Chapter 8- Catalina Nightwind
"Catalina Nightwind!"
The woman from the Capitol looks down expectantly at us all, waiting for the girl chosen to come up to the stage. Waiting for me.
Father promised me this morning, before we left the house, that I would be safe. That my name would never be chosen.
One slip of paper in thousands.
But they chose me anyway.
Before I really realize what's going on, Challah has pushed through the crowds to me, holding me tight. "Go on up, Cat," she says, and I hear the tears in her voice.
Like they're expecting me to, I pull away from my sister, but I start crying on the way up. When I get to the lady from the Capitol, Miri Pola, I cover my face and just sob. Somewhere in the crowd I can hear someone else sobbing; my family?
"Do we have a volunteer for Miss Catalina?" Miri asks.
Through my tears I see Challah move forward. No Challah! Don't volunteer for me!
Before she can say anything, Lavender has run to her, wrapped her arms around Challah, and spoken to her. Challah shakes her head, trying to fight against Lavender, but then she steps back.
"No volunteers?" Miri asks. Challah's crying, and Lavender's crying, and I'm crying because I'm going to die in the arena.
"Let's move on to the boys then!" Miri pipes, moving to the boys' bowl. I can't stop crying, even though I know everyone in Panem is watching me right now. I don't care. I'm only twelve! I can cry if I want to.
"Hiro Joinlake!" Miri announces, holding the little slip of paper. Hiro makes his way through the crowd, which parts for him, and up the steps to the stage. He takes his place by my side. Will he kill me in the arena?
"Do we have a volunteer?" Miri asks, and a taller, bigger boy lunges forward in the crowd, arm in the air. He needn't be so aggressive about it; nobody else is going to volunteer.
"I volunteer as tribute!"
The relief is evident on Hiro's face as the Peacekeepers let him go and wait for the new boy to come up. He's obviously seventeen or eighteen, but I don't know his name. He's not familiar to me.
"What's your name?" Miri asks, and the boy thumps on his chest.
"Ornam Duskpath!" he crows, looking out with elation at the crowd. He scares me a little; he's so much taller than me.
"The tributes of District 9!" Miri says, and everyone claps for us. I want to run off the stage, go and find my family, but the Peacekeeper closest to me takes my arm and leads me into the City Hall.
"Let me go! Let me go!" I shriek at him, but he just carries me away to a room, dropping me there and shutting the door.
I jump up and start to bang on the door, but it's locked. "Let me out!" I scream, then collapse backwards in tears. This can't be happening! It must be a nightmare and Challah will be waking me up any time.
The door opens and my parents rush in, picking me off the ground and sitting with me on the couch behind us. My mother is crying, my father blinking back tears.
"I'm sorry!" I cry, hanging onto them. This is the last time I will ever see them. No twelve-year-old has ever won the Games. I'm not likely to now.
"You have nothing to be sorry for, Catalina," my mother says, holding me tighter.
"You are the best daughter we could ever hope for," my father says, kissing my forehead.
"I'm going to miss you," I say, breaking down in more tears.
"Listen to me, Catalina," my father says, holding me by the shoulders and making me look him in the face. "This is what I want you to do. You're going to train hard; you're going to find an alliance somewhere in there. Hide in the arena. Listen to your mentor, whoever it's going to be. They're going to keep you alive. You're going to win, and you're going to come home. Do you hear me?"
I nod. "Nobody's ever come home as a twelve-year old, though."
"You are going to make history and be the first. Understand?"
"Okay. I'll do my best."
"You are going to be a victor, Catalina. Do what you have to do to come home, and we'll forgive everything when you come home. Learn to fight."
"Time to go," the Peacekeeper says, opening the door. Mother grows hysterical.
"No! Give us more time!"
"Out!"
Mother kisses my forehead quickly and gives me a hug. "I love you! Be good, Catalina! I love you!"
"I love you!" I cry. Father kisses my forehead then grips my wrists.
"You'll be a victor. I'll see you on the other side." With another kiss, he's gone.
I bury my face in my hands and cry more; I've never cried so hard in my life. The door opens again and Edel comes in with Lavender.
"Cat!" Lavender says, rushing to my side. She's not crying but Edel is, softly. They come on either side of me and just hold me. My beloved sisters. What am I going to do without them?
"You're going to come home okay. I just know it. I'll start a collection, get you some sponsors," Edel says, brushing the tears from my face.
Lavender stands up and starts pacing. "It's not fair! They shouldn't be able to choose twelve-year olds; it's not fair!"
"I know it's not, but that's what's happened," Edel says patiently.
"There's going to be ways to survive. Get a weapon, get away from everyone else. Wait them out, Cat. And if you need to, kill them all," Lavender says, stopping in front of me.
"I don't think I can kill anyone," I say, leaning into Edel.
"Then you're not going to be a victor. Cat, it's going to be you against them in the arena, and only you are going to be the survivor of the Games. Swear you'll try, Cat; swear you'll try to get out."
"I promise."
Then their time is up too, and Edel is crying, Lavender is crying, I'm crying more.
"I'll come back!" I say, and they're gone.
Almost immediately, Challah bursts in and shuts the door even before the Peacekeeper can. "I can't believe they chose you. I know we don't have a lot of time to say goodbye, but I want you to know that I would have volunteered for you if Lavender hadn't stopped me," she says, taking my arms and sitting down.
"I know. I saw you. I'm glad she stopped you; I don't want you to volunteer for me."
"Listen, I know it's going to be hard, and it's going to be scary. I need you to be brave."
"I already promised everyone else that I would come home."
"And you will. Cat, I want to move into one of those big mansions when you come home, so try really hard to win," Challah says, and we both laugh.
"Rich beyond your wildest dreams, and safe for life. You'll be fine. You'll manage. Oh, but I want you to have this," Challah continues, taking off her bracelet and slipping it onto my wrist. I've hardly ever seen her without it; it's beautiful, made of blue and white beads woven together.
"Are you sure?" I ask, fingering the beadwork.
"I want you to have a piece of home when you go into the arena. Wear it?"
"Of course!" I throw my arms around my big sister. "You'll have the bed all to yourself for awhile."
"Finally!" she teases. Then she grows serious, looking into my eyes hard.
"Come home, okay?"
"Okay."
Then the precious minutes are up, and Challah is gone, leaving me alone in the room.