The official chapter one! Yeah! We are on our way.
I would like to thank everyone so much for their lovely reviews! It's really what makes this all worthwhile!
Tell me if you think I got Gale right. I could never quite figure out if he was angry or just overly serious, so this might seem a little OOC to some of you guys. I apologize in advance. I think I went for a combination of the two, but I'm not sure.
Unfair
Everyone says "Life isn't fair", but few truly understand the meaning of it. Growing up in the Seam wasn't fair, losing my closest friend to the Hunger Games wasn't fair, having to work all day in the darkness of the mines wasn't fair, but this… this was beyond unfair. I had stood through seven reapings, starting when I was just twelve. Last year was supposed to be my last one. I was supposed to be safe, take care of my family, and maybe find a girl to settle down with. I wasn't supposed to be standing here with the other nineteen year olds waiting for one of us to be sent to our deaths. We'd all thought that we were safe. But no one is ever safe from the Capitol.
"Hello, District 12, and happy Hunger Games to all!" Effie Trinket said, as she paraded onto the stage wearing a brightly colored pink wig and he classic green suit. "This year is the third Quarter Quell which means that as a special treat all of you nineteen and twenty year olds get another shot at winning the Hunger Games! I'm sure you're all dying to give it a shot seeing how close last year's tributes came to the prize!"
"Dying" is, for once, the appropriate choice of words. At least one, but more likely two, of us will be dying in a few weeks' time. We all listen to Mayor Undersee drone on and on about the capitol and the Hunger Games and the Dark Days and the history of the Quarter Quell when suddenly Haymitch gives a loud burp, gets up from his chair, staggers around the stage a bit muttering under his breath, then looks directly at the camera and throws up. He swears loudly, flipping the camera, the Capitol, and the rest of Panem the bird, as Mayor Undersee and Effie exchange a look. Mayor Undersee helps Haymitch back to his seat as a slightly frazzled Effie smiles and steps forwards towards the large glass ball containing the names of every girl in District 12 between the ages of sixteen and twenty.
"Well, ladies first, and may the odds be ever in your favor!" she grins widely, starch white teeth glinting scarily in the steamy sunlight.
I tug at the collar of my shirt. It's too hot and humid. Of course the sun would come out today of all days instead of letting the clouds drizzle on and on like they usually do in the late spring. But there's not a cloud in the sky. How appropriate for the day that two of us will be sentenced to death.
Effie's got her hand around a slip of paper now. The air thickens with anticipation. It's being opened and Effie starts to smile as she reads the name printed on it.
"Margaret Undersee!" Effie reads happily.
The Mayor's face goes white. A hush falls over the crowd. My fists tighten, my eyes get a little wide, and suddenly I feel cold and clammy despite the heat. Even Haymitch looks mildly interested in this new and unexpected development.
Madge steps out of the seventeen year olds' section and begins to makes her way through the shocked crowd up to the steps. She nearly trips as she makes her slow and shaky ascent. The skin beneath her freckles looks green and her eyes are as massive as those of the crowds. She wasn't supposed to be drawn. No one, not even the craziest of the gambling men in the back of the crowd would have put their money on her. Not in a million years. She'd never taken tesserae before and she was the Mayor's daughter. Everyone thought of them as immune to and safe from the clutches of the Capitol.
I expect her to cry at the absurdity of it all, but instead she stands there bravely as Effie asks hopefully for volunteers and no one takes her up on the offer. Only when Haymitch drunkenly stumbles from his seat, holds her at an arm's length, and begins asking why some girl named Maysilee has been drawn twice, does she look even the least bit frightened and confused.
Haymitch is escorted back to his seat for a second time; however this time it is done by a large, unfamiliar looking Peacekeeper seeing as Mayor Undersee looks as if he is incapable of breathing. No one can blame him though. His only daughter has been sentenced to death and Haymitch seems to think that she's some other long dead tribute.
"Well, hasn't this been quite the exciting day?" Effie Trinket gasps as Haymitch sit down, still staring at Madge with a confused expression. "What with our female tribute being not only the Mayor's daughter but also the relative of a former tribute! This day just keeps getting more and more exciting!"
The crowd remains silent. Most are sympathizing with the Mayor, though some probably feel as though he deserves it. I can't quite decide how I feel. No one deserves this, but it was about time someone showed Madge Undersee that life wasn't fair. Right? But all I could think about was how Posy was wearing Madge's old dress. I'd never told my mother how I'd managed to get the clothes, but Posy had pestered me enough that I told a half-lie and said that I traded some strawberries with Madge for them. I would never admit that I'd gotten them for free.
"It's time for our young men, and may the odds be ever in your favor!" snaps me out of my silent mental battle. Effie's hand is fishing around and all I can do is cross my fingers and hope for what little that I have and for all that I need to give to my family that it isn't-
"Gale Hawthorne!"
I froze. My mind went blank. I could see everyone around me staring intently and hear the silence of the crowd. I looked at the stage a saw Madge and he blue, flowing dress. There was a matching ribbon in her hair. I looked at Effie, who was peering through the crowd in search of the male tribute. Anderson Mellark, the boy next to me, gave my shoulders a shove and suddenly I was back. I walked carefully onto the stage as Effie grabbed my shoulders and spun me around to face the crowd. I saw my mother crying as Mrs. Everdeen tried to comfort her. Posy looked at me with curiosity. She didn't understand what was going on. I had to look away before I cried.
"… Our two tributes from District Twelve: Gale Hawthorne and Margaret Undersee!" Effie calls excitedly.
