HG OCT: The Reaping

The morning of the Reaping, Reed woke with a start and found himself trapped beneath his old moth eaten quilt by Kanti and Tilda. The twins had tangled themselves in their own blankets and had curled up on either side of Reed and Andrianne, becoming extremely effective weights for keeping him in bed. Andrianne was no help, because she too had one arm curled around Tilda (or was it Kanti? Reed couldn't really tell in this light) and another tangled with his, hand around his wrist loosely. Reed rubbed his face with a soft groan of protest, knowing that he had to get up, although he would have been perfectly content in his little cocoon of warmth and people who cared about him. However, he knew he couldn't stay, so he carefully scooped up the twin blocking his way out of the bed. The twins, he figured, must have gotten scared in the middle of the night and had crawled out of their own bed across the room to make the single bed that Reed and Andrianne shared that much more crowded.

The twin in his arms squirmed and sleepily rubbed her eyes, a squeaky yawn escaping her. From behind her fingers an eye opened and she whispered, "I don' wanna ge' up…"

Reed stepped onto the chilled stone floor and set her back on the bed. He tucked his quilt over her, tucking the little girl back in. He shushed her, and whispered, "Don't worry. You don't have to get up yet. Go back to sleep."

Obediently, the twin rolled over and curled up next to Andrianne. "Yessir."

"That's a good girl," Reed said. He kissed her forehead and brushed loose strands of blonde curls out of her face before he left the three girls and ventured into the darkness of the shabby apartment he and his family called home. There weren't any hallways to get lost in—that's how small the apartment was, so Reed was instantly in the kitchen the second he stepped out of his bedroom. A couch, a chair, and a small lap in the corner were what was considered the "family room", and only a counter separated it from the kitchen. The walls were so paper thin that Reed could hear people snoring the apartment to his left, and an argument brewing in the one to his right. Yet it didn't matter, and he happily started his morning routine. This was home to him.

In the inky darkness, Reed fumbled for the light switch on the wall. A dull orange flow slowly filled the room when he found it, as the electricity surged to life and familiar shapes of the cabinets and stove appeared. He found a box of matches and lit the stove without too much thought.

Reed had to remind himself that it was okay to be nervous. It was normal for most families to be anxious on a day like today. Reed glanced at the wooden board up on the wall his brother had hung up for lists and what not, and he instantly zoned in on the Capitol authorized form that was a receipt for Reed's tessera. While he couldn't read most of the words on the sheet, he could see his name, age, and a fat, bright red "27" near the bottom right corner, next to the Capitol's seal. His name was entered in that big glass bowl 27 times. Not very good odds, he reckoned, if he learned anything from the previous years.

"Reed, take your hand off the stove!"

Reed's hand shot away from the stove as it started to heat up, and he yelped, "Vink, don't scare me like that! You're going to give me a heart attack one of these days."

Vinko leaned against the door, arms crossed, and smirked half heartedly, while Reed marveled at how similar they looked, despite the age difference. Ratty blonde hair stuck up wildly due to sleep, dark eyes that wildly observed everything, Vinko was six years older than Reed, and well past the worries of being reaped. He had gotten married three years ago, with Reed as the best man. The wedding photo hung on the wall. Petronella, Reed's sister-in-law, was currently well under way with carrying Vinko's child. She was still asleep in the bedroom that the couple shared, which was nestled in their apartment next to Reed's room, with only the bathroom in between. Reed could still hear her snores from the kitchen.

Vinko made his way over to the stove, smirk slipping away. His eyes were bloodshot and glassy, eventually drew to the form.

"Are you scared?" he asked. Vinko pulled out the kettle from underneath the counter and filled it with water to boil.

Reed gave a half hearted laugh and dropped some tea leaves into the kettle. "Me, scared? Of course not. The odds could be worse, you know. The McCormic kid, Richie? He's got his name in there thirty six times, and he's only fifteen—!"

"Reed."

