My mouth drops. I am in complete shock. There must be some mistake. I can feel the eyes of on lookers staring at me, waiting for me to move. But I don't. I can't. I feel like my feet have be cemented into the ground. My throat goes dry I want to scream to yell. But I'm all choked up and can't. Now I want to cry. But it feels like my eyes have gone dry along with my mouth. Someone shoves me and tells me to move. Then I'm set back into reality. Everyone is clapping. Then I hear a scream. It's my mother. I see the peacekeepers coming to me because I haven't move toward the stage yet. I'm frantic. I want to get out. I want to run away. I don't know where. But anywhere but here. Only I can't. My mother's cries are louder and more frantic.
"No!" She screams. "Not my baby! Not my girl!" I can almost hear her choking up. The peacekeepers are just a few feet away from me. Everyone has moved away from me. I look around, try to find comfort. The each peacekeeper takes one of my arms and is nearly dragging me to the stage. I don't want to go. I look around for my mother but I find Leonard starring at me. Then I spot my mom. She is running after me. I want to tell her I will be ok. But my mouth is still dry. "No!" She continues to scream. And then it's as if they world starts to move in slow motion. All the people around me are back away, clearing a path. Still clapping. A few people have the nerve to cheer verbally. Then I see Leonard grab my mother and hold her back. Leonard is yelling at my mother to calm down, telling her there is nothing she can do. But he is looking right at me. The sorrow in his eyes is unmistakable. It is this moment that I know if Leonard could volunteer for me, he would. But he can't.
My father comes to help Leonard with my mother. I am suddenly wondering where my brother is when one of the peacekeepers yells are me to watch my step. I face forward and force my feet to move. They throw me on the stage next to Auriemma. She is congratulating me but I am not listening. I see the Mayor starring at me. I glace at him and I can tell he is sorry for me. I never really knew the Mayor but I would run into him every now and then and we would exchange a few words. Several times he has come to my house personally to request the desserts my mother and I make and sell in the bakery. He is a good man. And when he comes over to shake me hand to congratulate me, I know he is lying. I know I am not the last person he would want to go into the reaping but I know I am certainly not the first.
Then I see Auriemma fishing in the second reaping bowl for a boy. And all I can think about it Leonard. I'm praying they don't call his name. I am starring hard at the reaping bowl as if I can control what name Auriemma picks. Finally she pulls her hand out of the bowl and reads off the name. She reads off the name. "Adam Stanford!" She yells. More clapping and cheering take place. I know this boy. He is my age. And when I scan the crowd for him, he seems much more prepared for this than I do. He swallows and walks up the stairs and stands on the other side of Auriemma. I know him. We aren't friends. In fact I don't think we have ever talked. But he's nice. I've had several classes with him. My mind races to find more information about him. I know he has a little brother and a little sister. I find myself searching the crowd for them. The boy can't be older than 10 and his sister looks to be about 7. His mother is crying. His father is crying to comfort him. I recognize his father as the town smith. So automatically I know Adam will be more ready in the arena than I will. He has a better chance to will, to come home to his family. Already I know that I want him to win. I feel a pang of sadness for his family. The chances of Adam going home aren't great. But they are better than mine.
Auriemma is standing at the microphone again. "I wish everyone a happy Hunger Games!" She turns toward Adam and I who are standing behind her. She still has the microphone in her hands. "And may the odds be ever in your favor." She puts the microphone down and Adam and I are whisked away. I don't pay attention to where I am going. Nor do I care. I am to lost in thought to care about it. About half a dozen questions fill my mind. What will happen to my family? Are they going to watch the Hunger Games this year? Do they still love to watch the Hunger Games? Do they still love the Capitol? Are they going to sponsor me? Am I going to be able to say goodbye to them? I suppose I will never know the answers to half of these questions, because I know I am going to die in the arena.