Caesar just stares at him. Even the audience becomes silent. What does he mean, protect me? It gets awkward on stage, so Conlan stands up and walks backstage. Caesar composes himself and continues the interviews.
I have a hard time concentrating on the other tribute's interviews. Conlan could've been lying but... he had that huge audience and if he goes against that during the Games... no, he had to have been telling the truth. But why? And suddenly it hits me. Almost every kid that grows up in Panem has this dream of doing something to defy the Capitol. The problem is, anything done even slightly to that effect would guarantee a bullet to the head. But what if one was about to die anyway? My mind zooms back to last night when they announced the scores. Johanna said that the Capitol didn't want me to win and or anyone to help each other in the Games. So THIS was his idea. How am I supposed to respond?
I pull myself together and watch the last few interviews. The tiny girl from District Twelve's name is Gia. She has the same angle that I used, except she pulls it off better. She scored a six in training, pretty good for her size. I would say she'd probably get more sponsors than me but now... how could Conlan do that? Surely he knew he gave up all chances of staying alive he ever had. Even if I die before he can save me, he has just lost all of his possible sponsors.
The interviews end, and we head back to our apartments at the Training Center. Now is my chance to confront him.
"What in the world were you thinking?!" Better question, why am I so mad?
"I was thinking, wouldn't it be nice if someone in this egotistical world showed a little selflessness? A little compassion?!"
"This isn't a church, Conlan! This is the Hunger Games! This is not the place for that kind of thought!"
"Well, I'm sorry I wanted to keep you alive!"
I turn around and storm away like the immature little girl I know I am. I feel so ashamed. He hasn't done anything I shouldn't like. He is so much nobler than I am. Maybe that's why his plan bothers me so much. Because I know he deserves to live so much more than me.
Otillie and Johanna will not be staying with us tonight. Since the Games start tomorrow, they will be out making deals with sponsors. Conlan and I say our final goodbyes to them. Then we ride up the elevator in silence.
...
As soon as I crawl in bed I know I will not be able to sleep a wink tonight. I could be dead in less than twelve hours. Definitely not a comforting thought to fall asleep to.
My mind whirls with thoughts. What will the arena be like? Will I take part in the bloodbath at the beginning, or will I be able to race off to the rest of the arena away from everyone else?
Suddenly I remember something Columbae said right before I left. "Never forget that Valeria. Never forget who the real enemy is." What could she have meant? Real enemy? If I live long enough, I'm determined to figure out why she told me that. And finally, though unexpectedly, I fall asleep.
...
Riding in the hovercraft to the arena, I'm nervous like I've never been before. Now marks less than an hour until I could be- and most likely will be -dead. I think that's a legitimate cause to freak out. I sit in a row with next to half of the other tributes. No one can look at each other. What if I end up having to kill someone? I just don't think that I could do that.
A woman walks slowly down the line. She asks each tribute to hold out their right arm and uses a metal device to insert something into their forearm right below the skin. One kid asks what that was, and she matter-of-fact-ly answers, "It's your tracker."
She reaches me and presses the thin metal tube up against my arm. I flinch as it pierces my skin. The lump it leaves on my forearm gives me something to play with to take my mind off the minutes ahead as we ride to the arena.
We won't get a chance to see it before the Games start. The hovercraft enters an underground chamber. We are led off it, and three Peacekeepers take me down a hallway to a room where Indigo is waiting for me. I'm excited to see him, and though he doesn't show it, I think the same goes for him.
He has me change into the arena outfit, a tight black nylon tank top and dark blue low-thigh-length loose shorts. This gives me some clues about what the arena might be like. He does two French braids on the top of my head that come together at the back then puts the remaining hair into a ponytail. He parts the hair behind the band and flips the ponytail under and through, which will keep it off my neck.
Indigo gives me some water to drink, and I chug it down because I know I'll need it. An announcer tells us there's a half an hour left. I sit in silence, too nervous to say anything. Indigo stands behind me. Twenty minutes. Fifteen. Ten. At five minutes I stand up.
"Thank you, Indigo," I stutter, "for helping me."
He nods, finally excepting my praise for once. I take a second to think about his position. Every year, he has to work with a girl, to help her, only to watch her die every time. No wonder he tries not to show emotion. The same goes for Otillie, and soon for Johanna, though this is only her second year as mentor. And that's one reason I'm not so sure I want to win, though it's not like I could. I just want to stay alive for a few days, to show my family that I fought back.
"One minute till launch." I'm shaking now. This is like a nightmare. Suddenly Indigo speaks, surprising me.
"Valeria..." He looks down. "Good luck." Now it's my turn to nod.
"Thirty seconds. Tributes, take your places for launch."
I nearly stumble as I slowly make my way to the metal platform in the corner of the room. How am I supposed to run away from danger? Maybe the adrenaline will kick in. But I don't see how I could be any more scared. My eyes are wide with fear, and if I had longer, I would have chewed my entire bottom lip off.
"Fifteen seconds."
A glass cylinder begins to close around me. I take one last look at Indigo as the platform begins to rise up out of the room, taking me with it. There are a few seconds of darkness before I burst into the bright sunlight.
"Ladies and gentlemen, let the 65th annual Hunger Games begin!" We have exactly one minute to wait.
The first thing I notice is the heat. Overwhelming heat. That certainly explains the outfit and the hair do. The rest of my competitors stand on pedestals identical to mine. We're all spread out into a circle with about a quarter-mile diameter. In the middle of the circle stands the Cornucopia, its mouth filled with weapons and supplies. More less important supplies are spread out quite a distance from it.
Next I try to focus my eyes on the scenery around me. It's pretty much all colorless, tan except for the blue sky. As everything comes into focus, I realize it's some sort of city. Or was at one point. Its concrete walls and pillars are mostly rubble now. Past the city's borders lies not much more than a desert, with an oasis here and there. I'm glad I drank all of that water beforehand, because it seems unlikely that I'll find much here.
The place where I am right now must have been some sort of square in the city. I wonder where I am. Greece? Rome? It seems weird that the arena would be out of the country, but then, no one ever knows where the arenas really are except the Gamemakers.
I look around at the other tributes. A few of the younger ones look as scared as I am. Most just look brave. The careers have their eyes focused on the Cornucopia. They want to go NOW, but they know that if they step off their pedestal a second early, land mines will blow them to smithereens. Conlan looks just as focused as them. The careers had offered him a spot in their alliance, but he refused. Katana's got herself pointed toward the Cornucopia too. With her speed, she'll be able to get there before everyone else, grab her sword, and start picking people off before even the careers. Maybe we'll meet up in the desert after the bloodbath. If I'm still alive. But I know she will be.
Finally I ask myself the question. What will I do when the gong goes off? It would probably be safer to run off and not go to the Cornucopia, but then how will I survive after that? I need some supplies. My eyes spot a bright green backpack several yards away. Surely that will have some useful things. Yes. I'll go for that. I wish I could go farther, because I desperately want that axe, but I decide that's not a good idea for someone who can hardly run the 100-meter-dash in less than twenty seconds.
And then I hear the gong.
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