(Thanks to Hahukum Konn, AlexTheMortal, Mulligatawny and Ryukisu for your reviews! Okay, I've gotten past the intro so I can get rolling towards the game. It may pass pretty fast, but the bulk of my story will be in the games! Read on!
Jasper POV – District 1
Oh man... I feel sick, and not only because the train is going around 250 miles per hour, hurtling across the tracks. I look outside the window from my private compartment as the scenery speeds past, too fast for me to register what we passed.
The moment I volunteered, my sister has been completely silent. I haven't heard a word from her in the hour since we volunteered. Amber just stares, stony-eyed, at the brilliantly embroidered seats of the train.
Once again, I think to myself; Is this MY fault? Is she quiet because her brother volunteered? But I quickly persuade myself what I'm doing is for the best. It's to protect my sister from the dangers of the world.
"Are you okay?" A thin, slightly trembling voice asks from behind me.
I turn in my reverie to my mentor, Jaden. Up, I can see that despite only being a year older than me, he looks worn, and was now wearing glasses, propped upon his nose.
"I'm fine, just thinking. How is Amber?" I ask, concerned for my sister. Maybe she's ill, contracted a bug or something.
Jaden sighed, pushing his glasses further up his nose, before sitting down on a wooden chair with cushions. "Your sister is being rather quiet. Not even Festive's techniques are working. And trust me; Festive tortured one of the tributes in her games until the tribute told everything he knew. And I mean everything, who his parents were, when he first learnt to walk, and so on so forth." I note that when Jaden mentions Festive, his face turns grim. Maybe this is because of the contrast between the two winners. On one hand, Jaden is quiet, kind of reserved, but not afraid to talk about problems, while Festive is boisterous, and boarding on the edge of crazy.
"She isn't harming her... right?" I ask hesitantly, feeling the pangs of wanting to protect my sister already rising in my chest.
"Your sister is fine." Jaden sighed once again, closing his eyes. "But, I am here to talk about you, Jasper."
"About what?" I ask out of curiosity.
"You are in the Hunger Games now. You need tactics and techniques if you want to win." Jaden says, but I instantly disagree.
"I'm not winning, my sister is." I snap harshly, and I see Jaden's eyes widen in astonishment.
"P-pardon me?"
"You heard me."
Jaden coughs into his hand, before wiping back his hair with his other. "Well... are you... set... on that approach?"
"Of course." I exclaim. "I'm going to protect my sister, no matter the costs!"
"But what if the cost is your life?" Jaden says quietly, his fingers interlocked on his lap. He stares hard into my eyes, with a mixture of pity and caring, and I stay defiantly back.
"Anything for my sister." I repeat slowly, ignoring the cold feeling washing over my back.
Jaden stands up, and breathes out slowly. "Well... if you ever want to talk, you know where to find me. But Jasper, think about it."
"Think about what?"
Jaden's eyes darken and he once again fixes me with the hard stare. "What if Amber dies? What if she is killed in the blood-bath? What would you do then? Would you stand by her body until you are killed by a tribute or otherwise? Or will you win for you sister? Another option would be to kill yourself, bring District 1 into outrage, all to end your own grief." Jaden turns, and exits the room.
I feel hot, anger bubbling over me. Who is he to talk to me like that? Who is he, a winner who shouldn't have won, to say what I should do. But I can't help but hear his words over and over again.
What IF Amber gets killed?
Dan Miller POV – District 7
This sucks. This really, REALLY sucks. I can't believe it, I just can't! Chosen, the chances of being chosen are miniscule, tiny, and nonexistent! But it happened, and now I'm stuck in a train full of silence apart from the rumble of the engines.
I have to say, I've never been on a vehicle, but I don't like it, if I'm honest. I'm used to trees and natural things, not mechanical beasts. But then again, it is pretty cool, the way everything Is interconnected and working with electricity.
"So... S-s-Sabrina... what a-are you planning t-to do-do?" The female mentor, Mocking-bird or something... Woodpecker! That's the once. What kind of name is Woodpecker though? Mind you, her stammer IS like the pecking of those damn birds.
"I don't want to talk about it." Sabrina says quietly, her shoulders shaking as she looks down at her untouched meal. Ha! What a damn wuss. I didn't volunteer, and you don't see me crying like a goddamn baby.
Once again the room plunges into silence, almost unbearable. I'm used to my friends rants and insults, not this... this boredom. I thought I was going to be treated to luxury, but this is torture!
"Is this room STILL silent?" The escort, Lita, suddenly booms from her seat, already on her third plate of rich meat. "What a half-assed attempt at conversation. Sometimes I think that you should have lost your games, Woodpecker."
