So this is the start of the sequel to my story Mind Reader. If you haven't read it you should go find it and read it right about now. Well, you probably don't have to but it might help you make sense of some things. I'm not entirely sure where this whole thing is going but I guess we'll find out. Enjoy
Tellidora Cristata
My goal in life is to be happy. The Capitol's goal in life is to make the Districts as miserable as possible. So far the Capitol is winning. Today is the day of the Reaping. Last year, Megan Melaleuca won. District 4 is eager for another winner. Especially the families like mine. Last year when Megan came home my dad started training me. He wants me to volunteer. He wants me to win and bring honor and glory to my family, to my district. Honestly, I'm not too thrilled with the idea. I don't want to be thrown into an arena to fight to the death with 23 other kids. I don't want to have to murder people to get home. I'm going to have to though, or risk being shunned by my family, disowned and thrown into the streets. I don't know if I could survive that. I haven't been trained for that. I have been trained for the Hunger Games though, giving me a much better chance than the other children. I can kill, I can win. I've been training like it's my career. I'm a career tribute.
I stride into the group of kids my age, the section roped off for seventeen year olds. I feel the stares. Everybody knows it's my turn to volunteer. My dad has a new job, training tributes. It's technically against the rules but no one seems to care. They don't care enough to stop me. A girl tribute is drawn, I volunteer. A boy tribute is drawn, and another 17 year old volunteers, Bryx Dunckeri. We shake hands. We already know each other of course. We were trained together. The grand master plan is to alliance ourselves with the strongest districts. Even if the officially dubbed, career alliance falls apart, Bryx and I are to remain allies until either one of us is dead or we're the last two left, that way District 4 has a really good chance of having a victor.
My family comes to visit me, hugging me, telling me to come home, but I am a rock, cold, strong and distant. I am unforgiving. It is their fault I have to do this. They leave but I catch my dad by his sleeve before he exits.
"Even if I live through this, I will never forgive you. And if I die, you will live knowing you sentenced your daughter to death. I hope that knowledge haunts you for the rest of your life." I say ruthlessly. He does not reply but I know he heard me. He walks through the door and my eyes never leave him, staring daggers into the back of his head until he's out of sight.
An escort takes me and Bryx to a car which we will ride in to the train station.
"You remember the plan, don't you Telli?" he says patronizingly. Ugh, I hate this kid. He talks to me like I'm five years old.
"Yes, I do remember the plan Bryx, because unlike you I haven't lost half my brain cells from being hit in the head so many times. Tell me, who was the first to give you collateral brain damage? Your darling mother?" This is a low blow; I know his mother used to beat him before he could beat back. She's an alcoholic. I also know his dad forced him into these games the same as me and we should be working together but if this condescending jerk can't play nice than why should I? He scowls and I guess it's supposed to be menacing. Aww, the poor dear thinks he's intimidating me, how cute. I smirk like I'm superior, just to make him mad. It works which is just fine because we're pulling into a station full of cameras and we need to look as deadly as possible.
I give the camera men my best glare as we make our way onto the tribute train. The train is fancier than anything I've ever seen. I have my own room. Our escort, Jewel, tells me to do whatever I want and be ready for dinner in an hour. I guess I'll take a shower.
I wipe the steam off the mirror. There's still 30 minutes left before dinner. I stare at myself. My skin is tan, like pretty much every body in District 4. I have a few freckles that sprinkle themselves across my slightly ski slope nose and high cheekbones. I lean close and look at my eyes. They are bright blue and almond shaped. I straighten and start to run a comb through my sun bleached blond hair. I put on some clothes I find in the dresser. Black shorts that end at mid-thigh, black socks and a black T-shirt.
Finally, it's time for dinner. Good, I'm starving. I sit down at a long carved wooden table with Bryx, my mentor Megan, her Capitol partner Smith, and our escort Jewel. The food is great, much better than the super high protein crap my dad had been feeding me. I eat my fill of the meal and then sit and watch everybody else.
"So Megan, you're supposed to tell us how to stay alive." I say. Everybody looks up surprised, except Megan. She's not surprised one bit, almost like she knew what I was going to say before I said it. There's something not quite right about that woman.
"Yes, and I intend to do that." She answers.
"Great so what's the best strategy at the Cornucopia-"I begin but she cuts me off.
"Don't get ahead of yourself."She says, "You two want alliances." It's not a question.
" We can go watch a recap of the Reapings and decide who you think you would want to team up with, but I'm warning you now, trust no one in that arena. If you do, you will inevitably get a knife in your back." She finishes.
"Okay, let's go." I say. Hey, I'm game. We go to another compartment to watch the Reapings. District 1 has volunteers too. The boy, Brent Juillet, is 18 and taller than Bryx at probably 6 feet even. The girl whose name is Emerald Vega walks like she's royalty. Flipping her golden curls over her shoulder and grinning like a beauty queen. Well sweetie, I bet you're not so pretty on the inside. District 2 turns out one career volunteer and one that was just the luck of the draw. The girl named Mica Shallow is picked but her partner is a strong handsome fellow that lunges forward to volunteer. His name is Eli Dasyatis. The rest of the tributes are nobody worth remembering to team up with. Except maybe Sackeya Peat, a huge girl from the lumber district. She could probably kill me just by sitting on me. I'll watch the tributes in training just to make sure but for now I won't worry about it.
"I say District 1 and 2. Those tributes looked strong plus they pretty much dominated last year." Butts in Bryx before I can say anything. I scowl at him and he smirks looking pleased with himself.
"What do you think, Tellidora?" Megan asks me. Now it's my turn to smirk.
"I agree, but that girl from 7 also looks like she could be of some help." Megan nods in approval. Ha, she likes me better.
"Okay, so tomorrow you will be turned over to your stylists. You probably won't like what they do but don't fight it." She tells us.
"Okay."Bryx and I say at the same time, I glare at him. He's vying for her attention. It's common sense that whoever she likes best is who she'll help more in the arena and whoever gets the most help has the better chance of coming home. He won't out-do me. I won't let it happen. My mind abandons it's logic chain as I go back to my room. I put on some silky cloud patterned pajamas and slide into the covers. The bed is impossibly soft and I am asleep within 10 minutes.
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