I'm escorted to a car that will drive us to the train that takes us directly to the Capitol. I slowly climb into the backseat of the car and sit next to Marigold, I don't look at her but turn the other way and watch as we pass the buildings and kids that had the odds in their favor as they head home back to their families and I watch all the crowds of camera people who are following us to catch a glimpse of our reaction whether it be excitement or terror.
Before we climb out of the car I turn to make a quick glance at Emery, I see tears still falling from his eyes as he wipes them off his face trying to hide his emotions but it's no use anybody could see the fear and sadness he's feeling.
A thought goes through my mind and I think if that's his plan to win, pretending to look weak and vulnerable. Nonsense he's a pretty big guy compared to most boys at school, he has an athletic body while most boys are rather lanky and thin.
We step out of the car and make our way through a crowd of camera men that are calling out our names and shoving each other for a better angle and i step onto the glistening silver train. I walk into it and I'm overwhelmed by the luxurious furniture made of soft velvet material detailed with silk and other fabrics that I'm unfamiliar with and there are large tables set with beautifully arranged assortments of fruits and pastries and flowers that are of all colors imaginable.
"Take a seat make yourselves at home" Marigold says as all three if us take a seat and she touches a button on the wall and almost immediately a young woman with red hair and dressed in an outfit that is completely white comes in carrying a silver platter that has three silver cups of what I suppose is tea.
I take a cup and take a sip of the fragrant rose-colored liquid and it has a strange sweet flavor with a hint of a bitter aftertaste.
"She should be here any moment"Marigold says, I believe she means Erica Phelps the winner of the ninety seventh hunger games and our mentor.
Not much is spoken about her back in district 5 but she was surprisingly very strong and smart in her hunger games from what I can remember. She was 17 when she was reaped and she won with her strength and by killing the other tributes with her machete and she came back and she isn't seen much around but instead she stays locked in her home but I guess that's the consequence of winning living with the though of all the horrors of the arena and the games, but unlike most winners she hasn't become addicted to a substance or became insane which is very rare among victors.
She comes in and takes a seat next to marigold with a smile on her face, she has small bags underneath her eyes which makes her appear slightly tired.
"Hello there" Emery responds with a hey and I give her a smile then she goes straight to business
"Okay tell me about yourselves. strengths, weaknesses, any skills or talents?"
"I'm part of the schools soccer team" says Emery, that's where I head his name! in the sports announcements
"And you?" Erica looks at me with curiosity
"Uh I..uh I'm.. well I don't..really know" I can't say I'm useless because that'll makes me look like a complete dumb ass but it's the truth I'm completely useless.
"That's fine I suppose, but I hope you're willing to learn because your life will depend on you being able to adapt to any environment and to be able to think fast and trust your instinct to survive" I stay quite and just think about me trying to survive in a forest or a desert or a snow-covered wasteland and thinking about being killed by a tribute.
"She's really smart. She's been on honor roll ever since I can remember" Emery informs her.
What? how do you know that I think to myself.
"So what? how is being on honor roll going to kill somebody?"
"don't underestimate smarts huh, sometimes strength is useless against wisdom" says Marigold as she keeps taking dainty sips of the rosey liquid.
"She's right being able to think smart and fast is very helpful in the arena so don't think you don't stand a chance" that gives me a bit of hope, maybe I might be able to survive or even win.
After a while of taking over survival tips Marigold shows us to our rooms and tells us that dinner will be ready in an hour. I sit on the bed and run my hand over the soft purple colored cotton and I suddenly miss home. I think back to when my parents were saying their goodbyes earlier today and I wonder why Aspen wasn't there. If she were reaped I surely would've been there to say goodbye and give her a hug, but she didn't even do that. Did she even think of me as a friend or did she only speak to me because she felt pity for me? forget her I say to myself before any tears start to come out.
I take a shower which wasn't so simple due to the fact that the shower had so many buttons that did everything from spraying you with a lemon scented mist to changing to temperature and pressure of the water. I step out and press a button that dries me completely from head to toe and I go to the closet and look for something to wear, finally choosing a navy blue tunic and black leggings and some black flats and I continue to brushing my hair and putting it into a simple braid before Marigold knocks at my door to call me down to dinner.
I take a seat next to Emery and say hello to everybody at the table then looking down at a small bowl of what looks like a light brown thick soup with small vegetables and small pieces if meat in the center, I take a spoonful of it in my mouth and it taste very savory and I actually like the taste of it. We talk about the cornucopia and finding food and water and how to gain sponsors and after finishing a plate with a big slice of red velvet cake adorned with pearls made of sugar we move into the sitting room in which we watch the reaping and Emery's and I's competition.
District 1 has a tall 17-year-old boy with dark hair and blue eyes, he's really cute I think to myself embarrassingly because for all I know he could be the one that kills me. The girl is 17 too and she has a very beautiful lean body and looks as if she is excited for being reaped. District 2 had a 16-year-old boy who is very muscular and has deep olive skin and looks absolutely vicious the 17-year-old girl with pale skin and jet black hair looks just as frightening. District 4 has an 18-year-old boy with blonde hair and brown eyes who walk to stage nonchalantly and that bugs me a little for some reasons and the 16-year-old girl with strawberry blonde hair a face dotted slightly with freckles has an unnerving smirk to her face as she walks to stage as if she has a secret weapon or something.
We see ourselves and I look like a complete idiot, not that I'm surprised District 8 has the youngest tribute a 13-year-old girl. Once the District 11 tributes are shown we turn off the TV and we head out separate ways to go to bed, in my room I take off my outfit and put on a silk night-dress to sleep in. That night I stayed up for about an hour just thinking of many thoughts like why Aspen didn't come to say bye, how the Capitol will look like, my competition in he games, the type of arena. After a while if thinking I slowly being to fall asleep.