Chapter 2

Shock is the first emotion that hits me, but panic following shortly after. Me. Callie Pine. I'm going into the Hunger Games I've always know that it has been a possibility, but it has never seemed a reality. Some girl next to me pushes me forward and without knowing I'm walking to the stage with all eyes on me. Some are looking at me with grief although you can plainly see the happiness in their eyes as well that they have survived another year. As I get to the stage Aria takes my hand and introduces me to the crowd as 'Callie Pine the girl tribute for district ten in the 63rd Hunger Games.' I feel like I'm going to vomit all I can think about is how my brother was on this stage three years ago and look where he is now. Nowhere. Gone. I manage to find Thistle in the crowd his expression is pure worry he knows that I'm not going to make it back to ten so does everyone one else in the crowd, as so do I.

I zone back in to hear what Aria is saying just in time to hear her read the name of the boy tribute.

"Puck Salvia," she reads in her annoying, high pitched Capitol voice. A boy steps out and on to the stage from the fifteen year old section, he has light brown hair like me, but hazel coloured eyes. He looks like he stands a fighting chance.

Shortly after we shake hands and are lead (more like forced) into the Justice Building where we will be able to say goodbye to our loved ones most likely forever. I am told to stay into one of the rooms and soon after I have sat down my mother and father come in. As soon as I look at them I can see heartbreak in their eyes and I think how painful it must be to see two of your three children sent to battle it out for survival with other children. As unexpected as it may be they start to apologize.

"I'm sorry," they say simultaneously although its barley audible they know I heard it. I know they won't say anymore both of them have never been good with words. They each give me a quick hug and then they leave probably to go take their anger out on something or possibly someone.

A couple of minutes later my only two friends, Lea and Flo come in and they are both in tears and I can tell that they have been crying for quite a while now. It's this sight that makes me break my vow of staying strong and I start to cry for the whole five minutes we just cry before they give me one last hug and leave well are practically forced out by the peacekeepers.

Finally Thistle comes in and he actually gives me some help on what to do when I arrive in the Capitol. Just thinking about going to the Capitol makes me shudder. I'm still crying when he comes in.

"Just calm down, breathe in, out, in out," he tells me while giving me a side hug. "Now," he says with a softly, but I can tell he's about to give some useful information, "as soon as you get into the area room for cover and don't even think about running to the Cornucopia, it's like signing your own death sentence." I would have laughed if we weren't in this situation. "The best thing to do would be to hide and wait for everyone else to kill each other before…" he trails off unsure how to finish his sentence. I don't think he can imagine his little sister killing people.

"Stay safe," he says as the peacekeepers come in to take him away from me forever and with a quick kiss on the cheek he's gone and I am left to wait on my own for a while as I know I will have no more visitors.

I sit in silence playing with the hem of dress trying to dry my eyes so when I step out of this room the whole of Panem won't know that I have been crying so I'm not shown as weak. It takes me a while to realize that on the table in front of the sofa which I'm sitting on there is a letter in an envelope. As I pick it up I see that the envelope reads 'Callie, to be opened in the Capitol'.

The only person I think of the have put it there is Thistle and for the first time since I was reaped I smile. I have a piece of home to take with me into the dreadful place. I know that he gave it to me as an intention to be my token to take into the arena with me. I silently thank him just as the peacekeepers come through the door telling me that it's time to get on the train.

When I arrive as the train station there are a few cameras here, but that's just the amount I expected. Districts one, two and four will probably have lots more as they are the career districts and they normally win the games. I am lead through the crowd and on to the train with Puck just behind me. I haven't had a chance to look at myself yet, but I hope that you can't notice that I have been crying.

When I get on the train it takes my breathe away and I know that Puck feels the same as I swear I heard him gasp. There is a chandelier hanging from the ceiling, servants in the corners, silver cutlery and glass ornaments. It is the most elaborate place I have ever seen in my life. It takes me a second to recompose on then I start to feel sick. Seeing this just makes me hate the Capitol even more, how can they have this much luxury when some children don't even get to eat every day.

Suddenly the train jerks forward and I have to hold on to the back of a chair to stay standing.

"Right children let's take you to your room," Aria says calling two servant's over. She turns around and gives a wave over her shoulder indicating for us to follow her. We pass through a few carriages before we get to Puck's room.

"Oh! Before I forget the servant's here can't speak and they are called avox's. We had some trouble a few years ago between as tribute and an avox so I decided it would just be best to tell you this now," Aria says just before Puck disappears into his room. On the way to my room I begin to wonder how do people become avox's, maybe they were just born that way or maybe the Capitol did it to them? I'm almost positive it's the second option.

My room isn't far from Puck's and as soon as we reach it I barely take in my surroundings before sitting down on my bed and taking out the letter that I put in my pocket earlier.