Hunger Games 1

Chapter 18 The Confession of Love (2)
"Even tell the truth about things that I find horrible?" I asked, because it might happen.

"Tell the truth, especially when it comes to things that scare you," Cinna said. "You'll try, right?"

I nodded, this is also a way, at least it is the last straw.

Soon the time will come.The TV interviews took place on a stage set up in front of the training ground.Once I walk out of this room, within a few minutes, I will appear in front of the audience, the camera and all the people of Panem.

Cinna turned the doorknob and I stopped him.

"Cinna..." I was terrified of going on stage.

"Remember, they're in love with you," Cinna said softly, "just be yourself."

We bumped into the rest of the District [-] design team in the elevator.Portia and her team put in a lot of effort.Peeta looked sprightly in a black suit with flames.The two of us looked very harmonious together, luckily we didn't dress exactly the same.Haymitch and Effie also dressed up for the occasion.I avoided Haymitch as much as possible and only accepted Effie's compliment.Effie may be clumsy and annoying, but she's not as emotionally disruptive as Haymitch.

The elevator doors opened, and the other "tributes" were lining up to take the stage.The 24 of us sat on the curved bench at the back of the stage during this interview, and I was last, or second to last, because the girls from each district spoke first.How I wish I was the first to get this over with!But right now, I'm going to watch them all: smart, funny, humble, fierce or charming.By then, the audience will be as bored as the contest organizers, and I can't shoot an arrow at the audience to get their attention.

About to take the stage, Haymitch came up behind Peeta and me and yelled, "Remember, you're still a happy couple, just act like that."

What?When Peeta asked to train separately, I thought we'd give up on it, but that was private, not public.Whatever it is, we don't have much chance to interact anyway.We each went to our seats and sat down.

When I first stepped on the stage, I was short of breath, my temples were throbbing, and my calves were shaking, for fear that I would fall on the stage.After sitting down, he was relieved.Although it is night, the city circular square is as bright as day.There is a row of raised chairs on the stage for VIPs, and the front row is the designer's seat.When the audience commented on their work, the camera lens would focus on them.The huge balcony on the right building is reserved for the competition organizers, and the other balconies are full of cameras.The city square and surrounding roads were full of spectators, and everyone could only stand.Whether in the house or in the public hall, the TV is turned on.The entire country of Panam is empty.There will be no blackouts tonight.

That's when Caesar Flickman -- the show's host for more than 40 years -- stepped onto the stage in high spirits. It's kind of scary that his image has hardly changed in over 40 years, the same face, the same hairstyle - his face is covered with snow-white makeup powder, and his hair has been dyed different colors in previous competitions - even worn The same goes for the gown: a dark blue gown adorned with thousands of little glowing bulbs that twinkle like stars in the night sky.In the Capitol, people undergo plastic surgery to look younger and slimmer.In the [-]th district, the vicissitudes of life is an achievement, because many people have gone before him.If you see old people, you can simply congratulate them and ask them the secret of longevity.Fat people are also envied because they don't have to run around for three meals a day like us.But here it is different.Wrinkles are bad, and a potbellied belly is not a sign of success.This year, Caesar's hair was dusted in blue powder, and his eyelashes and lips were also blue, looking strange but not scary.Last year, he painted it in a deep red shade that looked like he was bleeding.Caesar first told some jokes to set off the atmosphere, and then got to the point.

The female contestant in the first district wore a golden transparent dress, looking sexy and provocative. She walked to the center of the stage to be interviewed by Caesar.You could tell her instructors had no trouble finding her spot, with flowing blond hair, emerald eyes, a tall, shapely figure... she exudes sex appeal from head to toe.

Each player is interviewed for only 3 minutes, then the buzzer beeps and the next player comes on.In all fairness, Caesars has indeed tried his best to make each player show his own strengths.He is amiable, tries to eliminate the nervousness of the contestants, and speaks with a little ridicule. Even if the answer is not ideal, he can still impress the interviewees in his way.

I sat there like a lady the way Effie taught me.The players in the second, third, and fourth districts all finished the interviews, and everyone seemed to have found their own performance angle.The male players in the second district were like a brutal killing machine.The girl from the fifth district has a fox face and looks cunning and difficult to fight.

I saw Cinna as soon as he showed up, but I couldn't shake my nerves in his presence.Then there are eight districts, nine districts, and ten districts.The lame boy from District Ten was quiet.My palms were sweating desperately, and the gem-encrusted clothes didn't absorb sweat at all. I tried to wipe the sweat, but the sweat dripped down my body.

District Eleven.

Lulu was wearing a spider web-like long dress with two wings on her body, and she came to Caesar like a fairy.The audience in the audience fell silent when they saw such an incredibly slender player.Kaiser smiled and praised her for her excellent grade of seven points despite being small.When asked what her greatest strength is in the arena, she replied without hesitation: "I'm hard to catch." Her voice trembled slightly, "If they can't find me, they can't kill me, so don't Want to eliminate me."

"I won't eliminate you, not even in 1 years." Caesar encouraged her.

The boy from District [-], named Saresh, was dark-skinned like Lulu, but that was where the similarities ended.He was tall, six-and-a-half feet tall, solid as a calf, but I found out that he turned down the pros who asked him to join.Instead, he was a loner, didn't talk to anyone, and wasn't interested in training.Even so, he scored ten points and it's not hard to see that he impressed the tournament organizers.He ignored Caesar's teasing, and only answered yes or no, otherwise he was silent.

If only I were as tall and big as he was, even if my expression was sullen and hostile.I bet at least half of the patrons are considering spending money on him.If I had money, I'd bet on him too.

