Welcome to the 125th Hunger Games!
Just a few things before the story begins. A reminder that this is one story out of two that are taking place during the same time. So if you are reading this story first and plan on reading the other, you may want to read the same chapter from the other in order to avoid spoilers to the character.
I will update the stories on the same day, that way once the games start you can choose which story to read first as there will be some spoilers about what might happen to the other character.
I'll let you begin the story. As always, please review and let me know what you think, good or bad. Any comments are good comments.
Let the Games begin!
Chapter 11:
The inside of the Training Center is eerily quiet as we enter the building, a stark contrast to the crowd that is still cheering about the interviews outside. Everyone around me has somber expressions on their faces as they approach their allies for one last time before the games start. A few Peacekeepers have stepped up to where Cyrus is and begin to escort him to the elevators. He goes without a fuss but as he reaches the elevator, he turns to give me one last glare. I give him a casual wave and a smirk, part of me knowing I shouldn't keep edging him on but I can't help it when I think about fighting against him. He's made me so annoyed over the past few days and I've missed fighting against the larger guys at the Training Center in Two so this will be a welcome fight for me.
"Those interviews were so much fun!" Well, almost every tribute was acting somber about the games starting tomorrow. I turn away from the elevators as the doors close on Cyrus to face the ever energetic boy from District One. A few tributes nearby are shocked by his outburst and quickly move away from him as the pair from Four approaches where I stand with the pair from One and Lance. Ryoko is practically bouncing in excitement at what just happened and Anabel watches him with a small smile on her face. "We all did so well! And Cyrus totally got put down by Glacia interrupting his interview!"
"That was a little bold," Lorelei says with a shake of her head but flashes me a smile, showing she doesn't think my boldness was a bad thing. "But he was being such a pain in the ass that I'm glad you said that. I would have but I didn't want him targeting me so better you than me," she says with a laugh and I notice the double meaning of her statement. She's hoping that Cyrus can take me out so that she can then win.
I give her a smirk and return a comment to her, "Well I suppose it would be nice for you to have him beat me but sorry to disappoint but I won't let that happen."
A brief flash of anger shows on her face before she continues to smile at me, both of us knowing that we will end up fighting in the games. It's inevitable with two trained tributes. Both of us are determined to win but I'm going to show her that I'm better than her. Before I can say anything else, Ardos interrupts, "Guys, let's leave the fighting until tomorrow." I look over at him and I know he's right but after what happened with Cyrus, I'm ready for confrontation and itching to fight someone. The few days not being in the Training Center have really made me miss the daily sparing. "We should use this time to make sure we're all ready for tomorrow."
"He's right," Lance adds and I turn to see him nodding his head in agreement. I still don't understand what his plan is with this alliance and every time he gives some input, I become even more confused. "The others have all moved away from us so let's talk and make sure everyone is on the same page."
I look around at my alliances and see them all waiting for me to speak. They've recognized me as being in charge and it brings me a small confidence boost as it reminds me that I'm the best. "Well, it will depend on where we are in relation to the Cornucopia," I begin and make eye contact with each of them before continuing. Ryoko is attentively watching me, his face showing respect for me. Clearly One has taught him to respect the older tributes who have trained. Lorelei is apprehensive towards me, clearly still wishing to be in charge. Ardos is waiting patiently to discuss the plan and shows no signs of challenging me, which isn't surprising given him being younger and with less training. Anabel is looking up at me, face showing signs of nervousness but also a determination to fight. And Lance is unreadable, but I'm sure he isn't happy towards me. "We get there right away and we fight. We have to show them that we are ready to fight and claim the Cornucopia as ours." I start to pace a little and cross my arms as I look around at the other tributes. There are enough alliances that if they all decided to target us, they could overtake us. "We need to make sure to break up the alliances. Get one person from each and no one will be able to challenge us."
"What if we're all spread out across the arena?" Anabel brings up, her voice full of worry at this thought. And it's not something completely out of question, it just doesn't happen often.
But as I think about it for a few seconds, I feel almost completely confident that it won't happen. "I don't think Lisia will do that. It's a Quarter Quell. They're going to want fighting right away. They'll put us near the weapons." I pause as I think about that slim chance that we won't be near the weapons and while I know I would be fine, the others might not be. "But if it does happen, we get there as fast as possible to beat the others."
We're silent for a few seconds as we look around at each other, the reality of the games setting in. And as I look at my allies, I realize that they are not as bad as I thought they would be from the Reapings. Anabel and Ryoko have both proven that they are ready to fight, even if they aren't as skilled as their older District partners. And the older ones are going to be good for me to fight with and I know I would be doomed without them having training. The only questionable one is Lance but other than that, we make up a pretty decent alliance for being a group made up of non-volunteers.
Ardos is the one to finally speak up. "Well, good luck tomorrow. I'm glad to have this group as my allies."
Lorelei reaches out and shakes his hand at this, a smile on her face. "Likewise. I'm looking forward to fighting with you."
I nod my head at them, a small smile on my face as I address my allies for the last time before the games start. I start to feel a small amount of pity that I met Lorelei and Ardos here because they seem talented and I would have enjoyed training with them if they lived in Two. But I quickly put these thoughts behind me, not wanting to feel friendship towards these people since they will have to die if I'm to become the victor. And I don't want to feel sorry about it. "Everyone get rested tonight and be ready to start fighting tomorrow. One of us will win these games."
