The Capitol

My eyes open and I know I've overslept before I even look at the clock beside my bed. I'm not sure why that, for the first time in nine years, I've overslept. It's not natural.

In training we had to wake up at six-thirty and be at breakfast by seven. All seven year olds learned that really quickly. If you weren't there on time you were denied food and sent to train while the other kids ate and you had to wait until lunch at noon. Sometimes you had to wait until dinner or, if you were especially late, you had to wait until breakfast the following morning. After five times of starving all day my brain and stomach were finally on the same page. Ever since then, I've never been able to sleep late.

So it's odd that I've slept forty-five minutes later than normal. I leap out of bed and fly into the bathroom, discarding the silken pyjamas I wore the night before. I've only got fifteen minutes before we arrive.

I don't bother with a shower since my prep team will have me within hours and instead I press a button that provides me with a warm brush that I run quickly through my hair. I dip my hands into a bowl of soapy water and rub it up and down my arms, legs, and face.

This outfit is the one I'll be wearing into the Capitol. I have to look nice. After a minute, I select another dress but this time it is a deep blue and made of silk, the material catching on my rough skin. I put my macaroni necklace around my neck and touch the pasta for a minute.

I nearly knock an attendant over in my dash for the dining car. I shout an apology, a rare occurrence, but I don't turn to see who I introduced to the floor. When I get to the compartment, Alexandria is waiting with a plate full of food in front of her but no one else has arrived yet.

"Good morning," she says dully. A single attendant stands by the far door dressed in white and not facing us. But I recognise the back of his head.

He was the servant shower boy from last night.

I smile at him and for once it wasn't a mean one, "Hello," but he gives me a fearful look and looks away. "Is he an Avox?" I ask. Alexandria glances over and nods. "Sorry," I tell him. He nods, just a tiny twitch of his head to let me know he understands.

Avoxes are people that have committed acts of treason against the Capitol. They do something horrid to their tongues so they can't talk and then are forced to be servants. Talking to them, except to give an order, can result in punishment for them, which is really unfair because they can't control who talks to them. But that is life, there is nothing I myself can do about that.

I take a seat quickly and don't look at him. Theo and Brutus join us a few minutes later, Brutus wearing his signature scowl and Theo looking worse for wear.

Once they're seated, several other attendants come out and baskets and plates of every kind of breakfast food are placed on the table. I pile food onto my plate: pancakes, sausage, bacon, a round bread with a circular hole in the middle and covered in white powdery sugar, eggs, and toast.

We eat in silence for a few minutes. This food is delicious, much better than what they can make back home. And as for this dough thing.

"What is it?" I hold up the mysterious sweet bread.

Theo looks over, his mouth full of food, and smiles a bit. "Dow mutt."

"What?"

He swallows the food and takes a breath. "Doughnut. Ah I think it's giving me indigestion."

"Let us hope it kills you then." I respond absent-mindedly. Doughnut! That's it! I've had doughnuts only once and that was years ago. I was fourteen, it was the last time we had a victor. It's no wonder I've forgotten what they're called. But those only had a sweet glaze over them. This powdery sugar is delicious. It melts in my mouth.

Alexandria takes another bite of her pancake then puts her fork down. "We were going to wait for May to get here, but apparently she chooses to sleep in. Obviously beauty sleep is more important than your lives. We need to discuss the Opening Ceremonies."

Theo glances at me, obviously trying to connect. I ignore him.

"I spoke to your stylists last night on the phone." she goes on. "I told them to not make you look sexy, brute, or innocent. Those three don't suit either of you. I also told your stylist, Olivia, to warn the prep team about your… skittish tendencies." She says, smirking.

"I am not skittish," I say warningly, tightening my hand around my butter knife. It may be blunt but I could still jam it down her throat.

She ignores my venomous look. "Now, in the chariot, I want you both to appear confident and comfortable. Got it?"

"Yeah," I say. "Smiling, waving, and smirking, right?"

Brutus nods grimly. "Yes. You two are to stand close together and act at least somewhat friendly should you happen to look at the other."

"Right," I take a deep breath and let it out. "Anything else?"

"Yes, you two," Alexandria points her knife at us warningly. "I know how you two are… you're from District 2 for Christ sake. You're not to fight your stylists or prep teams. Just go with it and try to be friends with them. If you win, you will be dealing with them for years to come and how they dress you will affect how many sponsors you pull. Being from our district gives you an edge already but don't get cocky. You two must be charming."

