Liberosis - The Hunger Games

02

While I had accepted that the reaping was now a part of my life, the morning of I woke at an ungodly hour due to another nightmare. I didn't want to bother my mother and father with my own fears, Addison had spent the entire night curled up in my mother's side, Asher by my father's. I was too old to cry for the reaping so I stayed silent. Throwing on a plain pair of pants and tunic, I strapped my on a pair of enclosed shoes and climbed carefully out the window, landing on the soft grass below that had been coated in morning dew.

By the side of our shed sat my favourite weapon to train with, the trident. Finnick and I had been using the trident since we were children, we were very competitive when it came to practice, a lot of the time it ended with hospital visits and the words 'No hard feelings, right?'

I didn't tell him where I was going today, I needed to clear my head, the reaping was today. It was the day that Finnick would yet again leave for the Capitol. I was fearfully awaiting the day he found somebody there to satisfy him enough to the point of never returning to District Four, it wasn't something I wanted to confront.

I ventured briskly through the main street; the baker's daughter was handing out cookies to any passing children as a 'Happy Hunger Games' gift. Kindness was only a specialty of the townsfolk on reaping day, I guess that was one positive of it. "Going fishing Aurora?" She asked me as I picked up a cookie from the tray.

"Just clearing my head," I sighed, giving her a friendly smile, "Happy Hunger Games," I added dryly, with a bucket in one hand, a trident in the other and a cookie in my mouth, I headed back on my way.

I chose not to go as far as the Cove, we never went fishing there, a sacred oath Finnick and I made to keep that place untouched. I took off my boots and waded a little way into the water, swinging the trident around gracefully. My father told me I had a talent to make even the most terrifying weapon look weightless, I carried that label with pride. Water splashed to my thighs and I struck the weapon into the water, spearing a fish through the head in hopes not to bruise the best part to eat.

After nearly an hour of spearfishing- rather trident fishing- I had collected half a bucketful of fish. By that time the sun had risen into the sky, I smiled at my surroundings, my home. Today could be the last day I spend here, I couldn't be sure until after the reaping. Today was marked as the beginning of the sixty-eighth hunger games, twenty-four more children would be thrown into an arena, twenty-three wouldn't come back.

I twirled the trident around my hands again, loving the way it flowed through my hand like water. I threw it into the distance, stepping back in shock when I noticed someone catch it a distance away. Picking up my shoes and bucket, I stepped closer towards the person only to raise my eyebrow as I realised who it was.

"Careful," Andante grinned, throwing the weapon back at me, I dropped my shoes just in time to catch it with my left hand, "You could hurt someone with that."

"I'm counting on it," I responded sarcastically, handing him the bucket of fish and picking up my shoes, "Does Mum know you're here?" I asked him as we walked through the sand.

My brother shook his head, "She's still asleep, Addison kept her up with the crying." He scoffed at the mention of his older sister.

"You really don't have the decency to show her a little sympathy?" I asked him as we wandered through the streets, Andante was my little brother and I love him, but his stoic attitude and occasional pompous behaviour made me want to slap him.

"You don't cry, why should she be allowed to?" He pointed out.

"I've wasted enough tears on these stupid games," I explained, it was a bold thing to say amongst the crowd of peacekeepers the roamed the streets but I didn't really care anymore, "Addison just a lot more sensitive than you and I." I tried to explain to him.