Back to Normal: The 35th Hunger Games

Chapter 10

Eve Sable POV

Every year Angus holds my hand on the way to the Reaping. Usually we're a normal brother and sister. He teases me and threatens to beat up any guy that looks at me. I get in his way and we fight over dumb things like who gets the last cookie. About a month before Reaping Day, everything changes. The whole District gets quiet, and it seems colder no matter how sunny it is. Mothers call their children inside to bed earlier than usual, and the streets are empty. Angus is gentler and freaks out whenever I so much as nick my finger in the butcher shop, and I'm more eager to accept his hugs.

Our escort Fluvius was the only bit of color among a sea of gray and white outfits. He doesn't fit here. I've often wondered how he ended up with this District and how he can stay so cheerful when we haven't had a Victor in twelve years. If the odds are constant, one of ours will win this time around, but the odds are never in the outliers' favor. Angus and I were separate by then. I could feel him looking over at me every few minutes. I was too scared to look anywhere but straight ahead. Fluvius reached into the bowl. It was so quiet I heard the paper rustle as his fingers searched.

"Eve Sable!" he called. My throat clogged and I started to shake. It didn't seem possible that such a thing could happen, and my body grasped it before my brain. My head pounded as tears started pouring from my eyes. I looked at the boys' section and saw Angus looking at me and crying even more than I was. I reached out to him instinctively and he started to shake with sobs. I ran toward him, knocking the girl beside me back a step. I wasn't even to the end of the row before a Peacekeeper caught my arm. All my life I'd been told to obey the Peacekeepers, so I followed him to the stage.

When Fluvius dipped into the boys' bowl, my heart fluttered. Usually not even siblings volunteered for the Games, and it wouldn't make any difference in Angus' case. He was a boy, so he couldn't save me. I still had some crazy hope that he'd volunteer just to come with me. Fluvius called Bambi Kirkland, and I heard a boy laughing. He shook his head as he stood next to me. I noticed blood on his arm, even though he hadn't struggled.

"Do we have any volunteers?" Fluvius asked. Silence hung in the air. I looked at Angus, and he looked back like the idea of volunteering hadn't entered his mind.

Angus hardly said anything when he and our parents came to see me. He was still crying, and Mom was just trying to hold us both together. She'd always seemed so stern to me. Angus and I got into mischief sometimes, and she acted like we were about to start a second rebellion. I'd never seen her so upset. She wasn't crying, but she was shaking. It was like she was falling apart.

"You need a token," she said. She took her wedding ring off her finger.

"I can't use that. I might lose it," I said. She put it on my finger and held me close.

"It's all right," she said. I waited for her to say "you'll bring it back", but she didn't. She just held me tenderly, like I was made of glass.

Bambi Kirkland POV

I would have walked with Quin and Deanson to the Reaping, but they went straight from school with their classes. Instead I went early so I could meet them. As usual, I was reading a book as well. Books contained millions of worlds so much better than the real one. I liked them all, but I liked novels best. I'd developed my own shuffling gait just from reading so many books while walking, and I was an expert as using my peripheral vision to keep from tripping.

"Hey, spare change?" someone asked right by my ear. I looked up from my book and saw three boys in a circle around me. I hadn't even noticed them- if they hadn't spoke up I'd have plowed right into them. They were wearing ripped clothes and each of them had a red bandanna around one leg.

"Oh, what? No sorry, I don't have anything," I said. I tried to keep going, but the boy who'd spoken earlier got in my way.

"You sure about that? How about we have a look," he said. The other boys crowded in closer so I couldn't back away.

"Look, I don't have anything," I said. I hadn't expected any trouble on the way to the Reaping. I thought everyone was too scared to try anything. Besides, even on another day I didn't know how to deal with a gang. My family was one of the better off in Ten, since we had so many members working multiple jobs, but we were still hardly above poverty. We were all pretty fit from all our work, but I didn't know anything about fighting.

"Shut up and hand it over," the main boy said. He took a knife out of his pocket and held it to my chest. I stepped back, knocking against one of the other boys behind me.

"He's trying to get away," the boy I hit said. He and the other boy laughed, and the main boy swept back his arm to s***h at me. I grabbed his wrist while he was still drawing back and squeezed. I must have been stronger than I thought, because the boy yelped. He twisted his hand and the knife scraped across my arm, leaving a long, shallow cut. I didn't want to hurt him, but I knew if I let go he'd cut me more, so I squeezed with all my strength. Somethng shifted in his hand and he squealed. He dropped the knife and the other two boys rushed to his side.

"Are you okay?" one asked.

"I'm fine," the leader said. He held his broken hand and glared at me. "We'll make him pay." I was about to run when we all heard a Peacekeeper shouting.

"Hey! Break it up!" the Peacekeeper yelled. He stepped between us, holding his stick at ready. The gang boys took one look at him and scattered. I waited until they were gone and smiled at the Peacekeeper.

"Thanks," I said. He glowered at me.

"You should be at the Reaping," he growled.

"Sorry, I was on my way," I started.

"Just get going," he said. I half-ran until I saw he wasn't following me. Then I slowed to a walk. I looked down at my arm, which was still dripping blood. The medics at the Reaping Center might dress it, but I wasn't holding out much hope. I'd probably have to wait until after the Reaping.

What a day, I thought as I resumed my trek. I almost got mugged, my arm is bleeding, a Peacekeeper hates me, and my brothers are probably wondering where I am. At least it can't get any worse.