Chapter 2
I started to shake. Tremendous fear and a chill went down my spine. It couldn't be. It wasn't. It couldn't be Iris. How is she going to survive? Even more important, how is her family going to survive? She brings food home for them and money and goods and…..well…life. She honestly brings life to her family. They would not be able to live without her. Like I said before, she takes care of them. I looked over at Iris and Helios who were staring at me with giant purple and gold eyes. Probably sooner than her mind, her body started moving to the front of the district, HER district, who voted Iris of all people to compete in these terrible games. What did she do to deserve this? I honestly wanted to know. I was worried if she won that she would be shunned because she was meant to die. Of course, Helios and I would NEVER let her compete.
"You're a young one." The crazy, insane, cold hearted, person said. Iris looked up at her. Her heartless cold eyes pinned her down like a tiger staring down its prey. "Now for the next little rascal that this district hates." She announced. I could not stand her, but her words made me wonder. Do my classmates hate Iris? Do my friends hate her? Does my family hate her? I couldn't tell for sure. All I knew for sure is that Iris was chosen, chosen to die, and I couldn't stand it.
"I VOLUNTEER!" The words slipped. Slipped like a helpless animal on ice. "I volunteer as tribute." Iris stopped dead in the middle of the stage. She looked at me with anger and disbelief in her eyes. The hate suddenly turned to sadness, and a drop of water ran down her cheek.
"NO! Don't do it! You will die and I don't want that to happen!" She choked between gritted teeth and sobbing.
"Too late." I replied. I walked up as I was stared at by my classmates, my friends, my family, my district. I showed no lack of pride as I took my friend's place. She struggled and screamed and scratched as peacekeepers took her away and shoved her back into the audience. She ran to Helios and hugged him. I was a little jealous.
"Now that that's over with, let's get to the reaping, part two. The gentlemen." My eyes darted to Helios. I then squeezed them shut and prayed that he wasn't chosen. "Henry Okampit!" I let out a huge sigh of relief. He didn't come up. "Henry Okampit!" she called again. Nobody. A man came up and whispered something in her ear. "It seems that Henry unfortunately is dead. He ate some bad berries." She announced. I caught my breath and held it. "Second place was Argan Thuja!" She sneered. A boy who looked a few years older than me walked up slowly. He was very scrawny with glasses and freckles. He was wearing a green and blue plaid suit with black pants. We shook hands and wished each other good luck.
We were finally dismissed to town hall where my family and friends bid me goodbye. "Why'd you do it?" everyone started to interrogate me. Iris looked sad, angry, and confused. I couldn't help but feel bad for her, because she probably thought it was her fault, though it wasn't.
"I did it to save you, Iris. Also, it's easy to get your hands on a knife, but not a bow. Trust me. Take care of my family, guys. If I die don't stop hunting. Keep our families alive. And mom, if I die, it was with honor. Remember that." Everyone around me stared. Did I really mean what I just said? I wasn't exactly sure. The only thing I was sure of, is that I was in grave danger.
I looked over at where Argan Thuja was. Nobody was there to see him. "Where's your family and friends?" I inquired after my family had left.
"I don't have any. My family died in a lumbering accident and I don't have any friends because I always spend my time studying." He looked down at his feet and sniffled. "It's okay, though. I am used to being lonely, and plus, books keep my occupied."
"I'm sorry to hear about your parents, my dad died the same way they did. And, if you don't mind, I'd like to be your friend." I said with a smile.
Argan looked up. "You mean it?" He inquired, "Are you sure you don't just feel bad for me?"
"No, I mean it, you deserve a friend." He smiled ear to ear then bowed to me, which I thought was a little weird, but I didn't mind. I bowed back.
