--This is my first attempt at putting an original character in the Hunger Games... What I have happening in this chapter will be explained later on by my writing of the story...so don't worry too much on my version of it... I am using the original book by Suzanne Collins and its sequel as sort of formats to fill in my characters info. You will notice almost identical references in the story to the original book...but that is the way I intend it. Please do not flame. Constructive criticism is nice...but no one likes a troll.
Even as I stood in the crowd and Effie Trinket read off the girl's name, I knew I wasn't going to be a contestant. For those that knew me in my district, I was older than I appeared, especially since most of my friends were middle aged and I myself, even though being middle age, seemed a lot younger than I actually was... Young enough to pull off being in my upper teens.
Which put me in quite a predicament. Sure, I could have very well volunteered at any time I liked, but it was only until today that I realized it was time to show the empire what a true warrior and fighter looked like. There was a small problem, however, since my name was in the drawing exactly zero times.
My only real hope was to volunteer, so, after ignoring the drawing of the female contestant's name (it was better this way anyway, distancing myself from every one, that way I could fight for myself in the games), I anxiously awaited the drawing of the male contestant's name, preparing to yell out my volunteering the moment the contestant's name came out of the foul woman's lips. If someone else volunteered before me, I'd never get my chance... I had to be first.
Having missed out on most of the congratulations, I finally turned my hazel eyes towards the platform that the Mayor and Effie stood upon with our former champion and our new girl contestant. I watched eagerly as Effie drew the name of the boy contestant from the ball containing the raffle that all teenagers were forced to attend. The name drawn didn't quite register with me, because I was already pushing my way through the crowd, shouting, "I volunteer!"
The way that I planned this was simple... I was going to be a career and basically volunteer for the chance to win. Anyone else who wasn't a career would be reaped for the sake of dying.
When I finally reached the stage, I noticed for the first time the awe that spread over the crowd. No one ever volunteered from district 12... no one. This accounted somewhat for the silence that broke out in the crowd of spectators and the whisperings that followed.
Upon reaching the stage, I walked up the steps towards where the boy contestant was standing and face Effie bravely. However, even as I reached her, she gave me a questioning look and words to match it. "Why are you up here? You are not Andy Rothschild are you?"
"Perhaps you don't understand; I volunteer."
"This is unprecedented...you are too old to be reaped."
"I am not too old... I'm clearly 17, a perfect age for reaping." Of course, I had dual earring piercings with a wolf tooth hanging from each ear...but I still looked pretty young besides that fact.
"Even so, you can't volunteer for someone who isn't of your family." This wasn't true, but Effie, like the rest of the crowd, was too shaken up to realize quite what was happening and what she was saying. Just another example of people going a bit nuts when someone didn't volunteer for practically the entire time the games had been running.
"Do you understand the concept of 'volunteering'? I freely give myself in place of another...besides, all you need is a representative of our districts, correct?"
"Correct." And then Effie was back to her usual bubbly self, "That's the spirit of the games! What's your name again?"
"Zeke Shadows"
"Wonderful! Zeke from district 12 shall be the volunteer to take the place of this young man! Everyone give a nice big round of applause for our new tribute!"
The other boy had quietly sneaked off of the stage, an obvious look of relief reflected on his face. Unfortunately, this escape wasn't covered very well by the crowd, who, to the everlasting credit of District 12, didn't applaud...at all.
And instead of applause... I received something that was unexpected... a mass salute by the crowd members, their three middle fingers on their left hands touching their lips and then reaching out to me. It was definitely not something I had been waiting for and I was slightly caught off guard. Of course I had helped a few people with my hunting outside of the electrified...or...well, sometimes electrified fence. But, besides that... I could see no reason for the sign of love and adoration they were giving me.
Thinking back over on the whole assembly as I was wisked away by a few peacekeepers, I considered it to be pretty normal. As I saw it, the reason the crowd showed me respect is because I volunteered for a child that many of them may have known. It was not unheard of...and people were pretty close due to their not being much room for anything else besides suffering in the district... You either had to join together or die alone... Besides that, many people knew who I was and how long I had been around... They knew I was too old... but the empire didn't, and they were glad that someone like me was willing to risk their life to keep a young boy out of the Hunger Games.
Second to come to my mind was the brunette that was marching by my side. Somewhere between the Treaty of Treason reading and the shaking of hands I heard her name, "Kathrine" and I was a bit more interested in her now that I didn't have volunteering at the front of my mind... How much it would help me in the long run to know her would more than likely become clear later...usually it was good to not befriend too many people before you arrived ino the Hunger Games...it made your task that much harder when you got inside. But...something in my memory distracted me-- Haymitch. It was hard to not to be distracted by the dive that he had taken off-stage, but my mind came back to the present momentarily at the change of scene.
We were placed into seperate rooms in the Justice Building, and I was forced to recall information about Kathrine just so I can get back to my train of thought. I was just beginning to go over what her form looked like again before someone burst into the room, disolving any hopeful, but wistful thoughts that I had been having.
It was not a man I knew... but I could probably guess who he was and why he was here... not to mention how much his scent gave away... but that was beside the point, and the man was speaking... if you could call his sorrowful bleating speach, "Thank-...you.. You took the p-place of my son, Andy...I can't t-tell you how much I'm thankful for what you did...-" Althought the sight of a large muscular man crying his heart of to a contestant might have been appealing to some people... it wasn't particularly appealing to me... so I broke him off.
"I understand Mr. Rothschild... I understand. It was my pleasure volunteering for your son... I hope you enjoy many more days and nights with him..." I tried to make my voice somewhat soothing, but only the man's actions would show whether I succeeded or not.
The man nodded quickly, wiping his teary-eyed face with a small piece of cloth the he seemed to have produced from out of nowhere. "Best of luck then." The man gave a sad smile and abruptly left the room as a Peacekeeper entered to summon him.
Unfortunately, I wasn't able to focus anymore on Kathrine at all, so I waited impatiently for the Peacekeepers to come back in and take me away. It seemed as if I would have no more people waving me off, but that was okay with me. I wasn't feeling particularly sentimental.
Fortunately, I didn't have to wait much longer before a few Peacekeepers escorted me out of the justice building and into a car. I may have caught a glimpse of one sometime in the past, but I had never actually been in one before. It was an odd feeling and experience...moving forward while sitting still...kind of unsettling when you were doing it for your first time, but I didn't let it get to me. I had a much worse mode of transportation waiting for me... One of of the capital's high speed-model trains...but before I could get on I had to be molested by waves upon waves of reporters. Also fortunate for me was the fact that I had already been hiding my emotions, so it was easy to continue...but the eyes were what always gave you away, and even as I glanced around, a television screen on one of the walls was broadcasting live that particular attribute of me, and I realized very quickly that my hazel eyes were glinting with both violence and dangerous promises and intent... A good first impression if I do say so myself; always nice to show everyone I'm an unmerciful killer.
Kathrine, however, well... She was a completely different story altogether. She was sporting one of the most reporter-friendly smiles I've ever seen with eyes to match it. It seemed like she would be able to play her part very well in the interview region...but me...I left something to be desired.
Needless to say, I rejoiced when we finally moved from our stationary spot in the doorway of the train to the inside of it, leaving the reporters and their cameras behind. However, my unease quickly returned when the train started to finally move a moment later...
---My first chapter and first attempt at putting on OC into Hunger Games... R&R (Read and Review)