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Dove knew this would happen. She knew it would. But then, why was she feeling as if a sudden blow had knocked out her ability to breathe? Everyone was looking at her expectantly. They weren't exactly pitying her. Dove already had a mother and brother, that were Victors. They probably thought her losing a sister was fair.
Her plan was to wait for Delia to ask for volunteers, but as she saw her sister walking through the crow to the Podium, she couldn't stop herself. Running, she got out of the place where the fourteen-year-olds stood, and made her way to the centre, yelling her sister's name. As two peacekeepers went to put her back in her place, she yelled again.
"I volunteer! I volunteer as tribute!" Dove hoped Delia and the District Four mayor would allow her to volunteer already. It was obvious that no one would volunteer for an Ogilvy. So, why bother with formalities?
"I believe we have a volunteer, but that part hasn't-" Delia was trying to save Dove. She thought that if the redhead had a bit more time to think about it, she wouldn't make such a reckless decision. Clearly, she didn't know Dove too well.
"What does it matter? Let her," the mayor replied. He sympathised with Dove, she knew how one of his sons had died in the Arena years ago, against all odds. He knew what hopelessly trying to protect someone felt like.
"Alright, then," Delia said. Dove passed her sister. Angel was too stunned to say anything, as two Peacekeepers took her back to her spot in the eighteen-year-old row. Dove climbed the steps and positioned herself next to Delia.
"Well, bravo!" she shouted, faking excitement. "What's your name?" she asked. It was a stupid question, but Dove guessed it was one of many Reaping formalities.
"Dove Ogilvy," she said proudly. For the first time, she spared a glance at the crowd. Surprisingly, everyone looked at her with pity. Was it because they knew she was going to die? Or was it that volunteering for her older sister had impacted them?
However, it was, Dove didn't care. District Four was the least of her problems right now. Delia was already preparing herself to announce the male tribute, who Dove had to either end up killing or see dying.
"Evan Moore!" a boy around the age of fifteen came to the stage, shaking uncontrollably. He was the definition of a humiliating tribute for District Four.
Fortunately for him and his family, another boy volunteered for him once they were let to do so. Of course, he had to be the deadliest of all the eighteen-year-olds allowed to volunteer. Screw you, odds. Dove thought while looking at the boy, who walked to the stage flirtatiously.
"Lovely. What's your name?" Delia asked with her cheerful voice back. "Edric Dawson," he said.
The mayor began to read the Treaty of Treason as he did every year, which was a required point in the Reaping. However, Dove didn't listen to any of it. She was staring at her sister, who was about to lose her mind.
When the mayor finally finished reading, he motioned for Dove, and the male tribute, to shake hands. She took this chance to inspect him. As he turned to shake her hand, he smirked at her. Just like a hunter to his prey.
He was letting her know he had no plans to play allies. Confidently, Dove gave him the same smirk he had given her with a light chuckle. She wanted to convey a message. Do you really think I'll cower in fear just because you have looked at me like that? She would not play allies, either.
They turned back to face the crowd for the play of Panem's anthem. The very moment the anthem ended, both tributes got taken to custody. A group of Peacekeepers marched with Dove and the boy to different rooms in the Justice Building. Once they reached her room, she was finally left alone.
The room was quite similar to the one she had been last year, for her last goodbyes to her brother. She sat on the couch, tying and untying knots with the rope she had left in her pocket, as she waited for her family to arrive and say their goodbyes. Her mother and siblings were the first to enter. Angel grabbed her little sister, sobbing uncontrollably as she hugged even tighter.
"It's alright. I'll be back. Nothing will happen," Dove told her sister. She tried to be reassuring, but not even she knew if her words were true.
"You have to come back! I don't know what I'll do without you," Angel replied, her sobbing getting worse the more time passed.
"Angie, it's alright. Mum and I will make sure she comes back safe. Not only us, but Mags and Finnick will, too. Trust us," Melo spoke up as he stared at the scene in front of him. One of his worst nightmares was coming true.
"We'll do our best, honey." Her mother said. Librae had changed considerably since last year. She disconnected from reality from time to time, but now she looked after her children more than she had ever done.
Her mental health hadn't improved, much to the contrary. But it seemed the downfall had helped her realise how fragile her family was. Therefore, she made up her mind to spend every minute with them.
For the next hour, Angel stood with Dove all the time, stroking her hair and kissing her head. Her mother and Melo were looking at the both of them until the girls asked them to join. It was an hour full of sobbing, caring words, and occasional laughter.
As the time was almost up, Dove spoke up again. This time it wasn't to reassure her sister, she wanted to make a statement. "I don't care what anyone says. You're my real family. And I love you all, got it?" She whispered, only for them to hear.
