May the Odds be Ever in your Favor
BURRINGG! BURRING! The loud alarm beeped beside me on the small mahogany desk. I rolled over in my creamy silk sheet and pressed a gold button at the top of the alarm. Even so, it kept ringing over and over. I sat bolt upright, my fingers clenched the small black device, and threw it across the large, dimly lit room.
" SHUT UP!" I screamed.
The small black device bounced off the wall and crashed to the tiled floor. The alarm sounded once more. Even as I began to smother myself in my pillow and beat my head against the mahogany banister, the alarm stopped. A loud, mechanical female voice emanated from it, reverberating in my ears.
" Call Awaiting MASTER CRANE!"
My emerald green eyes rolled. I yelled clearly, "Call Declined. Whoever the idiot is this early can wait." My head fell comfortably back onto my pillow. The device buzzed and accepted my command.
" Command Accepted...Declining President Snow...COMPLETE."
My eyelids shot open. I jumped to my feet so fast that I lost balance and crumpled in a heap on the cold tiling. "NO!" I shouted in vain.
The alarm phone beeped. "Message taken from President Snow...COMPLETE."
Hastily climbing to my feet, I jumped at the device, slamming the ACCEPT green button down. The message played. President Snow's eerie, raspy voice filled the room. And he was not happy.
" I don't give a CRAP whoever you think you are. You imbecile, I should fire you right here. Plutarch has been after your job, maybe I should give it to him...hmm? You get down here this instance. Its the reaping. INCOMPETANT FOOL! Oh, and...Happy Hunger Games!"
The words were imprinted in my memory. I sat there a moment, dumbstruck at my forgetting the Reaping. The I sprang to my feet. Without missing a beat a haphazardly tossed a black robe on and slipped into large black leather boots. Swinging outside, the door slammed shut behind me.
By the looks of the sun, it was 3 pm. One too many parties last night, one too many drinks. I ran full speed along the side of the road to a sleek back car. Sliding into the plush back seat I barked at the driver to get me to the Capitol Hungerius building.
Without a remark, I flew out of the car and into the grand building the second it stopped. I hurried through the lobby, draped in golden rugs and silver walls. I crashed into the elevator and pressed the button marked Observatory. The elevator flew upward, straight to the roof. As I ran out into the warm, fresh air, I saw the other Gammakers up there, and there was the President himself. I flung myself into my seat next to the President. His lip twitched with anger but his face remained calm.
Looking over the roof, we were in perfect view of the great stage. On it sat a gigantic TV, reaching stories high. Caesar Flickerman was dancing around the stage as the great audience of Capitol citizens laughed and cheered. Then, the replaying of the reapings, in District order.
I saw the President smile as the Careers were chosen. He watched Marvel and Glimmer volunteer with glee. Then his face brightened as Cato volunteered later on. He leaned over and whispered, " My bets on him."
The rest of the Reapings were boring, I fell asleep halfway through, but my snoring caused the President to jab me with his knobby elbow. A boy from 10. Lousy. A girl from 11. Weak. Thats when Capitol citizens were already leaving in boredom, only then did the fun begin. District 12.
An annoying lady with pink hair jumped to her feet. " Happy Hunger Games, and may the Odds be ever in your favor." She skipped over to the girls ball of slips. " Ladies first."
I rose to my feet and began walking toward the elevator when I heard a scream. I whipped around to see, on the screen, an older, fit girl volunteer to take her sister's face. I watched as an old Victor, Haymitch, collapsed off of the District 12 stage. Laughing, I got up and walked back to the elevator. Then I rode the sleek car back home.
The President can believe in whoever he wants, but as for me, my money's on the girl from District 12.