No one mentions that they plan on making that person be themselves. Ardos gives me a quick nod before turning to go to the elevators, Anabel following after giving us a small wave goodbye. Lorelei and Ryoko are quick to follow after them once the pair from Four has stepped onto the elevator. Ryoko gives me an energetic hand shake before running towards the elevator, earning a head shake from Lorelei before she takes my hand, holding on to it tightly. I stand up a bit straighter and return the gesture, looking her right in the eyes. "Glacia, you're the one person I'm really looking forward to fighting against. But until we reach that point, I will fight with you. The victor will be one of us two."
The thought of the final two being me and Lorelei is actually a great thought. I would much rather have my final fight be against someone with training and who is similar in mindset to me, not Lance and Caitlin. "I agree with you. It will be a great fight to end a Quarter Quell. See you in the morning."
Lorelei gives my hand once last squeeze, a silent reminder that she will do whatever it takes to win. She lets go and I watch her walk over to where Ryoko is waiting impatiently by the elevator for her. As I watch her leave, an uneasy feeling settles in my stomach but I push it away, not wanting to address any feelings towards my allies other than them being there to help me win.
Once the elevator has closed behind the pair, Lance lets out a chuckle from next to me. I turn towards him with an eyebrow raised, curious about what he's laughing about. He shakes his head at me, "That was really bold what you did."
I give him a shrug before starting to walk over to the elevators once I realize not very many tributes are left down here. He falls into step with me and I smirk a little as I think about what I did. The crowd went so crazy about it and I know they are going to sponsor me. "I couldn't let him get away with challenging me and not doing something. That would make me look weak compared to him."
Lance doesn't say anything to this as we step in the elevator and he pushes the button for floor two. Once the doors are shut and we've started moving up, he starts laughing at something. "What's so funny?" I ask him, thinking he's laughing at me and feeling as if I want to punch him.
He isn't able to respond until we've reached our floor and stepped out. He speaks through laughter as I kick off my heels, feeling relief as my bare feet hit the floor. "Flannery is going to kill you," he starts before another fit of laughter hits him. "She is so concerned with being proper and having a good image but you just spoke out of turn during the interviews."
I hadn't thought about how our escort is going to react to this but now that he's mentioned it, I'm picturing the tiny woman getting all angry at me being improper but I know that I made the right move. But I start laughing at the thought of her storming up here, unable to control it. Lance keeps laughing with me and I don't know what has happened that we reached a point where we can joke around about things but right now, I don't mind the small break from the stress of the games.
Our laughter covers up the sound of the elevator open. "I don't know what you two are laughing about, but you both should be ashamed of the disrespect that Glacia just showed the Capitol and Claudia!" We immediately stop laughing and I straighten up as I turn towards Flannery standing in front of the elevator, hands on her hips as she glares at us. I have to fight to not start laughing again and keep a smile off my face because she's just like I pictured: not menacing at all. I glance behind her and see the two mentors. Darach is grinning at me, clearly he is also amused by this situation which just makes it harder for me to fight a smile on my face. I turn my attention back to Flannery, hoping I didn't make her life too difficult. "I am disappointed in you, Glacia. I thought I taught you well today and you would be very respectful to Claudia." She accusingly points a finger at me, still trying to look tough but it's impossible to think that she is tough. "You better hope that the sponsors still want you after you disrespected the whole process of the interviews!"
"Give it a rest, Flannery," Darach says casually as he walks past her and over to me. He pats my shoulder and smiles proudly at me before turning back to the escort and I know I made the right move. "She won't lose sponsors for that. If anything, she'll get more now because she's shown that she won't back down from a challenge."
Flannery looks as if she wants to keep arguing against this and Roxanne steps in. "Darach is right. Glacia has shown that she wants to fight and you of all people should know how much the Capitol crowd loves to see good fights."
The escort looks unsure about agreeing with the mentors and we watch her for a few seconds as she faces an internal battle of staying angry or admitting that what I did was good, even if I was out of line. Finally, she lets out a sigh and relaxes her arms as she shakes her head at me. "Fine, it was good for getting sponsors. But you were still out of line and I'm going to write an apology letter to Claudia."
"What a wonderful idea," Roxanne says as she takes Flannery's arm and starts walking her further into the apartment. "But let's not worry about it right now. Dinner is waiting for us and I'm sure Lance and Glacia are starving." Roxanne glances at us for confirmation at this and now that she's pointed it out, I realize I've been so busy worrying about looking good for the crowd that I wasn't aware just how hungry I am. I give a quick nod and see Lance also give one. Roxanne's face shows she's happy that we agreed with her and continues leading Flannery past me and towards the dining room. "See? They're both hungry so let's not waste our dinner."
"You're right," Flannery grudgingly admits as they leave the room. "That would be worse than Glacia's outburst."
I laugh a little at this and turn back to Darach who looks as if he also wants to laugh at Flannery but is trying to be respectful. He shrugs at us as he puts his hands in his pockets. "Why don't you two go get changed before dinner. I'll keep Flannery calm while you go do that."
I give him a smile, "Thanks Darach, I will." Once he has my acknowledgement, he gives me a small smile and a nod to Lance before turning to follow after Roxanne and Flannery. I pick up my heels and start making my way over to the hallway leading to our rooms, noticing Lance walking next to me. I look up at him, no longer near his height will my shoes off. He appears to be deep in thought about something and I want to know what it is. Not because it might affect me in the games, rather for the fact that before we were having a rare moment where we got along and forgot for a moment that the games are happening tomorrow morning. "You okay?"
Lance looks down at me in surprise as we enter the hallway and I can see on his face that he's ready to close himself off but decides to answer me. "Not really. It kind of just hit me that tomorrow is when we're going to be fighting to the death." We pause at our doors on opposite sides of the hallway and he lets out a shaky sigh as he runs a hand through his carefully styled hair, immediately messing it up. "You probably aren't worried about it since you've been preparing for this for years but for me, I never wanted to do this. Yet I have to fight because I don't want to die and let Maylene down."
