I glanced around at my pink bedroom which, before, had been my sanctuary but now seemed to be my prison. Ever since the execution (or not) of my grandfather, I had worried. I stood by my grandfathers' decisions to rule the country harshly; after all I had never been to one of the nasty districts that plagued our country, Panem. On the day that my grandfather was to be executed, a decision was made, a decision that would change my life- or end it. The seventy- sixth Hunger Games were to happen. And the tributes? All of the capitol offenders' children. My heart rate sped up at the thought of being in the games and most often I avoided it. The country I now lived in, The Democracy of Panem, was hungry for vengeance. It wasn't enough to kill my grandfather and take over. No, they had to kill the families of those whom, I believe, ruled our old country very fairly. The finalized list of tributes would come out today, and we would each be escorted to the Remake center. Though we barely needed it; we were all well fed and well bred capitol children. The only reason we would visit is so they can dress us and use makeup to cover the bags under our sleepless eyes. I didn't even need to see the list to know I was on it. After all, my grandfather was the head honcho, the dark knight, the killer. My grandfather was President Coriolanus Snow.
My television flickered to life and I pushed myself up into a sitting position on my frilly bed cover. Katniss Everdeen, also known as Satan (only by me), appeared on the screen and explained what would happen next. The games were to happen exactly as they did before, excluding the Day of the Reaping, since the list of tributes has been chosen. In replacement for that day they had this announcement. The list of tributes would become known across the nation. After losing myself into a whirlpool of nasty thoughts, I tuned in to Katniss's speech. "We believe that the traitors of our race deserve to feel the way our families felt when we experienced the games. After the games are finished, if found mentally stable, the capitol offenders will live in a mental institute for the remainder of their lives. If found that the families are unstable they will be privately killed."
I don't know why they waste time by putting me in the games. I have no one left to care about me so they cannot hurt anyone. I suppose that they think I am dangerous and hope I get destroyed. I hope I do too. A life in heaven would be much more pleasant than a life in this world, where a new world is starting and all we have to lead it is our history books. The screen flickers again, I suppose it's to make us aware an important conversation or list is about to show up. The list.
Tributes
Huntley Flickerman
Ophelia Crane
Serenity-Joy Snow
Carter Templesmith
Edmund Pasilla
Pandora Greer
Andora Summers
Gregory Arnold
Seth Nicke
Mauve Cannon
Ten boys and girls. Me, of course. I have to kill all of these people in order to survive. From now on, it's every man to themselves. Let the seventy sixth hunger games begin.
I spent the rest of the day pacing in my room, thoughts of muttations filling my thoughts. At promptly 4:00 Effie Trinket, the annoying escort that used to be for district 12, came to my door knocking. "It's going to be a big, big, big day!" I walked to the door and waited for her to unlock it. After the revolution began, my grandfather didn't trust that I would 'play the game his way' and he switched my lock. The door swung open and a bright, cheerful Effie greeted me. She blathered on about being on time and my schedule as I wandered behind her, not listening. We reached the train station quickly, nowhere was far from the presidents home. I was shocked that my grandfather had not been whisked away when the war started by this very train. He was a greedy man, though, and must have insisted on killing each and every person by himself.
I stepped onto the hard flooring of the train and my eyes adjusted from bright four o'clock light to the dim fluorescence of the lights in the train hallway. I sniffed; the scent of blood coursing through my nose. This must have been a rebel train. You would think that after ten years the smell would go away, correct? Well blood still permeates the room and anything else associated with rebels. I glared at the plain room I was to stay in with disdain. I tuned back in to Effie's chatter… "And everything will happen exactly as before. You will be primed for the grand appearance. For the chariot rides you will be paired with a male tribute. The only change we have made is of course, the staff, and the arena. Now we must go, go, go! You should arrive in the remake center in roughly… 10 seconds."
Exactly ten seconds later I was escorted off of the train into a small room where I was to be plucked and primed. I sat alone, wondering what to do for about ten minutes. Then three people walked in. Obviously, they were capitol people. One with a green hue to their skin, one with gold tattoo's plastering their body, and a last with bright orange hair. It was blatantly obvious who they were. Katniss Everdeen's prep team. They were giving me the special treatment this year… Effie Trinket, Octavia, Flavius, Venia… All of Katniss's crew. Who's next, Haymitch Abernathy? They must think it will scare me but really, it encourages me. Katniss survived this twice. I could do it.
One would think that I would hate Katniss, right? I mean one of the conditions on her stupid "Mockingjay" list was to kill my grandfather. But I don't hold grudges. Much. She spared him in the end though. And I must admit she's pretty fierce. Octavia, the green one, stepped up to me. She started to pluck at me. Circling me to make sure I was good. She frowned and pulled my thin robe off. They pulled out tweezers and started pulling at my body hair. I blinked hard, tears in my eyes. I would not give them the satisfaction of crying, though, and I stood, without an expression while they finished me. They quietly left the room and I wondered why they had been so dull. They were notorious for being high energy.
I sat in a chair in the far end of the room. My stylist could not be Cinna, Katniss's old stylist, for he was killed after making that beautiful Mockingjay wedding dress. I sat for a long time and was getting impatient. Right before I was about to get up and start pacing the door opened and a young man a year or two older than me, appeared. He walked over and pulled me towards the platform in the middle of the room. I pulled off my robe and as he observed me I watched him. He had dark hair, cut short. His eyes were almost black and they held sadness, grief, in them. He was done and he gestured for me to sit down. "Who are you?" I asked, the curiosity killing me.
