Chapter Three, The Reaping
''Artemis?'' Mayor Hewatts had sent one of his staff members to go wake up the boy if necessary. The young man in question was already up, wondering what this day would bring; most likely tragedy according to most teenagers at school.
The staff lady opened Artemis's blinds and went to his wardrobe. She picked up a simple a dark blue dress shirt and a pair of well fitting grey pants. She placed them on the edge of Artemis's bed and then cleared her throat. ''This would be suitable for Reaping Day.'' She said, expressionless, before leaving.
Artemis walked from the desk to the bed, looking down to the clothes. The future was not so different fashion-wise, he thought. Fortunately, he got to reside in the Mayor's house, which was a main advantage. He was well clothed and fed, while most of the people he had met in District 3 lived in uneasy financial situations.
He picked up the outfit and put it on. It was not his usual Armani suit, but it was all right.
Pacing in the mansion, he finally ended up in the kitchen, where he took a small breakfast. He did not feel so hungry... Something in the air made him feel nervous and uncomfortable.
Mayor Hewatts eventually appeared in the kitchen's doorway, two stylists following him.
''Artemis,'' he said. ''It's time to go to the city square.'' Behind a stylist was the same woman who had come to give him his clothes. ''Follow her,'' the Mayor told him with a smile full of empathy. Now that he had a son, he knew what it felt like to fear for someone's safety.
Artemis judged best to do what he was told and followed the staff member. He walked outside of the Mayor's House, which was just beside the city square.
When his eyes adjusted to the sun filled view, they went huge in disbelief. The quiet little town he had landed in had completely transformed overnight…
Thousands of citizens filled the streets, all heading towards the square. Camera crews were everywhere, ready to film all the action and beside the steps of the Justice Building, giant screens, amongst other television equipment, had been placed.
Parents looked worried, kids seemed curious and teenagers were all very nervous.
''Follow that line.'' The staff lady told Artemis while pointing to a long lined filled with pale-looking teens. The lady left once again, leaving Artemis on his own.
In the line in front of him, Artemis could recognize a few faces from school. He tried to look farther in the queue to see what was waiting at the end of it… No luck for him, he would have to wait and see.
When he finally reached the starting point of the line, four people sitting at a table greeted him. They asked him for his name and Artemis replied it coldly. From all the rumors he had heard at school, these people were not too friendly. The man in front of him grabbed his hand and pricked his finger, raised an eyebrow and shrugged. He pressed Artemis's finger against a blank piece of paper. ''You just moved here didn't you?'' The boy nodded, seeing no point in inventing a story, and the man directed him to an area where tense fourteen-year-old boys stood.
About ten minutes later, people began to arrive on the steps of the Justice Building. Among them were a camera crew and some technical assistants. Three chairs were placed in the entrance of the edifice; on one sat Mayor Hewatts and on the other, was a lady wearing in an electric blue wig with purple streaks. Let's forget my previous statement about future fashion… thought Artemis with a humorless smile.
The lady was wearing a blouse with puffy sleeves, the same colors as her hair. Her blue PVC skirt, which was strategically cut on the sides to show the purple lining underneath, was brushing the floor. She looked like an extreme version of the pop-stars from Artemis's days with her pale blue lipstick and fake paper eyelashes.
"Wow, we got Effie Trinket as an escort this year," whispered sarcastically a boy behind Artemis, mostly to try to ease the mood.
In the third chair, a short man with black hair, ashen skin and glasses that looked too small for his face, was seated. Artemis had seen his face before; he recalled that he had seen his picture once yesterday, when his teacher was speaking about District Three victors. The man was probably Beetee.
Someone signaled the trio that it was the time to begin the ceremony, the Reaping. Most teenagers breathed heavily, calming their nerves, as Mayor Hewatts rose and walked to the podium on the center of the makeshift stage. The man retold the History of Panem, from the day that North America had been destroyed by natural disasters up until the day when the Hunger Games were created. Artemis sighed, mourning his home.
The rules of the Hunger Games were formally explained; in much more details than how they had been told at school. It was unbelievable that two persons from the audience were soon to be under those twisted conditions.
Mayor Hewatts then introduced Effie Trinket on the podium. People applauded politely.
"Welcome, welcome to the 80th Annual Hunger Games." She waited for the crowd to go silent, which only took a second. "Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor!" She smiled at the crowd. "It is a honor for me to be in District Three today! The weather here is quite lovely!"
She told a few personal stories about the District before moving towards one glass ball containing thousands of paper slips. The official Reaping was about to begin.