I feel an understanding for him and I'm reminded that we aren't that different right now. I put a hand on his arm, trying to comfort him a little because I understand having to fight for a loved one. He flinches initially at my touch but doesn't brush me away. "Trust me, I have doubts and fears about the games too. And I have to fight for Grandma so I understand how you feel about Maylene." I pause as I think about Grandma and he watches me curiously. "It's terrible to think about the fact that no matter who wins, one of them will be devastated." I take my hand back and lean against my door, watching him carefully to see if he will shut me out. And I don't understand why I'm feeling this way towards him but there's an understanding between us right now.
Lance is staring at me and I wait for him to respond with some sarcastic comment or something else to ruin this moment of not hating each other. But before he can say anything, the loud clicks of heels approach us and we both turn to see Serena and Galen approaching us. They both look proud but exhausted as Serena takes my hand and gives it a squeeze. "Oh you both shined tonight."
"Yes, you did great," Galen adds as he smiles at Lance. "We just got back because we had a lot of people stopping us to compliment us on your outfits."
"But let's get you changed, you must be starving," Serena quickly adds and nudges me aside so she can open up my door. As she starts dragging me inside, I give one last look at Lance and he gives me a short nod, his way of silently saying that he understands what I said. Serena closes the door behind me and is quick to push me in the room before starting to get the dress off me. As she takes the belt off, she starts talking to me. "You really did do well tonight. When we were leaving, everyone kept talking about you challenging Cyrus and how they can't wait to see you two fight."
She unzips my dress and starts to slip it off me as I start smiling a little at this, not feeling as excited as I was a few minutes ago before talking to Lance. "Well I'm going to give them that fight," I tell her as she steps back with the dress and starts straightening it out to hang up. I move to the dressers and pull out a simple maroon shirt and soft black pants. As I put them on, I look up at Serena and smile appreciatively at her. "And thank you once again for giving me an amazing dress. I know Claudia didn't say anything about it but it was one of the best."
Serena smiles at this praise as she puts the dress bag in its bag. She lays it gently on the bed before returning her gaze to me, looking proud. "Well she didn't need to mention it because there was so much to talk about with you. The girls she talked to about their outfits were rather dull and needed something to make them shine."
I let out a laugh at this statement, feeling better that Claudia never brought up my dress. It's such a small thing to be petty about but when you come from the Training Center where the guys view you almost as one of the boys, it's nice to receive some praise about looks. But Serena's comment has reminded me that I am better than the others in a better way for winning the games. "Thank you," I say quietly as she walks over to me and takes my hand once more. I hold on tightly, feeling a bit emotional towards the stylist who has helped make sure I stand out. I don't know why I keep feeling differently towards the people here with me and I don't like feeling this way towards people because feeling will end up getting me killed. I thought going into the games that I wouldn't care about the people in the Capitol or that I would start feeling whatever it is I'm feeling towards Lance.
Serena gives me a sad smile at this and I remember that she has been a stylist for Two for six years. Of that, how many tributes that she has styled for have won? Maylene, maybe Jory. So she has seen at least five tributes die and it's clear that she does care about us each year. "You're very welcome. Being a stylist for the games is something I love so I'm happy to help you out."
I'm silent for a few seconds as I continue thinking about her time as a stylist. "Were you the stylist for Maylene?"
Serena gives a small laugh at this question and I raise an eyebrow curiously. "No, I didn't. Galen did," she pauses and laughs some more before continuing. "His very first year as a stylist and he had the victor." She quiets down and becomes serious once more. "It was for that reason that he wanted to be Lance's stylist so we switched after the Reaping who would help each tribute. We work throughout the year so it wasn't too difficult to switch but it did cause us both to have a little extra work."
I hadn't thought about this before yet it makes perfect sense. Even though I'm sure they try to not get attached to their tributes, it's probably hard to avoid it. "Have you ever styled for a victor?"
Serena shakes her head at this and gives me a sad smile. "I have not but the tributes I've worked with have all been wonderful." She takes a moment to look me over before nodding her head in approval. "But my gut tells me that this year that will change."
Her confidence in me gives me some pride but also makes me worry that I now have another person that I can't let down in the games. It seems like that list is growing every day. But I still give her a confident smile at this and want to make sure I win. "Well I have the same gut feeling." I laugh as my stomach rumbles again. "I also have a gut feeling that I'm really hungry."
Serena gives a warm laugh at this and let's go of my hand to move her arm around my shoulder. "Then let's not keep dinner waiting any longer!" My mood is still light as she starts to lead us out of my room. Lance's door is open across the hall and I know he must already be at the table. Yet as we walk towards where the others are talking over dinner, I can't help but feel a cloud of dark emotions at the thought of the games. I push these aside as we reach the dining room and I get a good whiff of all of the food piled on the table. Yes, my worries about the games starting can wait until after I eat.
Flannery looks up at me happily as I quickly sit down next to Darach and start piling food onto my plate. "Ah, Glacia, so happy that you are here. I was telling Lance about how fantastic you two were at your interviews."
I start shoving food in my mouth, feeling so happy with the delicious taste of some poultry cooked with honey. I look over at Lance who pauses from his food to elaborate on this. "Yeah Flannery mentioned that she's already getting messages from people who want to sponsor us."
"Really?" I ask in surprise and look over at our escort. Well, I'm not completely surprised that we have people wanting to sponsor us. I'm more surprised that they are trying to reach out to Flannery so soon after the interviews.
