Chapter Four
When Haymitch enters the Living room he's sobered up some but stills carries the scent of alcohol with him. He takes a seat next to Effie on the cream coloured sofa as she tuts at him and moves to an arm chair causing Haymitch to laugh. I'm in the armchair opposite Effie who is sitting crossed legged and has her hands on her lap, Gale soon follows after Haymitch and sits next to him ignoring the daggers I'm sending in his direction. Effie turns on the TV just as the reaping begins, I try to remember all of my competition but only a few faces manage to stick with me; A muscular boy from District 1 who has blonde hair and amazingly blue eyes, his partner who has red hair with a black block fringe, Skyra, I think her name was. They both look around my age and as if they could take me on easily. Then a monstrous boy from 2 who practically jumps at the chance to volunteer. I should definitely be worried about him. From District 10 there's a brown haired boy with a crippled foot, he probably wont get past the bloodbath then they show District Eleven's reaping a small dark skinned girl is chosen, she barely looks twelve and reminds me of Prim and then I think that, that could of been Prim. Finally District 12 is showed and there I am my face wiped of any emotion until Gales called and you can quickly see the pain in my eyes but then I swiftly compose myself again although my eyes never leave his as he walk to the stage. Unlucky for me though the commentator picks up on this and begins to question whats going on between us. Well I can assure him that there is nothing going on.
The next Effie is escorting me and Gale to our rooms saying 'Tomorrows going to be a big, big, big day' I rolled my eyes at this. When I get to my room I change into my nightgown and kick off my covers because they make me feel even more trapped. With nothing else to occupy my mind it finally wonders to the subject I've been trying to avoid all day; How am I going to kill those helpless kids whilst I'm in the arena? I'm not sure I'll be able to, I can hunt animals but that's different to hunting people and that poor little girl from District 11 she doesn't even stand a chance and and Gale...what am I suppose to do about Gale? Oh well, there's twenty two other tributes, odds are someone else will kill him before I have to. But then again the odds have not been in my favor of a late. Somewhere throughout my thoughts I manage to find sleep only to be woken up by Effies shrill voice ringing throughout the train carriage.
"Wake up, Katniss. Today's going to be a big, big, big day! We arrive in the Capitol at 12.00PM exactly, aren't you excited?" I give her a grunt in reply, which probably wasn't the best idea seeing as I am now getting scolded for my manners. Well what was I suppose to reply with? 'Oh, yes , Effie! I'm so excited that I've been torn away from my family, that I'm being forced to push away my best friend and then possibly kill him in the death trap that they call the arena! I just can't wait!' I'm sure she would of appreciated that reply.
I get finally manage to pull myself from my bed and get into the shower, which, once again consist of being abused by different temperatures of water until I finally just give up and have a cold shower. When I return to my room, I find that someone has led out an outfit for me. Creepy, what if someone comes in at night?I pull it on not really noticing what it is exactly that I'm wearing. I slowly walk down the hallway to the dinning cart, trying to put off meeting Haymitch again, and judging by the amount of alcohol he consumed last night he's not going to be in the best of moods. No wonder why none of his tributes make their way out of the arena alive, me and Gale will probably be the newest edditions to the list of forgotten children. Effie, Haymitch and Gale were all sat around the dark red wooden table which Haymitch had his feet placed on. The center of the table was piled high with all types of food; carousels full of all kinds of cakes, glass jugs filled with an orange liquid and platters full of rolls filled with fruits, I've never seen so much food in my entire life! I hastily grabbed a plate and filled it until was brimming with all kinds of food and when I took my seat next to Effie, a Capitol attendant handed me a mug filled with a warm brown liquid. After eyeing it warily for a few minutes, I cautiously take a sip. I instantly feel a warmth which I welcome flow down my throat and my tongue is tingling from the creamy taste, that I now find myself craving. I gulped the rest down before starting on the plate of food in front of me. I look to Haymitch to find him observing me quietly, it makes me feel uncomfortable so I decide to speak up.
"So...you're our mentor...whats your advice?" He tops up a glass in front of him with a thin, clear liquid before smirking at me and answering, "Stay alive," His words slur.
When he goes to take, what I'm sure is not his first glug of that vile liquid, Gale knocks the glass out of his hand before it reaches his lips, sending it shattering on the cream carpet. Effie probably wont be to happy, it will most likely stain.
"Manners, Gale! Now I'll have t-" Haymitch goes for another glass, but before he can reach it, I threw my knife in the short space between his fingers and the glass.
He looks to me and then raises his eyebrows, "Well, well, well. Did I actually get a pair of fighters this year?"
Gale and I exchange a quick smile before realising we're still supposed to be pissed off at each other, so I quickly look away.
"Go stand over there," Haymitch says pointing to the middle of the room. Once we are both in our positions, Haymitch slowly walks circles around us, poking and prodding our arms and legs. I shift uneasily when he begins to take in my figure, "Well, you're not to bad on the eyes and are in better shape than the pair last year. With a bit of luck you might even stand a chance of getting past the initial bloodbath." The two kids last year were only fourteen and both from the seam, so they weren't the strongest among the other tributes.
"So help us then. Whats the best strategy for us when we're at the Cornucopia?" Maybe he wont be that useless after all.
"Slow down there, firsst we need to make you presentable," I let out a low hiss at this comment, "I'll cut you a deal, seeing as you're so eager to reach your certain death. I'll stay sober enough to help you if you do exactly as I say."
Seems a good enough compromise, "Fine. Whats first?"
