Saffra Wilshere, a sixteen year old girl, is chosen for the 72nd Hunger Games. From District 2, she is meant to join the Career pack, not only because everyone expects her to but because it is tradition.
However she doesn't want to join a group of m...
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C H A P T E R T H R E E
C A P I T O L F A V O R I T E S
Staring at the projecting screen, I wait until Ceasar announces and shows the tributes selected for this years' Hunger Games. The screen then switches to the cameras that show the square, panning in on the stage.
"For District One... the volunteers are Rouge Mathew, seventeen years old, and Peter Stanford!" Ceasar announces with a chuckle. The girl, Rouge, merely stood there with a menacing glare as she looked over the applauding audience. Peter, on the other hand, relished in the attention and smiled along with their cheers. He stuck his hands up in the air and motioned for the cheers to get louder as they called out his name. Two polar opposites were meant to stick together throughout the arena, and it didn't look like they were too fond of each other.
Suddenly the screen changed and showed the stage back at District Two. Compared to District One's white marble stage, we obtained a black marble polished stage with certain etchings in the sides. "District Two's volunteers had a much bigger influence on this year's games! The female volunteer, Saffra Wilshere, who is only sixteen, holds such confidence" Ceasar explains. The camera pans down on Xander and I as we look over the audience. Unlike Xander, I did hold a bigger pull over the audience where they mostly cheered my name rather than his. But that was mostly to do with his social outcasting when he was younger. "And the male tribute, Xander Dennison, eighteen, doesn't seem too happy to be up there."
Scoffing I tune out District Three's tributes as Ceasar goes on to joke about how these tributes could come fix the lightbulb in his dressing room. When District Four's tributes were announced I couldn't help but to look at the screen as a boy with light blonde hair and the brightest blue eyes faced the crowd. His hair was swept back using what looked to be some sort of gel. The girl standing next to him nervously looked out at the crowd, her brown eyes and brown hair not as imposing as her fellow tributes'.
"From District Four, a volunteer from the crowd for a certain someone had emerged. The male tribute who volunteered is named Freyer Peterson who is seventeen years old. Word is he volunteered for his twelve year old little brother! Now the female tribute was Reaped, her name is Dahlia Wurst and she's only fifteen! The youngest tribute this year so far!" Ceasar explained.
Pausing the screen I stared at the boy who stood there. Although going up for his brother, whom didn't calculate this happening, he looked rather strong. His jaw was clenched as his piercing blue eyes studied the crowd. Perhaps he was an ally worth having.
Deciding to watch the rest of the Reapings, I pressed play and watched as the rest of the tributes were Reaped and brought up to the stage. Several cried and several looked as though they were going to pass out. Unlike the first few tributes, the rest looked like easy prey. But I'm not sure I could be the predator.
When the door opened behind me, I turned to find Devina sauntering in. Her normal smile wasn't on her perfectly defined face and the pep wasn't in her step. Sitting down beside me, her attention travelled to the tv screen. "What's wrong?" I decided to ask her. Although I didn't particularly like Capitol citizens, Devina was someone who looked like she wasn't always apart of this lifestyle.
"I wasn't expecting that girl to be chosen..." she sighed sadly.
"Which girl?" I frown, my curiosity peaked.
"District Four. Dahlia Wurst. This may sound strange but she's my niece. I was originally from District Four until my father, the Head Peacekeeper, got me a spot in the Capitol," she explained. "They needed someone to be able to go to District Four each year to be able to collect the chosen. But after a few years, I was promoted to a different position of a different District."
"Wait. Dahlia Wurst is your niece? How old was she when you left?" I wince.
"She was nine. At the time we all promised her that she wouldn't be chosen. That there were too many children in District Four; that there was only one of her. To see her on screen after so long... how much she's grown..." she sighed, tears prickling the edges of her eyes.
Laying a hand on her shoulder, she turns to me with a sad expression on her face. "I'm not going to ask you to let her win. But at least protect her until you no longer can. If she dies, I only wish for it to be peacefully," she tells me.
After Ceasar is done introducing the tributes, each Reaping was left on a loop. I decided to leave to go to my room, wanting to at least get a little bit of rest in before reaching the Capitol.
What Devina had told me about her niece brought my to a standstill. At first I thought I knew what I would do in the arena, but now everything has changed. Originally, I was going to stay apart of this "team". But now I thought about how Devina looked at me and begged that I protect her niece; at least until I could no longer do that.
Laying down on the grey covers of the bed, I stared up at the ceiling in discomfort. It didn't feel right to be second guessing myself. My brain knew what I should do, just to guarantee I make it to the finale. But my heart had an entirely different view; to keep Dahlia safe and possibly put my life on the line.
Those in District Two would give me the answer that I knew was logical. To forget feelings. That feelings weren't enough to keep you alive when you're in the arena. No matter what, everyone dies.
But I knew better than to trust these thoughts. In reality, I already knew the answer to my problems long before I began questioning myself.
