May the 38th Hunger Games BEGIN!
District 8 was famous for being cold all year round, but that Monday it was as though the temperature had dropped twenty degrees. The wind that passed through the packed village square should have seemed warm, bringing sea air in from Districts on the coast but instead it made the bleak, muddy town seem even more desolate than the shabby, white-washed buildings suggested.
It was the day of the Reaping.
Shivering children stood locked in a pen in front of a makeshift stage which bore only three people.
The mayor was a wrinkled man with the furrowed brow, streaming eyes and red nose of a drunk. Living in a tiny little freezer, having to watch your people starve and freeze every day, knowing there wasn't a thing you could do about it had driven him past depression to the stage at which he became almost zombified.
Tiara Goldilocks was a moronic Capitol supervisor with ridiculous gold hair, as the name suggested, and a giggly laugh that probably hadn't helped the mayor's collapse to insanity.
I stood in the pen like hundreds of others, squished tight with Aeros as we gripped each other's hands like we'd never let go.
The final seat on stage was taken by Jerron Velue, the only District 8 victor other than Paylor. It appeared Paylor was unable to go to these Games due to 'health problems' although more likely he was drunk and couldn't handle it. It was terrible, watching everyone with power to help us descend into drunken stupor, but if they couldn't even help themselves, what hope was there for us?
The mayor blundered his way through the history of the Games and the stories about 'preventing another Dark Days' and all that tripe.
Then, the Capitol lady bounced her way up to two identical fishbowls and did a little flourish of her hair as she came to a halt.
"Now, ladies first, and may the odds be ever in your favour!" she squealed as she placed her hand in the bowl.
Now that the moment of Reaping was finally here, I was shaking, gripping Ross' hand like a vice.
Rivulets of sweat ran down my forehead and my palms and it felt like my blood was about to freeze in my veins as I shivered in abject terror.
Only, it wasn't my name I heard.
It was my sister's.
"Victoria Coin!" Tiara called loudly as Victoria numbly walked towards the stage. I wanted to do something, make some brilliant plan to save her, but I was glued to the spot. I felt Aeros' arm around me, but I was numb, staring lifelessly at every step my sister took towards the stage. "You lucky devil!" Tiara screeched as she pulled my sister up the final step, as though the Hunger Games were some great honour.
As my sister took her place next to her mentor, Tiara dipped her hand into the second bowl.
I realised a split second before she called the name whose it was going to be. I saw the recognition in the woman's eyes as she saw me.
Saw me next to the male tribute from District 8.
"Aeros Servan," she said; most of the bounce out of her voice as I fell to my knees.
Ross grabbed my arms and pulled me back up again until my face was in line with his as he whispered, "Remember me…" and kissed me.
I wanted to stay like this forever, to hold him and never let go, but all too soon someone pulled me off and he walked stoically towards the stage, all sign of emotion wiped from his face.
He took his place silently as I kicked and spat, trying to escape the iron grip of whoever held me, stopping me from running straight to the stage.
All eyes were on me, some full of pity, others who glanced before turning away, pretending it never happened.
No one noticed Tiara telling us to disperse. It just… happened as everyone tried to hide their face from my fiery glare. When finally the kid who held me let go, I tried to chase Ross but all I got was a backwards glance before he was into the Justice Building and gone, I tried not to add 'forever' but it fell into place against my will.
I tried to pull myself together, but I ended up collapsing to my knees, watching my tears melt tiny pools of snow on the ground in front of me.
It wasn't until I felt the pull of my father's arm that I allowed myself to move.
I followed doggedly, wishing I could be drunk and delirious like Paylor and the mayor, but I wasn't. I couldn't push aside the knowledge that even if, by some miracle, one of them survived; only one of them would survive.
By the time I slumped in front of our tiny personal TV, all of the Reapings were over.
