A True Tribute

Chapter 2: Reaping

The town square is more full than I have ever seen.

Children ages twelve to eighteen, some frightened, some thrilled.

They line up before me in four separate rows to check in with a Capitol member.I step into the last row which seems to be shortest, there was only about thirteen people.

I look around to see that the town square seems different, the platform where the newly-reaped tributes stand went from a polished metal to a grainy marble.

The kids are set up more organized, by age.

"Give me your hand," a woman in white says sternly as she sits with an empty hand coated with a rubber glove.

As I lend her my pointer finger she brings out a small machine with a sharp needle at the end.

To clarify, its a scanner.

As she pricks my finger the woman touches the paper before me with it. she then runs the scanner over it only to reveal my name and age.

BELCOURT, GLIMMER 17 Y/O.

She then points to the near end of the crowd of district 1 females, therefore motioning me to proceed.

I meet up with my friend Opal.

She silently whispers " what's your plan? Are you going to volunteer this time?"

I reply in my most assuring voice, " Of course I am. I have b-"

I am cut off by the tuning of the silver microphone at the podium.

"Welcome everyone, to the reaping of the 74th annual hunger games!"

The crowd applauds at a medium tone.

"Before we begin, we will be watching a beautiful video,from our spectacular capitol." she then motions her body to her left where a gigantic screen stands.

"War, terrible war..." The video is obviously narrated by our leader, President Snow, a stubborn voiced man, yet quite persuasive.

"Brother turned on brother..."

I then wander my eyes toward the woman, she is wearing an aqua blazer with puffed shoulders and a short,tight green skirt. Her blinding neon green hair is tight back in a bun.

"And then came the peace..."

Her light powdery skin seems to glow in the sunlight. For a woman from the Capitol, she is actually quite beautiful.

"This is how we remember our past, this is how we safeguard our future."

" Isn't that lovely?!" the woman asks the crowd, who goes silent. " Shall we begin?"

The announcer waltzes over to her left to the female bowl, clacking her golden heels and stretches her arm into the large fishbowl and swishes around for about five seconds, and stops. She pulls out a small folded piece of paper. The woman goes to the microphone in the center of the stage. I see sparkling teal nail polish stained on it.

" Velvet Spectrow"

A small thirteen year old stands pale near the stage gasping for air.

It is time. Now.

I raise my hand up. "I volunteer!" I shout." My name is Glimmer Belcourt, and I volunteer" I say as I tip toe to the steps that lead up.

" Great! A volunteer for Velvet, just amazing! thank you sweetheart,...Glimmer."

I stand proudly and smile and wave next to the girl from the Capitol.

"Now for the boys. Ooo I'm excited!" The announcer says as she shuffles her fingers in the bowl. As she selects one she wanders to the center once again and clears her throat.

"Bronze Flamsteed."

An eighteen year old sighs so loud the entire square heard it. The boy drudges slowly to the stage. He seems weak, not much competition for me at least.

" I VOLUNTEER!" yells a tall boy near the back of the crowd of males.

The volunteer is quite tall with kind of short light brown hair. He wears a milk chocolate brown blazer with khakis. Not impressed.

" What's your name dear?" Our district announcer asks.

"Marvel Sanford" he replies in a deep voice.

"We'll now it's official! Can I get a round of applause for our tributes representing district 1, Glimmer Belcourt and Marvel Sanford."

The crowd screams and claps for us.

I squint at Marvel. I know him, a little, we were friends when we were about 12 but he was caught up with his spears that he seemed to like more than me since the games were coming up, so he shut me out.

I decide to shoot him at dirty look, which he returns, with a smirk.