In Your Hands: The Thirtieth Hunger Games SYOT

Chapter 8

Reiner Ludwig POV

Two hundred and twelve slips in Mariposa's bowl will break my heart. Six of them were mine. The rest belonged to the children I teached. I saw them littered throughout the crowd with the younger kids. Just yesterday I made them run a good two miles before class was out. Then I sent them home with handmade cupcakes, so I was still a "cool" teacher. I tried not to throw up as Mariposa's hand hovered over the bowl. The stabbing pain in my jaw didn't help. A name formed on her lips.

"Reiner Ludwig!"

A heartbeat of relief was washed away by hot anger. I clenched my fists as I stood onstage, glaring out at the officials who ordered my death. I saw the shock on my student's face morph into grotesque joy and it shocked me. Why were they cheering for my death? I never hurt them.

It all became clear when twenty-two kids streamed into my room at the Justice Hall. They clustered around me and started talking over each other.

"You can do it, Reiner!"

"Seven's finally going to have another Victor!"

"We're gonna tear the Games apart!"

They weren't cheering my death at all. They thought I was going to win. Back before my father got a job in Seven as a Peacekeeper, I trained in the Academy at Two. I was a good student, but that was a long time ago. I guess I'd find out how much I remembered.

Before the Peackeepers shooed them away, my students had a lot to say. They talked about how everyone wanted to come see me and how I was a hero to all of Seven. They shushed a girl who started talking about how some people were happy because they didn't like the Capitol and the Career Tributes who always won. They made me promise to come back and make a welcome home cake, which didn't seem fair, since it would be for my own party, but I agreed anyway.

Khaleesy came in after they left. I tried to burn every bit of her beautiful form into my mind, and I knew I wouldn't forget. She looked nervous, which was to be expected, but more like she had something embarrassing to confess. Her brown eyes looked so vulnerable.

"I have to ask you something before you go," she said. She twisted her fingers together.

"What is it?" I asked. She hesitated and then plunged in.

"I know you're shy about these things, but we both know how we feel. Reiner... marry me?"

It was what I'd wanted to ask her for months and was never brave enough to do. It was like she'd given me the greatest present I could ever get without me even telling her I wanted it. I wanted to jump up and hold her forever, but the Games were in the way. They always were. My brain overruled my heart and I started to speak.

"I want to spend the rest of my life with you, but I don't know how long that will be. I can't ask you to go through that. I can't make you watch me fight and wonder if you'll ever see your husband again. I love you too much," I said. I was crying as much as she was, and we held each other until it was Kurt's turn to see me.

"At least take this with you," she said. She pressed her lips against mine and gave me the greatest token any Tribure ever had. I watched her leave and a piece of me went with her.

"Hey, little bro. You got this, right?" Kurt said when he came in. The strain in his voice betrayed the cool veneer he tried to put up. I slapped my hand against his.

"Old habits die hard. Remember how we used to burn up the Academy?" I asked. We recalled exaggerated old stories of sword fights and sparring. I almost felt confident when he left. I tried not to think about the things my students would see their teacher doing. I was a role model for them, and the last person I wanted them to be like was me.

Ashlyn Forrest POV

Mom and Dad were already gone when Woodley and I left the house. They were lumberjacks, like most people in Seven, and they worked all day. It wasn't enough to provide, and Woodley and I both had to take out tesserae occasionally. It was just one more thing I didn't like about my District. It beat Twelve, but it was never home for me.

Usually Woodley and I would joke around or at least talk if we were together, but on the way to the Reaping we were always silent. It was like if we spoke even one word, we'd jinx ourselves. It was a sort of fear I couldn't even share with my brother.

Usually there were separate bowls for the male and female Tributes, but this year Mariposa stood in front of one big bowl with pink and blue slips.

"Gentlemen first, this time," she said, and she called up Reiner Ludwig. I didn't take his gym class, but I'd had a few of his homemade treats. For such a huge guy with such a deep voice, he made good cookies. His students all loved him, even if I wasn't sure about him. He seemed so harsh. I certainly didn't want to run a circuit course before lunch. He had a good chance, though. Seven might reap the benefits of another Victor this year. Mariposa fished out a pink slip.

"Ashlyn Forrest!" she announced. I heard screaming in my head and curled my fingers to resist the urge to pull at my hair. I wanted to cry and shout and run all at once, but I forced a calm expression and stood next to Reiner. I tried to smile as I waved slightly, but it was a twisted grimace.

"Do we have any volunteers?" Mariposa asked. I glanced at Forrest. He was crying and looking from me to the Peacekeepers. I wanted him next to me more than anything, but I didn't want him to die. I didn't know how I felt when he was silent.

Before my family came back, I tried to tell myself that it was just as well, since I hated Seven anyway. The problem was I loved my family. Even if I was willing to risk my life to get out of here, I didn't want to leave them. I also didn't want to die.

Mom and Dad were always tired, so it didn't surprise me that they didn't seem to realize what was happening. Dad handed me the little wooden bear he carved me when I was little, and then they both wandered out. Forrest was much more terribly aware.

"I should have volunteered," he said, dripping tears everywhere. He looked like he'd suddenly realized he was a murderer.

"Then we'd both die," I said. I had to be realistic. I had a chance, but no more chance than a mouse had against a hawk. I tried to console Forrest, but he was still crying when he left. As for me, I was too numb to cry. Maybe later I'd realize just how scary it all was. I hoped I didn't.