The Ultimate Sacrifice (The 107th Hunger Games) [Fan Fiction]

6. The Opening Ceremonies

6. The Opening Ceremonies

I took quick action in trying not to look at the crowds around me as the horses pulled the chariot out into the City Circle. The other twelve districts filed in behind us, soon to get their taste of the spotlight that Bane and I currently had as we became exposed.

I looked straight ahead, focusing on one point of the president's mansion. I stared at the balcony, where President Snow would appear and give her mini speech like she always did every year. There was never a need to have a long speech for the Hunger Games.

At times, I stole glances in my peripheral. I couldn't catch cameras watching me. Hell, I couldn't tell if they were even trained on our chariot. For all I knew, the cameras could be on the other districts and not us. Of course, if the cameras weren't on us, peoples' eyes were. I was never one for center of attention.

The horses trotted merrily, lugging the chariot along happily. I felt happy, like the horses probably did. I was living my dream, after all, being in the Games.

Our chariot was the first to pull in just in front of the president's mansion. District 2's pulled alongside us, and so on until District 7 had to pull in behind us. I kept my focus on the balcony, not looking at Bane, or the crowd of cheering people, or other tributes in chariots around me.

As the crowd began to quiet down—just a little—President Renata Snow came to the edge of her balcony. She was flanked by two Peacekeepers, though I didn't see why since nobody would ever dare think of trying to assassinate her. All of Panem was too in fear of her to even think about trying to kill her just so that Panem could possibly have a different order of things.

Snow's gray hair was thinning, straight, and at chin length. It didn't frame her slightly wrinkled face well. She stood up straight, but I could tell she didn't look comfortable. She probably had back problems and standing stick-straight aggravated them. She basked in the crowd's cheering for her more than us tributes now, looking around the City Circle with tired, sea-blue eyes.

"Welcome, tributes!" her voice boomed. She sounded strong for a woman being in her fifties and looking older than her real age. The crowd quieted down, but murmurs could still be heard. When the president talked, everybody got silent and listened. "We are gathered here today to see all twenty-six of you who have been chosen—or volunteered—to participate in this year's Hunger Games. We all honor your sacrifice. And, we wish you happy Hunger Games! May the odds be ever in your favor!"

That was getting to be an old, annoying phrase. It was said every year. It was supposed to give tributes some hope, but really, it was becoming more of an annoyance.

The crowd picked up its momentum once again, cheering for the president as she waved to the crowd. I stumbled back a step as the horses jerked our chariot forward to the Training Center. The crowd's cheers were still echoing in my ears. They were rambunctious, those people.

Once the horses pulled our chariot in and halted, Bane leapt off the chariot, holding a hand out for me to take. Hiking up my dress with one hand, I let Bane help me down. Ross and Sienna had been waiting for us. Sienna was stroking one of the horses as we found them.

"How did we look?" I asked, looking at Ross. I decided to stroke one of the horses myself.

"I'd say okay," Ross reported.

"What do you mean 'okay'?"

"Performance wise, you two were opposites. You never paid attention to anything, did you?"