The highlights package focused on the District 1 kids for over half an hour, which was odd until a news reader explained. The two tributes chosen were child TV stars in a famous Capitol mini-series and it seemed people had been too shocked to volunteer this year because they were listed as the tributes on a scrolling caption, Vanity Lee and Cerron James. Rumours were spiralling that it was the work of a rival network director, trying to crush the show.
Finally, they quickly skipped through the volunteering of two bear-children from 2, a surprisingly fit kid from 3 and a small girl with glasses, two tall, bronzed fighters from 4, generic kids from 5, 6 and 7, a slight focus on me chasing after Ross and Victoria for 8, a short and stocky guy and a girl with a wolfish smile from 9, some depressingly weedy kids from 10, two shifty looking kids from 11 with their arms shackled behind their backs (criminals apparently) and two malnourished, decrepit kids from 12 with the coal dust not even washed off their faces.
Then the screen went black and the Reaping was over.
I curled into a ball and stayed like that. I didn't eat, I didn't sleep; I just lay there in a ball of terror.
A few days later, I felt the couch sink beside me and realised that my father had joined me as the TV blinked to life of its own accord.
Caesar Flickerman, the genial young host of the Hunger Games appeared on the screen to announce the release of the training scores.
Vanity and Cerron received nines, although I was doubtful that they got it for their actual talents, more likely the game makers were just fans of their show. District 2 got a nine and a ten which was unsurprising considering their bear-like qualities. The boy from 3, whose name turned out to be Raven, got a ten which was surprising, despite his size he wasn't a Career and I was nervous as to what unknown skills he had up his sleeve. The little girl got a seven despite the fact she was thirteen. District 4 to 7 ranged from an eight with the bronzed District 4 boy, Locke, and the brown haired District 6 girl, Laira to a four with the weedy District 5 kids.
Next was a corny picture of Ross with a nine which didn't surprise me, he was used to climbing over huge machinery and was built like a tank, picking up a weapon and mastering it would be second nature to him. Victoria on the other hand managed a seven although I didn't know of any survival skills she possessed.
The highest after that was a ten for the District 11 prisoner, Storm, while the two District 12 kids barely scraped threes.
Then the screen once again turned black, locking me alone in my mind until the interviews that night. Seeing Victoria and Ross do well, I wasn't sure if it made me happier or sadder as the realisation came that I had to choose. Only one of them could come back and I had to accept it, or even that neither could come home.
Finally, the television flicked on of its own accord once again to show the tributes in their stupid, shiny carriages, waving and smiling.
The tributes from 1 yet again stole the show in matching silk shirts with vests and flowing capes glistening in the half-light of the twilight. District 2 were in heavy armour that looked as though it was made of stone. The huge kid from 3 was flashing in every colour of the rainbow in an electrically charged dinner suit with a black bow tie and the girl had a glowing tiara which occasionally sent lighted ripples down a dress that looked as though it was made of aluminium foil. The boy from District 4 wore no shirt and a pair of fishing pants covered in ropes and hooks while the girl wore a dress that shimmered like fish scales which, combined with her skin, just looked creepy. District 5 were just done up in a tuxedo and dress with some painted on tattoos for interest but basically flopped. District 6 looked like someone had wrapped vines around them and they wore a doctor's and nurse's hat respectively to represent the medicine district. District 7 were dressed up like woodcutters with overalls and fake axes to match their totally fake smiles.
When District 8 was announced I froze solid with my eyes glued to the screen.
It appeared that someone had found out Ross was a mechanic because his costume had nothing to do with textiles. He had some type of gel to spike up his newly-washed hair and his green eyes sparkled. They'd put a silver stud in his left ear and he wore a thick shirt with the sleeves folded up high to show of arms like a bull and leather gloves. On his legs he wore shorts with the overall top-section folded down to hang around his legs with dirty bare feet to make it seem as though he'd just been working.
The District 1 kids had finished their little carriage ride and I realised all eyes were focused on Ross as he was showered in wolf whistles and the odd flower.
