The four of us stand there for a while, just staring at the train. District 12 trains are pretty bland, and they make the platform smell all smoky as they release that intoxicating black smoke cloud. I think they might run on coal; it certainly smells like it. But merchants' girls, such as myself, can't be expected to know these things. The Capitol's tribute trains on the other hand, well they only come to District 12 for the Hunger Games, which means we only ever see them on TV. It's so shiny and, in a strange way, pretty, I guess.
Delicia and Wilhelm are heading toward the doors, which have slid open to greet us. He steps in without turning round, like he's in a trance, but Delicia stops just before the door and turns to face us.
"Well?" She asks. "Are you coming?" She turns and follows our mentor-to-be into the cabin.
The four of us glance at each-other once again, none of us wanting to be the first to make a move. It's as we stand there staring at each-other that I notice the giant television screen behind Baxter and Haymitch.
"Guys, look!" I say, pointing. They turn, and Betony peers round me. We stand, staring at ourselves, who seem to be staring back from behind the glass screens.
"Where are the cameras, though?" Haymitch asks, confused. We look round, catch sight of several people with the insect-like contraptions trained on us a little way down the platform.
"Children!" Our heads snap back round to the train's open doors instantly. Delicia's staring at us, arms folded, waiting for us to enter the train. No-one moves.
In the end, it's Haymitch who rolls his eyes and strides toward the open doors like it's nothing. Betony scampers after him like a little sheep. I glance at Baxter.
"Ready?" I ask.
"Of course not." He replies. Still, the two of us start walking.
Seconds after we're inside the cabin, the doors automatically slide shut. Betony leaps out of her skin, confused by the snap-hiss noise they make as they close and the sudden jolt that comes after.
"Isn't it marvellous?" Delicia asks, though I barely hear her. I'm looking around, and it's not until I see the world whizzing past at the window opposite that I realise the sudden jolt was the train beginning to move. You can hardly feel a thing! Now that is cool, in a weird and unexpected way.
Betony rushes to the window the moment she realises we're moving too, pressing her nose up against the glass as she watches District 12 landscape melt away into the large orchards of District 11.
"Now," Delicia says. "Um…" She turns to Wilhelm, who is staring at the wall in a failed attempt to make himself invisible. At least, that's what I suspect. "This is Wilhelm, as you know I'm sure. He'll be your mentor."
We know who Wilhelm is. He is District 12's only ever victor from the last fourty-nine hunger games. I highly doubt we'll get another one, at least not this year: we hardly look a promising bunch, do we? I'll bet there are tributes from the career districts big enough to pull our arms out, snap our spines like a twig. They're the ones who will win.
Wilhelm won the Hunger Games three years before I was born, at the age of seventeen- like Baxter is now. Mum said he was the sort of boy who was always smiling. She said he liked causing trouble on market day, running between stalls and acting like he was still a little kid. He had a spring in his step, a sparkle in his Seam grey eyes, so she said. She also said that, after the games, he was a completely different person.
Of course, I never knew the old Wilhelm. The Wilhelm I know is quiet. He rarely talks, rarely even leaves his house, and if he says anything it's usually something either offensive or confusing. His grey eyes look old, and they never sparkle- at least, as far as I know. In fact, his dark hair is already flecked with grey. He looks older than thirty six. But he isn't. It's quite sad, really.
Wilhelm stares at me and the boys with those haunted grey eyes, examining us carefully. He then turns to watch Betony, who is no longer pressed against the window's glass but is still looking through it like a kid in a sweet shop. He turns back to us.
"I hope you realise that the chances are none of you will be coming home." He says. I glare. I knew- of course I knew!- but I didn't exactly need him to voice that, did I? See what I mean? Offensive.
There's silence, safe for the train rattling against the track. Delicia coughs nervously.
"Look," Wilhelm says exasperatedly. "I'm only telling you the truth. Would you rather I lied?" I stay silent. "Fine. You're going to win! All four of you will, somehow defying the Games' rules, make it back alive! My goodness, aren't you just excited?" It's all dripping with sarcasm. Every word.
"No." I reply, in answer to his question. Though I know he already knows the answer.
"Good." He states smugly. "I didn't think so. Now, I need a rest…" He turns and walks off down the train. I think he just wants to get away from us. Delicia shakes her head.
"Sorry, children," She apologises, though I'm not sure why it's her fault our mentor is so grumpy. "He's like this every year." She turns to Betony. "Come here, dear. Just wait until you see your rooms."
As the four of us follow Delicia down the train, we don't talk. Our escort is doing enough talking for all of us, anyway. As we go, she tells us that, since there's usually only two of us, we're going to have to room-share for the duration of the journey.
"It'll be like one big, exciting slumber party!" She trills.
"Yeah," I catch Haymitch mutter. "Only they kill you at the end." The four of us burst out laughing. Delicia stops suddenly. I almost walk into her.
"Having fun, I see?" She smiles. "Good. The more we smile, the more sponsors we'll get." I fail to see her logic here. Surely the more cruel and brutal we look, the more sponsors we get. Or the more likely we are to win. Or the better looking we are in general. Smiling doesn't even come into the equation. Unless, I guess, you have a really pretty smile.
We reach the boys' chambers first. The door slides open automatically when we reach it, and Delicia steps to the side proudly. Haymitch and Baxter look at each-other and walk in together.
"My God!" I hear Baxter say.
Delicia smiles and leads me and Betony on. As we go, I can't help but wonder what could've made Baxter say 'my God'. I decide that it must either be something really good or really bad when Delicia stops at the room I shall share with Betony.
The door slides open and I feel Betony's hand slip into mine. Cautiously, we walk in together. The door closes behind us with a snap-hiss.
There are two beds (thank God!); one by the window, and one to the right of another door. I walk slowly over to this door, Betony following (she has attached her hand to mine, after all). It opens on its own and we walk inside to find an enormous bathroom; bigger than my living room back home! The floors are tiled with little mosaic pieces, all different shades of blue ranging from the dark of a shadow to the hue of the sky. The wall is tiled in larger pieces of porcelain, all a flawless white.
If it's a big bathroom for me, I realise it must be even bigger for Betony. Her whole house could probably fit in here, being from the Seam and all. I release her hand a walk over to the shining china sink, run my hand over its smooth surface. Betony follows, like a little lost puppy.
"What are…" She says curiously. "These?" She prods one of two gleaming taps above the sink.
"Taps, I think." I reply. "I'm not sure… Mum once told me and Macy that they have these in the Capitol." I put my hand on the top of it, grip it tightly, and flick my wrist. Water gushes out of a little opening down a spout, into the sink.
"Woah." Betony breathes. "That's so cool!" I smile slightly and turn the tap back off.
"Come on." I say. "Let's go explore our bedroom."
The carpet of our bedroom in so, so soft and thick. Betony sits on the window bed, which she seems to have claimed as her own, and flicks her worn shoes off, standing on the soft carpet just so she can feel it beneath her toes. After the novelty of this wears off, she stands on her bed and watches the world rush by as our train speeds through the districts toward the Capitol. I think we're in District 10; there are vast fields, and I'm sure I spotted a few cows.
I watch Betony, because she's so amazed by everything it's enchanting, before going over to my bed- by the bathroom door- and sitting on it. My God, that is comfy!
I guess I have a nap, because suddenly Delicia's staring at me from above and Betony's pulling her shoes on behind her. I sit up and rub my eyes sleepily.
"Supper's ready, dear." She informed me cheerfully. "Just wait until you see it; it's simply gorgeous!"
Dinner is gorgeous. Dinner. Gorgeous. This I've got to see.