"I am always charming." Theo says in mock disappointment. "I will be on my best behaviour my love." He says. Alexandria's look of hatred in his direction shows me she may hate him more than I do.

"Do as you have been trained to do." Alexandria says. "Show any weakness, and you're a dead man walking. Do not show pain while you're in the games, and never ever moan. Got it?"

Theo looks over at me. He is frowning down at me and I return his gaze with one of annoyance. Why does he keep trying to make friends with me? He or I will be dead soon enough.

Hopefully him.

"Well? Do you think we can do it?" He asks.

I laugh once. It's hollow, mocking. "You want us to be a team, then?" I glare at Brutus. "Are you forgetting that only one of us can be on the train back?"

Brutus returns the glare and his eyes flash with anger and fury of being questioned. Or maybe he just hates me. "Olivia, if the time comes that you are dying in the arena, who would you want to win? Captain Theodoros or some other district's tribute?"

I sigh in irritation. "Okay fine, I guess I'd want the prick to live."

"Exactly," Alexandria leans forward and pats our hands, catching my skin with her nails and drawing a speck of blood. "You two are enemies in the arena, yes, but you each are the only ally the other can truly trust. If you know you won't make it, at least wish the other good luck before you die. If you don't then so help me I will go to the afterlife, drag you back, and force you to do it."

I crack a smirk and nod.

"Good."

After breakfast, I head back to the compartment where we boarded the train. There's a sitting room there and I flop down onto the Capitol-made couch. It's perfectly stuffed with what feels like feathers and the fabric is smooth like silk, but firm like leather. I smile and close my eyes, imagining myself in the armoury back home. I'm just picturing the beautiful array of knives when I sense a change.

I open my eyes to find the lights on and the windows dark. I yelp and jump up. Oh, we must be in the tunnel. Since the Capitol is in the heart of a vast mountain chain, there's a tunnel that trains have to go through to reach it. Theo enters the room a minute later with May.

"We're almost there," Theo says.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious." I mumble. May giggles and I find myself asking her, "What do tributes usually feel at this point?"

May smiled just a bit. "Nervous, but excited and eager. Mostly excited at this point. I've heard the other districts hate this part." She sighed. "I feel sorry for the escorts who have those districts." May continues, almost speaking to herself. "Such disappointments."

The train is slowing down and Theo takes a deep breath and flashes a smile. "My public awaits."

I snort and roll my eyes, immediately stopping when Alexandria comes into the room and shoots me a look I swear could kill me.

Theo comes to stand on my other side. "If Alexandria is going to be at the window with us," He explains. "If they see us with her we'll pull sponsors automatically."

Then the lights go off and a new, dazzlingly bright light filters through the windows. I push the curtains as far wide as they will go then I press my face against the full-length glass. I hear Theo gasp as we both see, for the first time in person, the Capitol of Panem. Nothing has ever done this place justice. Not the many pictures, photographs, and videos. Nothing has every captured this magnificent place the way my eyes do now. I wonder if even my eyes are catching the true grandeur of this metropolis. Buildings tower so high they make our Justice Building seem puny. The hues of colour glisten in the air. I see odd vehicles (I think they're cars) zooming down the street. They don't look like any cars we have in District 2.

Then I see the people.

They are just as bizarrely coloured and dressed as the images make them. Skin, hair, and eyes every colour of the rainbow. I glimpse a person whose skin is a mixture of azure blue and deep purple. Only a few people appear normal. The rest are freaks. Aliens. The colours aren't natural! I'm suddenly longing for the comforting dull colours of my district, the blonde of Annabeth's hair, the grey hues of the horizon, the green in the twins eyes, the brown of wood; natural, normal. Familiar.

The train is crawling along now and people are waving frantically, screaming. I wave back and smile.

Brutus joins us, and I never knew how admired he was in the Capitol. He is charming, drop-dead-gorgeous man, despite being in his late thirties. His eyes are wide and brilliant. His perfect, white smile is radiant as he blows kisses. People outside swoon.

A little girl runs alongside the train, as close as she can safely get to the tracks. She waves frantically. I crouch down so I can wave at her eye level and give a smile just for her. Her neon yellow eyes look odd with her normal skin and blonde hair, but they light up all the same when she realizes I've noticed her. She stops running and waves exuberantly as we pull into the station.

"She was adorable." I say. "Like a kid back home."

"They are human, Olivia." Theo reminds me quietly. "You may try to forget, but everyone is a person."

I give him a harsh look. I hadn't meant to think that these people weren't human. But I need to remove myself from that part, whereas Theo seems to be intent on reminding himself that the other tributes were people. If I thought like that… well I know I wouldn't be returning home a victor.

