Chapter 1:
"You guys probably going to die tomorrow," he bellows in a jovial voice.
Keet, my mentor, follows his declaration with a big swig of the purple liquor. I pity the fool. He's been around for years; ever since I've been small. He's supposed to be my mentor.
"Drink up laddie! Enjoy the good life!"
The rest of us sit in silence around the mahogany dinner table. Plates of duck, deviled eggs, and other delicacies release exotic aromas that I had never smelled before in my life. Until three days ago.
Three days, when I was drafted into the Hunger Games. Since then, I'd been through all sorts of hell, from taking hot showers to interviews in front of the idiotic Capitol crowd. That damn Capitol.
"When can we go to sleep?" a small timid voice rings out through Keet's ravings.
"You little girl; you're going to be going to sleeping forever soon!"
Rue and I make eye contact and we share a smile. Keet has been predicting doomsday prophecies since the first day we met him.
Then, I think about his the implications of his statement and I realize he's right. We probably are going to die tomorrow. Out of the 24 tributes from 12 districts, only one of them could live and win the Hunger Games. What's more, some of the other tributes had been training for this thing since they could walk. They're usually from the richer districts, including district 1 and district 2. They're bigger, faster, and stronger than the other tributes.
I remember the moment that Rue got picked as a tribute very clearly. The woman who chose Rue's name said it in the most curt and boring manner.
"Rue," she said.
The crowd collectively gasped. The gloomy clouds in the air fit the mood perfectly. They knew Rue as one of the most lovable children in the district. On harvest festival days, she always volunteered to pass out the pork delicacy with an irresistible smile and this year, she won the competitive climbing contest, besting some of the 18 year olds. She had just turned 12, which is the youngest age in which one can be chosen. Rue slowly walked on the stage.
Then, the lady went on to chose the boy tribute. Mumbles spread throughout the crowd, most people probably wondering who would have to fight to the death with Rue. I too was tense. If everything went according to plan, I knew whom she was going to pick.
"Thresh,"
My lips curl slightly in relief.