CHAPTER TWO

I take a while to get to sleep. It really hit me, when the two tributes were reaped, that two families will lose a child this year. I can't believe my luck to be in the Capitol. A Capitol child.

My brother says I am too caring. That's why I'm so troubled.

'They'll spend some nice time in Lupanity. They'll see the most beautiful, most rich areas of the country,' he shrugs.

'But then they'll die!' I protest. 'They're only here to be thrown in an arena and either killed or tortured for life!'

'Artella, this is why I don't watch the Games,' he says. 'I don't want to get attached like that.'

Then he gets up to go and get ready properly.

In school, everybody discusses the tributes in hushed tones. Delefria and her friends are very excited. They're the sort of brainwashed idiots who'll swallow all the rubbish about how great Snow and his Games are.

Westia breaks into tears. Alnathia puts an arm around her but sits in silence. She can't tell Westia everything will be ok, because it won't. For months, all we're going to see are these people's faces.

'I hate this time of year,' I say. 'We're literally bombarded with rubbish. We don't want these Games to happen,' I say. I am boiling with hatred for our president, but I can't speak to loudly. I need to be at home where nobody can hear for that kind of thing. 'And everyone in the Districts probably thinks we love it.'

'That's what we have to pretend,' says Vilenna quietly.

'At least we're convincing,' says Alnathia.

I walk home with my brother, who is also in silence. Tonight or tomorrow night, we'll find out who the District 2 and 3 tributes are, followed by 4 and 5, 6 and 7, 8 and 9, 10 and 11, and finally 12. I can never bring myself to watch the District 12 reaping. Those tributes always die. Apparently it's the poorest district, which would be why the tributes look like they've never had a square meal in their lives.

My mother has hot chocolate again, but this time with marshmallows and a sprinkling of chocolate shavings. I'm grateful – I need hot chocolate to calm me down.

My uncle arrives about an hour later, at 5pm. He looks worried and unhappy as he takes off his scarf and hangs it over the staircase.

'Artella! Garnem!' says my uncle cheerfully, welcoming me and my brother into a warm embrace. 'How's school going?' It's obvious he asked this to get away from discussing the tributes.

'I'm getting on with exam revision,' says my brother.

'Tough work?'

'Very,' says my brother, and they chat about what my brother wants to do when he grows up. My brother doesn't want to work for Snow, and I don't think my family would want him to either. He thought about being a doctor but decided he wasn't good enough in science. Apparently he's still thinking about becoming a teacher, but he told me he'd rather do something creative. Maybe he could start a business.

We sit down in the living room and my uncle takes a hot chocolate. He is in blue and orange and has tattoos all over his head and arms.

'It's a shame about the tributes, isn't it,' says my uncle to my mother. He's not asking it as a question.

'Marvel and Glimmer are the poor kids' names,' replies my mother.

'Bless them,' he says. 'Did they volunteer?'

'Not this year,' she says. 'They were picked themselves.'

'It's kind of stupid, isn't it, to volunteer? I can understand if they were volunteering for a loved one but that's like committing suicide,' says my brother.

My uncle shakes his head. 'I can't understand it either, Garnem,' he says.

We sit in silence for a while before my father arrives home. 'You're early,' says my mother.

'Got let off early. Probably has something to do with the reaping. It's 2 and 3 being picked tonight,' he says, shaking my uncle's hand. They're brothers in law. 'Terrible thing. The boss hates the Games, but it looks good on your record, you know?'

We all nod.

'The reaping will be on soon,' says my mother, getting up to switch the television on. 'You know what's beyond me, is how Caesar Flickerman makes the whole thing light hearted.'

'He doesn't,' my uncle says darkly. 'Tell me, Baraline. Are you convinced it's all a bit of fun and games? We all know it's a way of killing children. God knows why Snow wants to do it. He's an evil man. But the point is, everybody can tell it's just a way of dressing up murder, so to help with the image, they send along millions of stupid Capitol citizens they managed to brainwash into believing it's a bit of fun to watch and cheer and laugh. It all helps brainwash a few more, see.'

Everybody is silent. I think about what my uncle just said. It's a way of dressing up murder. I suppose it is. The chariots and the clothes. And it seems like Snow succeeded in brainwashing the Career tributes, too, if they'll go up for it voluntarily.

The District 2 tributes are called Cato and Clove. Cato looks terrifying. I wouldn't want to be up against him. Clove has a small figure but there's something deadly about the look in her eyes. To be honest, I wouldn't like to be against either of them.

I don't catch the names of the District 3 tributes, but the boy looks very young. I go into the kitchen to have another hot chocolate and sit down at the table.

After about fifteen minutes, my uncle joins me. 'Getting down?'

'It creeps me out,' I say darkly. '23 three of those children are going to die. They have basically no chance! It's evil! I want to escape! I could make it, you know. Take off, live somewhere else.'

'You wouldn't make it five miles before you were tortured into insanity, Artella,' sighs my uncle. 'It's these children that should be trying to escape.'

We sit in silence.

'Panem is evil,' I say.

'I know,' he says.

We sigh and sit there. Thinking of all the families and what they'll be going through now. It must be like a funeral, the atmosphere in their houses tonight.

My uncle stays overnight. In school, the feeling is awful. People look around at everyone and there is a sense of desperate gratefulness that we don't have to take part in the Games. Vilenna is in dark purple with something that could be a veil over her face.

District 4 and 5 are disturbing reapings. It's true that nobody volunteers in either district. The most memorable tribute was the District 5 girl. She was quiet and had an almost eerie look about her. Her face also looked a bit like a fox, although her actual name was Primrose.

School is hell the following day, too. However, there is a live stream from the Capitol.

'Children of the Capitol,' says the booming voice of some Gamemaker. 'As you all know, the 74th Annual Hunger Games are looming upon us. 24 tributes will be joining us for a few weeks, as it was decreed, that each of the 12 districts of Panem shall offer in tribute one young man and woman, to be trained in the art of survival and fight to the death.'

There is a silence.

'We salute those tributes and their courage. We salute President Snow for providing us with a secure nation. Salute the tributes!'

Everybody salutes, and murmurs 'To the tributes' half-heartedly. I think everyone is too miserable to do anything more.

'Salute President Snow!'

There is a reluctant silence, but then the children of the nation all salute and murmur, 'To President Snow' in unison.