"Estelle." A quiet voice whispered. "Estelle. Wake up." I groan as a small hand taps my arm. "El please wake up."
I roll over and groggily open my eyes. My sisters small face is in front of mine, her chin perched on the edge of my bed.
"What's wrong?" I mumble.
"Momma told me to wake you up. She said that you'd slept in enough." My little sister whispers.
I close my eyes and collapse further into my thin sheets. Juniper taps me again. "Estelle."
"Juniper I want to sleep more. I don't have school or work. Mom always lets us sleep late on Saturday."
"Estelle, it's the reaping today."
The reaping. My eyes reopen and my sister is so close I start. Her grey eyes blink at me.
"Momma was gonna wake you up early but I said you should sleep more. Caerus and I have been up for hours."
Damn it. Of course they would have been up a while. It's my younger brother Caerus 3rd reaping. His name is in the pool three times. I wouldn't let him take out teassre. He's terrified. It's my 6th reaping. My name is in eighteen times. Juniper is scared for both of us. How could either of them sleep. I stretch and hang my legs over the side of the bed. Juni plops down next to me and snuggles into my side, sucking her thumb.
My baby sister is 8 years old. Thankfully she's not old enough for the reaping. At least I will not be in the reaping pool any longer when my sister enters. My mother wouldn't be able to stand it if she has three children in the reaping all at the same time. Not after what happened to Ash.
The kiss Juniper's head and stand. "Cmon June, lets go eat breakfast." The two of us walk out to the kitchen. Our house isn't very large. But it's a decent size for the seam. That is, the mining part of District 12. Where all the poor and starving families live. The house has 3 rooms and a bathroom. One room, the large one, is where all my siblings and I sleep. Then there the smaller room. That is where my mother sleeps and where my father used to sleep. They both connect to the kitchen/dining area.
Caerus is already at the table. My mother is at the stove. "Good morning dear." My mother calls to me. I nudge June to the table and go give my mother a kiss. Then dish myself hot mush and grab a slice of bread.
When I sit at the table again, June scooches down the bench to my side.
"What's up with you today, huh?" I tease her. "You're like a leech."
Caerus looks up from his breakfast and states, "It's the reaping genius. Your name is in there eighteen times."
June whimpers as I glare at Caerus. I know why she's stuck to my hip. She is afraid I will be chosen. But I won't acknowledge that.
"Caerus." My mother snaps, glaring at him as well.
Caerus looks at my mother. "What? It's true. She could be chosen-"
"Caerus!" I try not to yell, but I do anyways. "I won't get chosen. So stop."
"That's what you said about Ash too. And look where he is!" Caerus yells. Juniper burst into tears and I almost slap my idiot of a brother. This reaping day is starting out just wonderful.
My mother's give me a pointed look and picks up my sister. "We're going to get ready. Estelle?" They leaves the room and I'm left with Caerus glaring down at his breakfast. I stand and slid onto the bench next to him. Neither of us make eye contact.
"Caerus. You can't say stuff like that she too young." I say softly. When he doesn't respond, I reach up and brush a few dark curls away from his eyes. They are filled with tears.
It's funny, my younger brother and I are almost identical. We have dark brown hair and dark grey eyes, like my mother. But Juniper has lighter brown hair and light grey eyes, like my father did. Ash had them too. Before he died.
"Caerus..." he wont look up. "I know you miss him. We all do. But we can't let that affect the way Juniper sees the games."
"She doesn't remember Ash enough." Caerus snaps. "She doesn't remember when dad died. She doesn't understand the games. She doesn't know what it's like to lose someone. I know how it feels. She should get used to the idea that you could die. Or I could die. But she doesn't understand."
I just sigh. He's right. "I know. But there's more to this than June's perception of things. So why don't you tell me what's wrong?"
"Nothing" Caerus fixes his eyes again on his bowl.
"Nothing?"
He's clearly lying. "Is it maybe that you're worried you'll be chosen?"
Caerus fist bangs the table and he stand swiftly up. His eyes glare at me from under a curtain of dark hair.
"Shut up! Shut up! I don't care if I'm chosen! I don't care if your chosen! Just shut up and leave me alone!" He pushes the bench away and runs out of the house. Slamming the door behind him.
I watch as he runs away and don't try to stop him. He can't mean that, but I know this is hard for him. After he lost Ash, the reaping was a reminder of the capitals ability to take away family.
Ash was our older brother. He was 18 and has his name in 49 times when he was chosen for the hunger games two years ago. The odds were not in his favor. He was strong, mostly because of his work in the mines. But he didn't make it far. He died in the final 10. June was little and didn't remember him well. But Caerus was especially close with him. He took Ash's death extremely hard. I can't blame him for being bitter. But it stings when he tells me he doesn't care if I'm practically sentenced to death.
I stand from the table and clear it. As I finish, June runs out from the backroom, and attaches to my leg.
"El! I picked out your dress! And Momma got your bath ready."
"Thank you sweetheart." The gently detach her and walk to my bedroom. There's a tub full of water waiting for me. But it's likely that June already bathed here.
I shut the door and slip off my clothes. After bathing in the lukewarm water, I slip on the dress that I waiting for me. It's the one I've worn for the past many years. I'm not very big, so I don't have to worry about growing out of it. It's a pretty brown dress that cinches around the waist and has a v neck. After the dress, I put on boots that come up a bit past my ankle. I pull my hair back into a delicate half up half down. The cracked clock on the shelf tells me that it's 11:00. The reaping is at 2 o'clock, but my friend and I agreed we would meet before. I walk out to the kitchen where June is sitting at the table mixing the cheese for tonight. I kiss her head and hug my mother.
