Train Ride I
Kai Seagray, District 4
x.x
"Troubled spirits on my chest where they laid to rest. The birds all left, my tall friend, as your body hit the sand."
Your Bones — Of Monsters and Men
x.x
The first thing I notice when I wake up on the train is that I'm being slightly observed by a figure I cannot yet make out in the distance. I rub my eyes and let out a long yawn before realizing the figure belongs to none other than the famous Annie Cresta, our female mentor. She offers me a wry smile and moves closer so as to give me something. I frown, not knowing what she's doing, and then I realize she wants to give me some breakfast.
"For you." she says, grinning.
I smile at her kindly, knowing of her condition. I take the small dish of food and she nods. A moment later, she walks away as if nothing has happened.
I frown lightly, wondering whether would I go insane like Annie if I win the Games. I've always thought I'm strong enough to be a good match to the careers, but who knows. I munch a little piece of carrot thoughtfully – who eats carrots for breakfast anyway? – and run my fingers down my coal-black hair just to sort my thoughts into place. I think of Finnick, our male mentor, and how he became the Capitol's golden boy after winning the Games at age fourteen. He is now near his thirties, but he is still what you would call the Capitol's hugest eye candy. Everyone adores him, and still he seems to have eyes for no-one but Annie Cresta. It's weird, isn't it? How love works. I suppose it's all about care and support in the end, not that fiery passion some girls tend to adore.
As I ponder over this, my compartment door slides open. There I find none other than Finnick Odair — twenty-nine years of age, a toddler son back in District 4 and an everlasting fiery smile on his face. He rubs his hands and then crosses his arms, glancing at me with a scanning look on his face.
"Well, well, well." He says, nodding repeatedly. "I think we haven't been introduced properly, Kai. Name's Finnick Odair." He offers me his hand and I shake it firmly, knowing that I probably need to give a good first impression if I want to . . . well, stay alive and everything. "I see you're eating what Annie brought you, right? Fantastic. Lana's gotten just the same thing. Should get your brains going before midday," he chuckles quietly at the mention of this year's female tribute. Her name is Lana, and she definitely seems like a tough cookie. I might try and become her ally, but I'm not sure yet.
"Anyhow," says Finnick, studying me carefully. It somehow bothers me to feel so obsessed. "I think we can work with your athletic aptitudes. From what I see you must be a fisher of some sort, right?" I nod quietly, and he gives me a grin. "Come on, Kai, I'm not gonna eat you or anything."
"I – uh – yeah, I'm a fisher," I end up mumbling, nodding carefully. "Working on shore most of the time, but yeah."
"Good, good," says Finnick approvingly. "So we've got . . . strength, running skills – do you think you're agile, Kai?" I shrug and nod, and he seems pleased. "Okay, great. We can work with that. I'll go talk to Annie and I'll see what she's gathered from – "
Finnick's words are cut rather abruptly by a loud yell coming from the other side of the train. Finnick's smug expression becomes a frown of worry, and he quickly leaps up from his seat next to my table and he glances outside the compartment, only to hear the voice yelling again.
"LEAVE ME ALONE!"
I finally manage to recognize Lana's voice. I frown, looking at Finnick with a worried expression. Without saying a word, he bolts down the corridor to where I manage to spot Annie standing very still on the spot, her eyes brimmed with tears. I watch how he quickly runs up to her and places his arms around her, whispering what seems like comforting words into her ear. I can't hear a word, but from the look on their faces I assume they're managing to soothe her down. Lana is standing a few feet away from them, her hands over her mouth.
"Oh, gosh, I'm sorry," she says. "I'm so, so, sorry, I . . . I don't know what happened, I just got really mad!"
Finnick shushes her with an angry gesture, and she looks at me desperately. I glare at her scornfully, but say nothing. Now that I come to think of it, perhaps the fact that Annie and Finnick might both like me better than Lana after this will incede positively on my performance in the Games. I look at her quietly and wonder if I should just leave her there, but then I see that she really does look desperate. After exhaling a long sigh, I signal her to come over to my compartment.
Once she's inside, I glance at her disdainfully. "What happened?"
She bites her lower lip nervously and fidgets with her t-shirt. "Annie said I was probably going to die and that she could do little about that. But at least she'd brought pancakes." I see how she gulps guiltily and I end up placing a hand on her shoulder. I don't even know why I'm doing it, but I don't think it's fair to make her look like the evil one around here anyway.
"Hey, don't worry," I say, trying to sound comforting. I've never been good at speaking to girls, but I try my best. "I'll try and talk to Finnick later. Tell him it was a mistake."
Lana nods quietly, and I decide to squeeze her shoulder gently and give her a comforting smile, to which she answers with a similar one. I've never really thought of having any allies in the Arena, but after giving it some thought I have come to the conclusion that Lana might be a useful one. Still, I do not dare mention it.
She leaves a little later. I peer out to the corridor and find that Finnick and Annie are sitting together in the train's small dining room. His arm is wrapped tightly around her shoulders and his lips are resting over her head. He flashes an apologetical look at me, and I simply shrug understandingly. I decide it'll be best to just let them be for the time being. I quietly walk down to my compartment and lay down on my bed yet again. I stare at the ceiling quietly, wondering what will become of me once I get to the Arena. There's twenty-three chances out of twenty-four that I'll die, and that won't change no matter what. You can be strong, smart, quick and cunning and then die because of something that's very simply out of your grasp. That's the Hunger Games, that's the Capitol; that's how life goes. And who am I to question that?
The answer seems to appear only a second later: I'm Kai Seagray, District 4 tribute in the 80th Hunger Games.
Weeeeeell, there you go. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. I honestly couldn't wait to write Annie and Finnick with Odesta being my otp and such and such. But anyhow, hope you liked it and pleeeease I'd love to know if I'm doing well with your characters so far!
Coming next – Daniel Berg, District 3!
-vandenburgs.
