Голодные игры
Chapter 1
Andsoonandsoonuntilyoureachtheageofeighteen,thefinalyearofeligibility,whenyournamegoesintothepoolseventimes.That’strueforeverycitizeninalltwelvedistrictsintheentirecountryofPanem.
Buthere’sthecatch.Sayyouarepoorandstarvingaswewere.Youcanopttoaddyournamemoretimesinexchangefortesserae.Eachtesseraisworthameageryear’ssupplyofgrainandoilforoneperson.Youmaydothisforeachofyourfamilymembersaswell.So,attheageoftwelve,Ihadmynameenteredfourtimes.Once,becauseIhadto,andthreetimesfortesseraeforgrainandoilformyself,Prim,andmymother.Infact,everyyearIhaveneededtodothis.Andtheentriesarecumulative.Sonow,attheageofsixteen,mynamewillbeinthereapingtwentytimes.Gale,whoiseighteenandhasbeeneitherhelpingorsingle-handedlyfeedingafamilyoffiveforsevenyears,willhavehisnameinforty-twotimes.
YoucanseewhysomeonelikeMadge,whohasneverbeenatriskofneedingatessera,cansethimoff.ThechanceofhernamebeingdrawnisveryslimcomparedtothoseofuswholiveintheSeam.Notimpossible,butslim.AndeventhoughtherulesweresetupbytheCapitol,notthedistricts,certainlynotMadge’sfamily,it’shardnottoresentthosewhodon’thavetosignupfortesserae.
GaleknowshisangeratMadgeismisdirected.Onotherdays,deepinthewoods,I’velistenedtohimrantabouthowthetesseraearejustanothertooltocausemiseryinourdistrict.
