Chapter 2: From the Empty Visiting Room to Paradise

The boy who is called up next to me is pale and shaky but he hides it behind a mask of strong determination and confidence. A girl who looks identical to him is shrieking his name, David, and attempting to get onto the stage, an act she is unable to do because of the Peacekeepers holding her back. David doesn't even glance her way. I don't understand how calm he can be. Perhaps on the inside he is terrified but at least he looks calm. I can't stop the trembling in my hands. Maybe it's because I'm not Trissa and I shouldn't be up here. Maybe it's because I knew I wasn't going to get picked but I did. Maybe it's because I wasn't expecting it while every other kid out in the crowd had a feeling of fear. I don't know and it doesn't particularly matter. What matters is that I'm up here and that my body is frozen. I want to cry, or scream, or do something but I can't.

A loud sound blares and my head snaps up in anticipation for horns maybe, until I realize that it's the anthem playing. Peacekeepers have stepped even closer to the stage and as soon as the music ends they jump up and grab at my arms and steer my limp body into large carpet. When they shove me into the visitor room it's all I can take. Although the push was light my knees are weak and I am falling to the ground. At first I try to cry into the soft, fur, carpet but tears don't come. I'm too dehydrated and I'm not exactly sad, not yet anyway, just scared. Since there is no water to block out my thoughts I sit up to view my surroundings. A plush couch is seated right under a window with the blind's drawn and curtains tied to the sides. A soft carpet lies neatly on a wooden plank floor and the glass coffee table in front of the love seat overlaps the carpet. Everything is dyed a deep burgundy pink, excluding the thin lace curtains and the walls which are both white. This is the visiting room.

A strangled sound escapes my lips and I am confused to what it is before realizing I find this room amusingly ironic. Why force me in this room when I will have no one visiting me? A hysterical laugh bursts from my throat. It doesn't sound like a laugh at all but it works for me. I am surprised I can even make such a sound. It can't push away the overwhelming fear, but it's good enough for now.

David's POV

I sit awkwardly on the stiff couch. It looks soft and shapeable but really it's stiffer than cardboard. The door creaks open and in rushes my two sisters, my older brother, and my mom carrying a young baby boy. My twin sister, who's fifteen like me, is crying. I know this must be painful for her since we've always been stuck like glue, but she shouldn't be crying in front of our littlest sister who is looking as if the world is going to end. Still, even as I think this, water threatens to pour down my face too when I look at the almost entire family. If only dad and Cal were here but they have jobs at the factory. How will they fare when they hear the news? Suddenly we're all rushing at each other and I'm engulfed in hugs. We don't speak, after all my family has always been a quiet one, but instead hold each other tight. And then the Peacekeepers are there. Shouting, lots of it. My twin throwing two objects at my feet. Unbearable silence.

I bend down to scoop the things up into my callused hand. One of them is bracelet woven out of wires to represent our district. This was premade as a district token, just in case any of our family members were elected for the Games. We never thought we'd actually use it. The other is a butterfly hairpin that my sister had put in this morning. A small note is attached to it. It reads, For Redhead. I smile. That's just like my sister to care about others, sticking her nose into things that don't require her care. The other contestant, Trissa I suppose, will probably already get a district token from her family. But the pin is a nice reminder of my twin. I will keep it.

Two cars are waiting for us when we leave the visiting room. One is for our escort and mentor, the other is for the two tributes. I slide into one of the sleek black cars. The smell of new leather is strong and comforting. I close my eyes, reclining my head to relax for a bit. I am startled awake by movement. The car is running smoothly through the streets, bumping a little when the road gets rougher. The ride to the station will be short, I'm sure. I look to my side where Trissa is sitting. Her straight red hair blocks her face from my view. "Hey," I start. Her head swivels around and a shivering young girl is sitting before me. And for the first time I see her eyes. Unlike the rest of her body they're not thin or unnoticeable. They stand out, a greyish blue-green, against her pale face and orange hair. Right now they're wide, soft, and vulnerable. I can't help but notice how they dart from side to side, like an alert animal.

"S-sorry." I mutter under my breath and turn away before she can see the blush creeping up my face.

Foxface's POV

I wonder if I have offended him with my silence until he apologizes. His voice is soft but my sharp ears catch the whisper. He thinks he's scared me! In truth I was trying to keep another hysterical laugh from bubbling up. Still I won't tell him that. Let him think me scared; maybe he won't bother me.

The ride is short but I'm still glad when I can be released from the stuffy prison. But it's out of the oven and into the frying pan, because when I get out cameras are all over me with my face clearly magnified onto a huge screen. I try to clear my face. I'm not sure what I want the audience to think of me yet. But it's hard with so many people watching me. Very unnerving. On the walk over to the train I even stumble. What happened to my cool and composed image? Before the cameras can get any more shots of my clumsiness I slip through the train doors where Fergana is waiting. She directs us to our rooms to "take a shower" and put on some "decent clothes." I stand in my fancy room like an idiot because I don't have any clue what a shower is and because I'm slightly offended at her comment on my best clothes. Finally I decide to find this so called "shower" and discover what it is. I hate not knowing things. It annoys me to no end. When I get to the bathroom I find a huge tub and something with many holes in it. When I turn a knob cold bursting water sprays me and I jerk back. Then I smile. The coolness is extremely refreshing.

I quickly strip off my sweaty dress and get into the tub, letting the water pound on my back. I let it run over me until the water going into the drain turns from a dark muddy brown, to a crystal clear. I also let a few drops of water roll over my tongue. The experience is exhilarating. Is this the shower? When I step out, the matt blow warm, dry air up until I step off. "Dinner, darling!" Fergana, or Ferg as I decided to call her, is calling me to dinner. My mouth waters at thought. I pick a soft pair of brown pants and a white blouse before brushing out my hair. In the full length mirror I have transformed. I'm still there but I look cleaner and paler. Oh yes, much, much paler. Before going to dinner I flop onto the bed feeling the cool sheets against my skin. So smooth and soft. So wonderfully soft. This is paradise I think. I close my eyes and a black haze settles over me, swiftly but silently, taking me far, far, far, away…

Ok, so heres the second chapter! Um, if your reading this PLEASE post a review, I am BEGGING you, so I know how many people are reading this! Thx! :3 (Sorry if this chapters boring!)