Flannery is practically beaming with pride at this. She must be so lucky to have been placed as District Two's escort last year. But I suppose when you get a victor your first year as an escort, especially from Eight, you get to move up quickly. "Yes, they won't stop messaging me and practically throwing their money already. It's obviously because you two both had excellent interviews and impressed the crowd."
"See?" Darach asks and I glance at him as I grab a roll, spotting his usual look of arrogance, yet it's so far from his true self. "That outburst that had you all bothered didn't ruin their chances of sponsors at all."
As I watch Flannery's face show annoyance, I once again feel a little bad at causing her stress. But the food is too good to keep me in a bad mood. "Did I apologize for that yet?" I ask her before taking a sip of water. After a second thought, I take a few more sips because I know I should get hydrated before the games. Her face shows that I clearly haven't yet and I quickly speak up. "I'm sorry for causing you any stress."
Flannery purses her lips at this and stares at me for a few seconds before giving me a curt nod. "Very well, I accept your apology." She looks at all of us eating and claps her hands to make sure we all pay attention to her. "Well since we're all here, I should go over the last of the schedule before Lance and Glacia are in the arena."
The thought of being so close to starting the games makes my stomach turn a little and I put my fork down and lean back in my chair to listen to her. She is once again looking at that tablet of hers and I briefly wonder how she would function if something happened to it. "Now tonight we obviously have dinner together. After that, we can watch reruns of the interviews but that is optional for everyone to watch." Flannery pauses to look at me and Lance, a proud smile on her face. "I'm afraid myself and the mentors must say farewell to you tonight as we must go early in the morning to the Control Center. I do want to say that it has been an honor for me to be your escort. Both of you are so capable and I really do believe that District Two will have another victor this year."
Her statement as me feeling uneasy because now I feel like I have to also make sure I don't let her down. I give her a nod and a smile, happy when Lance speaks up. "Thank you for helping us."
Flannery returns the smile to us before glancing down at her tablet once more. "Now tomorrow morning, Serena and Galen will arrive at 8 am sharp to travel with you to the arena. They will help you get ready and then at 10 am the games begin."
This comment sends chills down my spine. Not because I'm ready to go and start fighting. It's because I'm not feeling as prepared as I was before the Reaping. I suddenly don't feel hungry anymore and cross my arms, earning a concerned look from Darach. He doesn't say anything and I'm glad to not have to explain my doubts just yet.
Everyone else seems to realize just how soon we are to the games starting and there's silence as everyone continues eating. I slowly sip my water as I stare at my plate, my mind wandering about tomorrow. I can only hope that the arena will be something I can work with. But I suppose the trainers have prepared me for most climates. As long as I have access to food, water, and weapons from the Cornucopia, I should be good. But I don't think I could handle an arena that is similar to Grandma's as I might not be able to handle mutts similar to hers. Maybe I'll get lucky and we'll be in an arena that is warm so I don't have to worry about freezing at night. But I don't want to be on an island because that would put Ardos and Anabel at an advantage. And forests would put Caitlin and Lance at an advantage because of course the girl from Seven will know how to climb and I know Lance spent time learning. There's no arena that won't benefit at least one of the other tributes in some way. I guess I can only hope that it will benefit me more.
Flannery clears her throat and breaks me out of my thoughts. I look up at her and notice that most of the others are done eating. She gives all of us a gentle smile before standing up. "Well if everyone is done eating, we can go head over to prepare for the reruns."
I stand up and get ready to head over before noticing that Lance looks unsure as he speaks up. "I don't think I'm going to watch the reruns."
I turn my attention to Flannery, wondering how she will react. She has a frown on her face and sighs a little at this. "Very well. What are you going to do instead?"
"I think I'm going to head up to the roof to get some fresh air," he says and stands up. At first, I assume it's so that he can meet Caitlin. But as I stare at his face, I can see fear and worry in his eyes. It seems like he is just as worried about the games starting as I am.
Roxanne speaks up at this, her face full of concern. "How long will you be up there?"
"I'm… not sure," Lance gives as his answer as he looks at his mentor. She smiles gently at him as he continues. "I might be up there late so I can try to relax and get my mind off of the games starting tomorrow."
"Then this might be goodbye now," Flannery says and quickly walks over to him, her heels making the only sound in the room. She embraces him and I watch his face shows surprise and hesitation before he finally returns the gesture. "Oh good luck tomorrow! You make me so proud and I know you will keep doing so in the arena."
Flannery steps back and Roxanne clears her throat and raises her eyebrows at Darach. After that, he is quick to put a hand on my shoulder and start to push me away from the table. "Come on, Glacia, let's go get settled in the other room." I fight back against him for a few seconds as he acknowledges Lance. "Good luck, kid."
We're halfway across the room before I finally realize that Darach is trying to give Roxanne and Lance a private moment to say goodbye. I turn around to look at Lance, realizing that this will probably be the last time that I see him before the arena. He is watching me apprehensively as I try to figure out what to say to him. "Are we still in agreeance about what the alliance is doing tomorrow?" Lance gives a nod to me despite looking a little unhappy about the plan. "Good. Then I'll see you in the arena."
I turn to finish walking out of the room with Darach as Lance calls after me. "See you tomorrow." His voice sounds heavy with sadness as we enter the living room and I know he is worried about the games. And I feel some pity towards him because he's up against a lot of people who are very determined to fight and get home. But why do I keep feeling this way towards him when I know he must die if I'm to make it home alive?
Darach leads me over to the couch and sits me down, making me look at him. "What's wrong?" he asks, not needing to be told that something is wrong with me. He just has that understanding of me and sometimes I wish he would notice these things. But right now, I'm happy about it.
