Chapter 2: Welcome To The Capitol
Hershel and she continue to discuss strategy once the reaping replay is over and she tries to put Daryl and the peacekeeper in the back of her mind.
She tells herself that it's not important. What is important is surviving and the only way she'll be able to do that is if she pays attention to the advice that Hershel is giving her. In the end, that is exactly what she tries to do.
The train arrives at the Capitol much sooner than she anticipated and her eyes are wide as she takes in the excited citizens who are waving and clamoring around the station just to get a view of the tributes from District 8. Hershel mumbles something about finding Dale and Carol is left alone while she waits.
The citizens of the Capitol are dressed much differently from the citizens of District 8 and Carol found herself to be envious. The dress she wore for the reaping just happened to be the only nice dress that she owned. A simple grey gown that fell to her knees. It didn't show off her figure nor did it make her stand out. It was simple. Like her.
The citizens of the Capitol wear gowns of multiple colors, their hair curled up or down and gleeful smiles on their lips. They were not terrified of the games and based on their weight, they had never been panicked about where they would receive their next meal. Unlike in District 8, where you were lucky if you were even paid enough to receive enough money for a cracker.
The door slides open and her attention is grabbed by the two hobbling into her cart. Hershel is smiling weakly at them both and due to Dale's wobbling form, she can only assume he found the bar. Hershel only shrugs in response to her unspoken question and gestures them both forward.
Carol steps out of the train and onto the station where peacekeepers are waiting for them. She doesn't know where they're taking her, but she has an idea. Each year, the tributes were given stylists to make them look their best. This year does not seem to be different and she is proven right when she and Dale are led into a solitary building where they are soon separated.
She is led into a room with what looks like several hospital beds, but each bed is separated by white curtains. As she counts, she notes that there are 12 beds in total and at least 5 curtains are open. She is led to the far left where there are two people waiting for her inside. The white curtain is closed behind her and she is left to glance inside, her attention mostly garnered by the two waiting for her.
One is very tall and slightly large, his brown hair slicked back with tubs of gel. A concentrated frown is on his lips as he takes in her appearance and he sighs in what seems to be disappointment. "Awful. Just awful," he mutters disdainfully as he eyes her hair.
The black woman beside him elbows him, a smile coming to her lips at the noise of protest that leaves his. "Don't be cruel, Morales. She just needs some work. That's all," she hums, her fingers raising to thread themselves through Carol's freshly washed hair.
"What'd I tell you, Jacqui? Greasy. Very greasy," Morales mumbles disdainfully. Jacqui scowls at him but doesn't say much else, instead she turns to smile faintly at Carol.
"This will be a long process. But I promise you, it'll be the worth the wait," the stylist assures and despite Carol's fear, she begins to relax.
She doesn't want to be seen by a man while they are undressing her and giving her a scrub down and Jacqui seems to notice this. It's with great relief when the pretty young woman sends Morales away, despite his objections.
Silence overtakes the two of them as Jacqui wipes the dirt and grease away from her form. At the way that she stills, Carol can only assume that she's found the scars across her back. The hesitance is only for a moment before she continues, but Carol can already feel that something is different.
"He'll be taken care of," Jacqui promises and there's no denying the quiver in her voice and the added pressure onto her back is not helping to disguise her anger. Carol doesn't know how she knew it was her husband's doing, but she doesn't confirm nor deny the accusation. It's shortly after that Carol is given a ridiculous costume to wear and Jacqui informs her that she will be leaving to take care of some business and that Morales will be helping her in Jacqui's place.
The costume that she is given is slightly humiliating. It's a turquoise unitard with shading of purple mixed in. As she pulls it on, she notes the netting that moves across the waist and she can only assume the look they were going for this year was a fairy. It didn't matter in the end. Every year, District 8 was given something awful and embarrassing to wear during the parade. This year, it was her and Dale's turn.
Unfortunately for her, the unitard is skin tight and is doing her no favors in regards to her swollen stomach. While she was barely showing when it came to her own clothes, the unitard was making it much more obvious than she needed it to be. Self-consciously, her hands come to rest on her abdomen in an attempt to hide it, hopeful that no one will notice.
Morales enters shortly after she enters and despite a weak grin on his lips, he makes no comment in regards to her appearance. He leads her out of the room and takes her outside.
There are multiple tributes outside, all gathering up besides their horse-drawn carriages. Their costumes are all as cheesy and hokey as hers so she doesn't feel as embarrassed as she had been and it does make her fear lessen.
A few tributes are missing and Dale is one of them. She's worried, but decides to brush it off. Surely, he'll be here later. Instead, she takes her time in glancing around at all the tributes who are already here.
