District 11
After about twenty minutes the Mayor arrives back on stage.
"Well," he announces, looking strained, "Would anyone like to speak?"
One of the bigger men speaks, "We should send our strongest, it's our best chance of winning."
An old lady calls out, "That won't help, our kids aren't skilled with weapons or in fighting."
"What we really need to decide," the Mayor says solemnly, "Is if we are sending our best to win, or sacrificing the weak."
He sweeps the crowd, looking for me, I presume. I step out of my hiding spot and send him a meaningful gaze. He meets my gaze for a second, before speaking again.
"Before we go into an ethics debate, are there any volunteers?"
I practically leap for the stage. But to my surprise, I'm not the only one. Another girl, large and thick, is there too. I glare at her. What is she doing, doesn't she get that no matter how strong she is, she has no chance of winning?
She grabs for the microphone, "Vote for maarghh-."
I clap my hand over her mouth.
"Excuse me, Mayor? Can we talk privately?"
He gives a noncommittal grunt, and we walk of the stage into a nearby warehouse.
She glares at me," Don't you dare try to convince me you not to volunteer."
I ignore her remark and ask, "How are you going to fight in the arena? Any strategies? Can you use any weapons? Are you fast? Were you going to join the careers? Have you thought about what the arena's going to be like? How good are you at foraging? What' the longest you've gone without food?"
She stares back at me dumbly.
"Look," I say softly, "The chance of you winning is less than 5%. That's without even accounting for the fact other districts are trained in various weapons."
She stares back mutely.
"Just, just imagine what would happen if you did die," I insist desperately.
We leave the warehouse somberly. She heads back into the crowd, I onto the stage.
There's one life, I think.
Playing on the screen is clips from other districts. Districts 1, 5, and 7, already have their victors. I glance at the clock. We've got about an hour left and I assume we're going to need at least an hour for everyone to vote.
As I walk back on stage a voice cries out, "What? What about the other one?"
"She changed her mind, and you're not going to make her go unwillingly are you?" I respond, not even attempting to hide the edginess in my voice.
The crowd's silence is a good enough response.
Janessa is back on stage. "Anyone-Else?"
Nothing.
"Well-Alrighty-Then. Let-The-Voting-Begin!"
Everyone is shuffled into lines. At the end is a machine. I'm excited to use machine. I've read a lot about the technology in the Capitol but have never gotten to see it, never mind use it.
When it is my turn, I do not dawdle.
Skylar Langdon, I type, pausing when the blank for the boy's name appears. I pick a perfectly normal boy, one I'm sure of no one will vote for.
Soon everyone's done and we are shuffled back into the square.
Janessa springs on to the stage, "The-Votes-Are-In! And-Your-Tributes-Are!" She pauses for effect.
"Skylar Langdon."
I breathe a sigh of relief.
"And Roran Fields. "
He must live in the southern part of District 11 because instead of coming to the stage, his picture shows up on the screen. He is tall and skinny (just like everyone else).He doesn't look particularly strong or vicious, I can't help but wonder why they picked him.
Janessa grabs my wrist and I'm pulled away.
The Mayor is waiting for us in the judicial building, it looks the same as it did two years ago, and it brings back a flood of memories I've learned very well to dam.
I pull away from the building like its poison.
"I don't have anyone to say goodbye to," I state.
The mayor gives me a questioning look, but says nothing, just signals for me to be taken to the train.