Wings of Fire (Jade Winglet) Hunger Games

The Reaping - Turtle

"So, I will say, Turtle, if you get Reaped, the SeaWings will have no hope at winning at all." Whirlpool's oily voice said, right behind Turtle.

"Ah! Okay! I'm not gonna volunteer!" I'm too chicken to volunteer. I will get noticed if I volunteer. I will get noticed and die.

"Well, that's good. I didn't want Queen Coral to cry when you died. It's really a waste of tears."

Please. Queen Coral didn't even know Turtle's name, and really didn't care. When he died, she'd be hosting a party, because she wouldn't even notice.

Just like he'd always wanted.

But did I? He wondered, tracing the veins on his arm. It made life easier, sure, but he had never really wanted it. What he wanted was the opposite, he wanted his mother to love him. But then he'd be special, and he'd be noticed.

Turtle would rather be boring and forgettable. "Come, come. We don't have time for diddling." Whirlpool slipped past him. Turtle followed.

"So, we shall pull out the name of Turtle." His face was smiling, but his voice held the faint hint of disappointment. "Turtle. Who's that?" Asked Queen Coral from beside him. "I'm one of your sons." Turtle shouted, reluctantly climing onto the stage of the Island Palace. "You should know me."

The Queen smiled. "So you are Turtle. And I can tell you are my son. You look like Fathom, and only a member of the royal family could resemble him that much."

Turtle blinked. Did he really look like Fathom? He knew he was quite like his animus ancestor. They both had green scales, they were both royalty, neither of them really liked attention... and Turtle was an animus too.

"Yeah." Was all he could manage. To face that whole crowd... the reality of where he was going hit him. He was going to the Hunger Games, to get killed.

Whirlpool was right. (Wow, never thought I'd write that sentence.)

He had no hope of winning at all.