I actually wrote this chapter yesterday, but I wasn't able to add it because I lost internet service because of Hurricane Sandy. But this hurricane also means no school for a week! Yay!


A few minutes later, we are all aboard the train to the Capitol. The station in District 12 has only been used for the old, slow coal trains that transport the coal we mine to the Capitol, and the bare necessities, such as grain, back to us. So I was surprised to see a high-speed, silver Capitol-made train waiting for us on the tracks. According to Decima, it travels over 400 kilometers per hour, and since District 12 is the farthest district away, we'll reach the Capitol sometime in the afternoon tomorrow.

Decima leads me and the other tribute, Ellis, to a car. It has a plain table in the center with three chairs, all with small cushions on the seats, surrounding it. There is a couch against one wall that's facing a television mounted on the opposite wall. All along the train walls are windows, though I only see blurs of green and blue through them we are traveling so fast.

"You're rooms are through that door," Decima tells us, pointing to the opposite end of the car. "Wear anything in the closet, order any food, but be out in time for dinner at 6 o'clock!"

Ellis and I walk through the door, and come to a long hallway. On one side, there's a door with a plaque that says 12F on it. That must be mine, so I open the door and walk in. The room is plain—white walls, fluffy white carpet, a metal-framed bed with white sheets and a white blanket, and a metal bedside table with a lamp.

I don't even notice the doors until I accidentally push a button on the wall, which silently slides open to reveal a bathroom. I press the button again the hidden door closes so tightly I can't see its outline. Then I make a point of investigating the whole room in search of buttons. I find one that opens a walk-in closet equipped with every item of clothing I need and a lot that I have no idea when I would ever need. Another button, which is located by the head of the bed, brings food to you immediately if you just whisper what you want. By accident, a steaming hot platter of muttonchops was delivered to me because I had exclaimed "a button" when I had found that particular one.

I eat the meat while staring out the window, trying to catch a glimpse of the passing districts. It hasn't been that long since we boarded the train, so maybe we're passing through District 11 or 10 as of now. I dispose of the bones from the muttonchops in a waste chute that opens by means of another button. I lick my fingers carefully to get rid of all the grease, and then go take a closer look at my closet.

All the clothes are arranged by type and color. There are dresses ranging from evening gowns to sundresses hanging in a rainbow on the top rack. Shirts and sweaters are on the rack below them, along with pants. There is a stack of drawers containing undergarments, some so lacy that they're barely there at all. A rack of shoes hangs from the back wall holding maybe twenty pairs.

I stay in my red velvet dress, though. For some reason, I just don't think I can touch any of these clothes. They're too well ironed, folded, hung, and organized, and I'm afraid of messing this perfect closet up. Someone took time to create this wardrobe, and by wearing something I feel like I'd taint the entire ensemble. In fact—it's the same way with everything in this room. The way everything is white; it's like the tiniest speck of dust would ruin it.

Suddenly, I'm really tired, so I crawl under the covers of the bed, careful not to wrinkle the sheets too much. The mattress is so soft, that I feel like I'm floating on a cloud—it's a big difference from the mattress back home in District 12, where half the springs were poking out of the fabric already. I'd never really realized how uncomfortable that one was until now, though. I fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow.


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