Sorry for the delay! I went to my Grandma's house and she doesn't have wifi...but the good news is that I got about three chapters written!


Abohe Greene, Age 16.

"Do you dye your hair?" The perky woman, Aelia, asked me. I was lying on a table, almost completely naked, with my Capitol prep team taking care of all of my 'imperfections.' I glanced over to where Aelia, her literal white skin splashed with periwinkle polka-dots, held my white-blonde hair in between her delicate fingers.

"No, ma'am. It's natural." She gasped, her Capitol accent almost making me laugh. Not to be rude of course, I'd never be rude, but just because it made everything she said sound utterly ridiculous.

"Natural?" There was only Aelia and a man named Ovidius on my prep team, probably because I wasn't naturally hairy or gross. She pursed her lips and tapped her boot against the cold metal of the Remake Center floor. It was freezing on bare feet. "I think that with what Sabine is going for, if we put a little dab of color here," she pointed to my eyes, thinking out loud, "We could…..Ovidius, what do you think?" The man smiled, and peered at my face, as if I was some kind of china doll put on display. I haven't enjoyed one moment of this 'remaking,' and I'm scared out of my mind for the Games.

"Oh, yes." An unnaturally deep voice, with an equally elaborate accent agreed. "These Games are going to be so much fun!" I closed my eyes, waiting for the 'remaking' to be finished. After they finished with my eyebrows, they rubbed a pleasant-smelling lotion on my arms, legs, chest, and anywhere else they did damage to. (I assume it was medicinal, but I don't know for sure) After a couple more minutes of plucking, they stood me up, wrapping me in the soft white robe.

"You look beautiful!" Aelia squealed, almost jumping up and down. "And you'll absolutely stunning when Sabine is finished!" She turned to Ovidius, shaking with excitement. "I'm SUPER happy right now!" Ovidius gently took her arm, trying to calm her down. I think that they're siblings.

"Let's go get Sabine for Miss…..um…..." He paused. "How do you pronounce your name, dear? Ab-o-he?" I shook my head, and recited that my name is pronounced 'Ava' like I have done a million times for everyone I've ever met. The District Eight escort still called me 'Ab-o-he' even though I had tried to remind her nicely that that wasn't how my name was pronounced.

"It's pronounced A-va."

"Alright, Miss Abohe, Aelia and I will go and get your stylist. She's dying to meet you!"

"Thank you." I mumbled, feeling very tired. From the little window letting light in from the outside, I could tell it was late afternoon. I waited a few moments, and then an elderly lady pushed open the door. Her skin was pulled back so far, it made my eyes hurt just to look at her, as if her baby-pink dyed skin would split if she attempted to smile. But, she did smile, and her grin was so big that I could see her hot pink tooth caps, giving her the impression of fuchsia fangs. It was….frightening. I could remember Sabine from several past Games, and she had a terrible habit of dressing District Nine in the same, plain Baker outfit.

"Hello, darling! How are we doing today?" She shrilled.

"Pretty good, thank you." She took a seat in one of the grey chairs. Sabine crossed her legs, and tapped a long finger against her cheekbone, thinking. Her fingernails matched her teeth.

"Are you excited for the Games?"

"Not particularly, sorry."

"I get that all the time. I don't know why you wouldn't be though. Glory! Honor! A chance at…..wait for it…..FAME AND FORTUNE!" She finished. I looked at my toes, trying to avoid her gaze.

"Well, I guess it's better than my situation back in Nine."

"Oh." I think she got that I didn't exactly want to talk about it. She looked around the room for something to talk about, and then let out an excited 'Ooh' when she remembered.

"So, there's this new thing that I'm trying with my tributes, and that's to get to know you and you can get to know me, so that I can design something that's totally, 100% YOU! So, I'll start. My name is Sabine, I was born in the Capitol around, well, a lady never reveals her age. I've always wanted to be a stylist, so around thirty years ago I was the District Twelve stylist. I worked my way up, but found that I liked District Nine the best!" I think it's because she isn't very good at styling. "I love the color pink, and my poochie. And lots of other things. Now tell me about you!" I shuffled my feet uncomfortably.