I stare at him, face full of concern for me and not the menacing victor so many see. And that makes me finally break down and open up to him. "I don't feel prepared," I say quietly and shake my head, not understanding why I have these doubts.
"Why?" Darach asks, sounding baffled at this admittance. "Glacia, you're the most trained tribute here. Hell you're even the best female of Reaping age in District Two. There's no way you're not prepared to fight and win."
I let out a sigh at him thinking I'm having doubts about my skills. I start feeling silly to admit to him that I'm worried more about emotional aspects of the games. I shouldn't be concerned about these things as it will just hurt me later on. Yet I explain what I'm feeling to Darach. "I know that I can fight." I stand up and start pacing, not sure how to articulate what my problem is. "I just find myself doubting my ability to fight people I've gotten to know and there's so many people that are counting on me to win. And I don't know why I'm feeling this way because I was perfectly fine at the Reaping."
Darach suddenly stands up and moves with that speed that only someone who has trained for years can move with. He puts his hands on my shoulders and shakes me a little. "Listen to me very carefully," he says in a harsh tone that makes me instantly look away from him as it reminds me of getting yelled at during training. "Look at me," he says louder and I quickly meet his gaze. I'm met with determined eyes that are also full of concern. "Whatever emotions you're feeling right now, you need to push them aside. You need to put all of your focus on staying alive. Once you're out of the arena, then you can deal with these feelings."
"But how do I avoid it until the games are over?" I still feel doubt over the games, despite his confidence in me.
He gives my shoulders a squeeze as he contemplates this. "If you start thinking that you can't kill an ally – who would probably not hesitate to kill you – or that you're going to let someone down, I want you to think about me. Think about how I have complete faith in your ability to fight and win the games. Think about how I fought my games without faltering, because I pushed aside any feelings and focused on fighting, killing, and then winning." He sighs and lets go of my shoulders to run a hand through his hair. "We'll deal with the emotions after we're both back in Two."
"Just don't push your feelings away forever." We both turn towards the entrance to the room and see Roxanne leaning against the doorframe. She gives me a gently smile before walking in and sitting down on the couch. I wonder how much she heard about my doubts and if she is judging me. "It is good to feel," she continues slowly and carefully as she watches me and I find myself remembering that she was once a career. She acts so differently from the others that I forget most of the time that she was like me. "It reminds you that you are alive. Keep your emotions locked away and you end up harsh and miss out on some of the joys of living."
I share a knowing look with Darach, both of us aware that he is one of the victors that hides his feelings away. It's a reminder of our conversation last night. I let out a sigh as I return to the couch and cover my face with my hands. I think about what they've both told me and I know they're both right. I just don't know how I can keep my feelings hidden away in the games. "What if I can't?"
"Can't what? Keep your feelings from getting in the way of fighting?" Roxanne asks, her tone is surprisingly sharp and I move my hands so I can look at her. "Then use the feelings to help you fight. As long as you make sure it doesn't hinder you, feelings can fuel your will to fight."
I doubt that my feelings about liking my allies will help me fighting against them. "I don't think what I'm feeling will help me fight," I reply to her as Darach sits down on the other side of me.
"Well of course that won't help you fight," Darach says with a scoff that earns him a glare from Roxanne. "I'm not going to sugar coat things for you. I never have and never will. Now if you can't hide all of your doubts until the games are done, I want you to focus on Sylvia. Focus on how you've been training for years for her. Focus on how you cannot let her down by losing. She has always been the one thing that ignited your desire to fight hard. Make sure that is still the case in the games."
I take a deep breath as I listen to him, putting my thoughts on Grandma. I recall the way we used to sit in the backyard and pick out our favorite roses to put in a vase inside. I recall the way she will respond sarcastically at anyone telling her to take it easy. But most of all, I remember the way she believed in me when no one else did when I started training. Yes, she has always been my biggest supporter and will continue to be until I am back home in Two.
I nod my head at Darach and Roxanne, starting to feel a little better. I still have doubts about my allies and how I will be able to kill them but at least now I've been reminded of why I started fighting in the first place. Suddenly, I'm pulled into a hug by Darach and the embrace is so comforting to me. "Glacia, you will get through this. I completely believe in your ability to fight."
"Thank you," I whisper to him, my face pressed against his chest. I hear the footsteps of Flannery and the stylists, yet I don't care that they see me like this. I don't care anymore about putting up a front to them of being tough all the time. That's not me. I like the fighting and feeling the rush of using weapons, but I have to use the front to make sure others don't find weaknesses in me.
Darach rubs my back comfortingly as Flannery stops in front of us. She crouches down so that she can look me in the eyes, her face showing concern for me. "Are you alright?"
I nod at her and pull back from Darach who keeps an arm around me. "I'm fine now. Just feeling a little nervous and scared for the games to start tomorrow."
"Well no need to keep feeling that way," Flannery says confidently as she moves to the couch and turns on the TV. Claudia and Elliot are already discussing the girl from Three's interview. I suppose I won't get to hear what they have to say about me but I don't know if I want that criticism right now. "Oh damn, we missed your two interviews! Oh well, we can still watch the rest of the interviews. And Glacia, I want you to bring back that confident girl I picked at the Reaping. I know she's still in there and that's the person who is the real you."
Flannery's confidence in me makes me smile and for once, I'm not feeling worried about her putting her faith in me. I just remind myself that Grandma has done the same thing for me and I'm fighting for that. I need to not use their faith as a weakness but use it to fight, just like Roxanne told me.
I try to watch the interviews now that I can watch them from the audience's perspective. I listen to the stylists give small comments here and there about some of the outfits. But I cannot focus on the interviews as it starts to bring back a tiny amount of stress. I make it to the boy from Five before I decide I can't watch any more. I stand up, earning confused looks from everyone. "I'm going to try to go to sleep," I take a shaky breath as I look at everyone, seeing concern on their faces for me.
