18 DAYS

Chapter 1: The Harvest.

Early this morning, when his little sister graciously offered to wake him up with a bucket of water thrown on his face, Cato's parents had announce they would walk him the the city square where the Harvest will take place later. 

It is actually one of the many places in District Two that can be pleasant. Usually the square is surrounded by shops, and on public market days, especially if there's good weather which here is most of the year, it has a holiday feel to it. Today, the bright banners hanging on the buildings, the hundreds of buzzing cameras, the filming crews, and Capitol officials makes it more like a over the top fancy TV shoot. The entire District will soon gather here to witness and capture on tape the reaping of the 74th Hunger Games, which will be broadcasted live to the whole of Panem. Of course that means attendance is mandatory, unless you are on death's door. This evening, officials will come around and check to see if this is the case. If not, you'll be imprisoned. But of course, no one ever misses the Harvest in District Two, it's the biggest event of the year.

People file in silently and sign in. The reaping is a good opportunity for the Capitol to keep tabs on the population as well. Twelve- through eighteen-year-olds are herded into roped areas marked off by ages, the oldest in the front, the young ones toward the back. Family members line up around the perimeter, holding tightly to one another's hands. But there are others, too, who have no one they love at stake, or who no longer care, who slip among the crowd, taking bets on the two kids whose names will be drawn. Odds are given on their ages, whether they're miners or merchants, if they will cheer and try to feign solemnity. 

Cato had told his family that he wanted to go alone meet with his friends because he is an adult now. To be fair, he was going to spend the next few weeks without them in the arena, so they really didn't need to nurse him anymore. But that would also be the exact reason they didn't cave in and came with him anyway. While Cato trusted his skills enough that he knew he was going to come back after a few weeks in the games, his family wanted to enjoy every moment they still could have with him. Even though they were never the overtly affectionate kind of household, Cato was still their pride and joy. Being parted from him would be hard.

So now he was trying to stand as straight as possible with the most pride he could fathom with his mom holding his elbow firmly. Once they reach the broadcast area, he sucked in his breath: thousands of people were gathered around an immense stage. All were standing still, looking up to a gigantic screen, waiting for the annual Hunger Games announcement to start, excitement on their faces. Spotlight and cameras, too many to count, are pointing in every direction in order to cover as much ground as possible. Nothing could be missed, every detailed needed to be caught for the crowed of the Capitol to enjoy. District Two was one of the only districts were the inhabitants were as exited as the Capitol about the Hunger Games.

Detaching his attention from the crowd, his stare glides toward the area where the potential young boys Tributes are stood. Cato notices a few of his school friends, and so decides to notify his family that he is going to take his place in the crowd. Once he reaches the chattery young men, they all start cheering for the promotion's favourite, tapping on his back and shaking his hand. 

Obviously, as the rule obliged, he hadn't been allowed to tell anyone he was going to be this year's male tribute. Nevertheless, Cato was clearly the favourite and everyone not-so-secretely wished he would volunteer this afternoon: it was promise for a good show if Cato participated in the Hunger Games. Even more so that, without getting overly cocky, Cato didn't lack charm with his sandy blood hair, his piercing blue eyes and his sharp musculature. And everyone knew that beauty was rewarded in the game.