I smiled as I watched the girl fade from view. She would probably beg her parents to sponsor me. It had taken no effort at all, I'd been just trying to be kind to a little child, but if it got me a sponsor then that was even better.

We pull into the train station and the doors open behind us. I take a deep breath and look at Theo, whose face has suddenly lost its entire colour.

"Scared?" I taunt.

He glares at me.

The doors open and we are immediately bombarded by flashing lights and screaming people. May is already through the door and the crowd is screaming their approval. Then Alexandria and Brutus walk out. The crowd goes even wilder. They want us to come out now. Theo leads me into their view then we stand apart, facing the cameras.

Take a good look, everyone. We are the newest tributes for District 2.

Then we walk into the crowd.

"Olivia! Olivia, over here!" That's the first thing that reaches my ears.

A reporter is beckoning to me. I glance at Alexandria but she gives me an evil death glare, and runs a perfect finger across her throat in a cut throat motion. To make it creepier her blank eyes never left mine. Let me take that as a no then.

Brutus leads us through the screaming crowds and takes us into the re-make centre.

When I try to follow, Theo holds onto my arm in a locked grip. I whip round and glare at him.

"Are you scared, Theodoros?" I mutter. He swallows and nods. "Typical males. You can cut down anyone in your path but when the cameras come at you, you're as soft as clay."

He laughs.

He let's go of my arm and we're lead two separate ways. I give him a slight wave and he salutes me cockily.

I walk through the huge doors before me.

Let the nightmare begin.

"Hello!"

"Good morning, dear!"

"Hi!"

Help!

Three brightly coloured people swarm down on me. I yelp in surprise and jump away from them, but none of them seem to think this as offensive, and keep going in towards me.

"My name is Candy!" Squeals a short little woman with cute chubby cheeks, orange hair done up in two stumpy plaits and way too bright crimson eyes. "This is Flake," she points to a man who looks more like a stick insect than a human being with his patchy brown skin and brown hair. He is way too thin to even give off a shadow! Flake gives a deep bow. "He's my brother!"

I look between the two and see absolutely no family resemblance whatsoever.

"I'm Stephon," a calm woman says. Unlike the others, she seems down to earth. As far as I can see her blonde hair is natural, just curled with some curling irons. She has some bright green gems in the corner of her eyes which bring out the gold flecks in the warm honey brown. So far I like Stephon the best. At least she doesn't look as though she belongs on a different planet.

"I'm Olivia..." I trail off when they all just stare at me.

"We know!" They chime.

"We were watching the reapings. We were concerned when we saw that mouse girl. I said to Flake, 'Oh no, we have to make that look pretty?' I was really worried, you know? There is only so much we can do. We need beauty to work with." Candy says, dimpling at me.

As she prattles, without drawing breath, I wonder if she realizes that my eyes are narrowing and my fists are clenched so tightly that my nails are digging into my palms. I don't really care about Krikia but they shouldn't be insulting her looks. I didn't even know why it angered me, as I had never even met Krikia. But the thought of these freaks insulting someone from my district made me want to rip their heads off.

"Krikia!" I snap.

Candy pauses. "What?"

"Her name is Krikia! Not mouse. Kree-keee-aaa" I say, enunciating each syllable carefully so, hopefully, it'll get through all the makeup and stuff she's done to herself and reach what few brain cells she has.

"Oh. Alright. Still, she was simply dreadful looking. You don't know how excited we were when we saw you, though! Ameile is excited, too. She's your stylist. We are going to make you look fabulous!" She's practically singing at the end.

I shift ever so slightly, ready to launch myself at the woman and bash her face until she looks "dreadful." She tilts her head curiously and studies me, unaware how close she is to being maimed.

Flake crosses his arms across his chest. "Olivia, Ameile warned us that you might be difficult."

I shift my murderous look to him and he only blinks in response. "Now, we'll have none of that, alright?"

I take a deep breath, letting my muscles relax, and I straighten up. I nod curtly.

"We have a lot of work to do to make you presentable." He says. "We can't send you out there naked!"

"No you can't." I agree and with a sigh I surrender myself to their will.

"We need to change...this." Stephon says, biting her lips.

"You just gestured to all of me!"

"Olivia, shut up for a second."

"This feels very much like a one sided conversation." I sigh. All three roll their eyes in synchronization as if they'd practiced it.

I have to stand perfectly still for ten minutes while they examine me with my clothes on, then they make me do the same thing without my clothes. This does not bode well with me.

