This chapter is mostly just background stuff but; what they hey!
My Father took me out into the woods one time and showed me a hunting weapon he found one day. It was similar to one seen on TV when they played repeats of the rebellion. He called it a gun. Wendell sold him some bullets for it from the hob. We were as deep into the forest as we ever dared to go when he pulled it out and fired it. The sudden Boom that erupted from within it shocked me and caused me to scream out. It was like a warning cry to all the animals in the forest, for a few seconds all was silent and then startled cries and shouts chorused all around us. The sudden ripple effect of the gun paled in comparison the the angry barks coming from the crowd. My legs worked on auto pilot, transporting me up to the stage. On camera, I looked emotionless, blank but inside i felt like a crumbling mass of despair. I was concerned not for myself but for Angel, Gazzy and Iggy. I sought them out in the crowd. Iggy was a white as a sheet as he looked between me and the angry crowd. Gazzy was desperately trying to loosen Iggy's grip on his arm, looking like he wanted to run free. To get anywhere, be anywhere else. Just. Not here. Not here where sudden death hung over everything. Iggy was cradling Angel in his arms, rocking her backwards and forwards, trying no doubt to soothe her.
When I reached the stage, silence once again settled over the crowd. Every single person looked at me with the same look of despair etched on their faces. When Chloe asked for volunteers, not surprisingly, no one raised their hand. I could hear whispers coming from the crowd; as much as they wanted to save me, their self preservation seemed to freeze them in place. I didn't mind, nor did i blame them. It seemed the odds really were against me. I smiled at my peers and neighbors to let them know i was okay.
Chloe was much less enthusiastic when she reached the boy's names. Still, she pulled a name out of the small ball holding the boys names and walked over to the podium. A collective gasp came from the audience before she red out the boy's name: Adam Robinson. A small boy who I assumed to be Adam, for I had never met him, stepped forward. He could only be thirteen or fourteen in age and was incredibly short, often the case for malnourished people from the seam, as he obviously was. His skin was that pale yellow that came from lack of fresh food and water and his cheek bones were sunken and hollow. His hair fell limply around his face and his swollen stomach protruded from his frame, showing definite signs of Kwashiorkor. Twice on his way to the stage, his knees gave out and he fell into his peers, having to be helped up before he could carry on. I prayed he would buck up his ideas or he would be sighted immediately as an easy target. I could imagine the peacekeeper voices as they gambled over the games; 'I give him a day, two, tops!' 'Please, he wont even make it past the cornucopia.' 'I say a career will get 'im ten minutes in to the bloodbath' It gave me shudders just to think about.
I wonder how long they think I will last.
Adam finally made it to the stage and took his place next to me. I prepared to zone out while Chloe asked for volunteers, knowing there wouldn't be any when one voice in particular caught my attentio.
'I volunteer!' What? What was he doing? Why was Fang Venom volunteering? But the answer came to me, hitting me full on with brute force.
He wanted to kill me.
I was thirteen when it happened. A Peacekeeper had been seen in town carrying a squirrel I had shot and sold him by another Peacekeeper, one that wasn't corrupt. He tried to claim he'd confiscated it off me (technically it was mine) an the whole town was called to a public trial. I, however, had the whole of the Hob backing me up; you don't grass up another Hobber, it's not the way it's done. The Peacekeeper was publicly flogged and denounced of his title. The next day I was warned by Damian (He often traded stolen goods on the black market) that Fang had been seem being paid by the peacekeeper to 'rough me up a little', as he put it. Sure enough, later that night, when I was walking back from the hob, I was attacked. Someone tried to grab me from behind but I spun around and punched them in he face, kicked their knee cap and elbowed them twice on the neck so they passed out.
I never saw their face but when I bumped into Fang the next day, he had a broken nose. Up until then I had never spoken to him but I lost it; I shouted accusations at him, something along the lines of' how could you do that to Iggy? Do you enjoy beating the snot out of people? Hitting a girl, huh? Real classy!' Then, he kissed me. Out of nowhere, he swooped his lips down on mine, attacking them with vigor. For a minute I was stunned before I punched him square in the jaw and ran off. For a week after that we didn't speak although I never mentioned it to Iggy. I know the Peacekeeper wasn't happy with Fang- he even tried to make Fang pay- and in return, Fang broke his arm (surprise supervise, he didn't come to me for help with that) but it was an unmentioned rule that we never spoke of it. I guess now, he was getting his sick version of payback: Seeing the life drained out of me.
No one spoke a word while Fang made his way to the stage. Both of us stayed impassive while Chloe finished up and we were ushered into the Justice building. We didn't even look at each other. The First to come say goodbye to me was Iggy, with Angel and Gazzy. The twins climbed into my lap while Iggy promised to look after them. I hung onto his arm for dear life
'Promise you'll keep them safe? Teach them to hunt, move into my flat with them- you don't need the two rooms now. Keep them safe' I cried. He promised to do a much, nodding his head and kissing my cheeks. Just as we had promised in earlier years, no goodbyes were left hanging in the air, no tears were shed, just a prolonged silence that said it all. A peacekeeper came to escort the out when Angel clung to my arm.
'You have to try, Max. You can do it. I know you can. For me? For Dad?' I smiled sadly at Angel and wrapped the twins in my arms.
'I promise.' I whispered solemnly 'I promise.'
The next in to see me were my friend from the Hob; Damian, Mick, Sasha (Mick's sister) and Wendell, who after twenty years of friendship with my Father, I still remain close to. I made them all promise to accept trade from Angel and Gazzy just as easily as they had me. I even bantered with Mick about how I was destined to die a virgin, although we soon shut up after Sasha burst into tears and ran out. Damian and Mick followed shortly after while Wendell pulled me off to one side.
'Max, you have to know something. Don't hate Fang. Years ago, after the death of the social worker, everyone in the hob made a deal. You have to under-'
'Right guys time's up!' A Peacekeeper called as he forcefully dragged Wendell out of the room. He mouthed something to me but I didn't hear. Instead, placing in my hands a small gold pin. I recognized it instantly as my Father's. Before that, it belonged to Katniss Everdeen. My Family's emblem and my token for the Hunger games.
The Mockingjay.