And the last installment in the three-part District Eight Reaping chapters!
I kinda feel like I left Rufus out, but when I was sick, I had a lot of time to plan the chapters, so that's kind of why I'm uploading all of a sudden llD I apologize for spamming your inboxes!

And wow, chapter twenty. I never thought Dangerous Times would reach one hundred reviews before it reached twenty chapters! Thank you to all the lovely, lovely reviewers u vu I couldn't of updated without you guys! :,D

Chapter Twenty- Shera

"Theo Drane!"

The name is called, and though there's a moment of relief that settles in Shera's heart when it isn't her own, it quickly turns to horror as she blanches, face white as her hands fly up to her mouth and the world seems to move a little too quickly.

She sees peacekeepers move towards Theo, aimlessly throwing aside other people in the process. They grip his arms and she half-expects to see him fight them off, but then she remembers no, no, he can't, even Theo's not stupid enough to disobey Serdin's will.

Which leaves her as the only person to help him. But she can't, she knows she can't, and as much as she wishes, she just can't. As soon as his name was called, his fate wasn't in his own hands anymore.

Tears start to form as she imagines watching Theo, Theo, the weird guy that no one really talked to, the one guy that always sat at the back, glaring at everyone, the one that preferred to hunt alone, her best friend, the one she had to coax out of his invisible little barrier that he built around himself, keeping everyone at bay, and the only person she really felt connected to. Images swim before her eyes in the blur of tears and sudden motion as she imagines watching him on the large television in the middle of town, fighting, bleeding, dying.

And everything comes at once; the places they used to meet, the talks they used to have, the teasing from others that they should just get married already. Honestly, to her, their relationship was currently at friendship level, and now, with this event, she doubted it would go beyond that.

And with that thought she wants to fall down and weep, just lie down and cry her eyes out. Ignorant of all the snickering peacekeepers or sympathetic girls, only with those doomed thoughts that seem to repeat again and again no matter how much she tried to chase them out.

And in that moment, as she rubs her eyes with the back of her hand, hoping they weren't too red, she catches his eye.

Don't worry.

She can read the message etched clearly in his eyes and she smiles a tearful smile. Trust Theo to worry for her when he himself was being catered towards certain death.

It wasn't that she didn't believe he could win. Shera had seen firsthand what Theo was capable of, and she had to admit it was impressive. But say he did win, and he did come back to her, and there was a grand wedding with other victors as guests and riches worth Serdin nobles. Even so, Shera wasn't stupid. She knew the Chase Games took a toll on everyone, and the victors themselves were the ones who were haunted most of all. Most of them fell to drink or drugs, and she thinks of one guy from District Five who couldn't sleep alone and had to crawl into other victors' beds at night, much to the annoyance of the ones who preferred to be alone. The Chase Games were inhuman and haunting, to everyone.

For a moment, she wants to volunteer. She takes a step forward, feeling the rough fabric of her white cloak brush against her ankles, but with a sinking feeling in her chest, she realizes that, while she was lost in thought, the announcer had already finished interviewing Theo and he was now standing beside Eshe and Rufus, the other two tributes.

She had missed her chance.

How could she be so impossibly stupid? Theo was always looking out for her, caring for her, and just when she had the chance to actually do something for him, she missed it.

"And now, the next tribute!"

In her lament, Shera failed to hear the announcer calling for the next tribute.

And as the announcer picks up the paper and speaks, everything seems to go in slow motion.

The announcer parts her lips and reads in a clear voice, as peacekeepers get ready and everyone sucks in a breath.

"Shera Galciem!"

Five syllables.

Peacekeepers surge forward and grab a dazed Shera, almost dragging her onto the platform. Her eyes flicker around, first resting on an indifferent Rufus, to Helen, who's looking down. Theo, who is so desperately trying to catch her eyes, but she merely gazes over him. Peacekeepers settle her next to the announcer.

"Oh, how exciting! Shera Galciem, correct? Oh, how do you feel being the last tribute for District Eight, Hunting? The fourth tribute? Someone who isn't supposed to be here?"

