Thatcher, you're angry, and you want to get home to your sister," her father continued. Thatcher rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck, not answering. Something told her that his strategy was true as well.
   Even in her room, Althea could hear the screaming of the Capitol's citizens, just itching to see their beloved tributes as they entered the Capitol for the last time.
Thatcher and Althea exited the train together, following Laguna and trailed by the girl's father. They were showered with affection, offered candies, and even asked to sign things, but the duo kept their eyes forward.
The tributes were immediately greeted by their prep teams and separated from one another. Althea was overjoyed to see her prep team, as they were all overjoyed to see her. Lottie, a plump woman with pale pink skin and hair the color of a canary, greeted her with a kiss on the cheek. Magroot hugged the life out of her, the woman's fiery red hair and scaled skin a welcome, yet always surprising sight. Iggy and Oliver both squished her in a hug, the twins wearing opposite clothing. Iggy had a pea green suit with red accents while Oliver had a red suit with green accents. They set to work instantly, bathing Althea until she was the cleanest she had ever been.
Althea had learned not to flinch when they waxed every hairy spot on her body, and she meant every hairy spot. Tillie worked on her eyebrows while Iggy worked on her nails. Oliver had gone to fetch Paprika, Althea's stylist. Magroot settled for giving her a pedicure. By the time Paprika, a dark skinned woman with green eyes, joined them, Althea was promptly shiny and hairless save for her scalp and eyebrows.
"Leave," Paprika ordered the team. They all quickly said goodbye to their tribute and left. The stylist walked a circle around the Hawkforge, nodding in approval. "You've become quite the woman, Thea," she murmured.
Althea smiled softly. "Thank you, Pap. How's Cinna?" Cinna was Paprika's twin and the stylist for District 12. He had certainly outdone himself the previous year and the girl was interested to see what he would do next.
"He is well. How are you?" The woman gave the Hawkforge a bathrobe, which she wrapped tightly around her body.
Paprika's words held such a motherly tone that Althea suddenly lost it. She hadn't cried the entire time since she'd figured out she was going back, and Paprika ripped that away in three simple words. The stylist wrapped her arms around the girl in comfort. Althea hugged her back, sobbing into the woman's shoulder.
"I take it that means you're not well," Paprika laughed dryly. "Who would be well in your situation?" Althea couldn't speak. "Hush now, darling, or I will have to apply way more makeup than necessary." The Hawkforge swallowed and sniffled, trying to regain her composure.
"Sorry," she mumbled, wiping her nose. Paprika watched her with keen eyes.
"Don't ever be sorry for crying, darling. Now let's get you ready, I have a feeling you're going to like this one."
Paprika had been correct in her assumption that Althea would like her outfit. Looking at herself in the mirror, she felt absolutely destructive and empowered. An electric blue, patterned, long sleeved romper decorated her body. A partial skirt wrapped around the romper's shorts, an opening in the front, showing off her long, muscular legs. The top complemented her full breasts nicely, a dip going just past the bottom of her chest. Her body was decorated with black jewelry, stilettos to match. Her face had mostly natural makeup aside from the blue on her lips and the extensions in her eyelashes. The dark curls that were her hair were braided and pinned to perfection, out of her face and looking like a halo around her head.
She looked extremely good, if she was saying so herself.
"Thank you, Pap, tell the others, too," she said, giving herself a twirl in the mirror.
The stylist laughed. "Of course, darling. Now let's go, we need to get you to your chariot."