I stand in line, waiting to be signed in. I look around at all of the other boys who were all either standing in line or already with their age group in front of the Justice Building. After standing for what seemed an eternity it was finally time for me to be signed in. I give the Peacekeeper my finger and she puts and needle in and puts my finger on a book, smearing blood in a small square. The Peacekeeper then scans the blood with a white machine. It beeps and the Peacekeeper tells me to go ahead. I walk to my age group in silence. I stand in a marked of area for fourteen year olds and look ahead at the lonely microphone on the stage. A few minutes after I had been standing here I feel a tap on my right shoulder. I turn to see his best friend, Rof.
"You nervous?" Rof asks.
"Not really. Just hope that nobody we know gets up there," I answer.
"Yeah. If I get picked, I'm using a spear in the arena," Rof says, "What'd you use?" I think for a moment and open my mouth to answer but then everyone falls silent. I turn around to see a person wearing all blue. He can tell that she is a woman by her blue high-heels and crazy long eyelashes.
"Hello District 7. Happy Hunger Games!" Lotha Triff says happily. As if watching your fellow friends fight to the death on live television is happy. "And, may the odds be ever in your favor. This year is a very special kind of Hunger Games, it's the Quarter Quell! We would normally have a video brought all the way from the Capitol but this year President York has asked us to just get the tributes to the Capitol as fast as possible. Now is time to choose the courageous men who will be in this year's Games."
A Peacekeep comes to the stage and sets a glass bowl filled with white papers with names on them in front of her on a small stand. Lotha reaches in front of her and into the bowl. She stirs the names around and then takes one. She brings her hand back in front of her and opens the neatly folded paper. She takes in a breath.
"Jolth Horvath."
Suddenly all heads turn to the eighteen year olds section. I can only see a blond haired head moving through the crowd and onto the stage. Once he's on stage I can get a good view of him. He has long blond hair and muscular arms from cutting trees. His shirt is slightly ripped but looks good as new. His shoes are muddy and his pants are muddy by his feet.
"How old are you?" Lotha asks him.
"Eighteen," he answers. Lotha turn back toward the crowd.
"Any volunteers?" No one answers. "Alright then, let's pick the next male tribute." She puts he hand back in the bowl and picks out a name. She opens the piece of paper and reads.
"Roffian Luth."
I turn to look at my best friend and I see him shocked. People start stepping out of the way to let him go to the stage.
I'm sorry Roff, I think.
I watch as he makes his way to the stage and stands by Lotha. She asks what is age is and he answers. Then she asks for volunteers. I consider but realize that I'll die the second I step off of the metal circle. They shake hands and go into the Justice Building.