Chapter Two: No Room for Second Thoughts
"Em!" I call out. "Wrong way!"
My sister blushes. "Right," she mumbles, and she quickly scampers over to the back of the square where the twelve-year-olds are supposed to stand. I sigh and shake my head, exasperated. I love my sister, but she should really know not to follow me to the eighteen-year-old section.
I turn back to the stage, where I had been watching Mayor Plum talk quietly with Star and Jasper, District One's mentors for this year. Juna Gyde flounces around nearby, looking foolish with a bright blue wig and matching suit. I roll my eyes – our escort has always irritated me to no end.
Glancing at the clock, I note that it's almost 8:00 – the reaping will officially begin soon. In District One we have to be here pretty early. The reapings start half an hour apart throughout the country – One is at 8:00, Two at 8:30, up until Twelve at 2:00. There's a half hour break in between Districts Six and Seven so the Capitol people have time to… do whatever it is they do, I suppose. I don't really care.
I glance across the square and catch Diamond's eye – she's looking at me fearfully from the seventeen-year-old section. I smile at her reassuringly, but her clear eyes are silently begging me not to do this, one more time. I'm almost glad when Mayor Plum taps on the microphone – it gives me an excuse to look away.
"Greetings, people of District One," he begins. Like everyone else in the square, I zone out completely for the next several minutes. I've heard this all before – Panem, our country, lies in a place that was once called North America – what a stupid name. I've heard about the disasters, and about the war, and about how the Capitol rose to power. Districts One through Twelve were defeated. District Thirteen was eliminated. And the Hunger Games were created.
It's simple, really. Twenty-four kids. One arena. One survivor. The other twenty-three never return to their families… if they even had a family to begin with.
Em and Di have never really appreciated how fascinating the Games really are. As much as dying must suck for the kids… well, no one can deny that creating the Games was a brilliant move by the Capitol after the war. What better way to keep us in line than constantly reminding us that we have no power, no control?
Of course, this is coming from someone who has never lost anyone to the Games. To me, the tributes are faceless machines – I couldn't tell you the names of any past tribute, besides the victors, if you paid me. It would be hard to lose someone you care about in this way, I get that, but how can I be expected to understand? I've lost my parents, yes, but not to the Games.
I've never understood exactly why some people hate the Games so much. It could be worse, right? Our ancestors made some big mistakes. We're paying for it now, and we'll continue to pay for it until the end of time. At least the Capitol didn't decide to kill us all. What's losing a few kids a year compared to that?
"It is both a time for repentance and a time for thanks," Mayor Plum finishes with a flourish. I snap back to the present – I've trained myself very well to react to that line, because now the real fun begins and it's best to be alert.
The next part of the ceremony includes the mayor reading the list of past victors from District One. In seventy-four years, we've had eleven. That's more than any other district… except for Two. There's always been a bit of a rivalry there. The tributes from One and Two, while usually allies, never get along well.
We all know the names of our victors by heart, of course… the first names, anyway. There's Star and Jasper, our mentors this year. A few of them I've even met before – Cashmere and Gloss were friends of my parents, as were Shine and Dazzle. The other seven are – or were, in some cases – Silk, Lilac, Crystal, Gleam, Shimmer, Sapphire, and Alabaster.
Only Star and Jasper are present – the other nine are either long dead, partying in the Capitol, or drinking themselves into oblivion. Now Juna Gyde flounces to the front of the stage, practically shoving the mayor out of the way as Jasper and Star stand up briefly to acknowledge the thunderous applause directed at them from the square.
"Hello, everyone!" she gushes. "It's finally the day we've all been waiting for since… probably since last year's Victory Tour, to be honest!" The crowd forces a laugh. These Capitol people…
"Well, the time has come to pick District One's tributes for the seventy-fourth Hunger Games!" she crows, and this time the crowd responds enthusiastically. Juna skips over to the first of two large reaping balls sitting in the center of the stage and pulls out a slip of paper. The crowd holds its breath as she walks back to the podium.
"Citrine Sumner," she reads. For a moment all I feel is relief that the name doesn't belong to Diamond or Emerald.
