A Peacekeeper wakes me up, then takes me out to the car that is taking us to the train station. It's the first time I've ever travelled not by foot, and from the expression on Lilibeth's face, I can tell this is special for her too. Finbar sits uncomfortably between us, awkwardly trying to break the silence. We arrive at the station, and as I get out of the car, I see the cameras surrounding us from all sides. I keep a straight face, giving them what I hope to be a forbidding stare. Lilibeth, however, smiles gently at them. Finbar ushers us inside quickly, but not before he flashes a smile at the cameras.
The train is even better furnished than the Justice Building. The carriages seem to go on forever. It's all chandeliers and velvet carpets, of course.
Almost immediately, we lurch out of the station, the train gathering up to its 250 miles per hour. We're reasonably close to the Capitol, and we should be there by sunset tonight. The trees speed past, and I prepare to say goodbye to District 7.
Finbar leads me to my own chamber, complete with my own bedroom, dressing room and bathroom. He tells me to dress quickly and be ready for dinner in half an hour. I stray over to the drawers where the clothes are supposedly kept. Taking out all of the clothes, I notice they are all very expensive and extremely ridiculous. The only plain thing I can find is a grey waistcoat and matching trousers, with a frilly white shirt. The shoes are pretty extravagant, but they're the only ones that fit my large feet.
After experimenting around with the gadgets in the bathroom, I go through to join the others in the dining carriage. The dining carriage contains a large dining table and at least a dozen chairs set around it. Finbar, Crispin and Lilibeth are already civilly sitting down, waiting eagerly for my arrival. But it's not my company they anticipate, it's the prospect of tucking into the mounds of delicious food sitting on the table. Dish upon dish of gorgeous food is piled along the table. Meat, fish, vegetables, fruit, bread and desserts. Everything I could ever want. My stomach rumbles hungrily just by looking at it.
I sit down excitedly, picking up my fork and knife. Finbar tells me to spread out the small piece of cloth, apparently called a 'napkin', over my lap.
Finbar tucks in, dolloping heaps of mashed potatoes onto his plate. Lilibeth nervously follows his lead. Crispin looks rather bored, and doesn't even touch any of the food. I help myself to a lamb chop. It's the first time I've ever had lamb, and it's at least ten times better than my usual rabbit. We eat in silence for a while.
"So, tell us a bit about yourself, Lilibeth." Finbar says politely. Lilibeth looks about timidly before answering.
"I'm Lilibeth Vita. I'm sixteen. I'm clever. Cunning." she surprises me by saying. Lilibeth Vita does not look like the sort of person to be cunning. With her youthful looks and mouse brown hair, she looks about as cunning as a sheep.
"Interesting." Finbar murmurs. He turns towards me. "What about you, Jado?"
My fists coil up when he can't even be bothered to remember my name properly, but after years of suffering from much worse, I just shake it off. I don't want to tell my story to Finbar, because I know he will judge me, and lose interest in me completely. But Lilibeth answers for me.
"He's seventeen. His mother died at birth. His father died in an uprising a few years ago. In District 7, we call him 'The Unloved Boy'." But instead of turning his plastic nose up at me, he leans forward in his seat, desperate to know more. Crispin also starts to pay closer attention, although it's likely he already knows it all.
"He's one of the best lumberjacks in the whole district. He's pretty muscly too." Lilibeth points towards my bulging biceps. Finbar nods in approval. I wish I could help Lilibeth by impressing Finbar with her, but in all honesty, I don't know anything about her.
"I'm going to watch the other reapings, if you care to join me." Finbar wipes his mouth delicately with his 'napkin'. He pushes back his chair and leaves the dining carriage. Lilibeth clatters her cutlery down and follows him. Crispin still doesn't do anything, only stares at me long and hard. I lean over the table for a second helping of treacle pudding, and I notice that the plush dining table is made of mahogany. I can't help but wonder if it was me who supplied the wood to make it, and wonder what starving, cold and diseased Panem citizens provided the ingredients for the meal I just ate. Disgusted and put off the treacle tart, I go through to the lounge.
Finbar and Lilibeth are relaxing on a sofa, watching a television screen that is at least ten times bigger than Frank's. I sit down beside them.
A tough boy from District 1 volunteers instantly. There's something about his face that's very menacing. The girl chosen from District 1 looks far too small and innocent to be from the luxury goods district, because most of the teenagers in the crowd look like they could snap a spine in half. District 1 train teenagers for the Hunger Games, which is technically against the rules.
A similar looking boy from District 2 also volunteers, along with a square-jawed girl. District 2 are the favourites of the Capitol. Officially, they are the stone mining district, but it is well known that most Peacekeepers are supplied from there. The teenagers from there are also trained, and they are the most likely to be the victors.
District 3 offers two young teenagers, and just by looking at the two, I can tell they will be one of the first ones to die. District 3 are the technology district, so they don't have much advantage weapons-wise. But believe me, it's been known for teenagers from District 3 to win by using their clever contraptions.
District 4 is the fishing district, and they supply two sparkling Tributes. They are the last of the Career districts, along with 1 and 2. It's likely they will be part of the Careers, and they're definitely contenders to win. With their amazing accuracy with tridents and skills with knots, they're a force to be reckoned with.
The two kids reaped from District 5 both look younger than fourteen, and look like they've never had a proper meal. Their district supplies electricity, so it's likely they'll never see home again.
District 6 are probably in charge of this train, because their speciality is transportation. The two teenagers reaped from there don't look like a threat at all.
Then the cameras change to show the reaping from District 7. They make Lilibeth look even more vulnerable. The commentators sound less than excited to see her chosen. And then Tobiah's name is read from the slip, and the commentators coo sympathetically, although it's easy to tell they're not too happy that he was picked. Someone who is killed instantly is no fun at all.
That's why they go crazy when I volunteer. They shout and jump and laugh. By my muscles and fierce face, they can tell I'm going to be a fighter.
That's when I leave, because it sickens me, hearing the Capitol people being entertained by me. I go through to my bedroom, and lie down on the bed. I wonder what the time is, and I reach into my trouser pocket to check the pocket watch. But then I remember it will still be in my old trousers, so I go through to the dressing room to look in the pockets. But no matter how much I rummage through them, I can't find my father's pocket watch. Then I realise it must have fallen out my pocket at the reaping, and I never noticed.
Just like that, the only thing I have left of my father is gone. And for the first time in years, I cry. I ball myself up on the bed, and cry myself to sleep.