Holly Short

I glance over at Artemis, who looks even paler than usual. He's trying to hide it, but I'm not blind. This whole thing has taken a toll on him.

"Are you okay, Artemis?" I ask softly, not wanting the other tributes milling around the room to hear. 

"What?" he asks. Clearly he wasn't paying attention. That in itself is very unusual because he normally notices everything. 

"Are you okay?" I repeat.

Artemis nods, though his mind is clearly elsewhere. "I'm fine, Holly, just fine." He's been so distant ever since we arrived, and I'm worried about him. 

"You know you can talk to me anytime, right?" I say. I'm not going to drop the subject that easily.

He sighs. "I know, Holly. I just... I just need time to think things over." 

It's obvious that this conversation is going nowhere, so I make a mental note to bring it up again later. 

Just then, I hear an announcement over the loudspeakers. "All tributes please make your way to your chariots. The Tribute Parade will start in 59... 58.... 57... 56...."

I climb into the District 7 chariot where Artemis is already standing. He looks nervous, and that worries me. Artemis Fowl doesn't get nervous. I quickly straighten my old Recon jumpsuit and try to stand up straight. Artemis, the picture of perfection, has a solemn expression on his face.

I punch his arm, though not very hard. "Lighten up, Artemis. You might as well act happy while you can, because it'll only gets worse from here." Artemis frowns as he rubs his arm. I don't think he wanted to hear that.

I watch the chariots from the other districts line up in order. I size up the tributes, seeing who might pose a threat in the games. The tributes from district one are wearing bright orange t-shirts, and the boy has a scar on his face. They both look strong. We should avoid them in the arena if possible.

The district two tributes are wearing old hunting gear. Both of them look tough, and they have fire in their eyes. A dark haired boy and a blonde girl dressed in black are next. They seem to be in the middle of an argument, and the boy has a look of pure hatred in his eyes. Those two obviously have history, and it's not good.

The next two tributes are also dressed in black, but the girl has long, fiery red hair and the boy's hair is as black as night. I can tell these two are warriors; they both look ready to kill anyone who gets in their way. 

The district five tributes are two blondes who can't be more than sixteen years old. The girl is scowling at the boy, who has a mischievous look on his face.  A tall, attractive boy with white-blonde hair and a pretty brunette who are both dressed in robes come next. 

After Artemis and I come a girl and a boy who both have short brown hair. The girl is wearing a blue dress, and the boy is wearing a suit. The next two tributes are a young girl with long brown hair and a tall blonde who looks like royalty of some kind. Their clothing makes them look like they stepped out of a fairy tale. (The kind mud people read to their young children.)

Two brunettes wearing casual clothes come next, followed by a brunette wearing a green dress and a good-looking boy in a tux. Last but not least is a buff guy with a petite dark haired girl. That guy is definitely a threat. He stands beside the girl like a bodyguard, practically daring anyone to lay a finger on her.

As the first chariot goes out into the open, I hear the cheering of the spectators and the national anthem playing. I shake my head in disgust. How can they love these games so much? To me it's torture; being forced to watch people die and expected to be happy about it. Especially when it's someone you know. A memory flashes through my mind.....

Julius crept through the underbrush, not daring to even breathe. This move was risky, but if he didn't get more water he would die soon. He crept closer to the creek. His eyes were so focused on the water, he didn't notice the land mine he was about to trigger.

I screamed "No!" but it would have been too late even if he had been able to hear me. I could only watch in agony as debris rained down, hitting the water he had risked his life to save.....

That was only a year ago. Now, here I am, preparing to fight a battle that even Julius Root couldn't win. I don't plan on wining, because I want Artemis to go home. His parents and brothers need him. Nobody needs me, so what's the point in trying to win?

I wipe away the single tear that leaks out of my eye and put on the best smile I can manage. Artemis is still wearing the same grim expression as before. Our chariot starts to move. I stare with wide eyes as we pull out into the open. The President may be cruel, but he certainly has good taste. 

He or she, I think. No one in the districts has ever seen the President. The President is the ruler of our country, but whoever it is has never once shown their face to the public. Everyone has speculations about why The President keeps her identity hidden, but only a select few know him or her personally. 

There is applause as we travel down the runway, but not as much as for some of the other tributes. I hear some gasps when people notice my pointed ears. No one knows what Artemis and I are capable of, and that is an advantage. District 7 doesn't get as much attention as some of the larger districts. 

The twelve chariots are lined up in two rows of six at the end of the runway, and we wait for something else to happen. Suddenly, a voice speaks over the loudspeakers. 

"Hello, everyone. My name is President Merandus, and I would like, on the behalf of my city, to formally welcome you to the Capitol."

There is a collective gasp from the tributes, when we realize that this person speaking to us is The President. His or Her voice is distorted, making it impossible to tell if this mysterious person is male or female. I know there is one question running through the heads of all twenty-four tributes right now. Why hasn't The President ever spoken at the parade before?

The President then introduces each tribute by name. Each person waves at the audience as their name is called. They are probably trying to attract sponsors, but I'm not going to worry about that. There will be tons of sponsors piling up once they see what Artemis and I can do when we're working together.

The whole ordeal is over much quicker than I thought it would be. Soon we're all headed back to our bedrooms. We'll want a good night's sleep before training starts tomorrow. But I wonder how many of them will be able to sleep, because I know I won't. I'll be up all night, trying to interpret The President's actions. I ask Artemis what he thinks, hoping he might have some good insight, but he murmurs something about being tired and heads off for his own room.

Maybe I should try to get some rest, I think. It'll be easier to comprehend things when I've had a few hours of sleep. But even as I enter my bedroom, I know that I have a sleepless night of worrying ahead of me.