Vinko's voice wobbled a bit, and Reed found himself being pulled into a hug. Instinctively he rested his head on top of his brother's, being the taller of the two. He could smell the lingering scent of tobacco, and Vinko's five o'clock shadow scratched against Reed's collar bone. After what felt like eons, Vinko pulled back, but kept his arms on Reed's shoulders.

"It's okay to be scared.

Reed looked away guiltily. "…I know," he muttered, and pulled away from his older brother. Soon there were footsteps coming from one of the bedrooms, and Petronella emerged, her hair done up in a bun. She tried to suppress a yawn with one hand, and her other fell to rest on her extremely prominent belly. Her nightgown swished as she walked over to both of them and stretched.

"Good morning, dear," she said, "Good morning, Reed. Are Andrianne and the twins not up yet?"

Reed set the kettle on a burner and shook his head. "They're still asleep. Want me to go wake them up?"

Petronella waved her hand. "No, I'll do it. You focus on cooking breakfast."

Reed suppressed a smile as he turned back to the stove. Every day he thanked the heavens for Petronella. She was the driving force in this family now, making sure that everything was done properly and kept ship shape. Vinko had done right, Reed thought, when it came to picking out a wonderful woman. Although, in the long run, it had really been Petronella that had picked Vinko. Everyone just decided not to let Vinko know that and let him carry on in his bliss.

"Honey, could you get a bath warmed up? We all should get cleaned up for today."

Vinko nodded with a warm smile. Passing by Petronella, Vinko kissed her temple and gave a quick squeeze to her free hand before disappearing into the bathroom behind her. Petronella toddled over to Reed and leaned against him, a thin smile on her face. She squeezed his arm. Reed frowned in return. Today wasn't much of a day to be smiling. He helped her to a chair and knelt on one knee next to her. There was a happy, warm gleam in his eyes that he just didn't understand.

"What is it?"

Petronella guided his hand to her belly. "Feel!"

"Feel what—oh!"

There was a pat against his hand, and Reed quickly drew back with a surprised, but happy noise. He gave a short chuckle and returned his hand to rest on Petronella's belly. The baby was kicking. His little niece or nephew was giving his hand a strong, healthy kick. Petronella took part in his glee, grinning broadly before getting back to her feet. She tucked some lose strands of hair behind her ears, and said, "The kicking woke me up. I'm sure the twins will be excited."

Reed went back to fixing breakfast. "Andrianne will be happy, too. She'll want to throw another baby shower."

"For what?" asked Vinko. He stuck his head out of the bathroom. "The bath's warming up—so why are we discussing another shower?"

Petronella waved her hand in dismissal. "Don't worry about it, hon." She gave a sigh and fanned her face. "Actually, could you go wake the girls up? I'm kind of winded."

"Of course, Nellie. I'll be back in a jiff."

Vinko ducked down the hallway. Petronella pulled out cups, plates, and a tin of oats to make oatmeal. Reed passed her what was left of the sugar as he listened for the familiar grumblings of the twins and Andrianne. At the thought of her, Reed smiled, and a familiar warm blush crept up his cheeks. Petronella jabbed at his rib cage with her elbow, and asked, "So…are you thinking of asking her any time soon?"

"Huh?"

"Andrianne! You know what I'm talking about."

Now Reed was positive that he was blushing. That particular thought had been sitting on his mind for some time. Marriage was a big thing, and not to be taken lightly. He had been considering—no, planning—to propose to Andrianne, but he had to get through today, first.

"…Soon, hopefully. One day at a time, though."

---

A few hours later, sun in the sky, it was time to go. Everyone had bathed, dressed in their best, and were all waiting for Reed. He was behind the bathroom door, furiously combing through his unruly hair to keep it in place. He had this problem every year.

There was clamoring at the bathroom door, and Reed sighed in defeat. He set the comb down at the broken sink.

"Reed, 'urry up!"

"We're gonna be late!"

