Star girl | 1

• The Reaping •

(Last reminder: this book contains violence, gore, and child abuse. If this makes you uncomfortable or upsets you, please do not read it!! Thank you, enjoy.)

"Cal! Cy!" I called out, entering the house after a long day with the livestock.

I heard the small, soft footsteps down the hallway of the twins as they ran out and hugged me. It was clear they had been hiding away in their room most of the day, although it wasn't hard to know why. I shook the thought away, hugging them back and ruffling Callisto's short black hair. I smiled and crouched down slightly to be more on the 12 year olds level.

"How about you two go to my room and I'll be there in a moment or so to tell you a story." I said with a smile, which was returned with two wide grins and nodding as they giggled and ran back off down the hall.

I listened for door the shut of my bedroom door before I proceeded to walk the opposite way of my room, towards my father's bedroom.

Peering into his room, I slowly looked around but he was not in there. I walked back out and as I was closing the door to his room, heard the front door open.

I rushed away from the door, knowing I could easily be accused of snooping if my father saw me. Walking back into the front room, I saw him glance over at me. He seemed to be in a bad mood so I tried to walk past, attempting to make my way to my own room when I felt his hand lay on my shoulder.

"Capella." I heard him say in his low voice, always scratchy and off putting because of the constant yelling he did while managing the animals, as well as all the yelling at home.

"Father! You're home!" I attempted to cover up my nervousness with a smile as I turned to face him, clasping my hands behind my back.

"Capella, were you in my room?" He asked, his eyes narrowed. It wasn't a question. He already knew the answer, but I knew he liked to watch the fear in my eyes.

"Yes, only to look for you to tell you I was done for the day though! I promise!" I started, talking quickly. I knew what was coming, and I also knew that no matter what I said it wouldn't stop it. But maybe he would be a bit more gentle.

"Kitchen." He said plainly, walking towards his room as I quickly scrambled to the door and walking in, standing in front of the counter.

Most kids my age, or even close, would have tried to run. That's what I did at first, but no matter how far I got he was quicker, and eventually I would have to come back anyways. I had no where else to go.

He entered with a whip and a smug look in his eye. He always took pride in being able to catch us kids when we were being sneaky, he loved seeing that we could hide nothing, even though there was so much we still did hide.

The books in my room I had taken from various places, the promises to my younger siblings that no matter what I would get us out some day, the place in my heart that once held the love of my girlfriend who was reaped last year and didn't make it back.

I closed my eyes as he pushed me against the counter and I braced myself for the feeling of the whip on my skin.

The pain of the quick flicks of the rope that hurt for days after and left swelling and red marks that were hard to cover up. Especially when the rope hit the same spot. Sometimes there was blood drawn, although that had only happened in the worst times of it.

It was over quickly, and I waited for my father to leave the room before walking to my own, the twins sitting on my bed with wide eyes and a matching expression of fear and concern.

"I'm fine, I promise." I said softly, pulling out a worn out book from underneath my bed, the letters on the pages faint and the cover breaking.

"I promised you two a story, if I recall." I said, climbing in between the two as my head raced with the thought of what tomorrow would bring. The reaping.

***

Father had left early in the morning to go to market and get fresh food for dinner as I got the twins ready for the reaping.

Their first reaping, my heart was racing. My name was in there 30 times, the twins each was in there once. Still, it wasn't impossible one of us would be picked. I suppose my father hoped it was one of us, that would leave less mouths to feed.

"We're gonna be fine, we have the power of the sun, moon, and stars with us, right?" I reassured the two younger ones, repeating my mother's phrase from before she had passed a few years prior.

'The sun, moon, and stars will always be with us' she had said many times before, us three children being the reason.

The sun. Cyrus, his name most literally meaning the sun, which made sense. He was such a bright and bubbly boy it was hard not to think of him as a small little ray of sunshine, running around with his dirty blonde curly hair.

The moon. Callisto, her name being one of the moons of Jupiter and meaning most beautiful. A very accurate meaning, as Callisto was one of the prettiest of her age, being rather popular with her friends.

The stars. Capella , the name of a constellation that meant little goat, which was my nickname among my few friends in the cattle fields. My dirty blonde hair and hazel eyes had never shown me a resemblance of the stars or goats, but it was my nickname none the less.

We walked out of the house and towards the middle of the town where the reaping was held. Cyrus' hair was as fluffy as ever, and Callisto's was straightened with a small braided crown. My own hair was pulled back into a ponytail.

Our clothes were the nicest we owned. My dress being one of my mother's old ones, my sisters being one of mine. Cyrus' was the only one whose clothes were new. He was too small for my father's and we had no one else to take one from, so his clothes were new.

"The sun, the moon, the stars. Remember." I whispered as they slowly made their way to their relative sections. The girls and boys were split, and then smaller sections based on age. I made my way towards the back, the 17 year olds, as the two of them headed to the 12 year olds before splitting.

The crowd fell quiet when up on stage stepped the escort, Apple. She smiled a bright flashy smile before starting the ceremony with a speech.

I ignored it all.

The speech, the video about the war and the rebels and why we have the games, all of it.

Until it ends and she says, "And now, the tributes. Starting with the girls."

Apple walks over and quickly pulls one of the top of the bowl, making her way towards the microphone.

"Leonia Kristian." she calls. A small girl, maybe 14 or 15, walks shakily towards the stage and I feel sympathetic.

I know everyone must wait till the end to volunteer, but it already seems like no one's planning on taking her place. I frown slightly, but it won't be me. Cyrus and Callisto need me.

The boys are next, and the name gets drawn from the very bottom this time. My fear has mostly subsided, until she calls the very name I was fearing.

"Cyrus Viotto." is shouted out and I frantically look over the crowd to find my brother, shaking completely, slowly making his way to the stage. My heart breaks more when I notice the whip marks barely visible on his arms, they look new. When did those happen?

He stands and faces the crowd, but his eyes fall on me.

"Now, any volunteers?" Apple calls, and I step into the aisle swiftly.

"I volunteer as tribute." I say as loud as I can manage, my voice almost completely steady but filled with fear.

I walk to the stage and the small girl, Leonia, looks at me with relief. She didn't know me, but I just saved her life.

"What's your name dear?"

"Capella Viotto." I say confidently, turning to the crowd of people.

I stand there and scan the crowd behind the eligible children and see my dad, his face sad, although I know it's not for me or Cy, but the fact he's losing his biggest helper and the only other boy in the family. He has no confidence in me, but I don't blame him.

I don't either.

All I know is, I plan to give Cyrus the best chance of winning.

(Word count: 1536)