Anticipation
Twelve districts. Each with their own industry, perfectly suited to the climate and resources. A capitol. Completely decked out in emerald green, and appropriately named the Emerald City. The Games. A contest in which 24 youths are chosen to fight for their lives, 2 from each district. This is the story of one of those Games in which two tributes from different districts would become unlikely friends in the midst of the terror and bloodshed.
Elphaba Thropp was fierce, but her heart was filled with compassion for the less fortunate. Her skin an unnatural green, blamed for her mother's death, abused by her father, she knew firsthand how persecution felt, for she had spent her entire life never knowing what it felt like to be truly loved. As she walked from her school to her sister's, she walked from her school to her sister's, she endured the taunts of fellow students. She was used to tuning them out by now, but one stuck out today.
"Wouldn't it be great if she just got picked, and we could be rid of her?"
Elphaba turned to see who had made this remark, and saw that it was a short kid, hardly older than twelve, who must have been walking home from Nessa's school. They're starting young now I see, she thought. Instead of replying with a sarcastic remark, she simply stared the boy down with her favorite glare, and he went running away. He sure wouldn't last long, were he to be drawn in the reaping, she thought with a cruel smile.
"See you tomorrow, Nessa!" a group of students called to a beautiful young girl in a wheel chair.
"Bye!" she waved back.
Elphaba walked up to the brunette, "Ready to go? No more adoring fans to say goodbye to?"
"If you weren't always so bitter, you'd have friends, too."
"Father would make sure they weren't friends for long," Elphaba laughed humorlessly.
The green girl pushed her sister's wheelchair down the cobblestone path and onto the road that lead to their house. Although, 'house' was an understatement. The girls' father, Frexspar Thropp, was the governor of their district, and the family lived in a large greystone mansion. Her position in society was one of the main reasons Nessa was so popular at school.
"The big dinner is tonight," Nessa said cheerfully.
"Ah, yes. Let us celebrate the upcoming deaths of twenty four children by having a large party," Elphaba replied sarcastically.
"In the Emerald City, they have parties every night for the duration of the Games, so we're not that bad."
"I know. It's sick," Elphaba spat. The citizens in the Emerald City never had to fear that their children would be chosen to fight- they were exempt from the reapings. For them, the Games were an annual reason to party, with exciting entertainment.
The sisters arrived at the front gates of the governor's mansion and soon they were inside, with Nessa being instantly pampered. The servants had long since let Elphaba fend for herself, and she took her own coat off.
"Nessarose, my beautiful flower!" Frex Thropp greeted as he walked into the entrance hall, his arms open in welcome. As he bent to hug Nessa, his eyes flicked up at his green daughter, taunting her. His repulsion of her was, matched by her hatred of him, though, and this glance had no effect on her.
The mansion was bustling with preparations for the party, and Elphaba was able to sneak away and read. Sitting on the wide window sill in an unused room, movement outside caught her eye. From where she was on the second floor, she could see a back delivery door near the kitchens.
A green-clad Ozian guard called a peacekeeper was talking quickly to her father, both of them looking over their shoulders as if they had something to hide. I wonder what that's about? She cracked open the window and held her breath, trying to catch what they were saying.
"When you fill the bowls with the names, leave Nessarose's name out, got it? She is not getting picked, is that clear?" the governor said.
"Yes sir, but what's in it for me?" the guard asked.
Frex reached into the pocket of his roves and pulled out a bulging velvet pouch. "How does this sound?"
"Excellent sir, thank you, sir," the man stammered, "Miss Nessarose's name will not be written."
"Good, now go before someone notices us," Frex finished.
Elphaba quickly closed the window. Seriously? No wonder they're both so enthusiastic! Nessa is in no danger at all! The unfairness of the whole situation was too much. Every other kid in our district lives in fear of reaping day. Slamming her book closed, the young woman stalked out of the room and downstairs to where Nessa was beginning to greet guests.
"Have a good evening, Nessa, I'm going to my room," Elphaba said, planting a kiss on her sister's head.
"You're not having dinner with us?" Nessa asked, concerned.
"I'll ruin everyone's appetite. Don't worry, I can get some food from the kitchens if I get hungry."
Far away in District 1, an energetic blonde was sitting at a lavish dinner with her parents.
"I'm sorry, momsie, I simply can't force myself to eat more tonight," she said, pushing her half-empty plate away.
"Nervous, sweetie?" Her father asked. He was a jolly-looking man with wrinkles around his eyes from laughter, and a white-blonde beard. He wasn't overweight, but he had the shape of the rich and well fed.
"Nervous, yes… but excited, too," the girl answered.
"Alright, darling, you don't have to finish," the girl's mother said.
"I'm going to bed. Goodnight, momsie. Goodnight, popsicle," the blonde kissed her parents and retreated to her very large, very pink bedroom.
She lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling. Who knew what tomorrow would bring? The chances of being chosen were slim, of course, but if she were to be chosen, she'd be playing a whole new game of chance. You'll be fine, Galinda, she told herself.