Under the Moon

Chapter Thirty Seven

CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN

It only took Shayne and I a couple days to adjust back to Capitol life. Since the games were about to start soon, we were to work on the arena with the other Gamemakers rather than work in the weapons lab. Only two days before our arrival, the alteration made to the second Quarter Quell had been announced. Twice the number of regular tributes would be reaped for the 50th Hunger Games. That meant that two girls and two boys would be chosen from every district. Twenty four more tributes would be killed this year. I wondered who would be among them. Would Tiff or Belle be chosen? Or would one of the tributes be one of Shayne's brothers? I had no idea, though I was terrified by the possibilities. Shayne and I were put among many other Gamemakers, where we helped design the arena. It was simultaneously fascinating and terrifying. I was astonished by how we controlled the whole arena through a single touchscreen hologram dome. Shayne was in awe, but Shayne was awed by any type of technology. There, we would create and place everything that would be in the arena. This year, everyone voted on having a tropical island jungle theme. Lush fruits hung from green trees. Beautiful birds soared in the cloudless skies. There was only one problem; everything was deadly. If you took even a tiny bite of the fruit, you would be dead in seconds. The birds could peck you to death in millions of ways. Even the water was toxic. It was horrible how beautiful and tempting the environment was, yet how deadly it all was. Of course, since nothing in the arena was edible, the Cornucopia packs had to be filled with food or else, everyone would die of starvation.

After many days of work, the arena was finally completed. All of us did much work on the arena; the only one who didn't do anything was the Head Gamemaker. All he did was order us around and tell us what to put in the arena. Today was reaping day for all the districts. Since we couldn't simultaneously see twelve screens at once, they had put the taping in order, showing District One first, and finishing with District Twelve. Everyone in the Capitol was eagerly watching the reaping, betting on tributes and wondering which ones to sponsor. The screen began showing the reaping of the tributes from District One. The anthem played and their district escort, a woman with neon pink hair, walked onto the stage. Their many mentors sat in chairs behind her. The annual tape of rebellion was shown and then the woman walked toward the stage. "Ladies first!" she called, as all escorts seemed to do. "Ruby Bronzeson!" she called. A tall, beautiful girl with long blonde pigtails walked up to the stage. She was probably around sixteen or seventeen years old. She seemed only a little frightened by the fact that she had been a tribute. No one volunteered for her, since she seemed fit enough to have a chance winning the games. "And the second girl is Velvet Lux," the escort said. A tiny, slim, pale, fragile girl with blonde hair so pale it was almost white, blue eyes, and pink lips glided onto stage. She was tiny but graceful and agile. She looked like the type of person who could walk right in front of you without being noticed. To my surprise, nobody volunteered for her either. "And now the boys. Denim Expensor," the woman said, and a giant, brown haired boy strutted onto stage. He confidently stood there; it was obvious that he had trained hard for the games and was hoping to be chosen. Of course, no one volunteered for him. "And finally, Silk Riche," the woman said. I saw a lanky, skinny boy with mop-like hair and thick glasses. He reminded me of a taller, more awkward, uglier version of Shayne. He tripped over his own feet as he walked up to stage and everyone laughed. It was obvious he had no chance to survive in the games. Suddenly a voice called, "I volunteer as a tribute!" I breathed a sigh of relief. I didn't want to see the poor boy die. I saw the volunteer walk onto stage and I gasped. He looked like a spitting image of Sapphire. With his wiry body, black hair, piercing silver eyes, and sharp chin, he looked exactly like her. "And what is your name, dear?" the woman asked.

"Sapphirus Jewelsman," he said. He was Sapphire's brother. The fact that they had the same last name, and his name meant sapphire in Latin made it obvious. He was probably her twin. After the tributes all shook hands, and the screen began to show the reaping of District Two.

On the stage sat the many mentors of the second career district. Their escort had golden hair. This film skipped the introduction and went straight to the reaping. "Ladies first!" the woman crooned as she stuck her hand in the bowl, "Linder Larson!" she said. A brown haired girl with a medium build walked onto the stage. She was poorer than most of the other tributes, in an old looking brown dress and torn shoes. Nobody volunteered for her. "And Quartz Tarmoore." A blonde girl with big flowers in her hair, walked, trembling onto stage. She was beautiful, but small. Then it stuck me; I knew who she was. She was the daughter of Mayor Tarmoore of District Two. She went to the school I attended during my short stay at District Two. In her pale pink dress, she looked like a little fairy. "I volunteer!" shouted another girl. She was tall, butch, blonde haired, and tan. When the escort asked her name, she confidently answered, "Talca Browmere."

"And the first boy is Mica Marksman," the escort said. A thin black haired boy walked onto stage; no one volunteered. "And Flint Faunterloy," the escort said as a red headed boy walked onto stage. After no one volunteered for him, the screen shifted to the reaping at District Three. I held my breath as I saw Chloro and Phyllis. I heard Brinkley croon, "Ladies first! Selenium Brahen!" Selenium was in my class, when I used to attend school in District Three. Like most other ninth graders, she used to be fourteen. Now about a year later, she was fifteen. As usual, no one volunteered. Poor Selenium. She was nice to Shayne and I, the little kids in her class. "And Marie Electra!" I didn't know Marie. A dark haired girl, who looked like she was twenty, too old for the games, walked onto stage. She was probably an old looking eighteen. I was relieved that neither Tiff nor Belle had been selected. I saw Shayne who was grasping his hands, hoping that his one brother, who had just turned twelve and eligible for the games would not be chosen. Even though it was a slim chance, I knew that Snow might do this to punish Shayne's family. In fact, he might do it with all of Shayne's siblings: his three brothers and one sister. "Hydro Radium!" Brinkley shouted, as Hydro, a tenth grader I knew from school walked onto stage. He was strong and athletic; he had a good chance to win. I was relieved that it wasn't Shayne's brother. "And finally, Tesla Bradyon!" Brinkley said. Shayne screamed, "No!" as a black haired, blue eyed boy who looked just like Shayne if he didn't wear glasses walked onto stage. Shayne weakly fell over as I held his trembling body, trying to soothe him. My suspicions were confirmed; Snow had made Shayne's brother become a tribute in the second Quarter Quell.