Flannery jumps up from her seat and pulls me into an embrace. I return it, causing her to hold on to me a little tighter. She takes a small step back so she can look at me, her arms still around me. Her eyes almost look like they are watering as she smiles at me. "Oh Glacia, I'm so proud of you. You are a beautiful and fierce woman and I know you have what it takes to win." She lets go of me and sighs as she returns to the couch. "I sure hope this will not be the last time I see you."
I let out a small laugh at this and give her a smile. She probably isn't supposed to pick favorites of her two tributes but compared to her goodbye with Lance, it's clear she thinks I am more likely to win. "I'm planning on seeing you again. You better start planning all of the details of my victory tour now."
Flannery looks delighted at this comment and laughs lightheartedly at me. I turn my attention to the stylists and receive a nod of acknowledgement from Galen, more than I expected from him. Serena gives me a smile and a wave. "I'll see you in the morning. Sleep well."
I nod at her before looking at the mentors. Darach stands up and puts a hand on my shoulder. "I'll walk over with you."
I give him a smile before turning to Roxanne, feeling sad as I look at her. I regret not getting to know her well before I was ever chosen for the games as she is just as brave as the other victors. And she has not just helped out Lance, she has given me good advice when she didn't have to. Roxanne stands up and holds out her arms, letting me decide if I wish to be hugged by her. I step forward and she embraces me, whispering in my ear. "Good luck tomorrow. You have what it takes, just don't become distracted from your goal."
I'm shocked by her admittance, feeling as if she just admitted that she would rather have me win than Lance. I step back and look at her face, wanting to see if that is really the case. No, she does not seem to have given up her faith in Lance. Instead, it seems that she has grown to like me and probably respects my grandmother. I give her a sad smile, realizing that if I win, she will be disappointed that Lance did not. "Thank you. And if we meet again, I'm sorry for what I might do in the next few weeks."
I don't have to say what I mean and she looks at me with understanding in her eyes. But of course, she is a victor and knows that only one tribute can win. She gives me a nod before sitting back down. I return my attention to Darach whose face is unreadable right now. "Come on," he says and places his hand on my shoulder once more and starts moving me towards the rooms. "You need to rest." We walk in silence out of the room and we are halfway across the main room of the floor before he finally speaks up. "Now you have obviously been my top choice to compete in these games for years," he begins and pauses as we enter the hallway. I start to feel a pit in my stomach as I realize it is time to say goodbye to my mentor and there is a chance I may never see him again. We stop in front of my door and he lets out a loud sigh as he turns to look at me. "I want you to know that I will be supporting you no matter what throughout the games. I will get you sponsor gifts to help you. But you need to keep fighting. I can only do so much to help you win. The rest is up to you."
I gaze up at my mentor, feeling overwhelmed by his faith in me. And I know that in the arena I won't just use Grandma as my reason to fight. Darach will be just as important of a reason to me. I reach out and hug him, holding on tightly. He returns the embrace, holding me close to him. "Darach I promise I will get back to you. I won't let you down."
We stay there for a minute, both of us not wanting to let go as that means saying goodbye. But it needs to happen eventually and if we stay like this for much longer, it will be so much harder for me to leave for the games tomorrow. I finally step back and look up at him, hopefully not for the last time. "Thank you for everything."
Darach gives a sad smile at this and crosses his arms. I can tell he's trying to fight off emotions like always but he allows a little to show for me now. "You're welcome," he whispers and his face shows pride and sadness as he watches me before I turn to step into my room. "Come back alive," I hear him say quietly as I shut my door, feeling a tear slip as I think about never seeing him again. But I wipe it away as I make my way to my bed, hoping I can get some sleep tonight so I can be rested and ready to fight to get back to Grandma and Darach.
A knock rings through my room as I stare up at the ceiling, almost in disbelief that the games are finally starting today. I've wanted this for so many years and I thought I would be ecstatic about this day arriving. Yet I feel only a sense of dread and a determination to not let down the most important people in my life.
The door opens and I hear the click of heels that I've come to associate from Serena's red heels. She stops next to my bed and I turn to look at her, a little surprised to see her wearing bright red instead of her usual black attire. She notices me appraising her outfit and lets out a little chuckle as she sits down on the edge of my bed. "I wanted to wear red to show my support for you. The Capitol seems to be associating that color with you after your interview dress. Or maybe it's for the blood they think you will shed." She gives a shrug at this as I sit up, unsure which option I would rather have. "I suppose it doesn't matter. How are you feeling today? Did you get enough sleep?"
I did manage to get a few hours of sleep but not enough to feel fully rested. I give her a half smile and a yawn slips out before I answer her. "I got enough sleep to keep me alert and ready to fight. And as for how I feel, I really have no idea."
Serena places her hand over mine and smiles at me. "Well we have two hours to get you feeling completely ready and prepared to fight. Now we're going to take a hovercraft over and you will be able to eat breakfast then. Once we arrive below the arena, I will take you to your prep room and you will be able to shower before you get dressed. And then I send you off into the arena, looking fierce and ready to fight."
I let out a sigh before accepting that I can't put this off. "Alright, let's get going," I respond to her, trying to build up my confidence to its peak. She pats my hand at this before standing up, allowing me space to swing myself out of bed. As I stand up, I almost start laughing at her shoe choice. "Gold? Now you're just copying my outfits."
Serena rolls her eyes at this as she moves to grab a pair of shoes for me to slip on. But as she returns and sets down the pair at my feet, she has a smile on her face. "Well I created the outfit so really I'm just copying myself."
