The air seems to have been sucked out of me and I gasp for air. The poeple around me turn their head to look at me, some of them clearing a pathway to the stage. I can feel the color drain from my face as I stare at the stage. I can only wonder what my mother is thinking, does she know that I won't be returning? Does she somehow hold onto a little bit of hope that I can surivie?
The stares that people give me as I slowly make my way to the stage makes me feel worse. I do not want their pity, I already know that I will not survive this. I climb the sairs to the stage and Mica congradulates me like I had just won a great prize. I stare out into the crowd refusing to let myself cry. I will only do that when I am away from the cameras. I let out a shaky breath and gave a blank stare out to the crowd.
Mica smiles once again out to the poeple in district nine and then she speaks, "Now for the boys." I can't help but try to find my mother out in the crowd knowing that she is most likely crying. But I can't find her. Mica walks over to the right side of the stage where a glass bowl is just like it was when she called my name. She careful reches down and digs around for a moment and then pulls out a name.
As she heads back to the microphone the audience once again becomes deathly quiet. The sound of wind blowing amongst the trees is the only noise as Mica carefully unfolds the piece of paper. "Monty Chase." She calls out and the sound of the parents of the children can be heard conplaing quietly as they always do when a twelve year old is chosen. My eyes scan the crowd and they land on a little boy who looks so terrified as he takes a step forward. I am siently hoping that someone will volunteer. He was so young and didn't stand a chance, none of the twelve year olds ever did.
As he made his way up the stairs I made up my mind, I was going to protect him. He didn't deserve this, he deserved to live. I turn my head to look at him and notice just how small he was, it makes me mad at Preisent Snow for doing this to these children. They, we, are just kids, and me and Monty don't stand a chance. No one ever survives the games below the age of sixteen except for one person and that must have been luck.
"Well, there you have it. Our tributes from district nine." She speaks and then steps back and looks between the two of us, "Well go on you two shake hands." I take a step towards him and reach out my hand and his little hand grabs mine. The Peacekeepers come after that escort us into the justice building where we are put into a room to get to say goodbye to those who come to see us.
As I walk into the building the peacekeepers follow closely behind, I guess they don't want anything to happen to us, at least not yet. With my face away from the cameras I feel myself starting to get scared. I don't think it has fully hit me yet that I am going into the Hunger Games. But I feel my heart start pounding inside of my chest. Once inside the building the two of us are speareed and ushered into different rooms. We are allowed to get to say goodbye to those who come and visit us. In some ways, I hope that my mother doesn't come. It's not that I don't want to say goodbye, it's just that I don't know how. I don't want to see her face as she realizes that I won't be coming back home, that she will be alone.
I walk up to the window and see the people start to leave the square as very few people walk into the justice building. Fear begins to creep its way inside of my mind, I dont want to be here. I dont want to be in the Games, or have to kill innocent kids. I have to close my eyes for a second to try to calm my breathing and to will myself to hold back the tears. I don't want to look weak to the other tributes, because i know that will only make me a target.
There was no possible way that I could win, I did not know how to fight. My district is grain, I don't know how to use a weapon, but I know how to find food. That will help some, but I would make it out of this alive. My thoughts were interrupted when the door to the room swung open. I quickly turned around to see who it was and was relieved to see that it was my mother. I know that I said that I didnt want to say goodbye to her, but her being her still calms me down.
She didn't speak as the Peacekeepers shut the door behind her, instead she walked up to me and wrapped her arms around me. I held her close knowing that I would never get the chance again, and I closed my eyes, savoring this moment. "Mom," I said finally after a moment, I knew that we did not have long and I did not want to waste the time I had with her.
She pulled away from me, "Listen to me Ember, you are strong." She said softly as her eyes started to fill with tears, "You are skillful, I have hope in you my dear." She reached out her hand and placed it on my shoulder as she stared me in the eyes. "Do what you must to survive, I know you will." She quickly pulled me back into a hug, " I love you, Ember." She spoke and her voice was full of sadness. She may have believed that I would survive, but she knew that if I did then I would not be the same.
