𝐒𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐬 ☘︎ 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐇𝐚𝐰𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐞

𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐄 ☘︎ 9

Austin, Haymitch and I get escorted through the gap in the crowd by Peacekeepers and up to the Justice Building. Effie's there, with a butterfly outfit today. She's trying to hold in tears too, I can see.

And then I see the reaping bowls, well, bowl. There's the usual one for Austin and Haymitch, with two slips inside it. Pick Austin, I internally beg, please pick Austin.

And then I see the plate on which my name is lain. One single slip sits upon it. No doubt, the name Willow Hawthorne on it.

As I walk to the front of the big crowd, I see my mother, Mrs Everdeen, Rory, Posy, Vick, Gale, Katniss and Prim at the front of the assembly. Prim looks me with a look of anger (at the Capitol) and also sadness. Tears stream down Posy's cheeks. Gale (who never shows emotion) looks like he's going to drop down in sadness any minute. My mother's already gone, and I can see her bottom lip is trembling.

Austin lets my hand go and I stand on the other side of Effie from him and Haymitch. I'm devastated. And if they pick Haymitch's name, that devastation will multiply by a number so great I couldn't count.

Effie steps forward to the microphone. Even she sounds solemn. "Welcome, welcome. As we celebrate the seventy fifth anniversary and the third Quarter Quell of the Hunger Games. As always, ladies first."

She goes over to the plate my name is on and grabs is, pinching the paper in between her index finger and thumb. Soon, she arrives back at the microphone. "The female tribute from District Twelve is..."

She unfolds the slip of paper and utters out the inevitable name. My name.

"Willow Hawthorne."

I slowly connect my eyes with Austin's then walk over to Effie's side. "Wonderful!" She says, in an effort to keep the mood going, because right now, all the crowd is deathly silent, narrowing their eyes at her.

"And now for the men," Effie heads over to the bowl that the male names are in. Austin, Austin, pick Austin. I look over and make eye contact with Haymitch, he nods slowly as Effie picks a name out.

"The male tribute from District Twelve is," she sighs. Whether in relief or sadness I do not know-

"Haymitch Abernathy."

NO!

"I volunteer as tribute," Austin says without missing a beat.

"No, you can't do that," Haymitch sticks a hand out to stop him.

"You can't stop me," Austin says, equally grave.

"Austin-"

"Let go."

He takes Haymitch's hand off him and goes to join me on the other side of Effie. A tear runs out my eye and falls slowly down my face.

Fuck.

This was not supposed to happen.

"Very well then," Effie says. "Our tributes from District Twelve. Willow Hawthorne... and Austin Thatcher." When no one claps (as is tradition in Twelve) she goes on. "Well all that remains is..."

She trails off as my mother, Prim, Mrs Everdeen, Katniss, Vick and Gale put their three fingers to their lips then up in the air. I put mine up as well, and then more and more people and then the whole crowd...

Suddenly, I'm getting yanked by none other than Thread into the Justice Building, but I soon see that we're not going to the rooms in which the chosen tributes go to to say goodbye, we're going to the train.

"No! I have to say goodbye!" I shout, struggling against Thread's grip.

"New procedure, straight to the train," he says gruffly. I can see he's smirking however.