We both laugh at this as I put the shoes on. I give another look at her appearance before smiling up at her. "I think the colors look well on you. You should do this more often."
Serena loops her arm with mine and tsks at me as we start walking towards my bedroom door. "Glacia, dear, it's my job to give fashion advice," she jokes as we enter the hallway and make our way towards the main room. "You don't see me telling you how to use weapons."
I laugh at this as we enter the main room and the elevators are in sight. I've started to feel better about the games starting today, thanks to the help of my stylist. Which is surprising because she's one of the people with the least amount of experience with the actual games. "Well I probably wouldn't follow your advice if you did."
"And that's a smart move," Serena answers as she presses the button to go down. I must look confused about this since I thought we would be heading somewhere upstairs to fly out. "The hovercrafts are below the city to avoid anyone from seeing the tributes before the game start," Serena says before the doors open. We step on the empty elevator and she presses the button for the floor we had the training. She seems to know exactly where we are going and I let her take the lead.
When we reach the floor from training, the elevator actually opens behind us in a door I didn't realize existed. We walk down a flight of stairs and enter a huge hanger filled with hovercrafts. I spot off near the far end of the hanger some other tributes walking with their stylists. Yet Serena leads me to the left and we walk past one hovercrafts before she stops. "Do they really provide one hovercraft per tribute?"
"Yes," Serena says to me as she waves in greeting at a person waiting near the ramp who appears to be the pilot. "Serena Weldonar with Glacia Skylar, District Two," she says confidently to the man.
He steps to the side and gestures up the ramp. "Right this way, madam. We will take off shortly," he says and I follow Serena's loud heels up the ramp and into the hovercraft. The inside is so high tech and I've never seen anything like this before. The pilot walks behind us and clears his throat to get me to look away from my surroundings. I look at him and he waves at a woman dressed in all white that I hadn't noticed before. "If you could give Corano your right arm, she will insert the tracker."
I follow his instructions and stick out my arm to the woman. She grabs it and pulls it towards her roughly before sticking a large needle into my arm. I flinch at the unexpected pain and can feel the tracker once it is placed in my arm. She removes the needle and I expect the wound to start gushing blood but it doesn't bleed at all. Probably another Capitol medical advancement. The pilot smiles at me as the woman walk to a different room of the hovercraft. "Please make yourself comfortable and eat some breakfast. We will be leaving soon."
I watch him walk towards the front, rubbing my arm that is throbbing slightly from the tracker. Once he is out of the room, an avox steps out of a different room carrying a plate of food. The aromas of pancakes and eggs draws me over to the table off to the side of the room. Serena follows me and sits with me as I start quickly eating the food, unsure how long the flight will be. I want to make sure I can eat all of it because there's always a chance I will have to ration my food in the arena.
A few minutes pass in silence before the hovercraft hums to life around us. I look around and gaze out a window to see some of the other hovercrafts have been started as well. A few seconds pass and some of the ones closer to us start leaving the hanger. We take off and I watch the hanger fly past before we fly through a tunnel. It seems to be forever before we reach the open sky, and I glance back to see that we have exited outside of the Capitol walls. The feeling of flying is so odd and it makes me a little uneasy to see the ground so far below us.
I soon turn back to the food and see Serena watching me with an amused look on her face. "Every year, tributes are shocked at flying. I always forget that it's something you never see in the Districts."
"I'm not sure if I like it," I respond, my stomach feeling a little queasy. She laughs at this as I take a sip of water, not wanting to throw up my food.
"That's also something that happens every year," Serena explains her laughter as I try to keep eating my food. The windows darken and Serena lets out a gasp. "I've never seen them darken the windows so soon. That must mean the arena is located not that far from the Capitol."
I'm not sure if this is a good thing or not and keep eating my food in silence. This just means that we are even closer to the games starting. I feel my stomach twisting, no longer from flying. Serena lets me eat in silence and I'm thankful she doesn't make me keep talking. I need to focus on what's going to happen very soon. Some time passes as I think about the games, focusing on Grandma and Darach as I must fight for them.
"I think we're descending now," Serena speaks up after a while of silence and I look at her, confused by how she can tell when the windows are dark. "Can you feel that almost weightless feeling? That's from us dropping altitude."
"Oh, I thought that was just my nerves," I respond quietly as the hovercraft begins to slow down. My heart beats faster at this and I wait for a small thud as the hovercraft surely has just landed. I take a deep breath as the ramp lowers and Serena stands up. She motions for me to follow her and I stand up on shaky legs. I slowly follow her down the ramp, unsure what I will find at the bottom.
We're in a similar looking hanger as the one we left in the Capitol except waiting at the bottom of the ramp are two Peacekeepers. When I reach the bottom, they step forward to walk on either side of me and start leading me towards a hallway in front of us. I glance around before we enter to see Lorelei to my left walking towards where I am with Peacekeepers and to my right the boy from Five. Once we enter the hallway, the only sound is Serena's heels. We allow the Peacekeepers to lead me down several turns before stopping at an unmarked door. I have no idea how they would know this is mine but one opens the door and I enter with Serena.
When we are both inside, the Peacekeepers slam the door shut and I hear the lock click in place. There's no going back now. I look around the room, noticing a clothes rack containing the outfit I will be wearing in the arena, a table with a pitcher of water and two glasses, and a small box that I'm unsure about the contents. But my eyes keep getting drawn back to the tube at the back left corner. In only a little while, I will be travelling up in there and facing the arena.
I turn back to Serena, feeling anxious now that we're in the launch room. She points to a door and gives me a reassuring smile. "The bathroom is there. Go get showered and I'll be waiting out here."
