波波小说

第14部分（第1页）

I　miss　the　dummy　by　a　couple　of　inches　and　lose　what　little　attention　I　had　been　manding。　For　a　moment；　Iˇm　humiliated；　then　I　head　back　to　the　bullˇs…eye。　I　shoot　again　and　again　until　I　get　the　feel　of　these　new　weapons。

Back　in　the　center　of　the　gymnasium；　I　take　my　initial　position　and　skewer　the　dummy　right　through　the　heart。　Then　I　sever　the　rope　that　holds　the　sandbag　for　boxing；　and　the　bag　splits　open　as　it　slams　to　the　ground。　Without　pausing；　I　shoulder…roll　forward；　e　up　on　one　knee；　and　send　an　arrow　into　one　of　the　hanging　lights　high　above　the　gymnasium　floor。　A　shower　of　sparks　bursts　from　the　fixture。

Itˇs　excellent　shooting。　I　turn　to　the　Gamemakers。　A　few　are　nodding　approval；　but　the　majority　of　them　are　fixated　on　a　roast　pig　that　has　just　arrived　at　their　banquet　table。

Suddenly　I　am　furious；　that　with　my　life　on　the　line；　they　donˇt　even　have　the　decency　to　pay　attention　to　me。　That　Iˇm　being　upstaged　by　a　dead　pig。　My　heart　starts　to　pound；　I　can　feel　my　face　burning。　Without　thinking；　I　pull　an　arrow　from　my　quiver　and　send　it　straight　at　the　Gamemakersˇ　table。　I　hear　shouts　of　alarm　as　people　stumble　back。　The　arrow　skewers　the　apple　in　the　pigˇs　mouth　and　pins　it　to　the　wall　behind　it。　Everyone　stares　at　me　in　disbelief。

¨Thank　you　for　your　consideration；〃　I　say。　Then　I　give　a　slight　bow　and　walk　straight　toward　the　exit　without　being　dismissed。

8

As　I　stride　toward　the　elevator；　I　fling　my　bow　to　one　side　and　my　quiver　to　the　other。　I　brush　past　the　gaping　Avoxes　who　guard　the　elevators　and　hit　the　number　twelve　button　with　my　fist。　The　doors　slide　together　and　I　zip　upward。　I　actually　make　it　back　to　my　floor　before　the　tears　start　running　down　my　cheeks。　I　can　hear　the　others　calling　me　from　the　sitting　room；　but　I　fly　down　the　hall　into　my　room；　bolt　the　door；　and　fling　myself　onto　my　bed。　Then　I　really　begin　to　sob。

Now　Iˇve　done　it！　Now　Iˇve　ruined　everything！　If　Iˇd　stood　even　a　ghost　of　chance；　it　vanished　when　I　sent　that　arrow　flying　at　the　Gamemakers。　What　will　they　do　to　me　now？　Arrest　me？　Execute　me？　Cut　my　tongue　and　turn　me　into　an　Avox　so　I　can　wait　on　the　future　tributes　of　Panem？　What　was　I　thinking；　shooting　at　the　Gamemakers？　Of　course；　I　wasnˇt；　I　was　shooting　at　that　apple　because　I　was　so　angry　at　being　ignored。　I　wasnˇt　trying　to　kill　one　of　them。　If　I　were；　theyˇd　be　dead！

Oh；　what　does　it　matter？　Itˇs　not　like　I　was　going　to　win　the　Games　anyway。　Who　cares　what　they　do　to　me？　What　really　scares　me　is　what　they　might　do　to　my　mother　and　Prim；　how　my　family　might　suffer　now　because　of　my　impulsiveness。　Will　they　take　their　few　belongings；　or　send　my　mother　to　prison　and　Prim　to　the　munity　home；　or　kill　them？　They　wouldnˇt　kill　them；　would　they？　Why　not？　What　do　they　care？

I　should　have　stayed　and　apologized。　Or　laughed；　like　it　was　a　big　joke。　Then　maybe　I　would　have　found　some　leniency。　But　instead　I　stalked　out　of　the　place　in　the　most　disrespectful　manner　possible。

Haymitch　and　Effie　are　knocking　on　my　door。　I　shout　for　them　to　go　away　and　eventually　they　do。　It　takes　at　least　an　hour　for　me　to　cry　myself　out。　Then　I　just　lay　curled　up　on　the　bed；　stroking　the　silken　sheets；　watching　the　sun　set　over　the　artificial　candy　Capitol。