"Ladies first!" she proclaimed. She slid her hand in the bowl and mixed the papers. On one of the giant screens passed the worried faces of District Three's teenage girls. She slowly grabbed one piece of paper and carefully, on her seven inch high heels, she walked back to the podium and opened the folded piece of paper.
The extreme silence was broken by the whistling of the microphone. "Silyah Natho!" She said way too joyfully in the microphone.
Artemis knew this name.
The brown haired girl gasped and people could clearly see that she was shaking as she walked to the stage. She took deep breaths and grabbed the hand Effie offered her to climb the stairs. "Ladies and gentlemen, Silyah Natho!" Silyah straighten her back and shoulders. "Now, before we make this official, does anyone want to volunteer at her place?" Nobody stepped forward, not one person even made a sound. Effie whispered something in the girl's ear as Beetee got up to shake hands with the brand new tribute. Camera crews took pictures of them.
Half of the audience had relaxed, knowing that they would be safe.
"Now for the boys!" Effie walked to another glass ball, her hand hesitating between papers. She finally drew one name out and went back to her microphone, her heels still clicking on the floor. She smiled, looked at the crowd.
"Artemis Fowl!"
Artemis felt his heart stop. Some people in the crowd began to whisper. Who was he? Only the few persons that knew him from his short passage in District Three's school gave the raven-haired boy sympathetic looks. "Don't be shy," said Effie in her microphone.
Artemis had fought goblins, fairies and even the mafia. This should not have made him so anxious, but it did. People made him a small path as he walked to the stage. "There you are!" Effie's voice began to sound way too enthusiastic. An army of camera focused on Artemis.
Keeping his emotions in check was something Artemis had taught himself long ago; not looking as terrified as he actually was wasn't so hard. He reached the stairs, slowly walking them up to the podium. Effie introduced him and asked if there were any volunteers. Artemis had only been in Panem for two days and a few hours, nobody knew him enough to take his place in the arena. The Mayor looked into his adoptive son's eyes, a defeated frown on his face. He walked to the podium and recited the Treaty of Treason.
In the mean time, Artemis wondered why his name was selected, it was no coincidence, that he was certain of…
Effie instructed Artemis and Silyah to shake hands. Artemis had seen Silyah before at school; they had had a conversation and a few encounters. Though he may have not completely known her, she had proven to be clever, that he knew for sure.
Silyah's shaky hand touched Artemis's. "I'm sorry, the odds were not in our favor apparently," she whispered in an equally shaky voice.
"Apparently..." Artemis replied, his own voice strangely calm.
The national anthem of Panem played through the speakers beside the giant screens, photographers took the official pictures of the two tributes from District Three and then the two teenagers were sent inside the Justice Building.
Too soon for his own taste, Artemis was sent in a small, but luxurious room. A Peacekeeper instructed him to wait there until he could say his final goodbyes. Artemis wondered who could possibly visit him.
Someone knocked softly on the door. Artemis got up and opened it. "Mayor Hewatts?" Something shiny was in the Mayor's right hand. The left one was carrying a bag, which contained the clothing Artemis arrived in Panem with.
"I thought that I could bring you a token from home, something you will have the right to bring along with you in the arena…" The Mayor opened his right hand. Artemis's chain with Holly's golden coin was in his palm. "I will bring this outfit to Ms. Trinket so that she can give it to you on the train," he said.
"Thank you," Artemis replied.
A Peacekeeper instructed Mayor Hewatts that he had to leave after three minutes of awkward silence, which the mayor interpreted as stress. "Good luck son," he said giving him a military salute.
Lonely minutes passed before another Peacekeeper entered the room, "Follow me Mr. Fowl," requested the tall man in a white uniform. The Peacekeeper led him to a futuristic version of a car, inside of which were Effie, Beetee and Silyah, as well as a driver. Artemis sat beside the young girl.
From outside the window, he could see armies of reporters and photographers desperately trying to catch a glimpse of the two tributes.
It took exactly ten "Effie-filled" minutes for them to reach the train station, where even more reporters were waiting. "Don't answer the journalists, they are not officials from the Capitol, they could twist your words." And on this word of advice from Effie, the group got out of the car. Camera flashes almost blinded them, but they boarded the train safely.
The two tributes were sent to their respective rooms to settle before dinner. Silyah, who had finally stopped shaking, commented on the beauty and efficiency of the train's design as she walked to her's, trying to think about anything but the Hunger Games.
Artemis went to his apartment and sat on his bed. In his pocket, he reached for his golden coin and threw the chain around his neck. He decided that he would try to reach No. 1's anchor point once again.
He concentrated on the magic left in him... There was nothing to do... He tried for a long time, but he was still stuck in the future.