At the far right, there are four tributes, all laughing and mumbling about something she's not sure she wants to know. She recognizes them. Lori, Michonne, Shane, and Philip. These are the careers. These are the ones she needs to watch out for.
She's quick to shift her gaze elsewhere, not wanting to get their attention. Being noticed was actually the last thing that she wanted and she intended to stick to that plan. All the tributes that are here are not nearly as old as she looks and she can't help but feel weak and envious in comparison.
There's a fierce and rather rough looking man resting beside the carriage a few away from her and she recognizes him immediately, despite the brown and green suit that he is currently adorning. She can already tell from here that he's unhappy about being dressed up as a tree, but that was how it was every year. The themes never changed.
Daryl is speaking to another tribute, though while Daryl intrigued her, the other scared her. There was something malicious about him. Something not quite sane. There's an uncanny resemblance between them which could only mean they were family. But how was that possible? She's not exactly sure.
From here, she can tell that whatever they're talking about is serious and something that the other man says triggers Daryl into a rage, but just one look from the other makes him still. She recognizes the signs and begins to wonder if he's like her.
The other tribute's gaze flickers to her and her eyes widen as she forces her gaze to the ground. She's been caught spying. And now, she might have just made the biggest mistake she could ever make. She's been noticed.
Carol attempts to play it off as nothing as she moves towards her own carriage, searching for her district partner, but Dale is still missing and now, she is beginning to worry. There are 23 tributes here now and Dale is the only one who is not.
She works her bottom lip through her teeth nervously, glancing at the entry way repeatedly, but still nothing. Finally, after ten minutes, someone familiar steps through, but it's not Dale.
Hershel is hobbling his way towards her, concern and fury in his eyes, and dread pools it's way into her stomach. Whatever is happening, she knows it's not good.
Her mentor stops in front of her and rests his palm on her shoulder, a frown on his lips and her first instinct is to ask where Dale is. She opens her mouth, but no words come out. It doesn't matter in the end, because Hershel manages to answer her before she can ask.
"He's dead. He was found in the bathroom with his stomach cut and a knife in his head. It's assumed he did this himself. A replacement tribute has been found. He's getting ready now and will be here briefly," he mutters, but doesn't tell her who the replacement is, nor does he look at her as he speaks. He doesn't offer her sympathy or anything of the sort. Just a simple pat on the shoulder and then he's gone, almost as if he were never there to begin with.
Her heart is frozen in her chest and she wants to cry and scream and get all of her anguish out. But she can't. Not in front of the other tributes. Not in front of the sponsors. A solitary tear runs down her cheek and she tries her hardest to wipe it away before anyone else can see it.
But she wasn't quick enough. Someone's hands are on her arm and she's being pulled away towards a far corner of the area where not many people can see them. She doesn't object, finding herself used to being manhandled and far too shocked and terrified to even open her mouth.
"You need to calm your ass down," A gruff voice mumbles to her once they've stopped and her eyes snap up to meet dark blue. Daryl is standing there, his eyes narrowed, and she bites down hard on her bottom lip to keep herself from crying again.
"What's your name?" He asks and she manages to take a deep breath before answering. "Carol," she replies and he nods, taking it in.
"Where's the old guy, Carol?" He asks and her vision blurs with tears as she begins to speak, though she tries her hardest to hold them back.
"Dead," she chokes out and he stills, though she can tell that he's not exactly surprised. He sighs and releases her, stepping back just enough to give her space.
"Figured as much. Didn't seem like a fighter anyway," he mumbles, and she stays silent. That didn't make it okay. Nothing made this situation okay.
"Stop crying, will ya? The others will find you weak. They'll target you immediately and..." he trails off. His sharp intake of breath makes her eyes snap up to meet his, her eyes widening as she finds exactly where he was staring.
Instantly, her hands come to rest on her stomach and he swears. He doesn't say anything else before he's stomping away and muttering obscenities under his breath and cursing the Capitol. She's left alone and she's more terrified than she had been before.
She's done for. She's done for and she knows it. She takes a deep breath to steady herself before she steps out towards the carriages once more.
Carol doesn't take more than ten steps before she runs into a big man in a male costume that resembles hers and she can only assume that this is her new district partner.
She opens her mouth to apologize to him only to freeze as the man turns around. A large and sinister grin grows on his lips as he takes her in and she finds that she can't speak.
He's asking her something and she can't trust herself to open her mouth. After all the nightmares she had endured, she thought that she would finally be free of him once her name had been drawn for the Games.
But she was wrong. Her husband was brought in as a replacement tribute. And she knew now that it was only a matter of time before he killed her with his own two hands.
A/N: Thanks for all your support guys. It means a lot. And I know I said that I would put the interviews in this chapter too but it didn't work out that way. Hope you guys enjoy this one.