Then someone called Katniss Everdeen's name.It felt like a dream to stand up and walk to center stage.I shook hands with Caesar, whose upbringing prevented him from immediately wiping the sweat from his hands on his clothes.

"Then, Katniss, the Capitol must be very different from District [-]. What impresses you the most after coming here?" Caesar asked.

What?what did he say?As if I didn't understand what he was saying.

My mouth is as dry as sawdust.I tried to find Cinna, my eyes fixed on him.I imagined in my mind that these words came from his mouth.

"What impressed you the most after you came here?"

I searched my brain desperately for something to make me happy. "Be honest," I said to myself, "Be honest."

"Mutton stew." I finally spoke.

Caesar laughed, and I vaguely felt that some of the audience laughed too.

"The kind stewed with dried plums?" Caesar asked.I nod.

"Oh, I eat with a bucket." He turned to face the audience, clutching his stomach and making a horrible expression. "I can't see it from here, can I see it?" the audience shouted, saying they couldn't see it, followed by a burst of applause.I already said Caesar was great, he always smoothed things out.

"Well, Katniss," he said confidently, "my heart stopped when you came out in the opening ceremony. What do you think of that costume?"

Cinna looked at me with raised eyebrows.Be honest.

"You mean after I worried about being burned alive?" I asked.

The audience burst into laughter, this time from the heart of the audience.

"Yes, let's start there," Caesar said.

Although I have always been nervous about not knowing how to speak, these words must be said now, to my friend Cinna. "I think Cinna is amazing, that outfit is the best I've ever seen, I couldn't believe my eyes when I was in that outfit, like this one I'm wearing now. ’ I pulled up the dress and spread it out. "Here, look!"

The audience made "uh" and "ah" sounds.I saw Cinna making slight circles with his hands, and I knew he was saying, "Turn around, let me see."

I immediately spun around, and the audience reacted enthusiastically.

"Oh, one more turn!" said Caesar.So I raised my arms and spun around and around, and the skirt floated up as I turned, and I was surrounded by flames.The audience cheered enthusiastically.I stopped and grabbed Caesar's arm.

"Don't stop!" he said.

"I can't do it, I'm dizzy!" I giggled too, a hearty laugh I'd never had before.But suddenly the nervousness came back and I was dizzy.

Caesar wrapped his arms around me as if protecting me. "Don't worry, I've got you, your instructor has stumbled, and I won't let you follow suit."

The camera pans on to Haymitch, and everyone's eyes are on him.He had already made a name for himself by falling headlong into the audience at Harvest Festival ceremonies.He waved gently to the camera reporters to stop filming him, then pointed at me.

"It's all right," Caesar told the audience, "she's safe with me. So, how about the training session. Ten...one...points, let us know a little bit about training."

I glanced at the contest organizers on the terrace and bit my lip. "Well... all I can say is that this is only the first time."

The camera focused on the organizers of the competition, and they nodded and giggled.

"Look, you're always hesitating. Do you want our lives?" Caesar said, pretending to be in real pain. "Details, details."

I said to the contest organizers on the terrace, "I can't say that, can I?"

A member of the tournament organizers, the one who fell on the hitting ball, yelled: "She can't talk."

"Thank you," I said. "Unfortunately, my mouth was sealed."

"Well, let's go back to the moment when your sister's name was called at Harvest Festival," Caesar said, his emotions had stabilized, "you volunteered to replace her in the Hunger Games, can you tell us about her? "

No, no, in front of so many people, I can't say it.Maybe say it to Cinna.I think a look of pain crossed his face when he heard that, and it was by no means a figment of my imagination.

"Her name is Prim, she's only 12 years old and I love her more than anything."

At this time, the circular square was completely silent, and even a needle could be heard.

"What did she say to you after the ceremony?" Caesar asked.

Be honest, be honest.I fought back the pain in my heart. "She wants me to do my best to win the competition." The atmosphere in the audience is very solemn, and every word I say echoes in the air.

"How do you answer?" Caesar asked softly.

At this time, a cold feeling spread all over my body, my body was stiff and my muscles tensed, as if I was ready for a fight.My voice seemed to drop an octave too, "I swear, I will."

"I'm sure you can do it," Caesar said, hugging me tightly.The buzzer goes off. "Sorry, we're out of time. Good luck, Katniss Everdeen, 'tribute' from District Twelve."

After I sat down, the applause continued for a long time.I looked at Cinna, hoping for his approval, and he gave me a slight thumbs up.

When Peeta's interview first started, I hadn't recovered from the conversation, and I was a little absent-minded.The audience responded enthusiastically to his interview, and I could hear laughter and shouts from the audience.Playing up the role of the baker's son, he likens other "tributes" to bread from other districts.He tells a joke about how dangerous Capitol showers are.

"Tell me, do I still smell of roses?" he asked Caesar.

Then they sniff each other, to the laughs of the audience.I gradually came to my senses.At this time Caesar asked him if he had a girlfriend in his hometown.

Peeta didn't know how to answer, then shook his head speciously.

"There must be a different girl, a pretty girl who would match you. Come on, tell me, what's her name?" Caesar said.

Peeta sighed, "Hey, there was a girl, I can't remember when, I fell in love with her deeply. But I'm sure she didn't know that I was a living person until the Harvest Festival ceremony. "

The audience made a sympathetic voice, it was unrequited love.

"Is she in love with someone else?" Caesar asked.

"I don't know, but a lot of boys like her," Peeta said.

"Then, how about this, if you win the game and go home, she will have no reason to reject you, huh?" Caesar encouraged him and said.

"I don't think it's going to work. It's useless to win . . . " Peeta said.

"Why?" Caesar said, bewildered.

Peeta blushed and stammered, "Because...because...she came here with me."

(End of this chapter)