Reed straightened his shirt, smoothing out any wrinkles, and made sure it was tucked in before he opened the door. He was met with identical glares and pouty lips as his younger sisters tugged at his pant legs. Now in the daylight, Reed could tell which twin was which. Kanti, on the left, had her hair done up in pigtails and in a green calico dress, while Tilda was in a pink dress with white dots, and her hair done in braids. They were only at Reed's hips when it came to height, but that didn't stop them from waving their fingers at him in disproval. He scooped them both up, one in each arm, and they hugged his neck. He shifted them both until they were comfortable, and asked, "Now, why are you two in such a hurry to get there?"

Kanti buried her face into Reed's shoulder, but Tilda exclaimed, "Th' sooner we go, th' sooner it's done! Then we can throw a party."

"With cake," Kanti added dreamily.

"And frosting!" Tilda affirmed.

"You three have no idea how adorable you look right now."

Reed blushed furiously as Andrianne laughed from her seat at the kitchen table. She, too, was all dressed up, wearing her best blouse and  a long skirt made by Petronella. You would never be able to tell that she was crippled, Reed thought sadly. Despite the fact that many men would shy away from a woman who was paralyzed, Reed hadn't. She was just as wonderful as Petronella, in her own way. Andrianne would be the only girl for him, making his heart pound wildly and cause him to turn redder than some of the cloth dyed in the factories.

Andrianne motioned for Reed to come over, and made a clicking noise with her tongue. She motioned for him to sit at her feet, and Reed didn't think twice.

"Reed, what are we going to do with your hair?" she asked, faking a forlorn, despaired tone. "Doesn't even look like you brushed it!"

"I bet he didn't," Tilda snipped.

Andrianne tugged at Reed's hair, and wiped something out of the pocket of her skirt. There was a quick flash of red, and a good deal of Reed's hair was pulled back. None of it was flying in front of his face. In sudden surprise, he grabbed at his hair, trying to figure out what she had done. His hair was in a messy ponytail, now.

"It's a ribbon. For luck. I made it."

Reed smiled, turning a rosy pink. "…Thanks."

Andrianne smiled in return. "Don't mention it. Now let's go—Petronella and Vinko are waiting for us downstairs."

---

Reed felt like his legs were going to fail him as he neared the check in station for the Reaping. His family could accompany him this far, but after now, he was on his own. Petronella had one arm looped with Vinko's, as Kanti and Tilda sat on Andrianne's lap. Reed let go of the handles of Andrianne's wheel chair and wrung his hands, before taking a deep breath.

Vinko straightened Reed's collar and Petronella fussed over his hair, before he shooed them both away.

"I'll be fine," he said, voice cracking. "Just…just stand where I can see you, okay? Please?"

"Of course," Vinko said. He gave Reed a pat on the shoulder, just as he had every year since Reed was twelve. "We'll see you after the ceremony."

"Yeah," Kanti and Tilda exclaimed in unison. Petronella nodded, but she was worried, her mouth pulled into a thin line. Andrianne looked the same, but she gave him a squeeze of the hand and nodded encouragingly.

Reed turned away from them and walked towards the line of people going to the peacekeepers. There was a prick on his finger as they signed him in with a drop a blood, and he found himself congregating in the back with all the older boys, who all stood at attention and anticipation. There was the movie, and Reed let his mind wander, searching the crowd with his eyes for Vinko, Petrnella, Andrianne, and the twins. An outrageously dressed representative from the Capitol with a ridiculous accent was at the microphone, giving the same speech he gave every year.

Then, it was time for the names.  Reed couldn't concentrate as the man shouted, "Ladies first!" He gritted his teeth, and had a horrible thought. Four years from now, Kanti and Tilda will be here, in the front, having to deal with the same pressure, and suddenly Reed was thinking plans. He wouldn't let his little sisters take out a tessera like he had; if it meant working overtime at the factory, as well as some side projects for neighbors so they would have enough money for food and oil and anything else, then so be it. Vinko and Petronella, after she's had the baby, would definitely do the same if it meant keeping Kanti and Tilda safe. Even Andrianne could do something, like help Petronella with the dress making.

"And now, for the boys," the escort exclaimed. Reed cocked his head slightly—he had missed the name calling of the girl and from his distance from the stage, he couldn't see who it was. Did he know her? Was she going to have any chance in the arena? The escort pulled out a piece of paper, and opened it up for all to read. The entire section of boys leaned forward slightly in anticipation. God help the poor sap who had to go into the arena with her—

"…Reed Attaway!"

