The Gamemakers
Now I'm hungry. I go down to the cafeteria. The male and female tributes from District Three are waiting their turn to see the Gamemakers. I've heard stories about District Three from my father and its one of the districts I would most like to visit. I want to ask them question but I wonder if they are hostile towards me. I figure I have nothing to lose. I sit my tray down right across from them.
"Some appetite you got there Five!" says the male tribute.
"My name is Thales," I say.
"I'm Oscar and this is Winnie," he says.
"Do you guys have a minute; I would like to ask you something about District Three?"
"Sure! The boy from two just went in so we have some time," says Winnie.
"Is it true that you guys have computer chips that can record and playback audio?" I ask.
They both look at each other puzzled.
"You guys don't have that in Five?" ask Oscar.
"So it's true? We just have old records in five, but nothing so advanced. That's amazing!" I say.
"You mean one of these?" ask Winnie.
She pulls her necklace out from under her training uniform. On the necklace is a small black box with maybe three buttons on it. She presses one. A voice comes out the box.
"We love you Winnie! You can win Winnie! See you after this is all over!"
"Who is that?" I ask.
"We are allowed to bring one thing from our district into the arena," says Winnie. "I attached the device to a piece of string and the officials approved it. The voices you hear are my classmates. I plan to listen to their voices to get me through…"
Winnie eyes start to water.
The boy from Two comes out from the training room. Whatever he just showed them in there, he is confident of because he is grinning from ear to ear. Of all the tributes, he scares me the most but I show no fear.
"Good luck!" he says as he exits the cafeteria.
Oscar doesn't mind telling me about District Three, and I could listen to him all day. The District Four tributes enter the cafeteria right as its Oscars turn to go in. I know little about District Four, but all I need to know is that they are a career district. I decide to leave until it's our turn. I meet up with Addis and we wait together. I don't know what to say to her and she rarely ever talks. Neither of us knows what we are going to do for the Gamemakers and decide to just wing it. When it's my turn, I run the Gauntlet like a pro, climb the ropes like a monkey, and swing the sword around like a madman. I even flip the sword in the air and try to catch it but end up cutting myself. I got too carried away. I wanted to show them that I wasn't only athletic but hands on too. I see a lemon used as decoration for their feast. If only I could get a copper coin from one of the Gamemakers, and some metal. I knew how to make a battery out of practically anything. I would have loved to show Oscar someday under different circumstance. I decide against the battery idea since it really isn't helpful in the arena, and quite frankly I'm afraid to ask the Gamemakers for anything. I run the Gauntlet a second time and try to beat my previous record. After I fail, they dismiss me. Later when we see our scores, I receive an eight. I steal the attention away from Addis who has scored a five, which is still higher than anyone predicted.