Heart of Gold • Finnick Odair

-3-

ROSALIE POV

There are two times a year that the people of District 11 dread: harvest because the work hours increase, and the Hunger Games/Reaping.

My brother is fifteen, Ralph is thirteen and I'm twelve. This'll be my first reaping. And because of gender, if I'm reaped there's nothing Brook could do about it (and vice versa). Apollo, my best friend, is fourteen. Luna is safe as she's only eleven.

The three boys, however, have a deal. A deal that none of them will volunteer for each other knowing they wouldn't be able to live with the guilt that the other died because they volunteered in their place. Instead, they promised to take care of the others sibling (in Ralph's case, his cow).

I wake up early, naturally, you get used to it when you have to get to be at work at sunrise. 

I drag myself out of bed as the dark sky outside begins to wake up, oranges seeping through the darkness as the burning sun starts to rise.

Our shack consisted of two rooms. One room, the smaller one, was the bathroom. The other room was slightly larger. Me and Brook sleep on thick matts, thinner than a mattress, with makeshift wall separating them from each other. There's no privacy so we change in the bathroom.

I grab my one 'fancy' outfit and take it into the bathroom.

I run myself a cold bath, because we don't have access to warm water. I scrub my body and hair over and over until I'm satisfied I've gotten all the dirt and grime out. There's no rush, it's not like the ice cold bath can get any colder. Besides, the coolness of the water is a nice change from the constantly scorching sun.

I climb out and dry myself off before changing into my reaping dress. The top half is a cream colour with intricate flower designs and the skirt half is brown and flows. I have a pair of brown boots to match, my only pair of shoes. I plait the top of my hair and tie it into a high ponytail, just as my mother had once taught me.

My brother does the same routine of getting a cold bath before changing into his best clothes.

By the time we are leaving our shack of a house, my hands are shaking and my head is spinning. Thoughts and worries are running round my head for myself, Brook, Apollo, and Ralph, hoping it wouldn't be any of us.

Brook is tall and muscular but he is as soft as a bunny. Apollo is short but buff from work but has little survival skills. Ralph is rather small with hidden muscle, he hasn't quite had his growth spurt yet, and despite always acting big and tough, he's sensitive and scares easy. I'm small and skinny but can climb and identify plants.

If it came down to it, I'd hope we could win but the odds are against us. Then again, when are the odds really in our favour?

Once we've made the long journey to the square, we are separated into our age groups. I stand with the other trembling twelve year olds as I look over to see Brook with the other fifteen year olds and Apollo in the fourteen year old section whilst Ralph stands with the thirteen year olds. At least Luna is safe.

I've lost track of how many times Brook's name is in the bowl, let's just say living in District 11 means almost everyone will have applied for tesserae at least once in their life, if they make it far enough that is.

I see District 11's escort, Liana Wane, take centre stage in front of the Justice Building. The Justice Building was once a beautiful, marble structure but now ivy overtakes the crumbling facade. Liana stood out next to the big, old building with her platinum blonde hair and long lashes almost touching her eyebrows. Her dress was different shades of pink with mesh butterflies placed throughout the skirt.

"Welcome all, and a Happy Hunger Games. And, may the odds be ever on your favour. As always, we have a special film, brought all the way from the Capitol, for you all to watch today."

'War. Terrible war. Widows, orphans, a motherless child. This was the uprising that rocked our land. Thirteen districts rebelled against the county that fed them, loved them, protected them. Brother turned on brother until nothing remained. And then came the peace, hard fought, sorely won. A people rose up from the ashes, and a new era was born. But freedom has a cost. And the traitors were defeated. We swore as a nation we would never know this treason again. And so it was decreed that each year the various districts of Panem would offer up, in tribute, one young man and woman, to fight to the death in a pageant of honour, courage, and sacrifice. The lone Victor, bathed in riches, would serve as a reminder of our generosity and forgiveness. This is how we remember our last. This is how we safeguard our future.' Snow speaks through the video.

"Well, I've got chills," Liana exclaims. "Now the exciting part, the time has come for us to select one courageous young man and woman for the honour of representing District 11 in the 65th Annual Hunger Games. As usual, ladies first."

As Liana Wane walks over to the bowl, only her heels clicking against the floor could be heard as the crowd was silent. She pulled out a piece of paper and walked back over to the microphone before opening it, "Lily Call."

A tall girl with dark skin and dark brown hair stepped forward from the eighteen year old section and onto the stage.

I let out a breath of relief but it wasn't over yet, my boys were still in the running for male tribute.

"And now for the boys." She did the same thing, pulling out a paper from the bowl and reading it aloud, "Brook May."

I felt the air escape from my lungs, it was as if I had been winded. I watched my big brother walk onto the stage with a strong face, a facade for the Capitol. I see Ralph shift in his spot but after receiving a subtle shake of his head from Brook, he looks down defeated. As much as he wants to volunteer for his best friend, he wouldn't want to put the guilt on Brook if he did volunteer and died. He couldn't break their deal.

"Here we are, our Tributes from District 11. Shake hands, you two." They turn to each other and shake hands. "Happy Hunger Games, and may the odds be ever in your favour."

Our tributes are taken into the Justice Building and I, along with Apollo, Luna and Ralph, are rather roughly dragged to the side entrance to wish my brother, their friend, luck before he is sent off to his death. I notice that nobody else is taken, who was going to see Lily?