I make my way home through the streets in a daze. Around me, crowding the streets, are other kids who probably think that they're certain to be chosen. Just like I do. Two of us only have a little over a month to live. Well, at least one of us.
My house is over in the more middle class area of town. We're not poor, but we certainly don't have many luxuries. As I follow the crowd towards my street, my neighbor Demetra falls into step beside me, along with her brother Derick. Demetra's probably the most beautiful girl I've met, with long black hair, and skin that glows a golden shade, even in midwinter. I swear her eyes are the exact color of the sea.
"Wonder who'll get chosen," she says in a soft voice. I've known Demetra for my whole life. Before the dark days, we worked together at the shipyard, labeling the massive crates of fish the men would haul in. She never speaks in a soft voice. I just shrug my shoulders, and wrap my arms around myself. "I don't think we'll get chosen Kai, calm down." I shake my head.
"Don't lie to her." Derick says with a cold laugh. "We have as much a chance as anyone else of being chosen." I never liked Derick. He used to steal the dolls my mother sewed for me and rip off their heads. It's not like he's done it in years, but I still distrust him. Then there's the fact he's leaving to train to become a peacekeeper next year, at special request of our head peacekeeper, Ty Rhoades.
I push ahead of them in the crowd, away from the two. Derick could probably win the Hunger Games, if it's outright killing. If intelligence is required though, he's deader than the rebellion.
When I round the corner to my street, I see my mother standing by the front door of Demetra's house, talking with her father. The Arlyn's lost their mother during the dark days. I'm still not sure how it happened, but I know it involved Ty Rhoades.
"Kailaini!" Mom yells, and then rushes down the road. For the first time in months, she wraps her arms tight around me, so tight that I begin to think she's trying to absorb me. "You didn't sign up for the tessera, did you?" That must have been what she was trying to tell me in the square.
"I'm sorry, I didn't hear you. But when the train comes in a few days, we'll get extra food for all of us." There's no going back from that now. I doubt the peacekeepers would be willing to search through all the names and pull out four of mine. My mother gives me a look so laden with sadness I almost break down and cry myself. Instead, we head inside, and begin the longest month of my life so far.
Maybe it's not the longest month- I can't forget the starving months when 10 and 11 rebelled, shutting off food supplies to the rest of Panem. However, it's pretty bad. My family spends the days leading up to the reaping with everyone else in district 4, attempting to rebuild the parts of town that got destroyed in the rebellion.
The docks got the worst of the bombings and rebel riots, and since we all live off of the money from fishing, it's our number one priority. The men and a few women carry the logs shipped from district 7 down to the water, and help place them. It only takes a few days for each dock to be rebuilt, but there were hundreds lining our coast.
Young girls, like Demetra and I are expected to do smaller jobs, like repainting government buildings, but Demetra manages to get us jobs at the hotel, which is used exclusively by Capitol visitors, many of whom are overseeing the rebuilding. I'm allowed to bring Khalia with me. She needs to be watched because school is cancelled until the district is rebuilt. I really wish I didn't have to. She's the most annoying creature to ever be born.
It's not a very interesting job- we change bed sheets, pick up the towels from the bathroom floor, and try to make the rooms look presentable. The people from the Capitol are massive slobs, and wasteful too. They leave out plates full of food for hours, until the maids get free time to clean it. Even if the food's fresh though, we don't dare take any. My second day on the job a girl got fired for eating a bit of leftover sausage.
The hotel owner fired her in front of the rest of us as a warning. It won't do to put on a bad face in front of the Capitol citizens.
The day of the reaping, Demetra and I have to work in the morning. All of the Capitol citizens are overexcited for the reaping later that day. It's supposed to happen at 12:30, because the reapings will be aired live, and the Capitol wants them staggered. So that everyone will watch, whether they want to or not.
In the first room of the day, a couple from the Capitol is getting ready for the ceremony. I recognize the man quickly- he's been wandering around town in the evenings with a few friends. I've heard them calling it slumming.
Like all other Capitol residents I've met so far, they're slobs. There's a pile of clothes as tall as me on the floor, and the woman directs me to fold them and put them in something called a "boodwhar".
"Excuse me?" I'm being as polite as I can, eyes lowered, not looking at the woman, who's twirling in front of the mirror in only her undergarments. "What is that?" She stops spinning and glares at me.
"You don't know what a boudoir is?" She has a funny accent. "It's a classy word for that." She points to the walk in closet next to the bathroom. The door's ajar, and I can see another pile of clothing inside. I begin folding the copious amounts of dresses and skirts, with the occasional yell from the woman asking for a certain blouse or pair of shoes.
It takes 2 hours to fold and put away all of the clothes. She still hasn't picked out an outfit, but the one she's trying on is dazzling. It shimmers as she turns, and it's a beautiful aqua color that reminds me of Demetra's eyes. She sees me staring in the reflection from the mirror.
