| " R E A P I N G . " |

___♔___

I tap my foot lightly against the concrete pavement below my feet. It's been a half hour of standing in the streets, and Reena Ballwin, our escort, hasn't come to the stage. The District grounds weren't too excited for her late spree, of which she lacked to show up to the annual reaping every year on time.

But as the Capitol citizens steps onto the shiny stage at the center of the courtyard, I realize that I spoke too soon.

"Hello, hello District two!" Reena says excitedly. I scoff. She needs to drop the happy act, because everyone knows she only wanted this job to be on television. "Well, let's get to the tributes, shall we?"

The crowd around me stays silent, and I fight back the urge to snort.

"As always, ladies first," She says, reaching into the girls' tribute bowl. She digs her hand around the small folded papers, and I slowly start to get nervous as the seconds drag on. My name is only in it once, but my luck could change in an instant.

"Christiana Ren Clark." Reena states loudly after unfolding the paper.

My heart drops in my chest.

I look over to see my older cousin, Apollo, looking at me with terrified eyes. Christiana is only twelve, and is Apollo's younger sister. I watch as she starts to walk to the stage, trembling with fear. Without thinking, I do something I never anticipated.

"Stop! No, Christiana! I voluteer! I volunteer as tribute!" I yell, pushing myself to the small girl. She looks back at me with sad and scared eyes, before she begins to cry, and envelopes me into a tight embrace.

But the peacekeepers pull me away from her, and onto the stage. Christiana keeps crying as she wraps herself in her mother's arms just feet away from the platform I now stand on. Apollo gives me a weak smile.

'Thank you', He mouths. In return, I send a small nod his way.

"Well, aren't you a beauty," Reena says to me, wrapping her arm around my waist. I look to the ground as all attention falls upon me. "What is your name, darling?"

"Lana Clark." I say quietly. She nods, and goes to the boys' bowl of tributes.

I mentally cringe, reminding myself of what I had just done; volunteered for a life sentence.

"And for the boys." Reena chimes. I zone out again, not listening to any of the words that come from her lips. Instead, I waste moments in deep thought.

I am in the career pack, but that doesn't mean anything. I can kill with any weapon, even my bare hands. But I don't want to kill people, do I? Even if it does mean getting out of the arena alive . . .

I am yanked from my thoughts when Reena says a name out loud.

"Mason Clark." She says proudly.

And that is the moment where my unshed tears decide to fall. Mason is my seventeen year old brother- a year older than me. I watch as he starts to walk to the stage, letting out a cry in desperation.

"No!" I yell, and fall to the stage in tears. I sob into my hands, watching as my mother does the same.

But someone stops my crying, cutting me off with their yell.

"I volunteer as tribute!" Someone raises their hand from the boys' section.

Mason stops in his tracks, and looks back to see Bane Haze. He's eighteen years old, and goes to my school. I sigh in relief when Mason goes back to his spot. He has hurt in his eyes. He wanted to go to the games, to protect me. And so does Garret, my other brother, eighteen. When Bane gets onto the stage, Reena asks him his name.

"Bane Haze." He announces. Without thinking (yeah, I never really think before I do something), I pull him into a huge hug, and cry on his shoulder. And he surprisingly wraps his arms around me, and hugs me back.

"Thank you so much," I murmur into his shoulder.

"You're welcome." He replies softly.

Bane is popular in school. He's really cute, and has every girl falling at his feet. Well, except for me, of course. I'm not naïve enough to go for someone like him. It's what people like him want, attention. As we pull away, Reena smiles.

"Here are your District two tributes!" Reena says happily. I try not to roll my eyes. Without warning, Apollo kisses his three middle fingers, and places them in the air. Then, it happens with my brothers and parents. And everyone else joins in on it. And the rest break into applause for us.

But it ends too soon when we are escorted to the rooms where we get a few minutes to talk to family and friends. I sit down on a stool in a corner, waiting for someone to come in. I look up when Apollo and Christiana burst through the door, both looking somewhat terrified.

Apollo pulls me into his arms. "Oh my god, thank you so much."

I smile at Christiana over his shoulder, and she smiles back at me through her tears. Apollo pulls back from me. "You can win this. I'll go talk to Bane, he'll help you win."

"He won't help me," I shake my head, smiling softly. "You have to know that, Apollo

"I know for a fact that he will." He insists, looking down at me. Apollo has always been like a brother to me- like Mason's long lost twin.

"You have to win." Christiana states, hugging me tightly.

"I will, I promise. For you, okay Christy?" She nods, and I wipe away her tears with my thumb. "Where are your parents?" I ask them.

"They won't allow adults in here." He sighs.

My eyes well up with tears again. I won't even get to see my parents before I get sent to the games.

"I'm gonna miss you so much." I say to them, slouching against the wall.