"I'm going to meet Daniel. I'll see you at the reaping."
Momma nods. "Will you send Caerus home?" She asks.
She must have heard him, but known where he would go. To Daniels house.
I pulled a soft leather jacket over my dress and kiss my mother's cheek
"I'll see you after the reaping." I say
She just nods.
I head out the door and down the street. Technically, we don't live in the poorest section of the seam. My father made a decent amount of money by his work in the mines, as well as working as a carpenter on the side. So our house was nicer. But after he died, Ash and I had to scramble for a source of income. When Ash died, my mother wasn't sure what to do. I'm not particularly strong, so being a carpenter wouldn't work.
But then my best friend taught me about the woods and how to find food. We aren't really allowed in the woods around district 12. Buy Daniel does anyways. He takes me with him for food. He told me that he would bring fresh meat and other plants to my family with no cost. I couldn't let him do that. I didn't want to burden him with another family to feed.
My steps lead me past the Hob, our black market, and down a small ally. I round the the corner and reach an open area. There's a door on the right. In front of it, sitting on a bench, is my brother. His elbows are in his knees and his head is down. On a stool across from him and plucking a partridge sits my best friend, Daniel Everdeen.
When he hears my steps, Caerus looks up. As if he expected it, he stands and turns to Daniel. He mumbles something I can't hear and then walks towards me. Without making eye contact he mutters.
"Mom wants me?"
"Mhm. She didn't say why."
He walks past without another word. When I sigh and turn back to Daniel, he smiles and stands. Walking my way he wraps his arms around me.
"Tough morning?"
"He lost his temper." I sigh again
"I know. He came to tell me about it."
"Knew it. He always comes to you when he's upset."
"He just needs a dad figure." Daniel concludes.
We step away from each other and smile.
We've known each other for a while, Daniel and I. We met in school in the 3rd grade. We were both extremely quiet and didn't like socializing too much. But we sort of latched on to each other. Is trust him with my life and vice versa. There's nothing romantic between us and we always have to shut down rumors about the two of us. Especially when we would disappear for hours at a time. All that time would be spent in the woods
In order to support his family, Daniel learned to hunt. He took me with him generally all the time. Either when he felt lonely or when I felt like learning something about the woods. But other times we would just sit and talk.
Daniel sits back down and I take Caerus's seat. I reach into the basket at his feet and start to pluck a partridge.
"I waited a little for you before I headed to the woods."
"I'm sorry. I slept in. Juniper had to wake me up."
He simply nods and responds. "Reaping Day"
"Yeah. I couldn't sleep last night."
"Nerves?" he asks
"No. Not exactly. Not for myself. I'm nervous for Caerus."
"You know how loyal you are?" Daniel smiles.
"What do you mean?" I look up in surprise.
He pulls a tuft of feathers and they flutter down around him. "He's not necessarily kind to you."
I stare at him. "He's my brother Daniel. You expect me to be ok with him going into the Arena?"
"No. I don't expect that." He glances at me. "I just find it sweet."
I roll my eyes. "Goodness you like to torture me don't you."
"Yep." He pulls more feathers. Then, he says quietly "I would volunteer for him you know."
My hand slips and the partridge flops at my feet. Daniel looks up. "What? That comes as a surprise?"
"I, don't know. Maybe? You've just never said that before."
Another bunch of feathers drop to the ground. Daniel drops the partridges and reaches out for my bird. I hand it to him and stand.
"Are you ready for the rounds?" I stretch my arms. Daniel nods and hands me a bag.
Even if I didn't go into the woods with Daniel, I would still go around the town with him and sell what he harvested or hunted.
We didn't talk much during the rounds. Until town. His best sellers were the shop owners. Mostly the apocthary.
When we knocked on the door, the daughter of the owner opened the door. Even though it wasn't exactly noticeable, Daniel's body language changed.
"Hello." The blonde smiled at us. I wasn't particularly friends with her. But I had heard she was kind. And Daniel had his eye on her for a while, even if he wouldn't admit it.
"Hi." His voice was breathless. "How are you?"
"I'm good." She said softly, handing us a little bag filled with the money for two partridges and some herbs only found deep in the Forest. "A little nervous for reaping day. That's all."
Daniel nodded vigorously.
"Well, good luck." She smiled again and shut the door after taking the bags.
I smirked at Daniel. His eyes were wide and he was staring dreamily at the door.
"She's gone Daniel, it's ok. You can stop being all dreamy now."
He started and turned to glare at me. "I wasn't dreamy." He mumbled as we start to walk away
When we finally returned to his house, I waited outside as he changed into reaping clothes. When he came out, I examined the look that I did not often see.
He was wearing a coarse white shirt and rough brown pants. His dark brown hair that was usually mussy was brushed out of his eyes.
I grinned teasingly at him. "You clean up pretty well, don't you."
He rolled his eyes and wrapped his arm around my shoulder. "Wish I could say the same for you." He smirked.
"Hey!" I pushed his arm away and tried to hide my smile.
"Aw come on." He pulled me back to his side. "I'm joking El."
He accept his arm and he walked down the ally together. When we reach the street his arm dropped, but out shoulders were pressed together.
As the sign in desk at the entry to the square came into sight, I feelDaniel squeeze my hand. He leaned down and whispered.
"I'm going to see if I can find Gil. I'll find you in the crowd when I'm checked in."
I nodded and returned the squeeze. Then I got in line, heart thumping and my fear starting to get the better of me.
What's up! First chapter of my new Hunger Games Fanfic. Didn't like how the other one went, so I decided to make another one. I hope you like it:)
Comment, vote and follow! Thank you!
- thephoniex_ahsoka
"You can't die"