"How quaint. Have you ever seen sequins before dear?" It's the most condescending tone I've ever heard, and it's not the sequins that caught my attention. In fact, the sequins remind me of fish scales.
"Your dress reminds me of the ocean. It changes in the different lights." I explain, then my face flushes red. The woman considers me for a moment, then gives a curt nod.
"I'll go with this one then." She picks up a pair of matching shoes and sits down at a vanity.
"Is there anything else you need me to do ma'am?" My hand's already on the doorknob, but she stops me.
"Do you think they'll like me?" She asks, staring at her reflection in the mirror. She's absentmindedly mixing together bright colors with a fluffy brush.
"Who?" She could be talking about the people of Panem in general, people from Panem, or even just district four. I see a tear roll down her check, and turn the doorknob.
"Anyone." She whispers, then turns to look at me, and sees me trying to escape. "Go on then. No one likes me, not even my husband. Why should you." She's screaming now, and picks up a stray shoe to toss at me. I close the door in time to avoid being hit in the face. I tentatively open it again.
The heel of the shoe is stuck into the mahogany wood, and I thank whatever deity there is that I wasn't hit. "Ma'am?" I say quietly, and picks up a stray shoe to toss at me. I close the door in time to avoid being hit in the face. I tentatively open it again.
The heel of the shoe is stuck into the mahogany wood, and I thank whatever deity there is that I wasn't hit. "Ma'am?" I say quietly. She looks up, eyes red and puffy. "The reaping begins in a just a little while, so you should head out soon."
Instantly, she looks better. As she dabs at her eyes, she gives an excited squeal of pleasure. "Really? I get to sit in a special spot reserved for Capitol officials you know!" The woman turns back to the mirror and begins dabbing on makeup. These people from the Capitol are ridiculous.
Downstairs, Demetra's pulling off her ragged apron. Underneath it, she has on her nicest clothes- a pale green dress with a lace overlay on the bodice. There are obvious tears in the lace, but she still looks stunning. Under my apron I'm wearing my everyday working clothes. When I mention it, Demetra raises an eyebrow.
"Don't you want to look nice if you get chosen? Give them a good impression?" Demetra winks. She knows I don't care what people think, and anyway, I'm just hoping I don't get chosen. She grabs my hand and we head off to the square.
The sun is high in the sky, and I can already smell the crowd. Pens are cordoned off right in front of the stage that was left up after last month's announcement. Girls are going into one, boys into another. After checking in with a peacekeeper, Demetra and I find a place in the back of the pen. On the left of the stage are velvet cushioned seats for the Capitol officials. I can see the woman from the hotel fanning herself and speaking to a woman next to her. They both look ecstatic.
Up on the stage are these massive, hollow glass orbs with holes cut in the top. Inside are thousands of folded strips of paper. Eight of them have my name on them, written in a strange peacekeeper's handwriting. The most terrifying thought is that my fate is in the hands of Leonel Kimbrall.
Just as this thought pops into my head, the man himself walks out onto the stage with cheers from the Capitol citizens, and complete silence from district 4. "Hello hello hellloooo!" He roars into the microphone, energized by the presence of his fellow snobs.
"Welcome everyone, to the first reaping for district 4 in the HUNGER GAAAMES!" Leonel sounds like a seagull to me. "Now, here are the instructions. I'll pull two names from these glass balls, and then whoever I call will come to the stage. If there's someone out there who wants to volunteer to enter the games instead, please wait until both names are called, and both tributes are on stage." There's no sound from the crowd. Did he expect cheers? No one in their right mind will volunteer.
"Well then, let's get down to business," Leonel walks over to one orb, and reaches his hand in. He rummages to the bottom, then pulls out one single strip of paper. "Now, this is the name of the female tribute. Ladies first right?" He perches his glasses on his nose, and squints at the name. I can feel Demetra grip my hand tightly in hers, but no matter how much she cares for me, it won't change the outcome.
"Demetra Arlyn!" Leonel screams to the crowd. I turn to her, not able to see her beautiful face through the tears, and give her a tight hug.
"Win this for me Dem," I whisper into her soft hair. Then she's gone, pushed forward by peacekeepers. Leonel claps his thin hands together once.
"Splendid. Now for the male tribute." His hand dips into the other bowl for just a moment, and pulls out another name. "Derick Arlyn!"
Derick immediately jogs to the stage, a grin on his face. He's probably thinking about how easy it will be to kill his sister. Once he's standing on stage, Leonel speaks again.
"Would anyone like to volunteer as tribute for either one of our tributes?" Leonel looks like he doesn't want anyone to volunteer. What a fun time the Capitol citizens will have, watching siblings try and stab each other, or push each other off a cliff. I shouldn't do it. All my sense tell me that it is the worst plan a human being has ever formulated, but I can feel myself raising a hand, and words bubbling up in my throat.
"I will. I volunteer in place of Demetra!" The crowd is so silent that my quiet voice rises up to the stage where Leonel stands.
