Chapter 2

I step out into the middle aisle that is occupied only by a few Peacekeepers. I look towards the stage and slowly make my way over to it. I contain my emotion. No one must know the whirlwind of emotions going through me. I must appear strong. I cannot afford to be weak right now. I hear people calling my name from behind me. One of them I recognize as Maggie's, followed by the all too familiar sound of her crying. As I approach the stage, I make eye contact with my mother, who's doing her best not to completely lose it on national television. I stare blankly and do my best to make no expression at all. Any emotion at this point is a sign of weakness. My mother always told me that.

"Do your best to control yourself during the reaping if you are ever picked." My moms voice echos in my head "This is the first time the whole country of Panem is paying attention to you, so you'll need to make a good impression"

I figure if I'm going to be killing people, a cold emotionless shell of a boy is a better first impression then crying all the way to the stage kicking and screaming. I pass my mother and I stand next to Amelia.

"Lanon Ashcroft. Your last name sounds familiar.." Amelia takes her microphone and circles me, looking me over.

"Yes, my mother is the only living District 12 victor." I manage to blurt out.

Amelia takes one look at my mother who still looks like she could start crying at any moment, then focuses her attention back at me. "Aah. Yes!" She exclaims, taking another second to look at my mother again. "The resemblance is there! Well good luck to you, and I certainly hope you have your mothers luck!" I can't stand hearing another word from Amelia. Luckily, she's done talking for the moment. She presents me and Alicia one last time, then forces me and Alicia to shake hands.

"I'm sorry" is all I can manage to say.

Alicia looks at me, puzzled. "Why are you sorry? You are in the same position as me." I try to form a response, but one doesn't come.

"Happy Hunger Games everyone! And may the odds ever be in your favor." Squeaks Amelia again. She then turns to us and ushers us into the Justice Building. I pass my mother again on the way into the building. I can see the tears forming in her eyes, but shes still somehow managing to hold it together.

We are being followed behind by 4 Peacekeepers. The tributes are almost constantly watched over by peacekeepers, they have been doing this for a while now. When I was 5, one of the tributes managed to get away. They had to reap another boy to take his spot. The boy was eventually found and executed during the Victory Tour for that year so everyone understood what a terrible idea running away is; and the extra security is the constant reminder of that.

We enter the Justice Building and it is lavish, even for someone like me, who spent "vacations" in the Capitol for most of my life. Purple velvet carpets cover the floor with gold trims and purple wallpaper. This room looks like it was removed from the Capitol itself.

Amelia looks at Alicia staring at the room in wonder. I'm still busy trying to make sense of the situation that I find myself in. Soon, more peacekeepers show up and separate Alicia and me. I am brought into a small living room and realize that this is the room for saying goodbye. Friends and family can request to come visit you for a few minutes before you board the train to the capitol. this is the last time most tributes see their family face to face. I know my mom won't come because she's getting ready to board the train herself. My heart immediately thinks of Maggie, and it sinks into my stomach. Last year she came into this very same room to say goodbye to her sister. I must not let this be a final goodbye.

My first visitor is not Maggie, but Tresha. I've known Tresha for pretty much my whole life, as her mom was friends with mine when they were little. Tresha is probably one of the nicest girls that I know. Tresha's really good at planting food, which her grandmother taught her before she passed away. They get by on the pretty low wages her father makes mining and her mother makes gardening healing herbs in the District Garden as well as Tresha's gardening and her older brother Cyndil's hunting. He's 19 now, so now he just works in the mines along side his father to support his family.

Cnydil is the one who taught me a lot of what I know about hunting now so much about how to use a bow, but more about having the hunter mentality. How to stalk prey, how to hide properly and how to track animals. I owe a lot of the help that I am able to give families of The Seam to the advice and tips that he gave me.

Tresha approaches me holding a small bag and shoves it into my hands. "Here." She looks as if she is close to crying. I take the bag from her and she wraps my arms around me "Cyndil wanted to come but he couldn't. I made these for him but he insisted that I give them to you. It's a bag of dried strawberries. They came from my garden. They can last a while." Tresha stops mid sentence to regain her composure. "A lot of people depend on you around here you know that?" I nod to her as she allows herself to cry. I wrap my arms around her to console her.

