Chapter 2
Tributes of 12
No! It can't be I'm one in a million! It's not fair! To be picked out of that pool only to be taken to the capitol and readied for slaughter! I can't believe this, no I won't believe this. As I take a trembling step forward I hear hushed murmuring, as there always is when a twelve year old is chosen, I know by the numbness in my limbs that my face is drained of colour as all the blood rushes away leaving me an unbelieving husk.
"Prim!" I hear a strangled cry "prim!" Katniss is running toward me as I'm about to mount the steps and she pushes me behind her.
"I volunteer!" she gasps, " I volunteer as tribute!"
There's confusion on the stage there hasn't been a volunteer in district 12 in decades and the protocol is a bit rusty traditionally a name will be read out then any volunteers will step forward like Katniss did well she ran forward. In some districts where the careers live winning is such an honour that they are all eager to participate but not here. This is district 12 where volunteers are all but extinct.
"Lovely!" Effie Trinket's voice jolts me back to the present
"But I believe there is a small matter of introducing the reaping winner and then asking for volunteers and if one does come forward then we, um…" she trailed off looking unsure.
"What does it matter?" says the mayor he's looking at Katniss with a strange expression on his face.
"What does it matter?" he repeats let her come forward.
I run forward screaming hysterically I wrap my arms around her, tight." No, Katniss! No! You can't go!"
"Prim let go." She says her words are harsh but I can see she's trying not to cry. "Let go!" I can feel someone pulling at me and suddenly Gale lifts me up away from Katniss and I'm thrashing round trying to get back to her but Gale is so strong I can't get away.
" Up you go catnip." He whispers to her. He carries me away to mother. As she reaches the top and shakes Effie's hand Effie gushes, "well bravo! That's the spirit of the Games!" I personally think that she's finally relieved to have a district with some excitement." What's your name?"
"Katniss Everdeen." Her voice cracks as she says it.
"I bet my buttons that was your sister! Don't want her to steal the glory do we?"
Glory? I think glory! It's not glory it's certain death!
" Come on everybody let's have a big round of applause to our newest tribute!" Effie continues to trill this out as if it's a world-class championship! But no one claps not even the people with betting slips because most of the people in district 12 know one of us and Katniss's death sentence isn't something to be happy about. I can see that Katniss is seconds away from crying and Haymitch comes up and throws an arm around her shoulders.
" Look at her! Look at this one!" he stares at the crowd. " I like her! Lots of…spunk!" he says this triumphantly. " More than you!" he then releases Katniss and stumbles up to the edge of the stage. "More than you!" he repeats he's staring right at the cameras is he insulting the audience or is he so drunk that he's insulting the capitol? But we will never know because as he opens his mouth to say more he promptly falls off the stage. It's clear he's unconscious.
"What an exciting day! And there's more excitement to come! It's time to choose the boy tribute!" Effie warble's this out like an over enthusiastic sparrow. She makes sure her hair is secure and crosses over to the podium and chooses a name.
"Peeta Mellark!"
I've never actually met him but he's in Katniss's year and I know he's the baker's son. I watch him as he makes his way toward the stage he is medium height with ashy blonde hair that falls in a low fringe across his head and blue eyes that show alarm. Again Effie asks for volunteers but no one steps forward he has two older brothers one is probably too old for the reaping the other just won't. The mayor yet again, another year, reads out the treaty of treason. After that I watch Katniss and Peeta shake hands. Then they turn back to the crowd as the anthem plays and Katniss looks straight at me and tries to smile.
After what seems an age we are allowed to see the tributes. I hate that word, I hate this trail, and I hate the hunger games! Already their names are falling from the records, families have stopped calling them Katniss or Peeta it's now, the tributes. I climb onto Katniss's lap and fling my arms around her neck. She hugs me back and starts telling us in hushed tones what we need to do whilst she's gone, only gone not dead, I tell myself. She tells us that I'm not to take any tessera and that mother should sell poultices and herb tinctures on the market to make money. Lady will have to supply milk and cheese or even cream for selling and eating. That Gale will hunt for us and make sure we don't starve. I listen barely hearing the words with my head on her shoulder smelling her scent and drinking in everything about her that I can. For all I know it's the last time I'll see her alive and in the flesh. No! I will see her again! Against the odds she will come home she will, she will, she will!
