Prologue
The sun beats down on the crowd in their finery, as they wait. The tension is imminent, a low buzz- directed towards two small podiums, set up on either side of the main stage. On one side, the female nominee stands, flanked by her first and second alternate. They stand straight-backed, fully aware of the attention of the crowd, the cameras, the Capitol.
The escort, a tall lilac-haired woman, pulls out a name from the glass sphere in front of her, agonizingly slowly. The Academy nominee- eighteen-year-old Shimmer Caldwell- leans forward, her body like a coiled spring. She rolls the well-rehearsed phrase over in her mouth- I volunteer as tribute. Her heart pounds. You've been training for this for years, she tells herself. You cannot fail now.
Finally, the escort asks the all-important question- do we have any volunteers? Shimmer opens her mouth to speak, but finds herself drowned out by a nearby voice- the second alternate raises her hand as she shouts, deeming herself tribute.
"Velvet", Shimmer says, the words escaping her lips before she can stop herself. "What are you doing?"
The second alternate turns her head away, giving no response. In the middle of the crowd, surrounded by cameras, Shimmer begins to sob.
Velvet tries to ignore the crying girl- the rightful volunteer- behind her. She rises onto the stage, standing tall as her name is announced, as the proceedings continue. She beams as she shakes the male tribute's hand, as the two of them are officially announced as the District One Tributes for the 79th Games. It is only when she is escorted off stage and into the Justice Building that she allows the smile to fall from her face.
Velvet sits in waiting on a plush red couch, made of her namesake. A peacekeeper opens the door. "Stelle Lowe is here to see you." Velvet nods wearily, and her mother is let in, clutching her baby granddaughter.
"Well done, darling," Stelle says as she lowers herself onto the sofa. "I told you, there's nothing they can do to stop unexpected volunteers, hm?"
"Mom," Velvet says shakily, "What have I done? They're gonna find some way of punishing this, I know it. It wasn't supposed to be me."
Her mother sniffs crossly. "Well, better you than that idiot Shimmer girl. Her family bribed the Academy to nominate her, I bet. She wouldn't have made it past the first night. Besides, it would have been you, if…certain circumstances hadn't arisen." She aims a barely-concealed glance in the direction of the sleeping child. Velvet takes the infant into her own arms, rocking her softly.
"You have to take care of her if I don't come back, okay, Mom? I don't want her in the Games."
In response, Stelle offers a small nod. She does not meet her daughter's gaze.
They sit in silence until a peacekeeper comes to collect the two visitors. As she stands, Stelle stares piercingly into her daughter's eyes, blue like her own.
"Good luck, darling," she says. "You can win; I know you can."
"I don't have a choice, do I? I have to. For Minny." With that, Velvet kisses her baby daughter on the forehead for the last time. She turns her head away, so that her departing mother cannot see her cry.
AN: Hi everyone! This is the first Hunger Games fanfic I've ever written, so please feel free to offer any constructive criticism or suggestions! Also, it's probably not going to be a major element of this story, but this takes place in a version of Panem where the rebellion has not occurred- thus, the Hunger Games have continued. Thanks for reading!