At　first；　I　expect　guards　to　e　for　me。　But　as　time　passes；　it　seems　less　likely。　I　calm　down。　They　still　need　a　girl　tribute　from　District　12；　donˇt　they？　If　the　Gamemakers　want　to　punish　me；　they　can　do　it　publicly。　Wait　until　Iˇm　in　the　arena　and　sic　starving　wild　animals　on　me。　You　can　bet　theyˇll　make　sure　I　donˇt　have　a　bow　and　arrow　to　defend　myself。

Before　that　though；　theyˇll　give　me　a　score　so　low；　no　one　in　their　right　mind　would　sponsor　me。　Thatˇs　what　will　happen　tonight。　Since　the　training　isnˇt　open　to　viewers；　the　Gamemakers　announce　a　score　for　each　player。　It　gives　the　audience　a　starting　place　for　the　betting　that　will　continue　throughout　the　Games。　The　number；　which　is　between　one　and　twelve；　one　being　irredeemably　bad　and　twelve　being　unattainably　high；　signifies　the　promise　of　the　tribute。　The　mark　is　not　a　guarantee　of　which　person　will　win。　Itˇs　only　an　indication　of　the　potential　a　tribute　showed　in　training。　Often；　because　of　the　variables　in　the　actual　arena；　high…scoring　tributes　go　down　almost　immediately。　And　a　few　years　ago；　the　boy　who　won　the　Games　only　received　a　three。　Still；　the　scores　can　help　or　hurt　an　individual　tribute　in　terms　of　sponsorship。　I　had　been　hoping　my　shooting　skills　might　get　me　a　six　or　a　seven；　even　if　Iˇm　not　particularly　powerful。　Now　Iˇm　sure　Iˇll　have　the　lowest　score　of　the　twenty…four。　If　no　one　sponsors　me；　my　odds　of　staying　alive　decrease　to　almost　zero。

When　Effie　taps　on　the　door　to　call　me　to　dinner；　I　decide　I　may　as　well　go。　The　scores　will　be　televised　tonight。　Itˇs　not　like　I　can　hide　what　happened　forever。　I　go　to　the　bathroom　and　wash　my　face；　but　itˇs　still　red　and　splotchy。

Everyoneˇs　waiting　at　the　table；　even　Cinna　and　Portia。　I　wish　the　stylists　hadnˇt　shown　up　because　for　some　reason；　I　donˇt　like　the　idea　of　disappointing　them。　Itˇs　as　if　Iˇve　thrown　away　all　the　good　work　they　did　on　the　opening　ceremonies　without　a　thought。　I　avoid　looking　at　anyone　as　I　take　tiny　spoonfuls　of　fish　soup。　The　saltiness　reminds　me　of　my　tears。

The　adults　begin　some　chitchat　about　the　weather　forecast；　and　I　let　my　eyes　meet　Peetaˇs。　He　raises　his　eyebrows。　A　question。　What　happened？　I　just　give　my　head　a　small　shake。　Then；　as　theyˇre　serving　the　main　course；　I　hear　Haymitch　say；　¨Okay；　enough　small　talk；　just　how　bad　were　you　today？〃

Peeta　jumps　in。　¨I　donˇt　know　that　it　mattered。　By　the　time　I　showed　up；　no　one　even　bothered　to　look　at　me。　They　were　singing　some　kind　of　drinking　song；　I　think。　So；　I　threw　around　some　heavy　objects　until　they　told　me　I　could　go。〃

That　makes　me　feel　a　bit　better。　Itˇs　not　like　Peeta　attacked　the　Gamemakers；　but　at　least　he　was　provoked；　too。

¨And　you；　sweetheart？〃　says　Haymitch。

Somehow　Haymitch　calling　me　sweetheart　ticks　me　off　enough　that　Iˇm　at　least　able　to　speak。　¨I　shot　an　arrow　at　the　Gamemakers。〃

Everyone　stops　eating。　¨You　what？〃　The　horror　in　Effieˇs　voice　confirms　my　worse　suspicions。

¨I　shot　an　arrow　at　them。　Not　exactly　at　them。　In　their　direction。　Itˇs　like　Peeta　said；　I　was　shooting　and　they　were　ignoring　me　and　I　just　。　。　。　I　just　lost　my　head；　so　I　shot　an　apple　out　of　their　stupid　roast　pigˇs　mouth！〃　I　say　defiantly。

¨And　what　did　they　say？〃　says　Cinna　carefully。

¨Nothing。　Or　I　donˇt　know。　I　walked　out　after　that；〃　I　say。

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