"You'll meet your stylists, there going to do stuff to you that wont like, but tough it through and you might actually come out with some sponsors."
When we reach the Capitol we're rushed throught the crowds of ridiculous colours and what I hope to be costumes and straight into the Remake center, where I'm handed of to a group of three, supposedly 'people', who will be my prep team throughout the opening ceromonies.
I grit my teeth as Venia, a women with aqua hair and gold tatoo's above her eyebrows, rips the hair off my legs with some kind of sticky liquid. I glance down to my already red leg, she's only been doing this for a couple of minutes and I'm already in agony. How am I going to face the arena if I can't stand simply having the hair removed from my legs? I grunt as she jerks the next piece of fabric off my leg.
"Sorry, you're just so hairy!" She says in her awful Capitol accent. She follows this statement up by making, what I think is supposed to be a sympathetic smile.
"Good news though. This is the last one and then we can hand you over to Cinna! Ready?"
I grip the edge of the table I'm on and grit my teeth once again, she see's this as all the confirmation she needs and the last of my leg hair is removed in one more painful pull. I've been stripped of all by body hair, accused of having whiskers, been scrubbed from head to toe with an irritating lotion and then had my eyebrows reshaped. I really don't think any of that was necessary, just time wasting. I could of been getting tips from my mentor instead of being 'pampered' as my prep team puts it and I still haven't met my stylist. I'm hoping that they don't decide to incorporate some of the Capitol's latest trends next, I don't if I would be able to bear it, if they suddenly decided to give me jewel encrusted lips or tattoo stripes onto my body, although that could help with camouflage.
"You're doing very well. If there's one thing we can stand, it's a whiner!" Says a man, Flavius, who has red hair and orange lipstick.
Then Venia and Octavia, who has for some reason taken it upon herself to dye her skin a sickly green colour, rub some lotion onto my flaming red skin that instantly soothes. Then I'm ordered to remove the only piece of clothing I was allowed to wear and begin to pluck at stray hairs. I know I should feel self-conscious and I really want to slap these people in the face for making me stand here naked, but unfortunately I did promise Haymitch I would do whatever they said, so instead I only stand and comply, pretending to be in meadow at home with prim, listening as the Mockingjays fill the familiar silence with their hushed songs. But Flavius quickly brings me back from my reprieve. "You know, once you get through all the layers of hair and dirt, you're not so horrible after all!"
"Yes," Venia agrees, "The thorn has been turned into a rose."
"Thanks," I say forcing a smile.
"I think you're ready for Cinna now," Venia excites.
"Don't worry, You're in good hands, Cinna is amazing," Says Octavia with a bright smile gracing her face whilst Flavius and Venia are nodding their heads in agreement.
This does relax me to a certain but I'm still anxious as to what I'll be wearing. Each District has a specialty and District Twelve's being coal mining our tributes traditionally end up wearing a coal miners outfits as each year, at the opening ceremony the tributes must be dressed in an outfit to reflect their Districts profession. One year an 'amazing' stylist had the brilliant idea of having the tributes naked but covered in black coal dust from our mines. That is why I am worried.
All three of the 'humans' from my prep team give me a kiss on the cheek and say their goodbye's until I'm left standing around in a square room with walls and a dresser filled cosmetic appliances, alone. Now is the perfect time to make a break for, maybe I could run until I reach some sort of artificial woods they have built and live off the land, although the bottom floor of the remake is probably swarmed with peacekeepers and they will no doubt find me and take it out on me in the arena. Just as I'm thinking through the long list of flaws that come with my plan, a young man walks into the room. He closes the door behind him and then holds his hand out to me.
"Hello, I'm Cinna, your stylist." I take his hand and give it a gentle shake. He looks ordinary enough, no surgical modifications at all, natural black hair, a dark skin tone and wearing simple tan trousers and a black shirt. In fact the only thing that is probably fake would be the gold eyeliner above his eyes, although it suits him, helps to bring out the golden flecks in his green eyes.
"Hello," I say timidly as he observes my naked body, taking in all my flaws and curves. When he's finished, he takes a step back, smiles what seems to be a genuine smile and hands me a new white robe that I eagerly place over my body.
"Who did your hair for you at the reaping?" As he says this he runs a hand down my signature braid.
"My mother."
"Well she has very talented hands and your hair is just gorgeous."
I like Cinna.
"Thank you," I say but resist adding in 'Now if only I could live long enough to tell her that.'
"You're a natural beauty, Katniss, so don't worry, I wont let you near that surgery room," He says with a wink.
I blush and let out a sigh of relief, which Cinna hears and others me a smile that I cant help but return. He seems so...normal compared to the others, I'd already heard them throwing around suggestions of golden skin and facial piercings.
"You new aren't you? I've never seen you on TV before and you do seem normal compared to everyone else here." He lets a small chuckle.
"Yes, I just started this year." He walks over to the corner of the room to fetch a hair brush.
"So they gave you District Twelve," I mutter.
Cinna turns around ans smiles mischievously. "I heard that."
"Oops," I smile innocently at him. Where is this side of Katniss coming from?
"No. Actually, I volunteered," Why would anyone in their right mind choose District Twelve?
"I wanted to be able to help your tributes make an impression, a dent in the Capitol that is irreparable, to show them that you're not 'just a bunch of poor coal miner kids' , I'm going to make sure no one forgets you."
I scoff "And how exactly do you plan on doing this?"
Cinna shows me a sly smile and his eyes have a menacing glint to them as he says, "Your not afraid of fire are you, Katniss?"
Oh no, I think.