*Disclaimer: I think you all have got this figured out by now, but I am taking no chances with this meanie again. So, we don't own The Hunger Games. It's all owned by Suzanne Collins.
It was hard to believe that the Reaping had occurred only an hour ago. It was even harder to believe that they had both said goodbye to their families, not entirely too sure they'd see their faces' again.
Erin had remained unnervingly quiet through the departure from their District, District 3, opting to watch out the small window idly as the world he had known was slowly falling from under him. The girl that had been reaped with him, Riley, he believed her name was, sat in a sort of ball in her seat, watching the Avox as they silently skulked about the train car, occasionally holding trays of different things before the younger Tribute, to which she declined politely. She would glance in his direction every once in a while, and he had come to the conclusion that she probably wished to say something to him, but didn't have the courage to.
"How old are you?"
The sound of his voice breaking the quiet pulled Riley out of her reverie, and she whipped her head to look at him, her blonde curls sticking slightly to her face. Her olive green eyes were wide, and she looked startled. Erin decided that she reminded him of a bunny; cute and little, with probable hidden violence.
"What?" Her voice was a little timid, which he found surprising, remembering how bubbly and excited she was during the Reaping. Now she seemed on the defensive, not that he couldn't say he was too, but they may as well not be plotting enemies just yet.
"I asked, how old are you?"
"I'm fourteen," she spoke with more confidence this time around, tilting her chin up in a move that seethed with defiance. This girl was going to be a fighter.
Erin found he was smiling at her attitude. She reminded him quite a bit of his youngest sister, Lucy.
"You're so young," he murmured, not really meaning for her to hear it, but it seemed as though the bunny girl had better hearing than he could have assumed.
"It doesn't make me any less tough!"
Erin held his hands up in mock-surrender, chuckling all the while.
"Whoa there, I never said that."
Riley snuggled further back into her seat, crossing her thin arms over her chest with a scowl set on her face, but Erin could see the tell-tell signs of a smile forming.
"So, Ms.—,"
"Riley," she interjected. So his guess was correct.
"Riley. Either you have multiple personalities, or you're already singling me out as your number one enemy?" He ended it as a question, not wanting to seem accusatory towards her.
The small blonde smiled widely at him, showing off her pearly little teeth.
"Nope, neither! I just…I…," Riley trailed off, letting her wide eyes wander back over to the small window as everything still passed by them in a blur. She looked slightly lost in thought.
"You just…what, Riley?"
"I guess I'm just a little nervous. I wanted to be a part of the Games, ever since I was little. I've read everything I could about them, and just thought the whole idea of them kind of sounded exciting. Kind of like a giant adrenaline rush, you know?
You see, I've kind of got a dream about how I'll be in the Games."
"And how do you see yourself?" Erin would be lying if he said he wasn't thoroughly intrigued by the depth this child possessed. Such passion, such life…and now it was all potentially at risk. Really, it wasn't fair to her.
"I see myself as being the legacy of Katniss Everdeen. You've heard of her, right?" Erin nodded in response. "I want to be, not really another Katniss, but more than a Tribute. I want to be someone who will make a difference in the scheme of things."
Erin took a moment to let her words absorb, nodding absentmindedly. It took him a moment to realize the girl was speaking again, her mouth moving at the speed of light, so he figured she must be doing some form of interrogation on him.
"Are you?"
"I'm sorry, I'm going to have to ask you to repeat one of those questions," he laughed.
Riley laughed too, a very joyous sound. A sound that would be stolen from so many in this arena…
"Are you going to ally with anyone?" Her wide eyes held a spark of curiosity as his thoughts drifted to someone else; a very special someone else.
"I've got some big plans to carry out the moment we step foot in that arena," he said, his voice dripping with a finality that made Riley and him shiver.
"We will be arriving at the Capitol in five minutes, young ones!" their Capitol advisor, who they could not remember the name of for the life of them, informed them. She tottered into their car in her heels that resembled springs, perched herself regally on one of the velvet spiral chairs and holding her arms open, motioning the two of them to come over to her.
They did so, Riley hopping right up beside her, but Erin stayed a small distance away, not wanting her to touch him. She did not seem affected by his actions, however, and for that he felt a small bit of relief.
"So, children, once we get there, quite a bit will be happening."
She looked up at Riley, reaching a glittery gold hand up and brushing her bangs back, tucking them behind her ear, some of the sparkles falling free from her, presumably tan skin and onto the silver and red carpet.
"I know!" Riley exclaimed, all of her child like, carefree and happy whims revealing themselves in her voice. It made Erin's stomach turn; she made him think so much of Lucy. What if it had of been her standing here instead of Riley?
A clapping of metal against wall shocked them all, and they turned to find one of the female Avox standing in the mechanical door frame, holding a small slip of paper in her deep red hand. She pointed to the Capitol woman, beckoning her forward with one long index finger.
"Hold that thought, babies'."
She went to the Avox, who handed her the paper. The glittery woman skimmed over it quickly, cast a glance back at Erin and Riley, and then made a mad dash through the door, the Avox hot on her heels.
"Well, I wonder what that was all about."
Riley shrugged and began walking along the patterns on the carpet, giggling quietly to herself.
She did that for quite some time, or so it seemed that when she decided to speak again, it shocked Erin.
"You know, you've asked me a pretty big question about myself—,"
"As have you about me," he reminded her.
She nodded as if remembering suddenly, but stopped in her track, staring directly at him. Her eyes weren't as wide anymore, but more narrowed, serious.
"I'm sure your parents aren't as hyped about you being here as you are, are they?" He wasn't entirely sure why he was asking her such a question, but the seriousness in her expression unnerved him.
"My mom certainly isn't. She and Taylor, that's my baby sister, were hoping someone would volunteer for me."
"So, your dad then. What about him?"
"My dad isn't alive anymore. He died in a fire in the square," her voice dropped to almost a whisper, and Erin could see the evident sadness in her eyes as she spoke.
"Oh," he hated how he couldn't think of anything else to say, but what could he say?
"I would have fought them if they volunteered for me. I would've gotten here one way or another," her smile returned, almost as though it had never left, and she went back to walking the patterns on the floor.
Erin was bemused by this young girl; bemused, but he admired her strength. She seemed to have a will beyond her years. And his thoughts went to his own family; to Lucy, who he saw so much in Riley, to Caleb, to Emilie and Auston, to his mom and dad…he hoped so much to see them all again, and soon. He regretted how short their goodbyes were, but at least he couldn't blame himself for that; the Capitol officials were pretty antsy to get them out of there and aboard the bullet train.
And for the third time in the past twenty minutes, his thoughts were interrupted.
The golden woman reappeared with a false smile plastered to her hot pink lips.
"We're here, children," she informed them, voice a little too somber, a little too devious for them to feel comfortable.
Riley scampered up into her chair and peered out of the little window, practically pressing her face right against the glass. She was greeted by the high, metallic silver buildings, bright, outlandish colors, and buzzing aircrafts that made up the existence of the Capitol.
