Interviews: Districts Eleven and Twelve

Sisco Perry's POV

District Eleven

"Amaryllis Field, you're up." The eighteen-year-old stands up. She seems too young to have such a swollen belly. Her dress is custom-made to fit around it, though, and she shines in a dress made of rose petals that goes to her knees. There are many shades of pink and red and white. Her pink ballerina flats wrap it all up.

"Tell us about yourself, Amaryllis. Who's the father?" I nod towards her stomach, and she rests a delicate hand where the baby would kick.

She lets out a long, slow, sad sigh. "My husband, Maize." She turns to the camera and blows a kiss. "I love you." "Awws" from the audience.

"Ooh, your husband! Tell us, how long have you two been married?"

"Nine months."

"How far along are you?"

"Six months," her expression darkens. "With twin girls."

The immediate shock ripples through the crowd like a wave, then the full force of what Amaryllis said hits them. She is pregnant with twin girls. Two girls. Two children, dead before birth.

"Oh. Tell us about your family."

Tears well in her eyes, but she holds them back. "I am the second of six children. My older brother's name is Thorn. We all live with our mother to help feed the younger ones: Blush, who's sixteen, Rose and Lili are both fourteen, and Dawn is twelve."

"You don't live with your father?"

"No," she shakes her head. "He was killed for trying to steal squash in order to feed us. Thorn was nine, I was seven, Blush was five, Rose and Lili were three, and Dawn had just turned one. He hated the thought of leaving his six young children with only half-full bellies every night."

"I'm sorry," and I am. Even though he broke the law, he was trying to feed his family of eight. I hear sympathetic moans from the audience and know they're thinking the same thing.

Rrrrrriiinnnggg! Amaryllis sits down and I call up the next girl, BeBe Collins.

She sits down but seems a little out of it as I begin to ask her questions. When she doesn't answer, I wave my hand in front of her face and call, "BeBe? Hello? BeBe Collins?" She blinks and shakes her head.

"What? Oh, sorry. I was just thinking about my three older brothers: Dexter, Felix, and Tony. I just miss them so much, and if I don't come home..." her voice trails off but there aren't any tears in her eyes. She glares at the camera and points an accusing finger.

"You better not screw up my room." There are chuckles from the audience. We talk for a little while longer and then I call up Zea Dillum.

She tells me about her mom, who's a teacher, and her siblings, two girls and a boy: three year old Mason, thirteen year old Pollen, and twenty-three year old Sitara.

Then it's time for two boys I don't remember and then Zark Prometheus.

He's very shy and doesn't tell me much except his brother died in the 172nd Games.

District Twelve

I don't remember the first two girls, but I remember Shade Bucket's.

It's not that she's intersting; she's mysterious. She keeps leading us on that she knows many things we don't. It fits her name.

I also forget the first two boys' interviews. But I definitely remember Leartes Thatecus's.

He's only thirteen but has a powerful story about how his mother gave him her necklace right before she died and how he brought it as his token. It's very touching.

"And now, Ladies and Gentlemen, that concludes our program!" Massive cheers. I even thrust my fist into the air in celebration as I stand and stretch my legs. People begin to file out and I race home, wash off the crap-load of make-up they put on me, and go to bed. I'll probably miss the beginning of the Games and have to watch a replay. Because I know I will NOT be awake before ten.