Only May had been able to see me without garments on since I turned fourteen. No one else. Not Emerald, not Ruby, not Dad, not Mum, not Alec, no one at the training centre, except perhaps after the Finals when I was getting fixed up, but I was unconscious then and it certainly was not in front of complete strangers. I'm devising ways to punish them every time they remind me to keep still while they probe and touch and prod my body. It must show on my face. They're pampered and sheltered brats, but their instincts sense danger.

Stehpon claps her hands and I'm ordered to go stand in a circular dip in the floor in a side room, the walls and floors startlingly bright and smelling strongly of cough syrup. I do without protest and stand on top of the drain. I'm opening my mouth to ask what's happening, when a translucent buffer comes out and encases me. I shriek in alarm and I slam against it, trying to break free. This must be a common occurrence because the buffer is firm and holds fast. Candy is telling me to relax, I think, but she sounds distant. I glare at the three Capitolites and entertain myself with different ways to paint the white walls with their blood.

A showerhead comes down and I'm doused in warm water. I gasp in shock when it turns cold suddenly. Then it's warm again. I slide down the wall and huddle on the floor as the water batters me relentlessly. I don't like it. The distinct, massaging pattern of the water on the train is gone and the familiar, constant pour of water back home is but a mere memory. It's unremitting and hard, it's only job to completely rid my body of anything that still clung to it. The water stops abruptly and I'm left shivering and feeling oddly bare. Then the wall is gone and they pull me up. Then they proceed to coat my skin in some gritty stuff that feels like thick salt water. I don't really mind the feeling, but then they are armed with strange sponges and they're scrubbing me down. They take away dirt I didn't know was there, and I'm pretty sure they've removed a few skin layers.

They towel me off and I get to sit in a chair with a robe on while they work on my nails and comb my hair out. Then they start to chatter and I find it hard to keep up with them. Finally, I just don't really bother and I make occasional comments when needed. Then, to my shock, they start to ask me questions. I try to answer them, surprised that they actually seem curious about me personally.

"Well." I've been asked about my May. "She was kind and very beautiful. She was my other half. My best friend. She died earlier this year." I say sadly. And then a hot wave of anger runs through my body like a tidal wave. Anger at myself. I should not show weakness. I can't. These people may not be allowed to sponsor anyone, but they can talk.

Stephon pauses; the nail filer doesn't touch my next nail as she contemplates something. Then she pats the back of my hand, interrupting Candy's work. "I'm sorry." She says sympathetically.

I turn to face the woman. "It's fine." I say my voice harsh and steely. "It's also none of your business, so forget it."

She nods but something seems to bother her. She carefully re adjusts me so the other two can continue with their work and resumes filing my nails.

Candy and Flake leave and come back with a bunch of strips of cream coloured material. Stephon spreads them all over my body, my arms, under my arms, all around my legs, around my eyebrows. I lifted my arms to examine them as was seated on the table. Then just as Flake grips the edge of one of the strips on my arm, I realize what they're doing to do.

I wished I hadn't known what was going to happen, and I wasn't prepared for it. Ignorance is bliss. I grit my teeth so I don't scream in pain as they rip hair out of my already sensitive body.

Holy stone, does that hurt! I clench my fists and my nails dig into my palm. Flake and Candy proceed to rip the hair out of my skin and I just keep my eyes on the brother and sister preppies so I don't scream obscenities. How the hell are they pulling so much out when I barely have any? In District 2, we like to keep our legs and arms looking nice since they show so much in our training kit.

Candy and Flake are opening containers of stuff that I can smell from here and based on the funky odour, I'm one-hundred per cent sure I don't want it anywhere near me. As the last bit of hair I didn't know I had is being yanked away, they're bringing it over the stuff and Stephon proceeds to rub it all over my body. It stings my raw skin, but then gradually it stops and leaves a soothing feeling behind. A sigh escapes my lips

"We're almost done," Candy squeals brightly.

The robe I've been wearing is removed and they examine every inch of my body with their sharp, odd-coloured eyes. They pluck out last bits of hairs with tweezers then stand back to admire their work.

"Wonderful!" Flake sings. "You're simply stunning, Bellona!"

"No," Stephon says in her odd, calm voice. "She is not stunning yet… time to get Ameile."

Then they're running out of the white room and slamming the door, and I'm alone. I pull the robe back on and sit on the table. I run my fingers through my hair and sigh. I'm not Olivia that left home anymore.

I'm still me, though. And everyone will soon know who I am.