Chapter 2: The Returned Victor Gone Mentor
Amanda Snow was in shock. It was down to the last slip of the twelve selected girls. But...it happened, the odds were against her from the start. Everyone looked in her direction and the crowd parted so she could walk up on stage. With her stomach extremely nauseous with dread that she was going to die, she walked over to the stage.
"Are there any volunteers?" asked Effie Trinket.
There was silence among the crowd.
"So now for the male tributes." continued Effie Trinket.
She reached into the the boys bowl, and pulled one off of the top. She unfolded it, and cleared her throat.
"David Crane."
David Crane was the son of former Head Game Maker, Seneca Crane, and brother of Breanna Crane. The people didn't know whether it was ironic or poetic justice that two of a Game Maker's children would die in the Games.
"Hector Ardamin."
Hector Ardamin was the very weak and fragile twelve year old son of a member of The Capitol's counsel of parliament who had sadistically petitioned an order for an unreasonable and unrealistic increase in output of production from The Districts.
"Sherman Griffin."
"Neil Jones."
Barney Simpson. Randy Bing. Martin Coppertin. Harley Dillon. Chaz Zoltan. Giovanni Leon. Klay Randolph. Blaze Trenton.
That was twelve boys.
"Do we have any volunteers?" asked Effie Trinket.
A huge tall and muscular eighteen year old boy stepped forward and waved his hand up in the air.
"I volunteer!" said the boy. "I wish to take the place of Martin Coppertin."
There was quiet muttering as the people whispered to each other their opinions.
"Excellent!" says Effie Trinket excitedly. "Martin Coppertin, you are dismissed."
The boy went off the stage and back into the crowd as the large boy took the stage.
"What's your name?" asked Effie Trinket.
"Dennis Green."
She sent him to stand with the other eleven male tributes.
"Are there any other male volunteers?" asked Effie.
There was no response.
"One more time for the girls. Any volunteers." offered Effie.
Still no response.
"Well then, let us give a big round of applause for our fare city's twenty-four tributes."
Everyone in the crowd clapped and half of them cheered, as the Hunger Games, always meant something differently to the people of The Capitol, than it did to The Districts.
"Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor!"
President Paylor then stepped forward to the microphone.
"I will ask all the Tributes to come inside and there will be one hour where friends and family may say goodbye. There has been a change in protocol; each Tribute is permitted to bring one parent, Guardian, or close friend to stand beside them at all times until they get into the Arena."
This was unexpected, but not unappreciated. A definite step up in terms of the old system.
They were led inside the building and were all taken into private rooms. Amanda's mother came in a few moments later. They embraced, and drew comfort from each other. A few of her friends came in to wish her good luck.
Then they were taken outside. Amanda and her mother were then met with Blaze Trenton and his mother, where they were directed into a stretched limousine.
Effie Trinket then got into the limousine with them.
"Blaze Trenton and Amanda Snow." said Effie. "I will be your escort until the Games begin. There have already been selected, other escorts for your other fellow Tributes." she then handed out itineraries to everyone.
"These are for you to consult at anytime so you will know where you need to be. You will stay the night at the Re-make Center, where you will meet your volunteer Mentor, every Tribute gets one of their own, to coach you in 'Hunger Games survival' until you get to the Arena, and to then line up sponsors for gifts. And Amanda, I'm not suppose to tell you who it is, but for your Mentor, you are in for a special treat." she said with a sincere smile.
Everyone had looks of confusion as they wondered who it could be.
"The person volunteered only five minutes ago and requested you personally as her apprentice Tribute." said Effie.
They arrived at the Remake Center, where they they were taken to small but beautifully comfortable quarters.
"These are only temporary, just for tonight. You will be fixed up by your stylists tomorrow, and then taken to the Training Center through the Tributes Parade."
Blaze Trenton's mother was examining the itinerary.
"It says here that there will be an entire month of training, not just three days?" said Blaze Trenton's mother.
"The president feels compelled to make this year's Tributes more prepared for the Arena than just three days worth of training." said Effie. "You will be given four weeks of training, and hopefully put on a more interesting show. The president doesn't want to have to see the smallest, youngest, weakest Tributes so helpless in a fight."
The explanation seemed logical, and Blaze Trenton and his mother were led off to his room.
Just then someone entered the room.
"Katniss!" said Effie Trinket enthusiastically. "It is so good to see you again."
