6.
TRAIN
(part one)
BREE SHANKLES, DISTRICT 3 FEMALE TRIBUTE (Lighty 7)
Age: 12
I try to keep an even, sheltered look on my face on my face as I'm led out of my district's silver Justice Building. Since the train station is merely a block away, we, meaning myself, Olla (the escort) and Benedict, walk. I wish we were given a moment in a car to collect ourselves. I'm twelve, I deserve to feel afraid, but I can't show it to the cameras. Not now. I can't act weak in the presence of another tribute.
Even though Benedict is five years older than me, he, at the most, is four inches taller than me. Here in district three, we don't grow to be that tall. Maybe it has something to do with the cramped apartment living that we're all subjected to. Being from the orphanage, mine were even worse. I shared it with five girls, all younger than me, with only two queen beds. None liked my suggestion of switching out sleeping on the floor; so on a bad night, I was crammed into a bed with two other warm, usually dirty bodies. Maybe there could be a benefit to going to the capitol: good sleeping situations.
It takes about five minutes to walk the block, thanks to the darting hover-cameras, the real-person paparazzi, and the clueless crowd still making their way back to their homes. I don't like them. I never did, but now that they've voted me in, I really don't like them. Even though I hardly have a chance regardless, I vow now to not win, so they won't get any extra food. They don't deserve it.
NICK WESTWAY, DISTRICT 12 MALE TRIBUTE (Mrs. Cato)
Age: 15
"Go clean yourself up." Jallie snaps at me, and I jump. I hate this woman already. Since district 12 has no victors thus far to speak of, the capitol provides us with a pair of "games coaches" to compensate for the lack of advice-givers. I'd rather be on my own, truthfully. "You're covered in soot."
"Gee, wonder why?" I snarl under my breath, and I see her gearing up for a response. I turn around the corner though, before she can respond back to me. I really hope she isn't the one assigned to me. I'd much rather have Loave, who is male and much more laid-back.
Once I'm in my own quarters, I slide off my khaki reaping pants and my white crewneck. It's true, they are covered in coal dust, but I hardly mind. As an afterthought, I pick up both of the articles of clothing and shake them over my bed, the carpet, and the marble in the bathroom. The fine black dust frees itself from the shirt and pants, leaving a layer of the matter all over the white carpet and bedding. Feels more like home already. Now, if only I could actually be home.
RONALD KEY, DISTRICT 6 MALE (IronLOTRgurl)
Age: 15
The minute I step onto the train, it starts moving. I'm thrown off balance, careening into a framed picture of President Clare. It crashes to the ground, the glass shattering into a million pieces. I stop, watching the glass rip the thin picture to shreds, and wonder if this is somehow an omen. But I can't figure out how this connects to me, so I keep moving down the hallway, headed for the smell of food. Inside, our mentor waits. I can never remember his name, but I do remember his games. Brutal.
"Enjoy!" He beckons to the food, and I take a seat next to Mercedes without argument. The food. It's… unbelievable. It smells so good, and there's such a great bounty of it! I hardly hesitate to dig in, which Mercedes has done already.
First, I take four of small, mini pie-like baked tarts. It seems excessive, but these are the hunger games, and who am I to turn away food?
"Quiches." Our mentor nods at my first choice. "Very good. Egg-tart things. You'll like em."
I try out his claim, and find it completely positive. They're delicious. I devour the quiches, and then when they're gone I go back for a different delicacy. It's not until three plates later that I sit back and look around the table. The mentor has left the table, to who knows where, and only our escort and Mercedes remain. Her dark hair has fell around her plate like a shield, as she slurps chicken soup. The escort looks on in horror, but it doesn't seem like Mercedes minds. Interesting girl.
CELRI ASCLEPIUS, DISTRICT 11 FEMALE (Ashbringer36)
Age: 16
After the early dinner, all I truly want to do is sleep. I'm not used to this rich food, and my stomach feels overloaded. Even the chair I'm in, padded with supple leather, makes me feel sleepy. If I tried, I probably could easily fall asleep in this chair.
"Who wants to watch the reapings?" Corvas, our escort trills. I think she's died her hair. Last year it was an onyx-like black. Now it's brown, near my shade. I like this color better on her.
"I would like to." Irvine says loudly. He seems to have recovered from his salivating stage, and now is walking around the train car, over and over and over. He seems to have access to hair dye as well, from who knows where, because nobody's hair is that shade of navy-blue in my district. One of the scariest things about him, in my opinion, is that he's tall. Really tall. Like, maybe a foot taller than me. "Not."
"Irvine." Corvas says gently. "It's usually protocol for the tributes to watch the reaping-"
"Well." His voice takes on a maniacal note. "That's one thing you'll have to learn about me. I'm not a protocol-type of guy."
We all stop and stare at the boy, shocked. Flint and Maya, our replacement mentors, clear their throats, uncomfortable. Since they live in the capitol, they have never been exposed to the insaneness that is Irvine Donald.
Poor them.
JAYCE VICIER, DISTRICT 10 MALE TRIBUTE (mkraemz)
Age: 14
My experiments. That's what landed me in here, I would bet a hundred cows on it. I can tell our mentor, Kotra, and our escort, Escala, are confused why either Irina or I are in the games. As we watch the recap, seeing the broken bodies and the hate-filled glances, it becomes clear that almost all of the districts are using this as a "cleansing" for the grime of their district.
District one is interesting, because for the first time since the first games, the chosen boy bursts into tears. He's in a wheelchair, which makes my eyes tug a little. Who in their right mind would send a crippled boy into the games? District two seems a little boring; other the normal craziness of the career-tributes, nothing is interesting. The next few tributes that stand out in my mind are the guy from district four, what's his name, Rhyland? There's something I don't trust in his dark look. After that, it's the girl from eight, who gets hate glares from practically everyone in the district. Of course, the boy from that district was pure comic relief, being about two hundred pounds and squat as hell. The boy from nine seems like a creep, along with the boy from eleven. The latter seems much more imposing, however.
Soon enough, the program is over, and the trumpets are blaring. It's sure to be an interesting games to come.
More to come! So this is one half of the train section. Who's POV was your favorite this time?
I'm thinking about doing third person for the prep/chariot rides. What do you think?
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