"How exciting! The very first volunteer in the Hunger Games!" He looks cross. I ruined his perfect game plan. A peacekeeper materializes out of nowhere, and pushes me towards the stage. Once up there, I can see my mother and father, sobbing into each other's shoulders. No sign of Khalia. Damn. I left her in the hotel.
Demetra runs to me, and catches me around the shoulders. She's clinging to me like a vise-grip, but I know the peacekeepers will be bringing her offstage soon. "It's okay." I find myself whispering into her hair again. "I couldn't let…that happen." Over her shoulder, I can see Derick grinning at me like I'm dinner.
"Promise me you won't be the one to kill him." She whispers back. "Win, but don't let his blood be on your hands. These games aren't worth it." Again she's taken from me, but this time, I'm the one headed towards pure doom. One glance at Derick tells me he's already plotting my murder.
"Thank you tributes. Now, let's go to the justice building! Families, you may visit your children before we leave for the Capitol!" Leonel ushers us quickly inside. A peacekeeper escorts me into one room and Derick into one directly across from me. After about ten minutes, my mother and father are escorted in.
"Mom, I'm sorry, I was in such a rush to get to the square I forgot Khalia, and—"I begin, but Mom cuts me off.
"Don't worry honey, Mr. Jocoby brought her to the square. What we need to focus on is you." She has tears shining in her brown eyes, but they don't spill over and she keeps talking. "I don't know what this game will be like, but I know you have to survive. For all of us."
"We love you Kai." My father says, reaching over and pulling me into his arms. "Just please, don't let them change you." I don't have time to ask who before the peacekeepers make them leave. Demetra comes in after them, leading Khalia. My little sister crawls into my lap, and begins sobbing into my shirt. Maybe she really does care for me.
"Kai?" Demetra says softly, and sits next to me on the velvety couch. Her arms reach around both me and Khalia, and we just sit there, crying into each other's shoulder's until the peacekeepers make them leave too. As she's leaving, Demetra reaches down and grabs Khalia's hand. There's no one else coming to visit me, but Derick's pretty popular, so I decide to wander around the room until Leonel comes to get me. Nothing in here has been changed by the dark days. A large seascape hangs on the wall, although the ocean is viewable from the window.
Just as I pick up a sparkling glass bowl from a side table, the door opens again. I turn and see the woman from the hotel slip inside, saying something to a man waiting outside. She claps her hands in joy as she turns to me.
"Isn't this just amazing!" She's hopping up and down lightly on her sky-high heels. "Now you get to travel to the Capitol, which is just to die for! I mean, you have a beautiful view of the sea, but everything is just so gritty and gross, ugh…" I stare at her in wonder as she babbles on and on.
"What are you doing here?" I ask, and she stops and looks around at me, as though she hadn't noticed I was there.
"I…I honestly don't know. Would you like me to leave?"
"Not if you wanted to say something." I respond lightly as possible. She blinks at me for a moment, and then extends her hand, and gives mine a weak shake before wiping her own on her skirt.
"I am Georgianna Caravos. My husband is an important official in the Capitol, and we were considering sponsoring you. That is, if you show well enough at the opening ceremonies." She's very matter of fact about it.
"Okay. Why are you here?" I ask her. She bites her lip. "Don't you have to work with Leonel to do that?"
"Well, I guess I just wanted you to know you have an ally. And I wanted to see you before…well, I don't want to let too much of the surprise away, now do I?" As she's finishing speaking, a man, presumably her husband, leans in the door. "Coming dear!" she says to him, then turns to me. "I'll see you in the Capitol sometime…Kailaini." Georgianna whirls out of the room, the perfect socialite, and I can hear her calling to other people in the lobby.
A peacekeeper comes to lead me to the train, and I willingly follow. Derick comes out of his room at the same time as I leave mine, and gives me a sinister smile. It's easy to ignore him as we walk through the streets to the nearby train station.
Then I board the long, sliver train to the Capitol, and most likely, my doom.
The train is gorgeous, but I can't pay attention to my surroundings. Leonel stands in the first room we enter, a giant smile plastered on his pale face. "You have no idea how excited I am! The very first Hunger Games and I get to show you two around!" Giddy with excitement, Leonel runs over and hugs us both. I assume Derick stiffens up to because Leonel pulls away with a funny look on his face.
"How long's it take to get to the Capitol?" Derick asks. He's flexing his muscles for some reason.
"Well, about two days from here. They were working on faster trains in district six before this war thing, so we'll have to suffer through the lag for now." I don't mind an extra day. One more day to live. I'm bursting with questions though, and they begin to flow out of me.
"What do we do on the train? In the Capitol? Do you know anything about the arena? Do we really have to kill each other?" I stop at the last question and blush. Leonel raises his eyebrows.
"Um, on the train you get to relax, but isn't it beautiful? There's a whole itinerary for you in the Capitol, and they won't tell anyone about the arena. It's a big, secret!"
He avoids the last question, which just tells me it's a resounding yes.