The Tributes from District 10

Chapter Five: Elijah

"Lia Dalton" echoed inside my head after Magenta picked and announced her name, to represent the female tribute of district ten. I knew that girl I thought. She was a year younger than I was, and lived a short distance from our farm. My pa and her dad were good friends; they both belonged to the same rebellion team. Marda and her sister Daisy were also good friends; they had a couple classes together at school.

I watched her make her way up to the stage. Even though we were several hundred feet apart, I could tell by her facial expression how scared she was. No, make that terrified. I remembered her brother a few years back, Silas, was also a tribute in the games. Gregor even remembered him from school. Guess the odds aren't in the Dalton family's favor again, I thought.

When Lia made her way up on the stage, Magenta smiled, and congratulated her. With a weak attempt, Lia smiled and nodded her head, with her head down. I could already tell that there were tears forming in her eyes, not an uncommon gesture at all for reapings.

"Let's share our support with our female tribute, Lia Dalton!" Magenta said. I looked around and saw the despair, and for some people, relief in their eyes. I could see Lia's family now, mixed with emotions. In her siblings eyes, I could see fear. In her mother's, desperation. But, in her father's, there was something else, something I couldn't quite sense. I looked again, and saw......  a smile? Yes, I saw a tiny crack in the upper left corner of his mouth. What could that mean? I thought. Wouldn't it be the complete opposite? A frown, and not a grimace? I looked again just to make sure my eyes wern't playing tricks on me and I realized that Dalton wasn't happy, he was furious. Make that fuming. That little crack of smile was still there, probably for the Capitol's amusement.  I sighed in relief and also realized as usual, only a few people clapped.

When the clapping was done, Magenta announced her annual," and now the boy's will be chosen" in her funny capitol accent. I looked back and saw Gregor and my parents smiling at me, trying to wish me luck I guess. Marda gave me an assuring smile, and grabbed my hand, hearing a couple snickers from a couple seventeen year-old's from behind me. I sighed as my eyes sat glued to Magenta's perfect pink polished hand as she dug it into the name pile, in the huge glass ball. Magenta pulled from her left hand, and pulled out two names. She thought for a few seconds, which felt like minutes for all of us, deciding which one to choose. I could hear hushed tones of all of the district 10 families, as we watched what would happen next.

She finally chose the one that her middle finger grasped, and started opening it. Magenta looked up, and gave a dramatic pause. Come on, I thought. We don't have all day here! What seemed like seconds felt like hours, in my opinion. Somehow, I think Magenta heard me screaming inside my head as she finally read off the name, Elijah Pennington.

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Have you ever felt like you were drowning, only without any water? That you couldn't breathe, and were grasping for air every second? That's exactly how I felt now. I think I would of probably fainted if one of the seventeen year-old's behind wouldn't have given me a light push. Why me, I thought. Out of how many male sixteen year-old's Magenta had to pick me? I then remembered the other name Magenta pulled out of the ball, making a mental note to hate that person as long as I live. Which probably won't be very long, I thought.

Some how, I came to my senses and started to the stage. Everyone was staring at me, again some people showed despair, others showed relief. I didn't have the guts to look at my family yet, not even Marda who was standing right next to me. I just looked straight ahead, trying to show zero emotion, so that the other tributes wouldn't know what to think of me.

As I was walking, I noticed that my ankle was still in pretty bad pain. I started, unfortunately, limping, realizing that I was already bait for the other tributes. Great, I thought. Not only did I find out I was a tribute in the last minute, I also found out that I would surely be remembered by the tributes and sponsors, not for any good reasons. Maybe they'll be a chick in the capitol who will remember my looks, and still sponsor me. Yeah right.

By the time I was on the stage, Magenta congratulated me, and told Lia and I to shake hands. I looked straight into her eyes, as she looked into mine. Gosh she is pretty, I thought. She had long, blond hair and bright blue eyes. She was very tan from working all day on the farm, like most of us from district ten. I gave her a gentle squeeze, and offered a slight smile. She did the same.

"Happy Hunger Games and may the odds be ever in your favor!" Magenta let out.