A/N-Please don't forget to vote and comment, since this is entered for the Watty Awards! It would be very appreciated! Thank you and enjoy!
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The week had passed in a blur. Every day at school, I tried to learn as much as possible about the different types of arenas. At training, I had extra concentration. Naturally, I was skilled with a trident, and was capable with knives and spears. These were items that were found for fishermen. It might have been categorized as weapons, but what could the Peacekeepers do? All they could was to have tight security, and monitor the citizens from doing anything stupid or anarchist.
At home, Aldo had schooled me on the different types of plants and berries that he showed through a book that he stole back when he was fifteen. There were some that I weren’t familiar with, because it couldn’t be found in our district, but I learned them all the same.
The day of the reaping came speedily. There was no work that day. Everyone was within the confines of their homes, spending time with the children that they might not see after today. Two families were going to be unlucky tonight.
Since my brother had earnings that came monthly for the rest of his life, he had a beautiful dress that he purchased for me. It must have cost him a lot too.
The dress was a light green, which brought out my eyes beautifully. There were tiny embellishments scattered near the hem area that glittered in the light. The top was tight and cinched until my waist, but the rest of the fabric down flowed loosely until the middle of my thighs. The sleeves were made of a gossamer fabric.
Mother prepared my hair by using hot tongs that made circular shapes on my locks after a time that it was submitted under the heat.
They seemed to be making more of an effort on my appearance this year, compared to the last five years. I was now the same age that Aldo was when he became a tribute.
Father handed me the handmade bracelet made of shells, which I had around my wrist every reaping since I was twelve. Father had worked carefully on these, because it was tricky not to have the shells crumble or break.
When the time came that we had to walk to the town square, I gave my family individual hugs. Once we were outside the house, we saw the other victors and their families assembled on the beach.
There were three of us who lived in the Victor’s Village, who were eligible to perform in the Games. One was Nathan, who just turned twelve and a son of the victor, Eula, and the other was fifteen year-old Jasmine, the daughter of Travis.
The victors and their families said their goodbyes to the three of us. We had been neighbors for years, and we had attachments to each other. The younger children cried as they waved goodbye as the three families made their way to the road that led to the town square.
The ones who remained in the Victor’s Village would be watching from their television, and most likely, all of them would be together. I had only experienced this once, when I was eleven. The victors and the families, who didn’t have family members eligible all gathered at one house. The town square was too crowded, and the festivities proved to be too much for the victors.
District 4 had citizens who were honored to be a tribute, although there were definitely some who would avoid the death sentence as much as possible. Since we were trained though, and had a chance to survive, we looked to the Games with some hope, and we honored the victors who rewarded our district with food.
Victors had experienced the horrors of the arena too much, but some were still requested to the Capitol every year, so they had to go back. If they could though, they preferred to watch it on television, instead of be present when one of their tributes was sentenced to possible death.
Travis and his wife walked silently, holding hands with Jasmine in between them. Eula held the hands of her three children, the two significantly younger than Nathan. I thought that it was lucky that Eula had a few more years before she needed to worry about the little ones. She had already lost her husband because of a diving accident a few months ago. She didn’t need more tragedies.
I wasn’t linked with anyone. My mother needed more comforting than I did. Father held her hand tightly. They had already experienced one of their children inside the arena, thinking that he wouldn’t come out alive. I bet they didn’t think that their luck excluded their other child.
Aldo kept his eyes straight on the road. Mari was also with us, because she was a mentor. The two of them would be on stage, awaiting the results of what came out of the reaping. They would both have to scrutinize the two tributes that they had to work with, and it was straight for the train for them.
At the town square, it was predictably hot and crowded. People were organized though, and those who were part of the reaping were lining up according to their age and gender.
Travis and Eula stood with their families at the side, as their children headed over to their lines. I did the same, after a quick hug from my parents. Aldo gave me a reassuring squeeze of the hand.