"Well, my name is Abohe Greene, spelled A-b-o-h-e, I'm sixteen, and live with my grandmother and brother, Amos. He's twenty, and I live with my grandmother because both of my parents are dead." I tried not to give away the fact that my grandmother makes my life very difficult, blames me for the death of my mother, and hates me with a burning passion.

"Tragic. If it doesn't seem rude, how did they die?"

"Well, my mother died in childbirth, and my dad died of a broken heart, I guess. No one ever really was clear about that with me." Sabine nodded.

"That…..that is very sad. I'm sorry, darling." She patted her hair to make sure it was in place, and stood back up. "So, as you probably know, we stylists come up with all of your outfits, from the Chariot rides, interviews, and if you win, the Victory Tour! So, what La Sabine and Gaius have been thinking of for the Chariot rides is a magnificent, stunning….baker's outfit. How does that sound?" She stood, eyebrows high, waiting for positive response. I didn't want to hurt her feelings but District Nine was always dressed up like bakers, since we are the district that supplies grain.

"Oh, yes. That sounds wonderful. Thank you." I just wanted to leave. Go back to Nine, even if I had to go back to my grandmother. I wouldn't mind her yelling if I could just stay alive…

My prep team rushed back into the room, talked to Sabine about make-up techniques, and then I was back on the table again. Sabine rushed out to put some last-minute touches on my costume.

I think it's awful, just awful. Usually I can keep calm and collected in stressful situations, and I did. At least….at the reapings. When we got on the train, I was pretty ok as well, but the first night in my compartment, alone….

I lost it. Who wouldn't? Getting your named pulled is almost a definite death sentence. And I don't want to die. I don't think I've ever cried so much in my life.

Oh, if there's a god, please help me.

Aldrian Dusk, Age 17.

"So you like the idea?" Gaius smiled. I couldn't care less about the chariot rides, so I smiled back and nodded.

"Sounds great to me."

"Wonderful!" He clapped his hands together. As my stylist scurried out of the room, giggling to himself, I let down my act and collapsed in a chair. I held my head in my hands and took five deep breaths. This is happening too fast. Just a week ago, I was working, supporting my mother and little sister. I needed to take out tesserae, but the odds were supposed to be in my favor…

It wasn't supposed to happen like this. It was supposed to be someone else. My family can't possibly survive without me. I ran my hand through my thick black hair, trying to think. My prep team rushed in, holding the ridiculous baker's outfit, and dressed me up. It took a while because the outfit was a little more complicated than I thought, with a course, creamy-white shirt with puffy sleeves that tucked into blue denim overalls, with an added apron and one of those cliché floppy hats. Although, as they spun me around to look into the mirror, I pulled it off pretty well. I was rushed into another room, where they put makeup on me (much to my distaste, might I add) so that I wouldn't look washed-out to the cameras. Just a week ago, I was working in the fields, and the Capitol didn't want anything to do with me. Now, I'm going on parade. It's all so confusing and strange. I was taken to an elevator with Gaius, my prep team, Abohe's prep team, and Abohe. I gave her a smile and a nod. I don't know her very well, but we're partners, and may have to put on a show for all the citizens of the Capitol. The steel door opened, and a smell I've never smelled before hit my nose. The smell of…horses? There was a chariot right in front of us; four creamy white horses that match our shirts were tethered with rope, trapping them against the cold chariot. As the Capitol attendants wrangled us into the chariot, I glanced around the virtual stable at the other tributes. To my right, there were the tributes from Eight, a girl with bright red hair and a boy with hair that's light brown. To my left were the tributes from Ten, both pale.

I leaned over to Abohe, and whispered:

"Are you scared?" She raised an eyebrow at me, and I let out a half-hearted laugh. "Because I sure am." At my confession, she seemed to loosen up.

"Yeah."

"I'm sure we'll be fine."

"Thanks." The doors open, and I can see the Capitol waiting.

Well, here I come.


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