Author Games - Ghost Town

Interview - Aspen Barker

I hear my name being called and walk up on stage, being sure to smile and wave to the Capitol fans. I greet our interviewer, Ruby with a hug and sit down on a plush, velvet chair. Ruby looks beautiful! She has her strawberry, gold hair tied up in a messy bun with fluttering butterflies on her head. They look as if they have been pinned down and are now trying to escape her locks. She has an amazing knee length, purple dress that changes colour at the bottom. There are also live butterflies on her dress as well. She looks stunning.

"Welcome! Now, tell me" she says in her Capitol accent, " how are you liking the Capitol?" The Capitol citizens cheer and clap, expecting that I love it. It's a good thing their right.

"It's amazing! The food is literally out of this world and all you people with your amazing clothes and crazy personalities! It's so fun here in the Capitol I wish I could stay forever!" The Capitol applause happily with my answer. One question down, who cares how many to go.

" we wish you could stay too but if you win you can come back!" She says excitedly. Her smile nearly reaching her eyes. " so, why did you volunteer?"

" oh, my brother got reaped and, well I couldn't just let him enter the games because he's only twelve and won't stand a chance against everyone else!" I sigh thinking of my family back home. Oh well, to late to turn back now. " so I volunteered .and I promised them that I would make it home, no matter what it takes." The crowd awes and claps, some even wiping their eyes. " oh I'm so sorry." At least she sounds sincere. I shift in my seat uncomfortably. "So onto the next question! Who do you think stands out the most?" I nearly laugh, this ones easy.

"Well the careers, but if I had to choose one it would probably be Cement?? Is that how you say it?" The crowd laugh and Ruby giggles a bit.

"Clement darling, Clement"

"Oh yeah, sorry. Yeah Clement is so big and strong and he seems to have a bit of a bad temper so I guess I'll have to  stay on his good side if I want to win this." I think of Clement and what he would do to me if he found me. Even just the thought of it makes me shudder.

"Do you think Clement is your biggest threat?"

"Oh definitely! And when he's with all the careers they will be even stronger. But you never know, we could just out smart them and then we'll take over the cornucopia, we could be the new careers if we wanted to!

"We would love to see a good fight in the games, especially with the careers! So now that we have the strongest out of the way who do you think is the weakest?" I stifle a laugh at her question. It's pretty simple.

"Well it would be that Stone kid from eleven. He wants to die! I mean, who wants to die? At least try! He'll probably get killed in the blood bath so he won't bother me. I know it may sound cruel but it's one less tribute to worry about and one less tribute to kill." I give the crowd a sheepish smile and they nod in agreement.

" do you have any loved ones back home?" Ruby asks with a happy smile on her face. She looks as if she's glowing!

" yeah, I mean I don't have a girlfriend or anything but I have my brother and sister, they are crazy and they just turned twelve. And my mother, she's really nice but hasn't really spoken since my father died but my dog, Sparker keeps me company! Sadness runs through me as I'm reminded of my fathers lumber accident. I hope I don't die like that in the arena.

"Is there anything you miss back home?" Her eyelashes flutter when she asks the question which I can know see have tiny, little butterflies on them.

"Well I do miss my family but I didn't really have that many friends back home so I don't really miss that much. But I do miss the smell of the trees in the morning." I sigh as I remember the smell of the trees as I wake up each morning. But I am interrupted by Ruby.

" do you think you have a chance at winning?" She questions with a Cheshire Cat grin on her face.

" of course I do! I mean doesn't everyone? Well except for the ones that want to die *cough *cough Stone. And the twelve year olds stand a chance but I doubt they will make it all the way through if they don't know how to fight. I hi k I have a pretty good chance at winning this thing, once the careers are out of the way it will be easy!" The crowd cheer loudly at my confidence with broad smiles across their faces.

"Do you have any special skills?" As she says this I see the tributes behind me lean in to see what I'm good at. Too bad they're not gonna find out my secret just yet.

" haha well your just gonna have to sit tight and find out once we enter the arena, won't you?" I give a menacing smile to the crowd which makes them laugh and cheer, some even throwing flowers.

Ruby opens her mouth to ask another question but then the buzzer goes off, signalling my time is up. I give Ruby another hug and walk off stage smiling at the crowd and walking off. That was fun.