"I know." Is all I can imagine to blurt out and I hold her tighter. She pulls away from the hug and looks at me.

"You need to come home." Tresha manages to clear the tears out of her eyes to make this statement. "People need you. If you win like your mother.. The people of District 12 wont starve for a while. I.." She pauses. "The District needs people like you. Panem needs a victor like you. Selfless people who give to others." She hugs me again, knowing there is a chance this will be the last time she sees me.

"The only reason I can afford to give so much is cause of my mom being a victor" I say, trying to brush away how important I am. "People will find a way to move on if District 12 doesn't win, they always have."

Tresha gives me a look. "I know, but you can win this. You know how to hunt. You are the most prepared tribute that District 12 has had in years. You have a real fighting chance to win. My brother's told me. You're really good with your bow and you are not bad with your sword either. Imagine how much better off the district will be if you win, even if just for a little while." I find her hands in mine and she looks into my eyes again. "Just make it home, okay?"

"Ill do my best." I smile at her and hug her one last time. A Peacekeeper comes and tells her that her time is up. Tresha exits the room, but not without looking back at me every few steps, tears again falling out of her eyes. The' Peacekeeper slams the door behind her.

Maggie comes in next. She doesn't say much of anything, and spends most of the time that shes in the room crying and hugging me with everything shes got. A few minutes pass, then Maggie hands me a small pewter chain with some kind of pendant on it. I look at her, questioning why she's giving me this.

"It was my fathers." She breaks the silence as she shoves it into my hand and closes it "But he wanted you to have it. Dont let the guards or people from the capitol see it. It reminds them of the old country, of the rebellion." She hugs me tight and I hug her back tight. "Come back in one piece okay?" Maggie keeps holding on to me and does not let go until the Peacekeeper comes in to tell her its time to leave. She mouths something to me as she is being escorted out but I couldn't make it out. The Peacekeepers slam the door again and I am left alone in the silence.

No one else comes to visit me, which doesn't really surprise me. Everyone else I know is probably celebrating or mourning. I spend the remainder of the time inspecting the dried strawberries that Tresha gave me. They aren't full strawberries but slices that look dried out when you first see them. I take one in my hand and eat. They are still surprisingly sweet even though they are dried. She only has one pretty small strawberry patch in her garden and they are even rarer out in the woods. I throw another skyward and catch it in my mouth.

Then I think back to Maggie and take the pendant that she gave me out of my pocket and I inspect it. The pendant is a Mockingjay pendant, much like the ones I have seen in my book on Old Panem. it's a bird sitting on a branch, looking as If it's ready to pounce on prey at a moments notice. I begin to wonder why Maggie told me not to let anyone from the Capitol see it, but my thoughts are quickly interrupted by three vicious knocks on the door.

I gather the chain and the pendant and quickly place it back in my pocket before the guard opens the door. "Five minutes and you will be escorted to the train." The Peacekeeper grunts at me and slams the door yet again. 'Best keep this hidden for now' i whisper to myself as i let out a big sigh of relief.

Its not long before the knocks return to the door and 4 capitol guards open it. I know this will be easier on me if i don't make a fuss, so i leave with the guards without so much as a word. we go back out in the entrance hallway and out the back of the justice building and to the train station. Outside of the back of the justice building the band of Peacekeepers around me meets up with Alicia and a similar security detail. All of the color has been drained from her face and its obvious from looking at her eyes that shes been sobbing. She takes one look and me and starts crying again. I try my best to give her a reassuring look but its pretty much impossible. I hang my head as the two bands of security guards around us force us onto a cart like vehicle being pulled by two large white horses with elegant headdress on the tops of their heads. We both get in and sit. Its only a few minute ride to the train station, and its over before I know it.

We get out of the wagon and almost immediately the cameras are upon us, wanting to get the best look they can at the new tributes. There is no cheering at the train station, as a matter of fact Amelia is the only one smiling. Alicia is helped out of the wagon by the Peacekeepers in attendance. The Peacekeepers in front of us pushed the crowd out of our way and our whole band made the way to the train, being bothered by what looked to be reporters from the Capitol the whole way and Alicia puts her arms out in front of her trying to protect herself from the view of the cameras as she walks. Amelia makes her way between the two bands of peacekeepers and looks at Alicia, puzzled. I glare at Amelia as we approach the train and our bands of peacekeepers stop their progress. Amelia turns to face the crowd and signals for the peacekeepers to turn us around as well. I stand there cold faced and so does Alicia. She looks at me and i can see her bloodshot eyes. I look at her sympathetically and she looks to the floor.

