Chapter Text
During the days when there didn’t seem to be any reason to get out of bed, the sirens screamed down upon a shack on the side of the woods. Living there was a young adult with black hair and an oversized t-shirt, standing up to his knees, who stretched their arms as the sirens stopped screeching.
“Cheng Xiaoshi, it’s time to wake up! We also can’t be late today since it’s the reaping!”
“I know Qiao Lin, goodness gracious, you don’t need to nag into my ear, you know!”
Raising themselves from the bed, they open the door to see Qiao Lin tendering their flowers as they pour some of their precious water on top of it. Closing the door behind, Cheng Xiaoshi started to flick through the few pieces of clothing that he owned and grabbed the neatest out of the selection. Putting on the thin fabric and going up to a damaged mirror, trying to put their hair in a presentable way. Looking at his hair, he gave up on trying altogether as he grabbed a hair accessory for Qiao Lin as he entered the kitchen.
“Why is your hair always like this?! At this rate, I’m willing to chop it all off to save you some hassle.”
“Qiao Lin, enough already, nothing is wrong with my hair, I don’t know what you’re talking about, seriously, it’s fine!”
“Alright then, I got some eggs from the market the day before, so we’ll be eating a boiled egg each, so you better appreciate me more!”
“Whoa, you actually got eggs! Aren’t they expensive for a reason?”
“Yeah, but this is a special occasion, so dig in.”
Peeling the eggs carefully as they take small bites to last longer, they discuss when they should arrive at the centre of town. Ever since Cheng Xiaoshi’s father died from a mining accident, Cheng Xiaoshi’s mother has been unable to take care of herself. He spent days trying to make her feel better as Qiao Lin frequently came over with her parents in trying to help them to scrape by, with Cheng Xiaoshi being the provider now.
Six months later, when the reaping was going to take place, Cheng Xiaoshi woke up, got dressed and found a note in her mother's handwriting. With tears in his eyes, he ran to Qiao Lin's house as he broke the news, weeping into her arms as his mother couldn’t anymore. She was gone, like the warmth that she provided, disappeared into the woods where she would forever be free.
Cheng Xiaoshi could never understand why. Why did she leave? Did she want to end herself or wanted to disappear from the narrative, for these questions would keep him up at night every day as he drifts off to sleep with tears in his eyes. He could think of that now, cause right now it’s going to be the reaping, and he wouldn’t make his tears as entertainment for the capital.
Taking the last bite of the egg, he then goes to the door as he puts on his shoes, waiting for Qiao Lin. After a few seconds, she joins him in at the doorway and they start walking to the centre of town, where two people between the ages of 12 – 20 would be reaped.
The chances of him being reaped are low, but not uncertain, from the number of times that he placed his name for resources. This contrasts with Qiao Lin, who only has her name in their a few times. Besides, what are the chances of her being picked?
Going out the door with Qiao Lin, walking a few steps before the centre, a boy who looks around the same height as him walks through the crowd. Cheng Xiaoshi flicks through the crowd for the line of eighteen-year-olds when he spots a boy with white hair walking through the crowd.
“Lu guang! Hey, wait for me.”
“Fine, but you better come quick.”
Walking a bit faster, he and Qiao Lin meet up with Lu Guang as they walk towards the reaping. The chances of them going into the Hunger Games were uncertain; among all three, Cheng Xiaoshi has the highest chance of getting picked, yet when being compared to others, his chance is slim, and he hopes to keep it that way. Lu Guang's chances are so minute that it’ll be hilarious if he gets picked, since his chances are so slim.
Reaching the destination, he cradles both of their hand and says what he said every year from the beginning since he befriended Lu Guang and tried to pick up jobs when Qiao Lin's parents were feeling unwell for the hospitality that he has experienced from them when they made sure he survived the winters.
“May the odds be ever in your favour…”
“Don’t look so down, Cheng Xiaoshi, I'm sure that we won’t get picked even if our names are in there.”
“Yeah, don’t overthink it.”
Giving them one last look, Cheng Xiaoshi gives them a big hug to both of them as he lifts a hand towards Lu Guang, asking them with a look in their eye to please reassure him that he’s not overthinking it. Lu Guang gives him a look and silently takes their hand as they go over to the eighteen-year-old section of the reaping.
It’s time for the reaping, Felix says as the newest caller for District 12.
“Our first contestant is…”
Reaching down into a huge glass bowl, digging their hand in with a small white piece of paper when they decide that this is the one. That one piece of paper which determines the fate of a person when they enter the arena. The crowd holds their breath, praying that they won’t get picked. The parents on the sidelines are praying that their child won’t get picked, having to face the fact that their blood might be on their hands when they’re slaughtered in the arena. Folding out that stupid piece of paper, looking towards the crowd, he reads out the first name. Cheng Xiaoshi desperately hopes that it’s not him; cause it wasn’t him, it was.
“Qiao Lin”
Silence echoed in the crowd, with everyone staring at her. Some were far away. Cheng Xiaoshi hears Qiao Lin’s parents give out cries when they realised their child, who had survived for nineteen years, would be dead in a few more days. District twelve doesn’t have winners—it just doesn’t. The last winner was fifty years ago, which isn’t good since the area has changed drastically over the last fifty years.
Regardless of her slip with her name among thousands of names, the odds were in her favour. Cheng Xiaoshi gives Qiao Lin a look at the nineteenth section, shaking their hands, trying not to cry tears, knowing the people will see it as a weakness and exploit it. The mumbling died down with the peacekeepers trying to get to her as she’s still in shock with teary eyes.
“Qiao lin!”
A strangled cry comes out of Cheng Xiaoshi's throat as they begin to move towards the pathway where the tributes walk down to the stage. Cheng Xiaoshi doesn’t even need to shove through the sea of people as they make way for him, reaching out to Qiao Lin. Holding in her shaking hand, Cheng Xiaoshi faces the entertainer and, with the most confidence he could muster, he volunteers for her.
“I volunteer”
The crowd goes silent with Felix looking at him like he’s gone mad.
“But I believe we alre-”
“I volunteer as tribute”
His resolve was unshaken, with the people gasping around them, along with Lu Guang giving him a look. A kind of look that Cheng Xiaoshi could not even describe, but that’s okay, since all that he could think about was how Qiao Lin was finally safe now. There hadn’t been a volunteer in decades, although the word tribute was linked with corpse, it was no wonder that no one would contribute. Qiao lin starts to scream at me hysterically as I give them the biggest hug I could give, with the peacekeepers now dragging me towards the front of the stage.
“Well, that’s the spirit, I guess. please, ladies and gentlemen of all kinds, give them a round of applause.”
The crowd was silent as Cheng Xiaoshi got dragged towards the stage. The president of the town gave him a painted face as he looked away. Cheng Xiaoshi wondered if he ever remembered him as the child who lost their father down at the mine shafts, and their mother slowly going insane until they perished. Does he remember all this?
That doesn’t really matter, though, does it? he still might die, but at least he’ll extend the time that Qiao Lin has, which is good enough. Standing up upon the stage, I see Lu Guang talking to Qiao Lin in a hushed tone, raising their head, they turn to look at Chen Xiaoshi dead in the eye.
“I volunteer as tribute.”