"Um—" She's cut off.

"If she isn't supposed to be here, why is she here?" Theo demands, red eyes blazing with anger as he eyes the announcer straight on.

"Oh?" The announcer's small pink mouth spreads into a O shape, her hand fluttering up to rest just above her breasts. "Is this drama?" She takes a exaggerated intake of breath. "Do you two know each other?"

"Y-yes," Shera answers, keeping her voice soft.

"So, is Theo Drane your knight in shining armour?"

"N-No!" Shera squeaks, a faint blush rising on her cheeks as she stares rather awkwardly at her shoes.

"So," The announcer seemed to sense that she wouldn't get anything out of the shy girl, and instead turns to challenge Theo. "You don't want her fight, do you?"

"I don't want anyone to fight." He glowers.

"But why not her?"

"She's a friend."

"Just a friend?"

"You wipe that smile off your face before I impale you."

"Oh! How protective!" The announcer takes a step back, pretending to be overwhelmed as she spins towards the cameras.

"The cold, but also silently caring Theo Drane stands up not for his being, but the delicate maiden soul of his partner, Shera Galciem! What will happen to these star-crossed lovers, separated by the hand of fate, but so believing in each other? Serdin, there hasn't been a whirlwind romance like this in years! Must the cruel, but exciting yearly kill or be killed event known as the Chase Games, a favoured sport in Serdin, separate the tributes of the Districts forever, or are we to rise together against rules, weighing other's love against our own entertainment? Citizens of Serdin, find out all this and more, in the interviews of all the tributes, coming soon!"

Shera glanced at Theo, who looked stunned at the announcer's words. Looking down once again, she fiddled her fingers together as her head spun with news.

She was a tribute.

She was a tribute, going to die.

She was a tribute, going to die while fighting against Theo.

She was a tribute, going to die while fighting against Theo in the Chase Games.

"Oh Theo," she softly whispered, more for herself than actual said male. "What have we gotten ourselves into?"

And, that's a wrap!

I'm sorry. I had to pull the whole Katniss-Peeta thing. llD""

Review Replies~

Puriyo: Asfkalghksdggdha. Stahpp. /v/. I butchered your precious baby ;n;

Iamochinchindesu: I'm not sure what to say.

Snowskeeper: LOL. Good luck with that.
Non! O n O
Yes it is ;u;
LOLYes.
Pftt—llD"" I was only kidding, though-
LOLohmigosh, seriously? I'm inspired to get to level 100, now. /punted to Pluto
Oh gosh that chair. Sirenys made me drag my butt onto maple to get that chair, and whenever I'm sitting on it I just stare at it and end up laughing. It's so disturbing but funny.
You can never have enough fans! O n O. They're very handy when it's hot outside—Oh. Wrong kind of fan, I suppose llD
Either way, you can never have too many fans, both alive and inanimate!

WinterBarrows: llD…I dunno, to me, Eshe is really dull…
Aasgdlkasgkag that's exactly how I feel when I write about my OCs! ;n ; I'm kinda glad to know I'm not just overly paranoid and other authors have these problems, too llD"
D'aww. U v U Thankjs! Though, Eshe isn't much. XD;;
Ohmigosh. The Sellion set is so…asdklghaskghagsd. I swear GC made it to troll the female players. Dio. Hnnggg.
I know what you mean, though I8 Dio's voice acting is kinda…
Also, since I discovered Dio from Mad Father, I've concluded all guys named Dio are so sexy or cute. U v U If only they were real.
/v/ Oh please. Stahp! I can't handle all this praise /v/
LOL. Actually, when I was writing this, I had an image in my mind that was close to that. Great minds think alike!
(And I think we just made up British Gentleman!Rufus. I approve./slapped)

hardcoreGSfan: Yes! It's Rufus! The beau bounty hunter finally comes uvu
Thank you~

Purple Porch: Thank you /v/ And yes! He is! Rufus is such a cutie with his beautiful hair and guns. /v/