Author's note: Finally the awaited arrival in the Capitol! In this chapter you get to see some of Willow's fears and her emotionally fragile state, although there may or may not be more to the girl than what initially meets the eye.

Chapter 5: A Duo of Nightmares

Kale had slept soundly, although a certain girl over in the next compartment wasn't so fortunate. The boy had been fast asleep when he heard a piercing scream protruding from the next compartment, unmistakably Willow's. This startled the boy who had attempted to investigate, but not before he picked up the din of other footsteps in the hallway. Realizing who it was, he simply stirred before falling back asleep. He was well aware of where he was about to end up in only several hour's time. The Capitol. The very destination that would nurture him before dragging him to his death.

Willow found herself covered in sweat as she bolted awake, realizing what exactly she had just been subject to. It was well known that many victors suffered from the dreaded nightmares, but did tributes as well? The entire prospect hit Willow as a ton of bricks as she began to contain her heavy breathing to calm down. It certainly wasn't something to go over Thorn's head either as he finally stumbled into the room, likely intoxicated already. He did have some semblance of cognition, however so simply glanced at Willow before embracing her. "Nightmares? It happens to the best of us. Think it's bad now? Just wait until you come out of that arena. Some nights you will wish you were dead." He chuckled, although very quickly he could tell that the girl wasn't amused as she put on a frown.

"Now is not really the time to joke about that! I have family…" Willow pleaded, softening her speech as she once again thought about those at home she was leaving behind. Certainly with her gone it was one less mouth to feed, but she knew very well she was one of the main breadwinners for the family. Perhaps even Kale realized that, thus wanting her to win. Of course that didn't entirely add up either as the boy easily had the option to not select her at all, yet he had. Suddenly the very thought of that simply angered her, prompting another scream. Thorn jumped in surprise even if it took him several seconds to comprehend.

"I…I…I hate Kale. I don't want to play this stupid game! I have nothing to offer!" Willow explained, soon slamming her fists into the bed's mattress. By this point she was nearly in tears, but she knew it was a set of emotions she could never publicly display to either the Capitol or her partner. No, both had to be strong. Both had to survive long enough to be memorable. It was certainly inevitability in a death match that anybody could pass on at any time. This was somehow a fate she was currently not dreading so much for the likes of Kale, but the two were forced to work together now; both had to somehow help each other out to produce a District 11 victor. "I dreamt that you, me, Kale, and all the others were mutilated and bloodied. To add insult to injury Lucia and all of her inner circle were giving off a sinister laugh." She soon found herself changing the subject, letting out a sigh.

"Lucia? You mean Lucia Snow? Our president?" Thorn interjected, trying to make sense of the whole thing even in his intoxicated state. Willow simply let out another sigh.

"Yes, who else?" She retorted, sarcastically.

"Hah, just testing you, kid."

"So not funny, Thorn." By this point Willow was only growing increasingly annoyed by the man and simply wanted nothing more for this entire experienced to have been a horrible nightmare, but it wasn't. She really was on a train bound for her death while the real nightmare had just ended.

"Shit, maybe you're right. So uncalled for." Thorn scratched his head, staring at Willow quite bemusedly before unleashing his grasp on her. At this point the girl shoved him away anyway, something the man didn't want to instigate further.

"Just come get me once we arrive at death's doorstep." Willow retorted before lying back down. Almost immediately thoughts of the same nightmare filled her head. What did it all even mean? She hoped it wasn't a premonition of what was to come, but she realized she was overanalyzing the whole thing. The prep team would never end up dead by the president's hand. Not as long as they complied with Capitol rule. They didn't seem to be the types to quickly break out of it either if the warnings of the last rebellion were anything to go by. No, Lucia would not repeat any of her grandfather's mistakes.

Sure enough, seemingly hours later Thorn made a return to Willow's compartment, implying it was time to go. A lump formed in her throat. She knew exactly where to, the one place that the very boy she suddenly despised would have to follow her to. "I'm up, but I just want breakfast." She groaned as she finally ushered Thorn out of the room so she could shower and prepare herself for the day. The Capitol technology was definitely unusual for the girl, but between a few too many squirts of a mysterious pink liquid and water hot enough to parch the skin she soon made it out of the shower in one piece. This brought a smile to her face as she finally finished up her morning routine and made her way to the breakfast table. "I survived. Those showers are weird."

