The sky was dark. The wind whipped violently, howling wildly. The weather was gloomy. Just like her mood. It was the day that every living soul in District 11 dreaded. Reaping day. She had avoided being picked two years in a row. She was hoping she could keep up that streak. “Chive!” A voice exclaimed her name, making her jump in fright. A young tom-cat whose fur was light brown, just like hers. He also had her family’s trademark flower shaped pupils. He huffed, trying to catch his breath. He smiled softly, yet somberly. “Hey, sis,” he said in between breaths. Chive allowed herself to smile. “Hey, Barley,” she replied, taking his paw in hers. “Promise not to let go?” She felt tears stinging her eyes, but she held them back. She couldn’t cry. Not now. Barley nodded. “Promise.” Their parents were behind them, their mother and father doing the same as Chive and Barley, squeezing their paws together. They reached the square, hundreds, maybe thousands of cats all squished together in a not nearly big enough square. Barley was still holding on to her paw. Chive felt her breathing accelerate, both the crowd squeezing in on her and her fear of being reaped contributing to that fact. “Just focus on me, okay? Just think about holding on to me,” Barley whispered. Chive started to calm down, until a loud, high pitched voice echoed across the square. “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the 10th annual Hunger Games reaping!” Chive looked up to see a cat, her fur dyed pink, and other frivolous accessories that Chive had never seen before decorating her body. The shade of pink was neon, hurting Chive’s eyes as she looked at her. She looked out of place in the gloomy, gray weather. The pink cat smiled, her expression way too excited for a reaping. “Let’s waste no time, shall we? As always, ladies first!” She said in a sing-songy tone. The cat walked over to the bowl containing the names of every single female in the district, ages 12 through 18. Chive knew she was in there. She was just praying that she wasn’t picked. Chive’s grip on her brother’s paw tightened. Barley moved closer to her, hugging her tightly. What happened next was the worst moment of her life. (CONT.)
“Chive Bellroot!” Chive felt the ground sinking below her, threatening to swallow her up. It would be a better fate than dying in the arena. Her mother let out a shriek. Her father’s usual cold stone expression faltering, tears falling down his face. Barley looked at Chive with tears in his eyes. Barley was 19. He couldn’t volunteer for her, as much as he might want to. They shared a glance, and they both knew one single fact. She wasn’t coming back alive. Chive screamed, hugging her brother tightly, refusing to let go. She saw the Peacekeepers approaching her, but she didn’t care. She was going to hang on to her brother. She kicked and kicked, screamed and screamed, bit and bit, but she knew that there was nothing she could do. She felt her grip on Barley loosen, tears spilling out of her eyes. “BARLEY!” She shrieked as loud as she could. She was sure that everyone in the square could hear. The Peacekeepers violently grabbed her wrist, and with a final pull, snatched her from her brother’s grasp. The entire square was eerily silent, only the shrieks and screams of her mother and Barley being heard. Chive had no strength left. She knew that she was going to die. There was nothing she could do. She would never see her brother again. She wouldn’t wake up to see his smile in the morning ever again. She would never see her mother again. Her mother’s warmth and love was a feeling she would never feel again. She would never see her father again. She wouldn’t hear his hearty laugh ever again. As she was carried up the stairs, she felt nothing except pure grief and sadness. She didn’t pay attention to anything else but one thing. Her family. She mouthed the words “I love you,” to Barley. Then her mother. Then her father. Their faces were filled with tears. She didn’t want them to cry. She hated seeing them sad. She didn’t even know who her district counterparts were. In this moment, she didn't care. As she was swept away, the only thing she heard were the screams of her brother. She was all alone. ((I was too lazy to make an actual thumbnail :P))