Citrine Sumner… I recognize the name. It belongs to a tiny fifteen-year-old with jet-black hair – which is rare in District One – and equally startling dark eyes. I seek her out in the crowd – her head is held high as she takes the first step to the stage, but before she gets far a cry comes from the eighteen-year-old section.
"I volunteer!"
I can't see whoever the girl is over the heads of all the citizens straining to see our newest tribute, but this is standard. When the girl finally climbs the steps to the stage and turns around, I recognize her as another Games trainee… I think she's about a year younger than me. I don't know her name, but Juna Gyde quickly changes that.
"And what's your name, sweetie?" she asks.
The girl smiles and leans in towards the microphone, her bright green eyes shining. "Glimmer Wingfield," she says proudly, flipping back her long blond hair. I roll my eyes.
The crowd gives her a round of applause, and I find myself leaning towards the stage in anticipation. It's time.
Juna Gyde marches back over to the reaping balls and takes a slip of paper from the second one. I swear, she's walking deliberately slowly back to the podium just to draw out the tension… or attention, more likely. Capitol people are so self-centered.
I can't help but look over at Di one last time, and as soon as I do I know it's a mistake. I feel my resolve wavering as I stare into her eyes for a few precious seconds… but I know I have to look away.
It's for her. I repeat the chant in my head. It's for her, it's for her, it's for her.
Making sure to take a ridiculously deep breath, the escort finally reads, "Zircon Reynolds."
"I volunteer!" I shout, unwilling to waste even a second. The crowd parts for me and I race to the stage. "I volunteer," I repeat breathlessly.
Juna Gyde beams. "Fabulous. Come up on stage, dear." I do so quickly.
"What's your name?"
"Marvel Hawkwood," I say clearly. I look out into the crowd, and despite everything, I have to suppress a chuckle. Though the situation isn't exactly humorous, I can't help but find the identical expressions of fury on the faces of Em and Di somewhat comical.
Em and Di. All of a sudden, I'm terrified. What are they going to do? What happens if I die? Where will they go?
What did I just do?
"There you have it, District One," our escort says, beaming. I shake my head and force my expression back to careless and amused… it would be a bad idea to look scared up here. The other tributes will mark me as a weakling… can't have that. "Our two newest tributes, Glimmer Wingfield and Marvel Hawkwood!"
I can't stop the small smirk that appears on my face – it feels so good to be on the stage, knowing I'm going to be in the Games, knowing I can finally fight – literally – to help my sister and my best friend.
Mayor Plum steps back up to the podium and spends the next several minutes reading the Treaty of Treason while Glimmer and I just stand next to each other awkwardly. I allow myself to zone out once again until the mayor finishes reading.
I shake Glimmer's hand, and okay, I admit it, might use more force than is strictly necessary. I have to hand it to her, though – she doesn't flinch.
The anthem plays, and we're escorted off the stage by a small force of Peacekeepers. I keep my head high and don't look at anyone – especially the Capitol reporters surrounding us. I just hold a straight face until we reach the Justice Building.
This is all routine, of course – I'll have one hour with Emerald and Diamond. No one else will come to see me. The Peacekeepers show me to a room and then leave, locking the door behind them. As if I'd try to escape.
I bite my lip nervously. Em and Di are going to kill me when they get here… so my anticipation of seeing them is slightly marred by dread of my impending demise.
I spare the room I'm in a glance. It's nice, although for some reason everything in the room seems to sparkle. There are gems everywhere – the people here like to show district pride, and it seems our government officials are no exception.
A Peacekeeper pokes her head inside the room. "There are two girls here to see you. One says she's your sister. Would you like to see them separately or together?"
I gulp. "Together." If they're both shouting at once, maybe I won't be able to completely understand the words that will undoubtedly slice through me like knives.
Emerald and Diamond enter the room, and I close my eyes in fear.
So here's the second chapter, hope you like it. It's not my favorite, I like the next one a lot better, but this was necessary to get through. Please review, and the next update will be a week from now. :)
~What the Quell