I give a nod of my head, unsure if I can speak right now as I walk into the tiny bathroom. I quickly take off the clothes I slept in and step into the shower, not knowing how much time I have before the games start. I let out a sigh of relief as the hot water hits me, feeling content to stand there in the warmth. My thoughts wander to the arena that is above my head right now and what it will be like. We didn't fly very far which might put us in the middle of Panem. That could mean we have a forest surrounding us. Or if we flew west, we might be surrounded by the sea. Both options sound unpleasant and I hope that it's neither because the Capitol is capable of creating whatever arena they want. Surely they wouldn't do something simple like a forest or island.
I sigh as I start washing my hair, aware that my time is probably limited. I want to at least start the games with my hair looking nice. The games will probably last two weeks and that's a long time to go without showering. The thought of being that dirty has me shiver in disgust. Yeah I hope I can find a water source to at least keep the blood off of me.
As I start to wash my body, I hear a knock on my door and speed up my shower, unhappy that I'll have to leave the warmth. Because what if this is the last time I'll be warm until the games are done?
But I wrap up my shower and step out, the Capitol technology causing me to dry instantly. Resting on a small stand are undergarments and a robe and I put them on before returning to Serena. She walks over to me and hands me a glass of water. "Here, keep drinking water. We can't have you becoming dehydrated."
I start sipping the water as she walks over to the clothes. She grabs a pair of tan pants first and brings them to me, taking back the glass. I feel the material of the pants before slipping them on, noticing right away that they fit perfectly. "These feel durable."
"I thought so too," Serena agrees before returning to grab the light gray shirt. I look at the pants as she is doing this, noticing the amount of pockets available. "They seem to want to make sure you have enough supplies on you at all times," she says and I look up at her as she passes me the shirt.
I slip off the robe and let it fall to the ground before slipping the shirt on, immediately frowning at the short sleeves. "Why do you think they gave us a short sleeved shirt?" I ask her as I pull on the fabric to feel it better. "And it doesn't feel very thick."
"You'll probably be in a warmer climate," Serena says and I look up as her heels sound on the floor. Thankfully, she's grabbing a jacket to give to me. "But clearly not warm enough that you won't need some warmth at night."
I slip on the jacket and she tosses a pair of soft socks at me. I slip them on as I look up at her. "So what type of arena would you guess I'm about to go to based on the outfit?"
She looks at me, deep in thought and I grab my glass of water. I start sipping it once more as she moves behind me and starts to put my hair up in a ponytail. "Hard to say. I would guess a similar temperature range to what I think you have in Two?"
I think about this for a moment before nodding my head in agreement. Yes, this time of year you can wear pants and not be overheated but the nights do get a little chilly. "I wouldn't mind something like that."
"But that's just my speculation," Serena replies as she finishes pulling my hair back. "There, now you don't have to worry about your hair getting in your way while fighting." I turn to look at her and she walks back to the table. She picks up the small box and walks over to me, a smile on her face. "Now we can't forget about your token."
She opens the box and I can't believe I nearly forgot about the ruby ring that Grandma had given me. They had taken it from me as soon as we entered the Capitol which feels like so long ago. Serena hands the ring to me gently and I slip it on my left hand, not wanting to damage it while fighting. I stare at it for a few seconds, wondering if Grandma had done the same things years ago.
I put my hand down and return my gaze to Serena, starting to feel overwhelmed with emotions at the thought of Grandma. "Thank you for everything you've done for me," I say quietly and she pulls me into a hug.
"You're very welcome, Glacia. It has been a pleasure to work with you," she responds kindly before stepping back, smiling at me. "Now you're not ready to go yet, you still need your shoes on," she jokes and laughs a little as she quickly grabs a pair of black boots. I sit down at one of the chairs against the wall and she passes the boots to me, allowing me to slip them on and get them comfortable before quickly lacing them up. "Now don't go losing these. You definitely don't want to travel in the arena barefoot, regardless of what you're up against."
"I won't," I say with a chuckle. It's one of those little things you don't think about before the games start but losing shoes would be terrible.
Serena looks like she's ready to say something but is interrupted by a voice speaking loudly into the room. "Tributes, one minute to launch. Please prepare for launch."
My heart starts to race loudly at this announcement and Serena takes my shaking hand, helping me to stand up. She walks me over to the launch tube as my stomach is twisting. Before I step in, she has me look at her and squeezes my hand. "Stay strong, Glacia. Remember your training and win."
I nod my head at this, feeling incapable of speaking as I step into the tube. It closes around me and I feel my breath quicken at the enclosed space. Seconds pass that feels like hours as I look at Serena. When I finally start to rise, she gives me a thumbs up of encouragement before I lose sight of her and I'm surrounded by darkness.
Okay, focus on fighting. Focus on Grandma. Focus on Darach. The tube pushes me closer to the light above my heart and my heart races. I can do this. I know how to fight. I have people I must win for.
The tube pushes me above ground and I squint against the suddenly light. Once my eyes adjust, I immediately search for the Cornucopia and swear when I see how far away it is and how many tributes are located closer than I am. I look down at the platform I'm on before noticing Lance directly to my left, looking terrified but also determined. To my left are the tributes from Five and it seems like all of the tributes are starting with their District partner as to the left of the pair from Five are Anabel and Ardos.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, let the 125th Hunger Games and Fifth Quarter Quell begin."
I turn my attention back towards the Cornucopia and brace myself to start running as time ticks down.
It's time to fight.
If you want more information about the stories, please go to my website at thefifthquarterquell . weebly .com! It is now updated through Chapter 11!