Amanda and her mother were in shock. It was Katniss Everdeen, The Girl On Fire. Who had inspired a revolution that now saved an entire nation from slavery. Or, her name was Katniss Melark now, as she and Peeta Melark had gotten married only a few months earlier. She stepped forward and took Effie's hands.
"Hey Effie." said Katniss cheerfully. "It's good to see you again."
"How is married life?" asked Effie.
"A lot better than I thought it would be. Peeta's a good man. We both try to just give each other an easy time with marriage."
Effie looked around behind the door.
"Is Peeta here?" asked Effie.
"Yes. He's touring the city. But I would like to speak to my Tribute."
Amanda at first hadn't understood why Katniss Everdeen was even here to begin with, but then it hit her. 'Her? She is my Mentor? Katniss Everdeen, The Girl On Fire, who inspired the people of the Districts to go to war with the Capitol, the one who caused all this trouble for my family, who forced my grandfather out of office and caused the deaths of several of my family members, who force my family to have a huge step down in lifestyle, IS MY MENTOR?!' thought Amanda.
"Of course. I will see you later." said Effie Trinket.
Effie Trinket left the room, and Amanda and her mother were left alone with The Girl On Fire.
Katniss had a look of sorrow and regret on her face.
"I just want to say to you that I'm sorry that you are here, this is partly my fault, and I hope to help in anyway that I can." said Katniss.
Amanda was curious at what Katniss had just said.
"How is any of this is your fault?" asked Amanda.
"It is my fault because I voted you here." said Katniss, "On the day that the remaining Hunger Games victors were suppose to vote on one more Hunger Games or not, I voted that there should be one more Hunger Games. It was a 4 out of 7 majority vote, and I was the swing vote."
Amanda's mother was furious.
"How could you do this Katniss...wait, on second thought, never mind, I'm probably not surprised that you did it after everything that my father-in-law did to you." said Amanda's mother.
"You are mistaken." said Katniss, "It wasn't like that. Amanda Snow, I will admit I wanted you to participate in The Hunger Games the day I made my vote, because at the time I was full of vengeance, because I believe that your grandfather killed my sister."
Amanda and her mother had a look of understanding on their faces at Katniss's words.
"It wasn't until after I made the vote, and by then it was too late to change my vote, that I then found out that it was President Coin who killed my sister." said Katniss. "And when I found out 2 hours ago that you got your name pulled out of the reaping Bowl, I was here in the city at the time, for the reaping, I felt pity for you. It was all my fault that you're here and now I feel it but it is my responsibility to make sure that you win The Games."
Amanda was moved. She felt that the Victor from the 74th Hunger Games that caused her grandfather so much trouble, would never feel that way towards her.
"So now I need to know what exactly that you can do? Can you fight? Can you hunt? Can you gather? Do you have a knowledge of medicinal plants?" interrogated Katniss.
Amanda thought about that.
"Well, I've been acting like a Career Tribute for the past year, in anticipation of the unlikely chance that I might get picked." said Amanda.
This was slightly better than Katniss had expected, she thought she could work with that.
"Ok, that is good. So what can you do?" asked Katniss.
"I'm not very good at anything really. I go to the gym every day after school. I've been taking fencing classes."
"Sword fighting?" asked Katniss.
"Yes. I have been practicing with throwing knives on an old dart board."
"Are you any good?"
"I can't hit the bull's-eye, but I can hit the area around the bull's-eye."
Katniss pulled out her hunting knife and handed it to Amanda.
"Show me."
"What do you want me to aim for?"
Katniss pulled out a felt pen and walked over to the wall where she drew a tiny circle and then encircled it with a larger circle.
"If you can get the knife to stick in the wall within the this area," she gestured to the larger circle, "than that would be generous of me, right?"
Amanda assumed that it would be fair.
"I suppose so."
Amanda tossed the knife into the air and caught it by the blade. She aimed for the very center of the smaller circle and through the knife. The knife stuck in the wall near the outer edge of the larger circle. Nothing less than what Amanda had expected.
"Well," said Katniss, "it's not the best I've seen, but I compliment you, it is not the worst that I have seen; it is good."
Then there was a beeping sound on an electronic device that Katniss then the pulled out of her pocket. She then consulted her itinerary.
"It is time to go to the reaping Day feast. It is a change in protocol as there is no day-long train ride." said Katniss. "I think that I can help you win The Games, but more on that tomorrow, let's go eat."
When they all got up and left for the feast.
(Keep reading for Chapter 3: The Tribute Parade)