Chapter Three

In the morning, all of the wreckage that I had worked so hard to create is vanished. Completely gone, and replaced with new things too.

I laugh softly.

More 'Capitol Magic', as the people in District 12 call it.

I'm feeling a lot better about the world today. After all, if I'm going to die soon, then I should enjoy it as much as I can, right?

After I clean myself up a bit, I smooth out my wrinkled t-shirt and walk next door to see the other tribute, the boy that I know.

I knock on the door.

"Jordon?" I call softly, not wanting to wake him, if he isn't already awake.

It's still dark outside, and I don't want both of us to be kept up.

There's a pause and a brief scuffling behind the sliding metal door before I hear his reply: "Yeah, come on in. Door's open."

As soon as I slide the door open, I can see that both of us had a rough night. There are dark circles underneath his eyes and his skin is pale, making him look ghostly. His clothes are rumpled and his hair has obviously not been brushed, and the buttons on his shirt are in the wrong buttonholes. His shoes are on the wrong feet, his socks mismatched.

I don't blame him, though.

His family was one of the more successful ones, back in District 12. He probably misses his old, successful life where things were easy and he never had to worry about things like the Hunger Games. Usually, his family just gave Francine a generous bribe, the kind of generous that says, "Keep my kid out of the Hunger Games and you get to keep all of this lovely money."

I walk forward tentatively and give him a hug, the kind of hug that says "I'm here for you". He gives me a smile, but I can tell that it's forced.

I sit down next to him. He seems to remember that he's the host, so he quickly says,

"Oh, yeah," and weakly gestures toward the seat that I already sat in.

"What's up?"

"I just- I miss my family."

I roll my eyes. "No, duh."

He gives me a sideways smile, the same one that he used to give me when we used to hang out in District 12.

But then, he looks around him and the smile fades away.

I don't know what to do. I want to say something funny, something that will make both of us laugh and remember the friendship that we used to have, but nothing comes to mind and we are left sitting in awkward silence.

The train lurches to a stop, probably to get more fuel, and for the staff to get some rest.

Jordon stands up and grabs my hand.

"Do you wanna take a walk?"

We walk and talk for a little bit, about our family and friends and Francine's obsessive need to control.

He even laughs once, but soon we are back inside.

"I'm kind of hungry. How about you?" I ask.

"A little bit."

We walk down to the kitchen. He makes both of us some cocoa which we sip in silence.

Soon, daylight is streaming in through the windows.

"Thanks," I say, smiling.

"For what?" He asks.

"For keeping me company."

"No problem."

I walk back to my compartment and just as I climb back into bed and close my eyes, there is a sharp rapping at my door.

"Anna! Rise and shine! Today we shall be visiting the Capitol!"

I groan and before she can knock again, I push open my compartment door, shove past Francine and walk to the kitchen with her in tow. I munch on my cereal, Francine still blabbering on and on about how "That was absolutely uncalled for! Where does that attitude come from?"

Her endless chatter actually makes me laugh a little.

"What's so funny?" She asks, completely oblivious.

"You!" I reply.

The tunnel is so dark, I can't see anything. Just as I think that it's never going to end, (a better fate than the Hunger Games) a bright burst of light almost blinds me.

There is a shining beacon of light, and it's brighter than anything I've ever seen!

"This must be what Heaven is like," I whisper, but on closer look, it's more like the other end.

The Capitol comes into plain view, it's metal surfaces catching the light, so that it almost blinds anyone who lays their eyes on it.

A huge Capitol flag ripples in the wind, large enough for anyone around to see it from anywhere in the city. I sigh dreamily as I daydream about what life must be like there. Endless service, food that in one sitting would be endless enough to feed 6 Districts, and luxury accommodations. There are so many gadgets that all do so many wonderful things, that I would end my life and three others trying to think of them all.

My daydream is interrupted.

We pull into the station, and a sea of freak-like faces stare back at me.

