Battle of Wits (A Quarter Quell Fanfic)

Chapter Four

            After dinner, I'm finally able to draw myself a bath. After getting up at dawn to help Father open the shop, tidying the entire house with Mother, and keeping Benji occupied so he's not underfoot as Mother cooks, I'm exhausted. Thankfully, Madge has been here since noon and has graciously helped with Benji. In fact, she's watching him now while I have a few minutes to myself.

            I grab a book, hang my robe on the door, and ease myself into the scalding water. My sore muscles thank me. But I'm still tense with worry; the Quarter Quell announcement is only a half hour away. I try to push it from my mind. There's nothing I can do to prevent whatever the future may hold.

            My book is interesting, it's a new one about girls training to be princess. But I struggle to keep my focus on the book. What will the Quell twist be? There have only been two so far. The first involved the districts voting for the children to be reaped. The second had twice the number of tributes. This year's the third. What will they do? Whatever it is, I'm sure it will change the odds completely. Normally, I have very little chance of being reaped. Last year was my first year. My name was in the reaping bowl one time. Then again, so was Primrose Everdeen's.

            This year, my name should be in the reaping bowl only twice. Somehow, I doubt that will be the case.

            It has been about fifteen minutes when I hear Mother call me from downstairs. I call down to let them know I'll be there in a minute. I get out of the bath, drain the water, and quickly get dressed. I hear the anthem begin to play as I descend the stairs.

"Juliet!" my father calls. "It's starting."

            I walk into the living room. Mother and Father sit on the couch. Benji and Madge sit together in an armchair. I sit on the floor in front of the couch. No one says anything.

            We watch as the Capitol seal disappears from the screen. Next, we see President Snow on some kind of stage. He stands behind a podium. His snake-like eyes light up with excitement.

"Hello, Panem. This year, we have the honor of presenting the seventy-fifth Hunger Games. This is the third Quarter Quell."

            The President stops speaking. A little boy with bright blue hair and a white tuxedo steps forward. He is carrying a wooden box which he holds out to President Snow. Snow opens the lid of the box revealing rows of aged yellow envelopes. He retrieves the one marked 75. The little boy retreats with the box, and President Snow opens the envelope. He stands back at the microphone and reads the paper.

"On the seventy-fifth anniversary of the rebellion, as a reminder that the districts are only as strong as their smartest and as weak as their dullest, the highest scoring student and lowest scoring student will be sent in as tributes." Snow stops reading and explains. "Yesterday, all children aged twelve to eighteen in all the districts of Panem took an exam. This is an exam the students take every year. The results of this exam are used to determine the smartest child and the dullest child in each district. This year, those children will have the honor of being our tributes for the third Quarter Quell!"

            The anthem begins to play, the Capitol seal reappears onscreen, and without saying a word, I stand up and run out the door.