Голодные игры
Chapter 1
Thesesamepeopletendtobeinformers,andwhohasn’tbrokenthelaw?Icouldbeshotonadailybasisforhunting,buttheappetitesofthoseinchargeprotectme.Noteveryonecanclaimthesame.
Anyway,GaleandIagreethatifwehavetochoosebetweendyingofhungerandabulletinthehead,thebulletwouldbemuchquicker.
Thespacegetstighter,moreclaustrophobicaspeoplearrive.Thesquare’squitelarge,butnotenoughtoholdDistrict12’spopulationofabouteightthousand.Latecomersaredirectedtotheadjacentstreets,wheretheycanwatchtheeventonscreensasit’stelevisedlivebythestate.
IfindmyselfstandinginaclumpofsixteensfromtheSeam.WeallexchangetersenodsthenfocusourattentiononthetemporarystagethatissetupbeforetheJusticeBuilding.Itholdsthreechairs,apodium,andtwolargeglassballs,onefortheboysandoneforthegirls.Istareatthepaperslipsinthegirls’ball.TwentyofthemhaveKatnissEverdeenwrittenonthemincarefulhandwriting.
TwoofthethreechairsfillwithMadge’sfather,MayorUndersee,who’satall,baldingman,andEffieTrinket,District12’sescort,freshfromtheCapitolwithherscarywhitegrin,pinkishhair,andspringgreensuit.Theymurmurtoeachotherandthenlookwithconcernattheemptyseat.
Justasthetownclockstrikestwo,themayorstepsuptothepodiumandbeginstoread.It’sthesamestoryeveryyear.HetellsofthehistoryofPanem,thecountrythatroseupoutoftheashesofaplacethatwasoncecalledNorthAmerica.