Huge eyelashes, dyed skin, pierced teeth, and one person has giant gems pierced into his eyelids, keeping them wide open. Another person has mirrors inserted all over their skin, so they shone all around. Teeth are also dyed. A woman has a massive ship's chain clamped to the back of her tongue, wrapping around her head and ending pierced in her belly-button. Clothing is a whole other matter. One person has a yellow collar so big, it was about a yard long. Another has a giant green bow tie the size of a small canoe.

But no matter how "fashionable" or weirdly styled, they are all laughing and smiling and waving at us, as though we are their best friends.

My attention from the crowd is diverted, if that's even possible. I glance over at the door where someone is pounding. Without a word, Francine Button opens the door and lets the person in. Hands shoot out, hoping to get inside or touch our now famous bodies.

I get a better look at the person.

She is a girl, around my age, maybe older.

She has pink hair in two ponytails at the top of her head, both short. She has long, butterfly lashes that are hot pink. Her skin is left un-dyed, separating her from the crowd. Her teeth are, though. Mostly shades of magenta, blue, green and pink, although there are reds and yellows, too. One hand is on her hip, while the other is hanging at her side. She has black fingerless gloves and bracelets all up her arm. She obviously likes things like that, because she has four necklaces laced around her neck. Most of them have beads or other trinkets on them, none of them quite as loud as the scene outside. She has a short, violet skirt with three layers and ruffles on all of them. She has green tights and brown, leather hiking boots. She has a yellow leather vest and a red cotton short-sleeved shirt.

In other words, she looks pretty normal.

She's beaming at me, and beckoning me over. I hesitate, and she grabs my hand and skips down the three stairs and onto the ground, dragging me with her.

"DON'T YOU WANT TO SEE THE CITY?" She yells over the roar of the crowd.

"NO!" I shout back, shaking my head emphatically.

But, she's too excited. She drags me off through the crowd, pushing through until we emerge in the station, stumbling because we aren't used to so much space.

She gives a little hop away from me and holds out her arms, smiling.

"What do you want to see first, friend?"

Friend?

No. I can't get into something like this. Capitol + District= BAD COMBO.

"Look, um..."

I pause to let her know that I don't know her name.

"I'm Sonia! Sonia Strumm!" She says cheerily.

"Look Sonia, you seem really nice and all, but I can't really-"

"Ooo, look, a mockingjay! Let's tail it!" She interrupts, pointing and bounding off.

When she's almost out of earshot, she looks back.

"Come on!" She shouts.

I sigh and have no choice but to follow.

"What are you, nuts, lady?" I ask.

"Yep!" She answers, stopping then resuming running.

I huff and puff, but Sonia seems to have no end to her energy. She just keeps trotting along, barely even breaking a sweat.

"Are you ready to go faster?!" She squeals excitedly.

"No! Are you nuts or something?!"

"Didn't you already ask that question?"

Finally, we emerge on a hillside. I breath a sigh.

"You can see the whole city from here,"

"I thought that you'd like it."

Indeed I do. The whole city is not what it's supposed to be, a beacon of hope, but that of light instead.

I sit down and pout.

What's the point of getting to enjoy this if I'm just going to die anyway?

"What's wrong?" Sonia asks, seeming truly concerned.

"You are. I am. This stupid world is. I hate you! You are the reason why I'm out here-"

"Enjoying this?"

"No! Dying!"

To my surprise, she laughs. I roll my eyes.

"You find my pain funny?"

"You're too serious."

I'm confused by this. What does she mean? Is there something wrong with the way I'm reacting? What does she find funny about this? Am I taking death too serious, because that is a serious matter.

She laughs harder at my confused expression.

"If you're going to die, then you should enjoy this! Get out here! Do things that you've never done before!"

I scoff.

"It won't save my life."

"It might."

I look at her, and she looks sad. She is distant, like she's recalling a painful memory, but then she looks at me and it's as if that one moment was just a figment of my imagination. She smiles, a little sadly, though.

"If you get to know me, we'll fix you up."

"Who's 'we'?" I ask expectantly.

She begins to run down the hillside towards the shining metal city.

"You talk too much! Just follow me!" She calls.

With a tiny smile, I begin to chase after my new Capitol companion.