Bayleigh Mountainson, 12
District Ten Female
She's standing in the square and thinking about what she'll have for dinner with her family when she hears the silly escort with a simper in their voice as they call out the name "Bayleigh Mountainson!" and then everything seems to pause because no, why would the escort call Bayleigh Mountainson?
That's her.
When a peacekeeper - that's what her parents called the funny men in the white uniforms and the black visors that must make the sun shine on their face - makes his way through the crowd to collect her, Bayleigh darts to the stage. She's not going to be one of the people who just stand in the crowd when they have to go up the stage, she's not going to cry up on the stage. She doesn't know why most of the girls who are picked to go cry when they have to leave the district, but she won't be one of them. She's not going to make an embarrassment of herself.
So she marches up to the stage, climbing the stairs quickly and trying to smile for the escort. The woman - it's a new one this time, with blindingly-white skin and a violet suit that just isn't very good looking - gives a huge smile back and begins to speak into the microphone once more. "And that's our female tribute! Bayleigh Mountainson! May I have a round of applause for our lovely tribute?"
Instead of a round of applause, the sounds of angry murmurs spread throughout the square before a scream cuts the people off. In the back, Bayleigh can see some woman screaming to bring back her darling and pick someone else to die - is that her mother? No, she's never seen Mother with something other than a kind, calm smile on her face. It must be someone else.
But no, that is Tnuah Mountainson who is screaming her lungs out in the crowd. Peacekeepers come to stop her from yelling, but it's only when Marcus Mountainson puts a hand on her shoulder that Tnuah stops.
Bayleigh feels like she can't move. Her mother had told her the other day that there was nothing to worry about, that she would be safe from whatever would be at the reapings.
What does Bayleigh have to worry about that's made her mother hysterical? She doesn't know.
A part of her doesn't want to find out.
The escort calls out the name of the male tribute, an older boy named Cody Ridges who glances at Bayleigh apologetically. Why does he look like he's sorry that she's here? Her parents have guarded Bayleigh from whatever happens at the reapings, but she's always noticed that the district is somber or angered whenever a young boy or girl is chosen to head to the Capitol. She sees them whispering to one another when she heads back to her own home, and then nothing is made up of it. Her parents don't let her watch the television while they crowd around it in their own bedroom, and then half a year later she sees some strange boy or girl tour District Ten and is told to clap for them by her parents.
Last year it was a girl from District Six who came to the district. She looked sad as she walked onto the stage and delivered a little speech about the tributes from District Ten that year, a girl named Carol, and a… Mark? Bayleigh can't remember the second name, and her parents never talked about it.
If she doesn't come back like the girl from Six, will the person who does speak about her?
When the peacekeepers come to escort Bayleigh and Cody off of the stage, she pushes past them and walks as stiffly as she can. She holds her head high, enough that Cody gives her a bemused look before straightening his shoulders as well. The two walk into the Justice Building, and Bayleigh continues to walk in the stiff, proper manner that she falls into whenever others are watching her.
"Don't trip," Cody says as they walk across a carpet made up of beautiful fabric. "I don't know how to walk in stilettos like those."
"Oh, these?" Bayleigh scoffs at the high heels that she's used to walking in. "Doesn't every girl learn to walk in high heels when they're like, ten?"
Cody mutters something under his breath about Bayleigh's parents, but she doesn't hear exactly what the boy says before they're taken to different rooms. As she takes one last look at the boy who will be accompanying her to the Capitol, she sees how dirty and used his clothes are. Bayleigh looks down at her own dress, made up of blue fabric that feels nice on her skin. She chose it today for the gorgeous pink flowers printed all over the dress. She's always liked flowers, and if the cameras caught her in the crowd as the girl chosen this year walked up to the stage, she would look lovely.
But no, she was the girl this year who's not supposed to come back.
Bayleigh decides to explore the room that she has to wait in for her parents to arrive, but she only gets to inspect the brown curtains that hang over the windows before her parents arrive at the doors and rush to her. For a moment, they just hang onto each other as Bayleigh cries into her dad's shoulder. Then they all stand up, and Bayleigh's mom brushes off some dust from the blue dress. "We're so, so, so sorry Bayleigh. If we would come with you, we would, but the Capitol doesn't allow family. You'll have to go with Cody and your mentor. Listen to what they tell you, because you're going to have to fight for your life." She's crying again.
"What? Is that what happens there? I'm fighting?" Bayleigh asks. "Is that what happens there? What happens if you lose?"
"You d..." Bayleigh's father pauses. "You don't come back if you lose. Ask to watch the Hunger Games in the train, Bay. You'll understand there. Oh, I feel so stupid now. It's my fault, I should have made sure to let you know of this but I thought I could protect you from it when you were old enough - I didn't want you to be terrified - I just wanted to protect you, Bay - I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."
"We couldn't have predicted this, Marcus." Bayleigh's mom gives Dad a hug, then embraces Bayleigh. "We're going to have to ask you to forgive us, Bayleigh. We were very foolish and thought we could protect you from this, but we weren't. Protect yourself in the Capitol, and learn everything you can. When the bloodbath happens, run. Can you do that for us?"
"What?" Bayleigh asks, confused. Actually, she's more annoyed than anything. Why were her parents so, she doesn't know, urgent? Couldn't they have told her this before? Now she's angry at them and angry at herself for being scared, and she makes no effort to stop what she says next. "No, I'm not forgiving you. You told me I was mature, that I had nothing to worry about, didn't you? Well, look at us now. Looks like I do have a lot to be worried about. Thanks."
Her mother almost shudders at the tone Bayleigh is using, but her father helps her to her feet. "I suppose, in a way we deserved that. Stay our girl, Bayleigh. We'll do anything we can to get you home."
"Quite the brat, isn't she?" a peacekeeper whispers as the Mountainsons leave the room, and Bayleigh flushes. Is she being a brat? In the end, is she the spoiled brat that all of the kids at school claimed she was?
She's just alone with that thought for the rest of her time in this room that she doesn't want to look at anymore. Alone with just her thoughts to keep her company.
She's afraid.
A new chapter! Woohoo!
Goldie, this one's for you :D How does everyone like Bayleigh? She's another fun gal - I hope you all enjoy her, even if she's a bit of a brat. Yes, she has issues, but they're ~fun~ issues.
And that means we're at our tenth intro! Three more to go before we head into the Capitol. We're going to have a lot of fun!
Enjoy. Until next time, TheAmazingJAJ