As we walk away I brush tears out of my eyes I don't want mother to see, she's walking ahead with a strange expression on her face. I can't ever read her she just always seems so distant. It's as if well she's never really there only her body but not her spirit. I shake these thoughts away as she speaks to me,
"We have to believe Prim we have to believe."
"Believe what mother?" although I already know the answer I want to hear her say it but she doesn't.
"It we have to believe it!" her voice has more animation in it that I've heard for a long time. But she doesn't offer an explanation. She doesn't need to. Mother turns her face toward me and I see in her eyes that against her brave words that she's afraid, really afraid because once again she's lost someone who's dear to her.
No! I think to myself. Katniss isn't gone. Not yet. Not yet. Never she will be back I have to believe that it's the one thing I can do for her. Once again tears well up in my eyes and I make no attempt to stop them. They course down my cheeks making them smart in the cold air but I don't care. I'm too tired too care. All my caring used up on Katniss. I wish, oh! How I wish that I could take time backward right up too the moment when our father died. No, before that too when we were all happy and just live there in that time, before Katniss turned twelve and had too have her name put into that little silver bowl that predicted doom on two people every year. Back too a time when I was a carefree little girl. But that will never happen no one can turn time back. But I wish they could, I wish they could.
Moments later we reach our house. Inside it seems empty because no one has been there for a day. Just too think that just this morning I had been milking Lady and making cheese. I suppose in all the other houses except the bakery people will be celebrating that they went another year without losing anyone. It's kind of sad really, what the Capitol has forced us too but well when did they care about us? Never! that's the answer, never! It's so unfair punishing us for things that people did before we where born! I mean, what do the rich people of the Capitol do all day. My thoughts are leading me nowhere. I climb into bed fully clothed and try to block out all thoughts I'll have to get up later too watch the other reapings but not yet. Not yet.
Mother and me are sitting down in front of the battered television sitting on the tiny table in the front room. We are watching all the reapings in all the districts, all in order.
District 1, a tall blonde girl with sweet green eyes is picked, I see a women looking proud but slightly worried: Glimmer, that's the girls name she shouts it. Yuk! What a strange name! The boy from District 1 is also tall but with dark hair. I don't hear his name.
District 2 the girl is sturdily built and she looks tough and strong. I pray Katniss never comes up against her. The boy tribute is chosen but a monstrous boy leaps forward and volunteers his eyes gleaming. What a fool I think.
District 3 has a small girl not a 12 year old but older you can tell it in her face but her name doesn't spring out at me. The boy is bigger but has no lasting impression.
District 4, both the tributes have tough wiry limbs you can see that they are also careers.
District 5 I noticed that the girl had a particularly sly look and amber eyes, she reminded me of a fox. The boy was small and thin not exactly a physical wonder.
District 6 both of the tributes made no lasting impression; they were skinny, short and didn't look like they would survive.
District 7's tributes were also unremarkable just like 6's
District 8 had a girl who looked slightly dim I wished her luck because she was one that looked likely too be ripped apart. The boy was tall but skinny with long brown hair.
District 9 the girl was a very odd looking individual it might have been her clothes (mismatched and at odd angles) but something in her face was just, well, different. The boy was ashen faced and desperate looking.
District 10, the girl was unremarkable unkempt hair and tattered clothes. The boy had a limp and twisted foot. Poor lad to be chosen, he wouldn't last a day.
District 11, a twelve year old! She looks so small. She has dark brown hair and dark eyes, Rue, that's her name, Rue. It's a wild flower. The boy however, he has dark skin just like Rue but the similarities stop there. He is tall and muscled. He looks sullen and forbidding. I bet he's going to survive a long time.
Now it's district 12's time I don't want too look but I have too. I hear my name being called out and me taking a trembling step forward and Katniss running forward and flinging her arm around me and saying she's volunteering. Then there's the stony silence. Peeta steps forward when his name is called out. He and Katniss shake hands. The anthem plays and the television flashes. The reaping video has finished.
A/nRainstorm: sorry if I got any of the descriptions wrong because twinkles is borrowing the book.
Twinkles: don't call me twinkles! Anyway! I hadn't read it and I wanted too!
Dshanti: anyway! This is the end of chapter two as I'm sure you've realised we hope you like it and that we wish too tell you that the next chapter will be along soon, well as soon as Rainstorm can be bothered to write it!
Rainstorm: yes… well… next chapter soon!