Once everyone was positioned into their lines and the clock strikes two, Mayor Stetson stood up and went to the podium. Aldo and Mari were seated on the chairs on the stage, right behind the podium.
The mayor talked about the usual things about the start of the Hunger Games: the rebellion, the Treaty of Treason, the rules entailed about the Games, the prizes received not only by the victor but the district he or she resides in as well, and about how it should be a time of thanksgiving, as well as repentance. He stated the list of victors from the district, which he stated with a proud dignity, since it had become so lengthy after all these years. The mayor knew that it was good that we were one of the districts to be taken seriously. It aided in keeping our lives tolerable.
Aldo and Mari stood up as their names were called. They had tight smiles as they waved. They would never wish this fate upon anyone else, as much as they received honor for winning.
We had no control except to accept that they can make us go against each other for their entertainment. It’s sick, but I’ve lost any rebellious thought s a long time ago. It would do no good to speak of poisonous thoughts. We had to pretend that this was a celebration and a sporting event.
Lolly Trimmings, the District 4 escort, took the podium right after the mayor, and smiled happily at the crowd. She could’t have been happier than to have been assigned years ago to this district. It was a winning one, along with districts such as 1 and 2.
“Welcome to the annual Hunger Games!” she said, in her shrill voice. “Another year has gone by and here we are again, selecting two lucky tributes who will have the honor of representing District 4! I shall start with the ladies, as usual!”
She walked over the circular container with thousands of slips. I wasn’t that nervous anymore. What were the chanced that my name would be picked, out of thousands?
Lolly walked back to the podium and smoothened the chosen paper. “Serena Elodea!”
Aldo stirred at the name, and his breath caught short. I wondered why. It took me a few seconds, and a few stares for me to realize that it was my name that Lolly said.
Impossible.
“Is it a relation to our very own victor Aldo Elodea?” Lolly wondered out loud, sounding elated. This was more than she could hope for, after all. A sister of a victor was bound to be someone singled out already. She glanced at Aldo, who nodded stonily. Lolly seemed to mistake this for pride, but then again, she was on such a happy high right now that no one could have ruined her mood. “Come on up, dear!”
No one would volunteer for me. I just knew it. I wasn’t one to pity. I was seventeen, and had a victor for a brother. People would think that I had been taught a few tricks by him, as well as the victors who I was neighbors with.
I took deep breaths, trying to keep a graceful expression on my face, as if I had expected it from the start. As I managed to get my feet to go in front of the other, I heard the polite applause that came from the audience.
Lolly went over to the other pieces of paper that held the names of the male candidates. I kept my eyes on a piece of colorful paper attached to a string, in the distance. The next name Lolly said was, “Xavier Lexan.”
I wasn’t familiar with his name, which wasn’t an odd occurrence, since the school had a lot of students. I was mostly familiar with people from my year, or a year or two higher. This one must have been younger.
Xavier staggered up the stage slowly. He must have been just as surprised as me. He came from the line of fourteen year-olds. He was a few inches shorter than Aldo, but about an inch or two taller than me. As young as he was, he was a Career, and he had training just like the rest of us. Looks could be deceiving, in this game. He might have been young, but he had the definition on his arm muscles. His looks were fairly normal: blonde hair, blue eyes, tanned skin. He fit in with a crowd well and didn’t have any features that stood out, but he wasn’t unattractive.
He might have looked unaffected once he got on stage, but I could see the slight fear in his eyes, right before he took his place beside me.
One, if not both, of us would be dead by the end of this whole thing.
“Now shake hands you two!” Lolly said, looking pleased that she had two tributes that looked like they were contenders.
I gave my hand to Xavier and he took it. Both of us gave each other an assuring squeeze. The best I could assure him was that it wouldn’t be me who would kill him. Hopefully, some other tribute would get the chance to.
The mayor stood at the podium again and finished the treaty of treason. The anthem of Panem played and the ceremony was over.
Xavier and I were rushed into the Justice Building without even the chance of a glance back to the people of District 4.