"You would not care but if you must know I am Grey, Cinna's only son."
That hit me like a pile of wet cement. I adored Cinna and the son, well I adored him too. "Now, the design will be kept secret until it is on you. You are dismissed."
I started to reply saying that I was interested and I really wanted to know but I couldn't. He walked out and in his place Effie exploded into the room.
"UP, up, up! Time to go meet your chariot partner, Huntley! He's such a nice young man! Such a shame… Such a shame… OH WELL!" She beamed at me in such a way that I had to smile back. I couldn't help but wonder if she knew that all of the tributes were close acquaintances. I wasn't sure if she was upset about the fact that he had to die, I had to die, or that one of us had to kill the other. To think I had supported her when she was guiding Katniss and Peeta in their games. Or maybe I just thought Peeta was hot and Katniss was fierce. Who knows, Was I fond of them, or Effie? Teenagers these days. We walked into a huge room, the ceiling in a faraway place above us. I saw the line of chariots out one side and the rest of the tributes milling around, socializing. Effie led me over to another very bright cheerful person with another very depressed looking adolescent at her side.
"Wow, Effie, you and that girl could be twins!"
"Well, that's my sister. Muffie."
"Oh. Of course it is. And I suppose that's Huntley?"
As soon as I uttered the words, I knew that they must be false. Huntley was a bright, charismatic boy that definitely took after his father. Never had I seen Huntley without his freakish hues of hair and lipstick. No, this couldn't be Huntley. But as I looked harder the resemblance became clear to me. It was the same person, crushed by the menacing Games. He looked up and his eyes were sad, full of grief and sorrow that he was too young to bear. Frankly, anyone our age is too young to bear the Games. His eyes met mine and then flicked away quickly but not until I noticed the confusion in his eyes. I soon realized that I was no longer the confident, breezy, and gorgeous girl I had been less than two months earlier, at my twenty first birthday party. He seemed to have come to the same conclusion as I, we were both extremely sorrowful.
"OHHH! Look Cinna's son is here to dress you Serenity-Joy!" Effie called to me as Muffie said almost the same thing to Huntley. I walked, resigned, behind Grey and followed him into a nearby dressing room. He handed me a simple white gown, but that wasn't all. He handed me a puffy white shrug that looked like it was made of snow, or maybe even clouds. I put them on and walked out to see Huntley in a white suit. Wow, how original. His own touch was added, bright lipstick, fluorescent hair, and colorful blush danced across his face. It was an exact replica of the makeup last to be worn by Caesar Flickerman, his father. He walked across with a hint of a smile on his face and I glowed back at him. Hey, most likely I was going to die anyways, why not do it with a smile on my face? Huntley's smile grew and he offered me his arm when we met. I smiled and took it and we pranced of gaily to the first chariot in the row, obviously ours. The horses were snow white with plush white harnesses. The chariot itself looked as if it was painted white, then frozen over with a layer of frost. This was all dedicated after my name, Snow. All of the other tributes had wandered up to their chariots, so we climbed in and stood tall, smiling at our designers. I was still holding Huntley's arm when the chariots began their parade. I smiled and waved with my free hand. They crowds were familiar faces and I stayed strong for them. I will smile and laugh my way through the games, I think. The chariots are slowly making their way to the end and I smile once more before we are back under shelter. I step down and let go of Huntley's arm.
"Oh dear sir would you mind find Muffie and Effie to escort us to our rooms?" I joked in a heavy capitol accent. It's funny, thinking that I live directly in the center of it I would have their accent but somehow I speak completely different than anyone I've ever met in the Captitol. He laughed loudly and pranced away, acting far prissier than he actually was. I smiled and noticed Grey nearby hiding in the shadows. I walked towards him."Grey? Thank you." I said quietly as I came near.
"You look amazing Serenity." He replied.
"Thank you. I am so sorry about Cinna, I really loved his designs. You must miss him lots." I said sympathetically.
"Well, you know loss too Serenity. I'm not the only one." He stepped towards me and I yearned to lean in, make contact with another human for the first time in months.
"SERENITY! GREY!" I heard Effie call out. I bolted backwards, shocked, and nearly ran into Huntley.
"Oh there you are my lady," Huntley pronounced in a silly accent, "Our rooms await us! Off we go!" We followed behind Muffie and Effie to the elevator.
"The district twelve rooms were so kindly offered to you guys!" Effie said brightly. I glanced behind me to see Grey's reaction but he was already gone. Muffie, smiling radiantly, hit the 12 button on the panel and we shot upwards. We all stepped out of the elevator and into a hallway. Huntley and I walked towards the dining room and then to the hallway on the opposite side.
"Which room would you like milady?" he joked. I pointed to the first room and opened the door. He bowed and then pranced away to the other doorway which I assumed was another bedroom. I stepped further into the room I had chosen and saw a huge bathroom, at least four times the one I had at home. And let's just say the one I had at home was pretty darn big. I sat down on the bed, the silk sheets running through my fingers. They reminded me of home, where only the finest things could be in my palace.
"Supper!" Muffie called. I walked out of my room and encountered Grey in the middle of knocking on my door.
"I- I was just coming to get you for dinner." He stuttered. I laughed at the expression on his face.
"Yeah. Come on lets go." I replied as I laughed. We walked into the dining room and saw that everyone else was already seated. The first course was already on the table and our servent was nowhere to be seen. I began to eat but glanced up quickly when I realized what I had seen. Everyone was at the table. Including Haymitch Abernathy.
