001. Prologue
I glance at Gale, as I stand in the crowd of the sixteen year old girls in the middle of the Great Place. He reassures me with a look and a slight nod, and I turn back to face the stage, thinking about those words we said only a few hours ago, mocking our eccentric hostess: "May the odds be ever in your favor !".
Then, I look for Prim's blond, braided hair, which I find a few rows before me, with the other twelve years old girls. I don't have to worry about her, her name being written only once in the huge glass sphere, unlike my twenty-four little papers, and Gale's forty-two ones. However, I can't stop prying for us three not to be Reaped when Effie Trinket, our pink-dressed and haired hostess goes to the stage to pronounce her famous motto, with her high-pitched voice and her Capitol accent.
I don't pay attention the the film about the Hunger Games' origins anymore - I have seen it billions of times already in history class.
When Effie walks towards the girls' ball to pick a paper, my brain turns on the alarm mode and I scream inside my head "Please let it not be me or Prim !" over and over and over again. Of course, our hostess takes her time, plays a little with the papers, swirling her hand in the urn, before finally taking one in her manicured nails and returning to her spot, in the middle of the stage, the only sound in the whole place being the "clik-claks" of her high heels, sounding like a deafening noise in our apprehensive silence.
"The die is cast", I think, as she slowly unfolds the paper, prolonging the suspense, before announcing with a proud voice "Addie Zeodary !".
The knot that was my stomach instantly relaxes when I realize neither of our names will be called today, and I hear many girls around me sigh in relief. Nobody would have wanted to be in the girl that has just been Reaped's shoes, and everyone is very sorry, but we prefer to live, thank you very much. I try to ease the guilt by seeing that she is around my age, has long bond hair, and very pale skin and eyes; she also seems well feed. She is definitely from the town, which might help her a bit in the Games - if she's not too weak, that is.
During that short instant of relief, Effie has picked another paper, a boy's, and is now tranquilly going back to the microphone, next to where Addie, who seems utterly terrified, stands.
I then think of Gale, as Effie now holds the paper open in her hands.
My heart stops when she reads a name I would never have thought I would hear today.
Peeta Mellark.
[Hi ! I'm back today, with a new story, which unfortunately isn't mine, but LukeThroughTheKeyhole's ! I am only traducing it - about that, I took some liberties and changed a few sentences... I hope she'll forgive me !
She's writing both in French and English - go check her profile ! It's totally worth it !
Bye and please review !
MyNameIsMe AndILoveMyName]