Chapter Text
Emma was dressed in an old white blouse that used to be her mother's, and a knee-length skirt. It was the first year she was eligible for the reaping, she had just barely slipped by last year with her birthday being days after it. And this year, despite her fear and her brother and mother telling her not to, she had put her name in, two more times for the extra food.
Normally in the early mornings, Emma and Ray would sneak out past the wall, into the woods to hunt. They'd bring back birds and rabbits, and once Emma even managed to bag a deer. But today was different, today Emma stood, apart from her closest friends, in a group of girls her age. Norman and Ray were a few rows back and on the opposite side of the walkway from her. She wasn't completely alone, however, as she stood next to another friend of hers, Gilda, who was clutching Emma's hand, fear clear in the girl's expression.
Emma watched from her spot in the crowd as a tall, dark-skinned woman walked onto the stage. She wears a short baby doll dress, with a tulle skirt that had to have been every colour of the rainbow, and was bejewelled head to toe in bright colourful gems, of which nobody in district 12 could have ever had the hopes of affording. She tapped the microphone and two loud bursts came through the speaker.
"Welcome, welcome everyone, happy hunger games, and may the odds be ever in your favour. Now, we have a very important message coming to you all the way from the capital." The woman, Miss Krone Goldypond said, as the usual propaganda film played on the projector.
The film was punctuated by the woman's small clapping, "ah, I love that," she took a deep breath, "now. The time has come to select one brave boy and girl, as is tradition, ladies first." And she walked over to the fishbowl on the left side of the stage, and gently lowered her hand into it.
"Emma Gracefield!"
Silence rung in Emma's ears, the air and the crowd was crushing. This couldn't be happening, this couldn't be real. Emma's life flashed before her eyes, and everyone was staring at her. She moved slowly, on autopilot.
"Come on up here, don't be shy."
The peacekeepers closed in behind her, one hand on her back so she couldn't escape. She climbs the stairs up to the podium.
"There you go dear." Krone said as she moved Emma to stand to her left. "And now for the boys." Emma watched as there were so many eyes on her, her normal happy mood gone. But she smiled, a broken, fake smile, part of her autopilot. She was so distressed and distracted by the crowd that she didn't see krone take place at the name she had pulled.
"Ray... Gracefield." Emma's face dropped and she could hear her mother cry out from her spot in the crowd.
He wasn't hard to spot, as he moved much quicker than Emma had, fueled by an unwavering spite at the universe.
"Well, uh, a round of applause for our two tributes," she said, but no one clapped. They simply raised their hands, pinkies folded under their thumb, a symbol in their district used for support. "And may the odds be ever in your favour." Emma felt a hand on her shoulder.
Emma sat in an empty room for visitors to come see her, leg bouncing as she sat silently. The first to arrive was her mother, who scooped Emma into a hug. They both cried and Emma promised her mother that she would try to survive. Next was Gilda, who also sobbed into her shirt, and made Emma promise she'd be careful. After that came Phil and Emma's younger sister Carol. Carol didn't know what was going on, she was only about 3 years old, and Phil held her tight and promised Emma he would take care of her with teary eyes.
Finally, the door opened and there was Norman, son of the mayor. Emma ran to him and hugged him, he was one of her closest friends. He pulled away from her, he too was dressed in the muted formal tones that everyone wore on the reaping day. He reached up and unclipped an owl pin from his shirt. He had worn it last year, telling both Ray and Emma that it was supposedly lucky. Slowly he reached forward and pinned it to Emma's shirt, saying "come back, please," and he pulled her into a hug again. He tapped out a familiar pattern onto her back, something he'd done for years.
"I'll try."
And then he was gone, forced out by the peacekeepers.
Emma held Ray's hand as they followed Miss Krone to the train. It was so much fancier than Emma had ever expected to see in her entire life.
"The capital thinks that it's a good idea to let the contestants live in luxury for the time before the game, some sort of way to make up for sending them into a sudden deathmatch." Krone explains.
"It's a load of bull" came a gruff voice from inside the sitting room. "Oh you're going to die, here's a month of luxury."
"Dear," came a much lighter voice.
"Ah, and these are your coaches, Yuugo and Lucus Glorybell." Emma recognized the names as the only two winners in their district. "Of course I will be helping you prepare for your interviews and public appearances, and you have your own personal stylists, but they are here to give you advice for the games." Krone explained to the two as the train took off. "Have a seat. You can have all the food you want, it's all for you, and I am truly sorry about your circumstances."
"Are you? Are you really?!" Ray yelled. Emma decided to wander over to a tray of odd-looking little desserts, preferring not to get involved in the now ongoing argument, preferring instead to study the room and the people in it.
Ray was her brother and the easiest to read, he's pissed off and scared. Not only was he forced to take part in the hunger games, but so was she, and she was pretty sure that is what was scaring him the most. Not the possibility of him dying, but her dying.
Krone was the escort for their district, she had been for the last three years. She always wears bright, elaborate clothes, and always seemed bright and cheery. Emma could tell by her posture that the argument with Ray had her on edge, like she hadn't expected to have someone openly yell at her.
Yuugo was the first person in their district to win the hunger games. He had been put in with his at-the-time fiancée when they were 15. He looked bored and like he was ready to act, and like he probably had already started on the decanter sitting next to him. He was hard to read.
Lastly, Lucus. He won the year after Yuugo, and the two were currently married. He had just barely won, losing an arm and messing up his leg in the process. He was much easier to read, he seemed friendly and like he was trying to cool the situation, though he didn't seem to want to be there either.
Emma popped one of the little pastries in her mouth, "Mmm!" Her eyes lit up.
"Good right?" Krone asked and Emma nodded, looking over to Lucus. They would have to get started on strategy soon, or they should try to at least.