Mayor Undersee steps forward to read the Treaty of Treason. His eyes are puffy and red. His voice shakes and eventually cracks. He can't continue. All he can do is look desperately at Madge and all we, the citizens of District 12 can do, is hope that he doesn't say or do anything stupid. He might be a pawn of the Capitol's, but he was a kind hearted and hard working pawn, at least, and he's always been quite popular with most of the citizens of 12, even those in the Seam and a few of the nicer Peacekeepers.
In what could possibly be the most compassionate act ever performed by a Peacekeeper, Darius mounts the stage and finishes up the reading of the Treaty of Treason. He turns around, his eyes full of sorrow and motions for us to shake hands. I can't tell if it's because he'll be missing me or what I manage to catch on my Sundays off.
I turn and my large, calloused hand envelopes her dainty, soft one. The most work that this hand has ever done is playing a piano. Mine have hunted and fought and worked in the mines. They've skinned rabbits and held Posy. I take a chance and look up. Grey eyes meet blue. Her eyes are a little puffy and red around the edges and the depths are too kind. I can only hope mine look tough and determined.
The anthem is playing and soon I find myself inside of the Justice Building sitting on a soft couch made of some odd material. I think that one of the dresses Madge gave to Posy was made of this. And that's when it hits me. Posy. Vick. Rory. Mom.
I may never see them again.
The door opens and it's them.
"Oh Gale," my mother whimpers and I rush into her embrace.
"Mom," I croak out as we hold each other. I feel like I'm six again and have skinned my knee while playing out in the street. All I want is to just hold onto her forever. I don't want to go. But I also don't want to look weak. So, I swallow back my tears as I hug my family good bye for what will most likely be the last time.
"You remember what I taught you about hunting, right?" I ask Rory, getting down to look him in the eye.
"Your bows and arrows are in the hollow log just past the beech tree with the crooked branch," he says confidently, but I can detect the waver in his voice. He's just as scared as I am if not more so. I remember how I felt when Katniss left and I begin to understand that the ones who really lose are the families.
"Rory…" I begin to say, but a Peacekeeper pokes his head in and shuffles my family out.
The next person to enter is none other than Mayor Undersee. I don't even know what to say. Firstly because the only time I'd ever been this close to him before was when he gave me the medal after my father died in the mines all those years ago. Second is the fact that I expected him to be with Madge, not someone who might have to kill her.
"You bring the strawberries, don't you? You and that Everdeen girl from last year," he says, looking at me with an expression somewhere between grief and pity. I almost feel angry when I realize that he feels the pity for himself and not for me. "I saw you a few times. And that little girl, your sister, is wearing one of Madge's old dresses."
I'm unsure of what to say, so I settle for a nod.
"I wish that I could beg you to keep her safe and alive. I wish that she could be spared. I wish that all of you could be, but I would give anything for anyone else to have taken her place," Mayor Undersee states, a blank expression in his eyes.
"She's not a fighter," I agree.
He grabs my shoulder and looks right at me. His eyes are full of urgency and desperation. The kind that will slowly drive someone insane.
"Please help her. Keep her safe. Even if you just teach her how to shot a bow and arrow. Please," he asks- no- begs. I'm amazed to find myself nodding.
"I'll do my best. I promise."
"Thank you, Gale," Mayor Undersee replies, as the Peacekeeper comes into the room to lead him out.
The Everdeens are next. We don't say much, but Prim manages to give me my District Token. At this point I'd almost forgotten about that. It's a thick bracelet made of strings but with little flowers woven into it. I slip it on and she smiles.
"Now whenever you feel homesick, you can look at the bracelet and think of us," she says proudly. I pull her into my arms just before the final Peacekeeper comes to escort me to the train. I see my family, the Everdeens, Mayor Undersee with a frail looking woman hanging to his arm, and a blonde haired family I'm not familiar with. They must be the rest of Madge's family, I realize. I feel her come up next to me as we walk towards the door. It swings open and then the reporters are upon us.
Haymitch drunkenly swings his arms and swears at them while Effie soaks it all up. I'm unsure of how to react, but I feel Madge shift closer to me, a sure sign of nervousness and feeling uncomfortable. I try cracking a grin, but I feel like a mad man the second I do. Thankfully, between Haymitch's swinging and Darius trying to do me one last favor, the reporters clear out enough for us to get to the train doors.
Haymitch pats me on the shoulder once and then gives Madge an odd look, acts like he's about to tell her something important, then mumbles incoherently to himself as he stumbles down the train. I give her a quizzical look, but she looks just as confused as I am.
"Well, come on and I'll show you to your rooms!" Effie flashes us what she must feel is a winning smile, but to me she looks like and evil elf that was in one of Posy's old children's books. Madge continues shrinking into my side and I begin to dread having made that promise to Mayor Undersee. There's no way anyone could ever turn sweet, shy Madge into a fighter none the less a killer.
If we became allies, I had no chance of winning but if we didn't she would last past the first night. I couldn't keep that promise to Mayor Undersee and win, but if I broke it I might as well die because I would never be able to face him again. It was a dilemma of epic proportions.
"Hurry up! You'll need your rest! Tomorrow is going to be a big, big, big day!" Effie called from down the hall. Madge and I are still next to the doorway as the last traces of our home, District 12, vanishes into the gathering darkness.
It's a bit too internal, but I really didn't know what they would have to say at this point. It's just one of those times when there isn't very much to say, I guess. Anyways, the next chapter should (hopefully) contain more dialogue than this one.
Please review and I hope you enjoyed!