"In out, in out," I say in my head as I remind myself to breathe. The room begins to circle around me and I feel myself lose the little composure I had retained. I sink to the ground and placed my perfectly manicured hands on the plush hand-woven carpet.
Today was the day. In just a few moments I would make my way through the large wooden doors that loomed before me and unleash some unexpected hunger games horror on the districts of Panem. I don't know how I let myself get into this situation, I don't even want to be president, I was forced into it. After my father, the previous president, died unexpectedly a few days ago, the responsibility was passed down to me. Now normally, the regular hunger games wouldn't require such a high amount of involvement from me, but this isn't the regular hunger games, this is 5th quarter quell. A sharp unfriendly knock at the tall wooden doors alerted me to the fact that it was time. I take a deep breath, brush off my cream colored silk shirt and perfect khaki pants, and place a clammy hand on the platinum doorknob. I exhale one last time and fling the heavy doors open. The artificial smell of the capitol instantly overwhelms me and I am a taken aback. It was stronger than usual.
My thin plum stilettos made satisfying clicks as I crossed the immaculate balcony to my podium and microphone. I raise my ash blue eyes to meet those of the surgically altered capitol citizens. Excited faces grin back at me with expressions of anticipation. The air felt heavy with suspense as I lean into the shining microphone. "Welcome…welcome." The hauntingly familiar words send ripples of excitement through the crowd. "As you know, today we reveal the twist of the 125th hunger games!" The crowd went wild, seeming to move and shake like choppy water. I turned my attention from the enthusiastic citizens to a young boy carrying an ornate wooden box. A small flick of my wrist rewards me with a crisp yellow envelope carefully labeled 125. I gently removed the capitol seal and extract the perfect card. The crowd had calmed down and is eagerly eyeing the card in my hand. I took a ragged breath and quickly read the card. "To remind the citizens that there is always hope, even in the darkest of night, 1 boy and 1 girl tribute will be permitted to survive."
Wait, did I just read that right? I do a double take and quickly scan the card again. I had read it right! A sense of relief washed over me as I realized two children would survive instead of one. No horror, just hope. I spin slowly on my heels and turn back to the white marble building, feeling grateful. This would be the best hunger games ever!