The Hunger Games : Marvel's Story

Chapter Three

Chapter Three 

Me, Glimmer, Gloss and Kathleen make our way into another compartment where there's a massive flat screen television and many comfy, luxurious sofa's from our District to vacate on. It's nice to finally have a chance to test out the furniture that our people make and the Capitol take for granted as we're provided with the cheapest fabric and tools to make our furniture, the Capitol always have the best.

We settle down into the chairs and I sigh, flinging a pillow out from behind me as it spoils my comfort. Instead Glimmer takes it and hugs it as though cringing over what's to come. Gloss switches on the television with the remote and we wait as eagerness fills me up, to see who I'm going to have to kill. 

Our District is first, as always, and I watch Lydia's terrified face then Glimmer's heroic stepping in to save her. Even though I'm confident and I have a good chance of winning the games I dismiss Glimmer on the screen and watch Lydia as she's pushed back into the roped off area by a Peacekeeper and I do so until she's out of sight, I wonder if that's the last time I'm going to see her. I still can't make my mind up about her but I know for one thing I feel sorry for her.

Next Marceles' name is called and I see the camera has now turned it's attention to him and the mutters of everyone else for the poor boy, it's as though they're expecting a volunteer. And they get their wish when I get out of my roped off area without saying anything. Frustration builds up inside me as I watch myself not saying anything, it's as though watching a film with so much suspension even though I know what happens next.

After my little episode it moves onto District 2 and I pay very close attention as I want to know who my main allies are, I stop slouching and sit on the edge of my seat. A name gets called but I dismiss it, I don't need to know the name I need to know the person. And all hope is lost when I see a scrawny girl but then someone follows her and demands to volunteer. I learn the volunteers name to be Clove. 

Next it's the boys turn and again a small twelve year old boy is called and I wait patiently for a volunteer and almost immediately a massive boy with just a bit more muscle than me walks out and volunteers. His name is Cato. Relief floods through me as I know my allies are experienced fighters just looking at their build, I glance at Glimmer and see she's very happy with who she'll be teaming up with too. 

I switch off after that and think off how much chance that I've got of coming out of the arena and how my little episode of volunteering for my little brother will get me sponsors almost immediately. The Capitol people will pity me and Gloss will be sending me parachutes like mad. But then I feel a little disheartened as if someone else doesn't kill Cato, I'm doomed. Even with my ever so accurate spear throwing.

I briefly switch on to watch District 11's tributes, I can see that the further we make our way through the Districts there are no volunteers and I smile and rest my head back and watch a little girl called Rue that got picked walk up to the stage with no volunteers to take her place. Next comes Thresh a boy who looks surprisingly strong considering he's from one of the poorer Districts in Panem and I know he won't need a volunteer to take his place but I still don't mind as I'll still take him down with my new best friends Clove and Cato and their talents. Tribute hunting is going to be a lot of fun. 

But it's only when it gets to District 12 do I fully switch on to watch the whole scene, 'I volunteer as tribute!' A girl yells I sit up straight, stop admiring the buttons on my shirt and begin concentrating on the television and what it's showing me. There, a girl with dark hair in a plait and grey eyes shoves Peacekeepers out of the way to reach her little sister 'Primrose.'

Volunteers are unheard of in District 12, being one of the poorest Districts in Panem and very weak too none of them seem willing to be or make fighters. Instead, as soon as they're older than eighteen they're sent straight down to the coal mines to earn small amounts of money that barely keep their families going and at the end of the day there's no guarantee they'll make it out. I've heard of the accidents that can happen down there and I almost feel privileged as I can simply work in a factory where they'll be a lower risk of accidents, or even be a Peacekeeper and keep a gun with me to shoot people who want to attack me.