The Hunger Games : Marvel's Story

Chapter Two

Chapter Two 

Marceles walks out of the twelve year old boys' roped area and quivers as a Peacekeeper approaches him. I want to yell out but my voice is caught in my throat and won't come up for my mouth to form the words and stop this madness immediately. 

I shove past every boy in my roped off area and out into the walk way down to the stage where Peacekeepers are trying to hold me back. But I yell out and Marceles turns around and looks at me. 

"NO!" I yell finally, now that I have regained the power of speech. "LET GO OF ME!" I yell at the peacekeepers. "MARCELES!" 

"Calm down, kid," one of the Peacekeepers tell me but I shove them out the way and run to Marceles as quick as I can. Marceles is in tears and I can't have this, not for my brother. 

"I VOLUNTEER!" I yell out now that my voice hurts, the Peacekeeper that's leading Marceles to the stage stops and turns around so I can see my brother now. "I VOLUNTEER AS TRIBUTE!" 

"My, my, my! What a good day this is! Two people have volunteered today in District 1!" Our Capitol escort laughs. 

The Peacekeeper that was taking Marceles up to the stage turns around and drags him to mother and father. Marceles yells for me, I smile sadly and head on up to the stage with a Peacekeeper following me all the way there. 

When I'm up on the stage the Capitol escort dashes over to me and drags me over to her microphone, she grins at me and I wait. 

"Our second volunteer today! And what's your name, my love?" She asks. 

"Marvel Pedanski," I say blankly, ignoring her giggles. 

"Brother of Marceles I presume?"

"Yeah..." I say then search the crowd and find Marceles crying and wrapped in mothers' warm embrace. 

"How Marvellous..." She jokes then laughs. She's the only one laughing. The whole crowd is silent, they are all staring at me. 

Nobody has seen me act like that. In theory they all know me as Marvel the guy who spends most of his time in the training centre and doesn't spend time with his brother. But now all that is different, now they know me as Marvel the boy who throws spears (that's not going to change) and will do anything for his brother. 

"Here are our tributes! Two volunteers in District 1! Now shake hands!"

Me and Glimmer turn to each other forcefully and we shake hands, I grip her hand harder than I should and she winces. 'You watch out,' I think. 'Because when the time comes I'll kill you and get out of the arena for my brother.'

"Happy Hunger Games!" Our Capitol escort finishes and the cameras shut off and two Peacekeepers climb the stage and drag me and Glimmer off of the stage into the Justice building. 

We're each shoved in separate rooms. The Peacekeeper walks out then locks the door with a faint click. This little room resembles a prison in a big way there's a bed, a window and a couple of chairs. I suppose this is the start of my imprisonment in The Hunger Games, as always it starts at the reaping. The beginning of my end. 

I perch on the edge of the bed and wait patiently. I let my thoughts drift into preparing myself for The Hunger Games. And every time I do my spears come into my mind and I watch myself killing a faceless girl tribute from District 12. That will be easy. 

Then I remember my dream from last night. If I really do get to see Caesar twice, I'll be going home. I'll be able to see my family again. I can find Marceles and tell him everything is going to be OK. He'll be ecstatic if I win.