Chapter 3
I've spent the last three days in my room or in the library. The Reaping for the last Hunger Games was supposed to happen yesterday. They're waiting for Katniss's trial to be over. Today the doctor come in and told me her trial was over, and that the reaping would take place this afternoon and to get ready. I sigh as I lay on my bed, waiting. I brushed my hair out earlier, deciding to leave it to itself. I put on my blue short-sleeved dress, that's skirt looked like feathers. A few guards walk in. Without talking I get up and leave with them. They take me to the City Circle. They put me in a group of girls, some of them I recognize. Agatha Crane for example, I'm not sure why she's here, since her father was killed. I see Telly Templesmith. We used to have sleepovers when she was over for the Games. There's a group of guys across a walkway. I spot Balthazar Millea. His mother was one of Granddad's brainwashed politicians/supporters. You'd think I'd know more people but I don't usually socialize with these kids because they're spoiled brats. At least, that's what I think they are. There are two glass balls on the balcony, one for girls and the other for boys. I remember all the times I had seen this on TV. Terrified children herded into city squares, waiting for their name to be called, bringing their almost certain death to them. There are about one hundred kids here. Telly approaches me.
"Hi, Esmerelda," she says. She looks nervous.
"Hey, Telly," I reply trying to smile.
The thirteen-year-old tries to smile back.
"Don't be scared, they-" I want to say won't pick you, but there's a very good chance they will. I let the sentence fade out of my mouth.
She starts crying and hugs me. I try to comfort her as I look around us. Along the perimeter, there are people lining up, whether they're family members or just observers, I don't recognize anyone of them. That's just like them, too scared to show up to support their children. Effie Trinket appears on the balcony.
"Hello, everyone," she beams, her light blue hair bouncing as she walked onto the stage. She's used to this.
I can't imagine what the country is thinking. Are they thinking about how good this is and how now, the people who brought this upon them will feel their pain? Or are they thinking about how this was why they rebelled, and that this will only bring another rebellion? I think too hard.
"This reaping is a little different than the others. I will choose one girl and one boy, and those will be partners. That pattern will keep going until all twenty-four are chosen. Okay," she claps her hands, "let's start." She grabs a piece of paper from the girls' ball and reads off a name I don't recognize. It goes on until she goes to the fifth pair, "Telly Templesmith."
Telly sobs.
"It's okay," I whisper, even though I know it's not. "Just go up there and everything will be fine."
She does what I tell her. Effie grabs for the next boys name. Telly is pair with a small sixteen-year-old. It goes on for a few more rounds. She called Agatha and Balthazar as a pair.
"Alright," Effie says, "This is the last pair."
I might not get chosen. My stomach twists. Effie grabs the piece of paper. "Esmerelda Snow."
I nod. Of course, I think. That's my luck for you. I walk up to the stage. I wait for Effie to call up my partner. "Mercury Famine."
Never heard of him. A boy a year older than me walks out of the crowd. He has light brown, shaggy hair. He has tan skin that indicates he spends a lot of time outside. He has green eyes a little lighter than mine. When he gets on the stage he shakes my hand.
"These are our brave tributes for the last Hunger Games!" Effie says.
I face the crowd. We are all rushed off the stage and into separate rooms. This is when the tributes would say goodbye to their families and friends. My family is dead, and my friends are dead. I have no one. I twirl a string in between my fingers and wait. Someone comes in. It's a guard.
"No one came to say good bye, I'm sorry," he says.
"Don't be," I smile. "There's no one left to say good bye to, anyway."