I only felt worse as I realised that this could be the only time I'd see him without all the heavy clothes he wore in District 8 and he looked amazing. I'd never realised quite how handsome he was and yet as soon as I did, it was when he was basically riding to his death.
Victoria wore a dress in layers with every layer a different colour and different texture to show the textiles from District 8. On each layer was a ring of jewels in the colour of the dress. It was the prettiest thing she'd ever worn and yet she'd only be wearing it for ten minutes.
District 9 wore solid grey outfits like pieces of machinery, District 10 were dressed like farmers with tweed and flannelette shirts, District 11 wore clothes made out of fruit and District 12 wore miner's hats and overalls covered in glittery coal dust but I ignored them almost completely.
All I could think about was Ross and how beautiful he looked and yet at the same time, how close he was to his doom.
The two District 1 actors knew how to handle themselves on TV and came off as charming and light-hearted while District 2 was a brutal contrast. Raven was going for smart but funny and pulled it off well. Locke was relaxed and jovial while Laira played up the small-town girl act.
Finally, when Ross came on, he was still in his costume and had the crowd in his hand as he grinned with sparkling teeth and gave a little wave.
"So Aeros-," Caesar began before he was cut off by Ross.
"Come on, Caesar, don't be so formal, call me Ross," Ross said easily as he settled into a large interview chair.
"So, Ross," Caesar began, emphasising the nickname, "What do you think of the nine in the training?"
"I'm pretty happy with it, it's not often you see someone that far down the list getting scores like that. Bit annoyed about getting beaten by that kid from 11 though," he joked, "but hey, it happens."
"We saw a girl standing with you at the Reaping, would you like to tell the audience about her? I'm sure it's a fascinating tale," he added.
"That's my girl back home," Ross grinned his new synthetic white smile, "I've known her for only a couple of months but she's amazing," he looked at the camera and for a moment it felt like he could see me, despite the fact he might as well have been a million miles away, "She's the reason I want to go all the way."
"That's sweet," Caesar replied.
"She sure is," Ross grinned before his expression became downcast, "There's just one problem… she's Victoria's sister…"
You could hear the whispers of the crowd as they talked about this and the buzzer went off before Caesar began again.
"Well, I hope you go well," he said, regaining his composure at a remarkable speed.
As Ross sat down, I could see him clenching and unclenching his fist, a habit he'd had to show anger ever since I'd known him.
When Victoria came to the stage in her sparkly dress, I could see that she was worried about being on stage. Ross had pulled off a laid-back air brilliantly, even with the whole revelation that his girlfriend' sister would have to die for him to survive.
"Victoria, nice to meet you," Caesar began jovially as he extended his hand to her, which she shook grudgingly, "What did you think of the seven?"
"I'm happy enough with a seven, I didn't think I'd even do that well," she replied, trying to fake her happiness.
Caesar realised she was nervous, sitting on the edge of her chair as if preparing to flee, "Come on, Vicky, if I can call you that," she thought for a second before nodding, "relax."
She sat back slightly further before flinching with Caesar's next question, "So, we all heard about your sister, what do you think about your predicament?"
"Well… I hadn't really thought about it until now… I guess I don't really mind if I die, so long as Ross survives for her. We never really got along much when we were at home, but I really wish that she could at least have someone come home, even if it isn't me. He's a really nice guy but the problem is, there are 22 other 'nice people' who have girlfriends and families who wish that they could see them come home."
Their banter continued about the Capitol and her thoughts on the other contestants but I was focused on her previous words; "He's a really nice guy but the problem is, there are 22 other 'nice people' who have girlfriends and families who wish that they could see them come home."
If Ross came home for me, 23 other people didn't come home to their families and friends. Could I really choose that fate for so many others for my own interests?
Whoa, that was a long one. Anyway, I hope you're enjoying the story and keep reading. For anyone who noticed, the chess game is a metaphor: Peeta and Katniss are the knights, Coin is the black queen and Snow is the white king as well as some other characters representing other pieces.
Next Chapter: The 38th Hunger Games begin.