Reed's heart stopped. For a moment, he felt his eyes widen, as he caught sight of his family in the crowd. Pentronella, aghast, with her hands over her mouth. Andrianne and the twins, with their eyes wide and tears in their eyes. Vinko, ashen and completely stunned.

Reed wasn't sure what to do or say. Before the escort could ask for him to come up, before any of the other boys could push him out of the crowd, a hoarse, "O-oh my god," escaped his lips, and he crumpled to the ground, promptly blanking out. The blank out only lasted for a few minutes because he suddenly found himself on his feet, being half dragged by the peacekeepers to the stage, all the while screaming in his mind, No, this isn't right! This can't be right, and was held in place on one side of the escort.

"Everyone give a hand for our District Eight Tributes!"

Reed was ushered by the peacekeepers into the town hall, and into a room, where he was instructed by the same peacekeepers to wait. He sat, stunned, on a wooden bench, staring blankly at the wall across from him. He had been picked. He was going to be a tribute in the Hunger Games.

The door was flung open, and while Reed registered one of the peacekeeper saying, "Three minutes!" all he could focus was Vinko running up to him and hugging him. Soon Petronella, Andrianne, and the twins were in the room, too, trying their best not to cry.

"Oh my god, why you," Vinko said, muttering wearily. "Why. God, Reed, why."

Petronella put her hand on Vinko's shoulder. "Don't worry, honey. Reed can take care of himself, you know that."

Vinko rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand. "I-I know. I know."

There were sniffles and sobs. The twins were crying. Reed cooed and collected them both up into his arms.

"Hey, don't cry you two, everything's going to be all right."

"Don't go," Tilda sobbed quietly. "You won't come back, and then we can't have cake."

"With frosting," echoed Kanti.

Reed laughed , not sure what else to do, and set them both down. He sat on his knees, and hunched to be eyelevel with them.

"Don't worry," he said. They wiped their eyes with their sleeves, and Reed fixed their dresses so they weren't hiked up too far. "I'll be back. I'll be back soon, okay? And…and when I get back, we'll have a cake. A huge cake, with all sorts of coloured frosting, and I'll even find some balloons and party hats, okay? We'll have a huge party, invite all the neighbors. How does that sound?"

Tilda sniffed, and Kanti asked, "You promise?"

"I promise."

"Cross your heart?"

"…Cross my heart. I love you two." He pulled them into a hug. "I love you two so much."

Reed glanced up at Andrianne, and he bit his lip so he wouldn't cry. Dear, sweet Andrianne. Vinko and Petronella wouldn't throw her out, and Reed knew she would be in good hands, but he still didn't want to leave her. She held out her arms, and Reed let go of the twins. For a moment, it was just them. He picked her up, bridal style, and she hugged his neck.

"I'm sorry," he said. She didn't say anything, but kissed his cheek quickly. In return, he kissed her head and hugged her tighter.

"It'll be okay," she finally said.

"Of course it will."

Reed set her back down, and she put on her brave face. Chin jutting out defiantly, drying her eyes, she straightened her back, and the twins jumped onto her lap. Petronella gave Reed a kiss on the forehead, having to stand on her toes, and she whispered, "You can do this. You're strong, Reed, you might have a chance."

"I know. I'll be okay."

Petronella smoothed his shirt and nodded quickly. "I'll keep things in shape until you get back, okay? Don't get hurt too much."

"I won't."

The peacekeeper knocked, and soon his family was taken away. He got to see their faces one last time, before he sat down on the bench again and sobbed. He was shaking all over, and finally, he just folded his hands and hugged his knees. His lungs were heaving heavily, and he hoped he wouldn't stop breathing. This was not the time for a panic attack. Soon he would be ushered onto the train to the Capitol. He had to survive.

Yet the nagging doubt and realization that the odds weren't in his favor to begin with clung to him. He had little to no chance.