"I will, too." Apollo says, pulling me into another hug.

I start to sob when peacekeepers drag them out of the room. "You can win," Is the last thing that I hear Apollo say before the door closes behind them. I sit back down again, and let my tears fall. I look up, once again, when the door flies open.

My brothers. They instantly have me wrapped in their arms.

"You can do this. I know you can. Do it for Hollon," Mason says.

"We already talked to Bane. You need to ally with him and the other careers," Garret adds.

"Okay." I nod. They pull away to look at me. Mason pulls something from his back pocket, and hands it to me. He cups my hand around it, and I raise a questioning eyebrow at him.

"Don't look at it until you're on the train." He says. I nod. "I love you." He says, kissing my forehead.

"I love you." Garret says, kissing my cheek.

"I love you guys, too." I chuckle. "Tell the same to mom and dad."

"Use knives and swords. Maybe spears and tridents. And maybe even show off with a bow." Garret says.

"Okay, any other advice?" I question.

"Stay alive," Mason says. Typical Mason, trying to lighten the mood. "Bye, Lana." They say simultaneously as they are pulled from the room. I slouch onto the stool again.

I won't have any more visitors, I don't have any friends, or any more family. But I am corrected as the door opens, revealing a familiar fifteen-year-old boy. I know him. He's Bane's little brother.

"Hey," He says with a light and pitiful smile.

"Hi. Not to be rude, but why are you here?" I question him.

"Advice. Stick with Bane, and he'll keep you safe," He replies, sitting across from me.

"Why does everyone say that?" I ask with furrowed eyebrows.

"You'll find out soon." He mumbles. I nod my head in response, staring at the boy as I wipe away my remaining tears.

Without any warning, Raine pulls me into his arms. I hug him, too, even seeing how I barely know him. But peacekeepers come in, once again, tearing us apart.

"Just remember what I told you!" He says before disappearing from the room. Then Reena and Bane walk into the room, Reena frowning as a strangled cry releases from my lips.

"Oh darling, don't cry." She says, and pulls me out of the room along with her and Bane. I don't even send Bane a look as we are ushered away.

I can't.

___♕___

After we get on the train, Reena leaves us to get our mentors. I sit on the couch, staring at the cream colored walls that seem to mock me in my time of grieving. Bane sits next to me, and is staring at me.

"Why did you do it?" I ask flatly, not averting my gaze from the wall.

"Why did I do what?" He asks.

"Volunteer for my brother." I say, finally glancing over to him. "Why?"

"I don't really know why I did it. I just saw you break into sobs, and fall on your knees. And at that moment, I knew I had to volunteer." He says wholeheartedly.

"Thank you."

"You already said that." He chuckles.

"I know. But you saved my brother's life, and that means more than anything in the world to me," I say, keeping my eyes locked on him.

Then I remember it.

Mason gave me something, and told me to look at it on the train. I had put it in my pocket while talking to Raine. I pull the item from my pocket, and gasp. Bane looks over to me.

"What is it?" His eyes roaming to my hand. I dangle the necklace from my fingers, showing off the golden necklace with a knife pendant.

It belonged to my other brother, Hollon. He died in the games just last year. He managed to get himself into second place, but was murdered by Kalem West from District one. Hollon was my twin. He was two minutes older than me, but he acted like he was years older than me.

We were unseperable, and Hollon was the brother that protected me the most. He wouldn't even let boys look at me, as he'd threaten them severely.

"It's my brother's necklace. I took it off this morning before the reaping," I smile.

I've had this necklace for a year now. He was in the Hunger Games last year, and he was wearing this necklace when he died. And I'll wear it till I die, for Hollon. He promised me that he would win, but he didn't unfortunately. After I win these games, on my victory tour in District one, I'm going to hunt Kalem down, and give him hell. You reap what you sew.

"Oh, it was Hollon's, wasn't it?" Bane asks softly. I nod.

"He wore it until he died, so it's my job to do the same." I say, tears threatening to fall again.

"He would be proud of you for volunteering for that little girl." Bane says, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"Yeah, but he would've gave me hell for it. He never wanted me to go to the games." I mutter. "He was always so protective."

"I know. He threatened Reese that he would kill him when Reese was going to ask you out." Bane says with a smirk. I snort. Reese is one of Bane's closest friends. "It's true." He adds as a door opens, and our three mentors walk out; Krystal, Paul, and Leo.

"Hello, new tributes." Paul says. I roll my eyes at the sarcasm in his voice.

"You say it like it's a privilege to be here." I retort.

"Well, it is a privilege to some people." Leo replies.

"Nice job, man." Krystal says, patting Bane on the back.

"What are you talking about?" I ask, looking between her and Bane.

"Well, he had your back. He could've easily let your brother die. I would've gone with the second- it's the most logical," Paul says.

And that, for me, was the last damn straw.

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