"I love you too mom," I whispered back afraid to speak above that. "I'll try to win, I promise." I told her knowing that there was no possible way for me to survive. My mother did not get a chance to respond to me before the door was opened again as the Peacekeepers came in tell us that time was up. She left the room and I was once agin left alone.
I had figured that my mother would be the only one to come and visit me but I was wrong. The door opened once more and someone that I did not know walked in. A man about my mother's age stood in the room, "Hey, I know you don't know me but I am Monty's dad." He spoke and I became confused, why would he come visit me? He took a seat in one of the chairs, "I know you don't know my son, but he's only a child and so are you. I know I shouldn't ask this of you, but will you watch out for him? None of the twelve year olds ever last long, Don't let my baby suffer alone."
I was shocked by his request but I found myself nodding, "I will try to protect him." I told him. "I will teach him what I know, and in the arena I will find him and make him an ally to protect him. Maybe he will return home."
The man looked at me grateful, "I would prefer it if you both returned home, but we both know that is not possible." He whispered so low that I almost did not hear it. "Thank you, Ember. He's just too young to be thrown into all of this."
After that the Peacekeepers came in and took him away. The goodbyes was over and we were escorted out of the justice building and onto the train. Mica never stopped talking about the luxury of the Capitol but my mind wandered to a different place. I couldn't help my thoughts from traveling the arena. I wondered what it would be this year, how deadly this arena would be compared to last year. Last year it was a desert and many of the tributes died of dehydration. I only wondered what joys were to await us in the upcoming days.
Boarding the train I was amazed by all the extravagant decorations. We were led into one part of the train where we would be able to sit down and meet with the mentors for the first time. Monty and I both exchanged a nervous look before we both took a seat on the chair as we waited for the mentors to come in.
Minutes passed before the door leading into this part of the train opened and the mentors walked in. Nolan Amberway, the victor of the 53rd Hunger Games and Willow Seahorn, victor of the 20th Hunger Games. Both of them have spent many years watching people from their district get sent off to their death. They had spent days getting to know these people just to watch them die in a few days. District Nine has not had a victor since Nolan won, and this year does not seem to be the year we will get another victor.
Since there is both a male and female victor from my distict then Willow will become my mentor while Nolan will become Monty's mentor. It is set up that way so that we can speak without the other knowing our strengths, not that I care if Monty knows mine. Then there are those disticrts, such as twelve, that only ever had two victors and only one of them is still alive. The person will have to mentor both of the tributes either separately or individually.
Monty and Nolan leave the room and I am left alone with Willow. She takes a seat in front of me and I realise that I know nothing about her aside that she is a victor. I do not even remember what her games consisted of. We have learned about all of them in school, but I can not recall what had happened during the 20th games. "When you arrive in the Capitol, it is vital that you make them like you. They will be your sponsors and sponsors can make the difference between life and death." She spoke and it did not go unnoticed how she skipped the introductions and went right into mentor mode. I guess I don't blame her, if I had spent as long as she did mentoring people who were going to end up dead then I wouldn't bother getting to know them either.
"How do I get people to like me?" I questioned her, I have never been good at making friends. In fact, I didn't even have friends, just some people that I talk to in school. I am not the type of person to make a lasting impression on people, I am more the type that gets overlooked and forgotten.
Willow pushed her hair that was beginning to trun gray behind her ear as she smiled down at me, "Act like you know what you are doing. At the tribute parade smile and wave at the audience." She must have seen the look on my face because she continued, "I know this isn't what you want to hear, but this is how you get sponsors. Your stylist will make you clothes that you will be wearing during your time in the Capitol and you must not speak your opinion on it."
I had never paid much attention to the tribute parade before but I do know that the stylist makes the clothes based on the districts, and I begin to wonder what my outfit would look like.I didn't get the chance to ask her anymore before I looked out the window and saw the Capitol. I quickly got up from my seat and walked over to the window amazed by it. As the train came to a stop a crowd of people stood outside of it trying to get a glimspe of the tributes as they arrived. Taking the advice from Willow I wave at them through the window and I hear them start shouting my name and waving back. Maybe this won't be so bad.