Aelius glanced up from his own breakfast and let out a small chuckle. "We can't have our tributes dying before they even make it to the arena!" He soon bellowed out, startling both Willow and Kale who were both beginning to stuff their own faces. Very quickly Willow found herself wanting to give the flamboyant Capitol man a piece of her mind as well just as she had Thorn, but she figured that now was not a great time to get on his bad side. Even the small argument with Thorn was one she was quickly coming to regret, but it had been more excusable due to his intoxicated state. Willow was sure he likely had little recollection of it now. He certainly didn't bring it up as breakfast wore on. In fact, the team sat in complete silence for several moments before Aelius finally stood up in excitement.

"Take a look! The Capitol!" Aelius bellowed, hardly even finished downing his drink as he spoke. He also pointed out the window and upon first glance Willow spotted the outskirts of what was arguably one of the most magnificent things she'd seen in her short seventeen years. Despite what it represented in the eyes of almost all of District 11, the Capitol definitely had a better taste in architecture than they did fashion. The towering futuristic skyscrapers further confirmed this. She was also well aware of the rumours that each one had supposedly been reconstructed from rubble at the end of the last rebellion, although many believed it to be mere propaganda. Willow herself was indifferent about the matter, however.

"Well that's something you certainly don't see every day." Willow commented as she continued taking it all in before finally hitting the final stretch of the journey into the city. Kale simply nodded in agreement as he stared on at the city in similar awe. This, of course, was soon interrupted as the train began rapidly slowing down as it approached the station. It was there the two tributes also caught their first glance at the outrageous Capitol fashions. Much to their surprise, Aelius was actually more on the modest side. This had Kale bursting out laughing as he spotted a citizen with modifications to make him resemble a reptile of some sort. Willow caught a glanced out of the corner of her eye, although she could only shrug. That was what the Capitol was doing off the backs of the district citizens? It was a rather horrifying thought, but one she knew she couldn't voice publicly.

"Well here we are. The Capitol station. Remember, you need to make an impression; smiles on and be friendly!" Aelius advised as the train finally came to a halt at the platform. As Willow continued glancing out the window she immediately spotted crowds of Capitol citizens gathering around, no doubt to get their very first glance at this year's tributes. It was said that consideration for sponsorship began right at the train station, after all, although Willow knew that in reality some were probably selected right back during the Reaping. Certainly the careers were as they were almost always the game's victors; in her lifetime alone Willow could remember at least two incidents of them emerging victorious. Even now she cringed at the thought of having to face them, but she knew that if she got extremely lucky it was possible they would be eliminated before they even got their hands on her. That was simply wishful thinking though as nobody outmatched the careers. All this wishful thinking quickly shifted to horror, however, as the train doors finally opened up to reveal frantic cheering from those awaiting Willow and Kale's presence. The girl stared on in bewilderment as she awaited her opportunity.

"Here it goes. The real nightmare begins." Willow uttered as she held her breath tin finally begin the short journey from the train to the tower apartment building several metres in front of her. She knew the Capitol strategically set up train platforms adjacent to the building specifically for tributes and if it was a way to intimidate them it was definitely working on Willow. Not even for a single second could she rest easy as she put on a decoy smile and began waving towards the crowds that were literally cheering on the deaths of 23 children. Naturally, there was hope from them for a lone victor, but Willow thought them insane if they honestly believed she would emerge as the victor of the 100th Annual Hunger Games. This was only reinforced by the fact they began recanting a familiar chant that had first allegedly made an appearance during the 44th Annual Hunger Games.

"District 11, District 11! Those who give us fruits, give us strength!" It was a catchy set of words, almost hauntingly so, that now echoed in Willow's head as she continued through the crowds, finally finding refuge inside the doors of the apartment building. Upon arrival she let out a massive sigh of relief, although she knew that even once she reached the 11th floor it was only the beginning. This marked the beginning of the end, and surely the beginning of what was just another nightmare. This one, however, was much more vivid.