Woodpecker glares at Lita, and I almost laugh out loud. That was a pathetic glare. I've seen better glares from monkey's.
"Don't be so hard on her Lita" Hatchet, my mentor, says. His voice is old, but it's hard. "Woodpecker, don't listen to her." Hatchet smiles warmly at Woodpecker, who smiles back.
"Ha!" Lita exclaims, slamming her hand down on the table. I see Sabrina jump slightly. She IS an idiot, isn't she? "At least you, Hatchet, have the killer in you. Strangling a person with a rope, a WOMAN no less?"
"That was only because I didn't want to die." Hatchet said. "It was either me, or her, and I had a baby waiting for me."
"What, the baby who died before you even got back?" Lita says with a flash of a grin.
Ouch. Even I felt that one. If I had a stamp saying 'bully' on it, I'd smash it so hard into Lita's face her skull would collapse!
Woah... that was a scary thought... I don't usually think about blood-thirsty things like that. Hitting people, that's fine and dandy, but killing people? This year's Hunger Games are such a damn drag, considering most are innocent and scared kids. Well... apart from that huge mammoth Xavier, from District 10. I'd hate to be the person who gets within reach of him.
I know! Maybe I'll form an alliance with that wimp Sabrina, before beating her to a pulp and leaving her for dead. Yeah... that sounds good. Wow; I'm actually getting somewhere!
Tilly POV - District 5
Once again, I question myself for my actions. Am I risking my life just to prove my dad wrong? But, once again, I answer exactly the same. It's for my mother, to find a cure. And anyway, I promised to myself that I'd come back for Lily and for mom.
"Did you hear me?"
I turn to look at the escort, whose name I learned was Sly. I'm not sure what kind of name Sly is, but it's not nice, to reflect the escort. His hair looks greasier up close, and his make-up makes him look he worships the dead. He probably does, actually.
"No. Sorry."
Sly scowls. "I said, if you were listening, are you planning on allying with Ryder, or will your mentor's train you separately?"
I glance over to the rather big Ryder, who is sitting quietly on his seat. But just by looking into his eyes, I can see that he isn't the person I'd like to work with. I'm not sure why, but he'd most likely be a hindrance, rather than a help. "I'd rather work by myself." I glance to Ryder again, afraid he'd be insulted, but he nods slowly.
"Same with me."
Well, that was easy.
I notice Sly is constantly scowling. Maybe his make-up deformed his face. "Well, go and talk with your mentors before you eat. Dinner shall be on the hour." Sly gets up, turns on his heels, and strides out of the doors, leaving me and Ryder alone with our mentors.
And god, are mentor's are the strangest people I met.
First, there is Ryder's mentor, a man named Gus. Gus had some kind of defect at birth, and as such his left arm is undeveloped, and is hooked, sticking out the side of his shoulder. I'm actually afraid to know how he managed to win his games twenty odd years ago.
And then there's Angel. Angel is a bit... well... loopy. Her brown eyes are constantly wide open and she half smiles, half scowls. When she talks, she occasionally veers off into some completely unrelated subject to what was being initially discussed.
Gus stands up, and motions silently to Ryder, before disappearing through another door in the train. Ryder gets up silently and follows, leaving me and Angel alone.
"Hello Tilly." Angel says, her voice like a whisper, but somehow impactful.
I sigh. We'd gone through this before when I first met her just before I got on the train. "Hello Angel."
"Enjoying yourself?"
"Not really, it has to be said. But then again, who DOES enjoy themselves in these games?"
"My father liked the games... he supported them. His name was James, I think... or Joe... it might have been Ronald though... Yes, that was it. Well, Isaac, my father was 23 I think. Or was it 40? No... that was my mother, whose name was Susan, or possibly Sally. Susan was my pet cat, a tabby. The stripes on her reminded me of my clothes... and what good clothes they were..."
Oh god, save me now. I have a rambler to try and get me through these games. But hey, I already know what I'm gonna do. Wait until I'm in the arena, and then figure out the best approach. One thing is for sure though; I'm not participating in the Blood Bath. I'll only kill if I have to.
I unconsciously stroke the belt around my waist. The belt was given to me by my mother, long ago it seems. It did contain herbs and medicines, but now is empty due to it being 'considered threatening'. Well, the belt is worth more to me than what it contains. It's my token, I guess you could say.
"...my house was a small house, but not too small. I would say roughly big, but not too big. Medium, like the size of my best friends clothes..."
I resist the urge to smack my head against the table. How the heck am I meant to survive with someone like Angel trying to teach me? I'll die before I even reach the arena!