Over the next week Mom has me learn every job involved in harvesting, hoping that if I am picked, one of them will help. I mainly practice with anything that could be used as a weapon, my favorite is the axe. It's the only thing she knows how to teach me, the only thing anyone knows in 11.
The day of the reaping she gives me the only dress we own, the Capitol has encouraged us to dress nicely.
"Aldera," Dad grabs my shoulders before we enter the town square. "I don't want you to be scared. Everyone's name is only in there once, the odds are in your favor."
I hug him before the crowd around us grows thicker and we're forced to move. We follow the people and before I know it I'm separated from my family. I'm ushered into the group of sixteen year olds. I feel a tap on my shoulder.
"Aldera, I've been trying to find you find you," my best friend, Vixen, says. She's one of the few fair skinned people in 11, but she blends in because of the dirt on her skin. Today she is scrubbed clean though, in a soft green dress.
"My dad told me the odds were in my favor today, because everyone's name is only in once, but everyone's name is in once. I don't feel like the odds are in my favor, they're not in anyone's favor. This is going to impact the whole country, not just the tributes." I grab her hand.
"I know." She hugs me. "You look pretty, though." Always looking at the bright side.
"Yeah, everyone looks their best. I didn't know we even had cute boys in 11 until today." We giggle but quickly stop as the anthem starts up.
Town square has been transformed. A large stage has been set up, there's a podium in the middle, and two glass balls one on each side of the stage. I guess one for the girls and one for the boys.
People have come from all of district 11 for this. It's mandatory. Some had to take trains from miles away.
As the anthem ends the mayor moves to the podium. He starts into some speech about peace and the new age of Panem that I'm sure is some Capitol crap fed to him. I only listen to the last part. "Panem today. Panem tomorrow. Panem forever." What bull-crap.
He sits down and some lady gets up to the mic. Her hair is bright purple and sticking straight up so it looks like a violet ice cream cone was dumped on her head. I can see her eyelashes from here and I can't begin to understand her outfit. Black, long feathers billow out from her neck. The black continues down her body fading into green and spreading into a short skirt when it reaches her waist. She has on high heeled boots that go all the way up to her mid-thigh.
"Good morning, District 11. I am Tullis Madrid from the Capitol!" She pauses like we're going to clap or something, but there is only silence. "Right, now it is time to pick District 11's tributes for the First Annual Hunger Games!" There's so much excitement in her voice I think I'll throw up.
She strides over to one of the bowls. "Let's start with the boys." She reaches her hand in and pulls out a strip of paper. All of District 11 holds it's breath as she unfolds it. "Roxen Seafall."
The crowd is silent and there's movement in the eighteen year-olds. A boy steps away from the group, he must be Roxen. I've seen him around school before. He is very tall with lean muscles, he must do the heavy work in the fields. He has a chance.
He walks on the stage with his head held high. Tullis guides him to a spot next to the podium and smiles at him before going to the other bowl.
"Now for the girls." Her hand descends on the papers in slow motion. "Vixen Everstar."
My hand is squeezed in a death grip. I look at Vixen and see the terror radiating from her. This can't be happening. She lets go of my hand. Vixen is the oldest of six, she works every spare hour and her parents can still barely make it with that. She's not cut out for it. Despite what she thinks she's not as strong as others in 11. I have to do something. But she's already gone, halfway to the stage. The President had said something, something about...
"I'll go!" I shout before thinking. I walk toward the stage. "I volunteer in her place."
"What are you doing?" a girl next to me whispers. "It's a death sentence."
"I know." But I can't let her die.
I'm grabbed by a peacekeeper and hauled onto the stage. As I pass Vixen I can't read her expression. She's grateful, but ashamed to be grateful, and she's afraid for me.
Everything else is a blur. Tullis grabs my hand and brings me to the microphone. "What's your name?"
"Aldera Clearwater."
"And why, might I ask, did you volunteer for Miss Everstar?"
I look at her incredulously. "I didn't want her to die. Isn't that obvious?"
She only smiles. "Thank you Miss Clearwater." She turns to the audience. "District 11, you have your tributes!" Again she expects applause, but we don't get it. I look out and find Vixen. She puts three fingers to her lips and holds them out to me. People around her follow and slowly the whole crowd is doing it.
I'm the first volunteer in the Hunger Games.