"Happy 121st Hunger Games everyone!" Amelia barks. "And may the odds be ever in your favor!" Her voice is so cheery it makes me physically ill. In one motion she directs the peacekeepers towards the train. The doors to the train open and the peacekeepers behind both me and Alicia push us in and slam the door in our faces.

"At least now we get a moment of silence." Alicia speaks as though shes been silent for years. I nod in agreement as I pick myself up off the floor and remove the dust from my pants. I offer my hand to Alicia since shes still on the floor and she graciously accepts as i pull her up. "Thanks" is all she can say. I try to smile at her but face can't seem to decide if it wants to. She gives me this comforting half smile in return.

"I'm really sorry that you're in this with me" I start frowning again, the weight of the situation starting to hit me again.

"You really dont have to say sorry, you're going to be in the hunger games too.." Alicia replies quietly. Before I have a chance to respond, I hear the sound of the train coming to life. I look at Alicia as she finds a seat and I take the seat right next to her. Alicia looks out the window next to her and watches on as the train station, as well as the rest of District 12, gets left behind us. A tear forms in the pit of her right eye and she wipes it away. I put my hand on her shoulder to comfort her and she smiles at me slightly. The two of us sit in the silence of the train for what seems like forever before Amelia bursts through the cabin door.

Amelia is as cheery as ever as she walks up to us, dressed in a whole new outfit. Alicia looks at her new outfit, slightly revolted. Her clothes are now all a bright sky blue accented with white silk all over the place, the most prominent of which were wrapped around her arms. Her face is accented with blue and white streaks going diagonally across her face with a white top hat on her head, in which her currenty purple hair was spilling out of the back. Alicia stares at her some more with the same disgusted look as before, only this time the look is almost overtaking her whole face. Amelia seems to notice this look now.

"What's wrong dearie?" Amelia bends down to Alicia's level, standing just a little too close to her for comfort. Alicia turns her head to avoid looking Amelia in the eyes "Not used to the Capitol style?" Amelia adjusts her hair thats spilling out of her hat as she stands back upright.

"No." Alicia mutters. Amelia smiles at her and puts her hand on her shoulder and Alicia turns back to face Amelia.

"You'll get used to it." Amelia smiles at her harder, as if her smile is directly judging Alicia's character for not understanding Capitol fashion. Alicia turns her head away from Amelia again and rolls her eyes as she looks out the window again intently at the passing scenery. Amelia turns her attention to me and I just stare at her.

"Arent you excited? You're the first tribute ever to have their parent be their mentor!" her voice went from normal to ecstatic excitement as her sentence went on.

"Oh yeah, im just thrilled." I blurt out as sarcastically as I possibly can, but I get the feeling Amelia doesn't really get it.

"Well." Amelia says abruptly "I'll go get your mentor and you can all get acquainted" Amelia rolls her eyes at me and I sigh heavily as she leaves the train car.

I put my head in my hands and groan loudly, the reality of this situation is starting to seep into my brain, and its not liking what's happening.

Alicia looks at me confused and I shrug my shoulders slightly. Then the door to the train car opens again, and I feel my stomach drop to the center of the earth. There she is, my mother, standing in front of me, not as my mother but as my mentor to get me to the games. I can tell she has the same feeling as her eyes detach from the floor to look over her latest tributes

"Landon.." She smiles at me, attempting to fight through what seems like an endless wave of tears to speak to me. More words seem to be on her mind but her streaming eyes won't let her speak them. She grabs a handkerchief from her pocket and wipes her eyes. Alicia's eyes sink to the floor in pure and utter despair. Alicia and I both rise from our seats in unison to greet our mentor. My mother can barely look at me without bursting into a wave of tears. Alicia and I both fall silent again as my mother looks down at me. I sigh rather loudly as I put my arms around her to comfort her. Alicia just stands there, waiting for our embrace to end, for my mothers tears to stop flowing.