The Incoming Storm: The Tale of the 325th Hunger Games

Chapter 2

 I find myself standing on the stage looking out at the stunned District 9. "Now dear, tell me your name," Clio says, extending the microphone to me.

"Amaranth Masa," I say, trying to stop my voice from quivering. What have I done is all I can think of.

"Well an adventure of courage and triumph awaits you, and I wish you the best of luck!" Clio says, and I am left to stand at her side. "Now, gentlemen, it is your turn to demonstrate your heroics, your strength, and your bravery. Volunteering opens now!"

The clock begins and the familiar silence falls over the crowd. Just as the clock marches past the 25-minute mark, someone's voice comes from the crowd. "I volunteer."

A boy named Bran Baler approaches the stage and is introduced to the crowd. "Amaranth, Bran, please shake hands," Clio says. I look at Bran, he is a tall muscular boy, I recognize him from school. He is a loner, I don't think he has many friends. Something tells me he volunteered for similar reasons as I did. We shake hands and I can feel his calloused hand in mine. I know for sure now that I've messed up, if this is my competition from my district, what awaits me from the other 11?

"Please give your district tributes a round of applause for their sense of honor and courage!" Clio says. We are given a large round of applause and are escorted into the Justice Building.

Just inside is a Capitol doctor who sits outside of a closed-off room guarded by a peacekeeper. A sinister feeling washes over me, something tells me that behind that door is Maris, that poor 15-year-old. I'm not sure if she's dead yet or not, but by the end of today, she will be. She will be returned to her family in a simple wooden box and simple white dress.

I follow one of the peacekeepers to a lounge on the second level of the Justice Building. The door closes behind me, and for the next hour, I will be visited by anyone who desires to speak to me and say goodbye. The first person to appear is the Mayor. She gives me a brief hug, I am prepared to justify myself, but she doesn't ask me, to be fair there is no point now.

We sit for a while in silence for a moment, and she looks at me, "Your mom would be very proud of you," she says. I can't imagine how my mom would be proud of me for sentencing myself to death, but I thank her anyway.

"She was always brave like you, Amey. You have always reminded me of her, do me a favor," she says. I tilt my head questioning her.

"Win," she says, "Win for your mom, win for your district."

I nod, she smiles at me, "You have your mother's eyes," she says. With that, a peacekeeper enters the room and Mayor Pana departs.

The next person to enter is my brother, Farro. I can't tell if I'm surprised or not, he's left me behind so many times, but today may be the last day to ever make up for it.

"Why?" he asks.

"Because I don't have anyone here."

"You have me, and Rya."

"You two live on the other side of the district, and you never come to visit."

"Amey, we're busy people. But we are family."

"Barely," I say, "Ever since mom and dad died-"

"Amey, you're going to be an aunt."

"What?"

"Rya's pregnant, I was going to tell you after the reaping, I was going to find you and invite you over. Amey, I want to be your brother, I want to be a family again."

I sit in shock, I am going to be an aunt? Will I ever meet them? The chances aren't looking great, not if I don't win.

"I'm going to be an aunt?" I repeat.

"Yes, Amey," Farro says. A flush of panic washes over me, the regret is threatening to cripple me, but I can't afford to cry, I can't afford to look weak. In a regular Hunger Games, you might be able to cry and get away with it, but this one is different. I put myself here, I can't cry about it.

"Promise me, you'll try to win," Farro says, breaking the silence.

"I will."

I will try to win, I want to win, I want to win for mom, for dad, and for my niece or nephew. I will win for my family. A peacekeeper enters the room and escorts Farro out. The last person to enter is the dean of the school. He visits all tributes, after all, they are always his students. "Good luck," he says, handing me a small tin of cookies from the bakery as well as a white flower. I thank him, I hold the tin in my hands and place the flower in my hair.

I remember this is custom for the girls to do, every year he gives them a parting gift of something from the bakery and a white flower for their hair or pocket in the boy's case. I shake his hand, and he leaves the room, leaving me alone.

I open the tin and take out a cookie, I take a small bite of it, but my mouth is stuck and I can't eat. I start to feel like I am choking so I spit it into a wastebasket on the other side of the room. When the last bit of time is up, a peacekeeper enters to take me back to the lobby.

A Capitol photographer is there to take our pictures. They get headshots of us for the various portraits that will be shown of us, then they take a picture of Bran and me shaking hands, a picture of us two and Clio, a group shot of all the victors and tributes together, and final shots of us and our mentors. I am paired with Quin and Bran is paired with Maizer.

From there we are all brought to the back of the Justice Building which is swarming with Capitol camera crews. I try to make myself look brave. Flashes of cameras and applause assault us as we get into a large van that takes us to the train station where more cameras wait.

We are hustled into the train, told to wave goodbye, and then the door shuts. At least one of us will never return to District 9.

The train leaves the station picking up speed very quickly. We speed through amber fields of grain and then pass to the watery rice fields on the outside of the district. Finally, we pass through the ten-foot cement wall surrounding the district and we are engulfed in woods. I watch as the walls of District 9 vanish behind us and I whisper goodbye to the district. I may return, but for now, I need to put that behind me. From now on, I am here to win.