The promise

Chapter Nine (Melody)

My sister had died four years ago yet the world still spun. I wanted to scream at the unfairness of it, the world should suffer as I suffer. Today was going to be a bad day, I could tell from how happy the sky looked, bright blue with no clouds. Today was going to be a bad day.

Today was the day of the reaping, I walked downstairs, my purple dress tight against my breasts and shoulders. My hair was back in a braid, with a clip the color of Amanda and my eyes at the base of the braid. To others it was a clip, to me it was a reminder of my sister.

I avoided the mirror, I knew what I would see. Beautiful face with broken eyes. I wasn't interested. My parents sat at the table, staring at Amanda's empty seat, today would be full of reminders of my sister. I fought through the memories, drowning my grief in exercise, in weapons. My parents clung tight to the memories, they let pain overwhelm them and break them. They were shells now.

After a breakfast of eggs and painful silence I left to the square, the attendant took my blood and I made my way over to my friends. Bella, my closest friend wasted no time in asking the question everyone was wondering. "Are you planning on volunteering?" It made sense she would wonder, I was the best fit for representing District Four in the games. 

I shook my head, "No," I would never volunteer, it would be like spitting on my sisters grave. If fate choose me and my name was called? That was a different story.

Bella reached out and grabbed my hand, squeezing it softly, I grabbed the hand of the girl next to me and we all linked ourselves together. I squeezed Bella's hand once, I, another time, love, a third time, you.

The words I was never able to say aloud to her, my parents, or anyone. She squeezed my hand three times back and I smiled at her gently. These girls that surrounded me, they were my people, the ones I bled with, fought with, when one stumbled we all picked her up. We were a tight group formed in the Academy. Together we had endured the grueling session, the relentless drills, the pressure to excel, we had blossomed together.  

The mayor stepped forward and his voice booming through the square. "Welcome, welcome, everyone, to the annual Reaping Day ceremony!" His words were grumbles, unhappy.

Beside him stood Candy, the escort for District Four, dressed in an extravagant ensemble of shimmering blue and green sequins that seemed to dance in the sunlight. Her bright pink hair stood out like a beacon amongst the white of my District, and her wide grin bordered on manic as she waved enthusiastically to the crowd.

"Ladies and gentlemen, let's give a big round of applause for our esteemed escort, Candy!" the mayor announced, gesturing towards her with a flourish. The Victors stood next to her and I avoided the eyes of Odair.

The crowd responded with polite applause, though some exchanged puzzled glances at Candy's eccentric appearance. Nonetheless, she seemed unfazed, waving even more vigorously as she stepped forward to address the crowd.

"Thank you, thank you, darlings!" Candy exclaimed, her voice dripping with sweetness that made me shudder. "I am simply thrilled to be here with all of you lovely people today!"

Her over-the-top enthusiasm elicited a few chuckles from the crowd, though many remained tense, their thoughts lingering on the reaping, the ones who laughed were ones who had no family, none who's name was in the balls. 

As Candy continued to prattle on about the excitement of the day, the tension in the square rose and I wanted to scream at her to get it over with, draw the name already.

Finally, finally, Candy's hand delved into the reaping bowl, a hush fell over the crowd, broken only by the rustling of paper and the sound of her breath. With a dramatic flourish, she retrieved a slip of paper, her expression momentarily clouded by a hint of confusion.