"Evelyn Brinley, better known as Lady Red, victor of the 72nd Hunger Games. Won her games at 15."
"Why Lady Red?"
"Because she always wears red. Oh, and she won her games by burning the remaining tributes alive."
✮
"𝑮𝒊𝒓𝒍 𝒐𝒏 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒆? 𝑯𝒐𝒘 𝒄...
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EVELYN DIDN'T KNOW WHAT SHE WAS GOING TO DO FOR THE REST OF HER LIFE, but preparing for another reaping was definitely not on the list of possibilities. She no longer fit into her mom's reaping dress, so she wore one of her own. It was red, like most of her wardrobe nowadays, and it wasn't exactly in the reaping standards, but nothing about this reaping was normal.
She stared at herself in the mirror and didn't recognize the girl staring back at her. Her hair was longer and tied back, her eyes were sunken, and she looked like she was 50 instead of 18. That wasn't too shocking. She didn't leave the house after Snow's announcement unless it was her turn to go to the market, and she didn't do anything except lay around and occasionally sleep.
Of course she would look like the undead.
"Ready to do this again?" Evan asked as he leaned against her doorframe. He still fit in their dad's old reaping suit, even though it was worn out and the color was faded by now. Her brother was wearing a deadpan expression and his tone was just as monotone.
"Of course," Evelyn answered, fixing her dress one more time before turning away from the mirror and walking over to him, "Who wouldn't be?"
Despite her brother's calm demeanor, Evelyn could feel the slight trembling of his body as she looped her arm through his. Her legs didn't want to work, but she forced them to move as Evan led her out of the house and toward the square. Sasha was walking next to them with a bored expression on his face, although it had the underlying tone of anger.
"Haven't had to worry about this day for years," Sasha muttered under his breath, "It's ridiculous. Now I have to worry about it again?"
"I know, very infuriating," Evelyn said. "And everyone knows what they're doing this time too, it's not like we could hope to get by because we have better knowledge on the arena."
Everyone was already lined up in the square and they looked at the victors like they were already dead. Bell was up on the stage, and Evelyn joined her while the two boys walked to the other side. Bell didn't look as distraught or drunk as she did during the Quell announcement, in fact, she had the same dead expression all of them were wearing. It was the face of people who knew they couldn't change what was about to happen no matter how hard they tried.
Cassandra walked out on stage, and she didn't look like a peacock. Her hair was in a simple ponytail, she was wearing clear lipgloss, and her eyes were red and swollen. Evelyn saw her sneak a glance at Evan, and she saw Evan flash the escort a small, sad smile back.
"Welcome, welcome," Cassandra said, and her voice was more melancholic and quiet, "to the 75th Annual Hunger Games, and of course, the third Quarter Quell. Before we start, there's a message from Snow."
War, terrible war.
Evelyn had heard the speech enough times, so she focused on observing the crowd as Snow drilled on and on about how much devastation the war had caused. The devastation the war was still causing 75 years later. The crowd wasn't as anxious as every year, but they weren't happy either. The initial relief about not having to worry about being reaped had faded, and all that was left was the realization that this was still a reaping.