"I love you too," Angel said before a Peacekeeper entered the room, taking her sister with them. In no time was she on the train station, where reporters and cameras tried to take any possible footage of her and her district partner as they waited in the train's doorway. Her partner still wore the same confident smirk he had given her before.
When they could finally enter, the door shut behind them, making the train move almost immediately after. Surprisingly for Dove, the interior of the train was way fancier than the room in the Justice Building.
Delia then told both tributes they could do anything they like in their chambers, as long as they went back for supper in an hour. It wasn't a bad idea. Looking around her room, Dove saw many pieces of clothing, each fancier than the last.
After some minutes, there weren't many things she felt like doing. She had almost wasted all her time before supper looking around the room, and now she waited while laying on the bed. She could change her clothes, but what for?
They weren't dirty, and she could always take a shower after eating. Opening the door, Delia entered her room and guided her to the dining room, where all the Victors were already sitting.
Only three spots left. One was obviously for Delia, and the other two were for her and her district partner. They would sit dangerously close. At least, violence between tributes before the Games was highly prohibited, so he couldn't touch her yet.
As she sat in her chair, Delia went for the boy, who was late for supper. Dove wondered why they had to wait for him. They could always start without him, and once he got there, he could join in.
"How are you so far?" Her mother asked. Dove hadn't noticed, but all the Victors were looking at her with worried expressions. Looking in front of her sat Finnick. What a coincidence. She thought sarcastically.
"So far, so good," she replied. There wasn't much to say either way. It had only been an hour since her thoughts could run wild, and she spent most of that time looking at dresses and jewellery, so they had been ignored for a while. She had to admit every piece of clothing was beautiful, but she wouldn't trade what she was wearing for anything in the world.
"Dove, it's alright to-" Melo tried to say, but she didn't let him finish.
"No, Melo. It's not okay. This guy will appear at any time. He already looks at me like a wounded prey. I'm not giving him more of that satisfaction." Dove answered. She wanted to look weak for the Capitol, but she would not be easy prey for that excuse of a district partner.
"Dove, you don't need to act tough in front of us. You are ill. Your district partner might get the wrong idea." Finnick spoke up.
At first, it would appear to be the same advice Melo tried to give her. But Dove knew better than that. He was telling her to act like the sickly and scared girl she was supposed to be. If she acted tough, it would look suspicious to her district partner and the rest of tributes.
She had to cry and put a good show for her partner. It didn't matter how humiliating it was. She had to do it. Of course, she was still emotionally numb. Her mind did that as a protection. Whenever she was overflowing with emotions, her brain would shut them all off. Dove had to think of something that would make her cry.
At first, she thought of President Snow threatening to kill her family. It somehow worked. She was indeed sad, but no tears left her eyes. She had to think of something more extreme. Then, an image of that same day's nightmare popped up in her head.
last year's District Four female tribute next to a headless Finnick. The girl was covered in his blood, with his head on her hand, as if it was some type of trophy.
As soon as she opened her eyes again, everything was blurry. She was crying. At the moment, it didn't help to have Finnick right in front of her. As she tried to look into his eyes to calm down a bit, the only thing she could see was a blurry figure. To her surprise, her mother and brother were already next to her, trying to calm her down.
And during that dramatic scene, her district partner finally arrived. As he caught her crying and having to be comforted, he smiled. He bought the entire plot Dove and Finnick had planned in seconds.
As her tears dissipated a bit, she turned to look at Finnick again. He nodded at her slightly, telling her it would be fine to end the act by now.
Dove tried, and she was successful in stopping most of the sobbing and tears. But sometimes, the image appeared on her head again, which made her shade one or two tears.
As supper finished, Delia took the tributes and the Victors to a different compartment, where they watched the recap of the reaping all across Panem.
And there they stood, watching from District One to Twelve, the people they would have to fight. Dove took into special consideration the districts that weren't careers. Obviously, the Careers wouldn't accept her in their little group, nor did she want to be in it.
Of course, there wasn't anything unusual until they reached their district. The recap took extra care in showing Dove's face before and after volunteering for her sister. The commentators seemed to love the scene. She guessed everyone was moved by her desperation.
Apart from that, no one else seemed to particularly stand out. Dove was pleased to see she was the youngest of all the tributes. She had enough with her brother's deceased partner in her conscience. Most of the tributes were between sixteen and eighteen. There were only two tributes under sixteen. Dove and the girl from Twelve, who was fifteen.
As the program ended, she turned to leave, but her district partner stopped her in her tracks. A disgusting smirk on his face.
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