AUTHOR'S NOTE:
this is getting tiring, writing this all again, knowing your gonna skip it anyway, but watever... I own no rights to the hunger games, blablabla enjoy the chapter
After a couple games of Joe (One of which I won by the way ^.^), we went to lunch. Today being opening ceremonies day, there was an elaborate feast waiting for us at the table. As I chowed down on a plate piled high with salmon, sea bass, scampis, shrimp, scallops, oysters, clams, lobster, crab, and a chicken caesar salad. Yum. You may wonder as to why I was eating so much, well, the answer is simple: I had less than 4 days to eat, before going into an arena to play a game that was called the hunger games for a reason. Anyway, I was inwardly celebrating my victory against the stubborn crab claw that just wouldn't crack, when I noticed Tom stuffing his pockets with smoked salmon, celery, bread rolls, crackers, dried fruit, fried potatoes, seafood of all sorts, and even jerky. I mentally ask him what the hell he's doing, but am answered by Fil. I'm stocking up, for your sake, and mine. Don't worry about Tom, though. He'll be fine. As soon as I leave him, he'll come back, with perfect memories of the whole time I was there. Anyway, I'm stocking up for you guys. Throughout the games, expect silver parachutes with supplies coming your way. I swear, you guy will be the best-fed tributes ever. And this is just crumbs compared to my stockpile. You'll have everything: freeze-dried meals, medicine, food, water, weapons, shelter... everything you can need. ...So Fil somehow managed to posses Tom? Okay, thats unsettling, but still, if you think about the stockpile he must have all you can think is wow. He's got us covered. I thank him, and remember to cover for Tom (or should I say fil?) for the next little while.
After lunch, we stop by the pool area, and drop off the food at this closet that tom (fil?) showed me to. He seemed to have made some minor adjustments, because now it's a huge, refrigerated pantry, complete with enough food to sustain a peson for at least a year, or 9 people for about a month and a half... There was also a wall with everything from a slingshot to a bazooka, as well as everything from asimple knife to a sword, to a bow and arrows, to a trident hanging from it, right beside the shelf stacked high with inflatable boats, tents, small house kits (just add water), tons of clothing, more medical first aid stuff than you'd find in a hospitol, and even a motorbike with a trailer that seats 10. Fil wasn't kidding when he said he had everything we could need, huh?
After a while, enough time to arrange the new food we, Tom, no, I mean Fil smuggled, we head down to our stylists' studios to prep for the ceremonies. The minute I walk through the door, I'm attacked by some huge guard that picks me up and carries me across the room, through a door, down the hall, into an elevator, all the way to the sub-sub-sub-basement, through about a billion narrow, winding halls, through a tiny door in the wall, down a tunnel and finally into a large walk-in closet, where he puts me down. I immediately try to run out of the door, but find my path blocked by what I thought was a steel bar, but it turns out, it was actually the guard, who I later knew as Artemis, thet put his arm in the way. I try to escape anyway, but end up scooped up again, and slung over Artemis' shoulder like a potato sack, then brought over to the back of the room. I start screaming. "What are you doing? Put me down! Where are you taking me? Let me go now!" When this doesn't work, I resort to kicking, screaming, and even scratching. It works.
He puts me down on a stack of shoeboxes, so I'm the same height as him. "What the hell are you doing?" Hey! I was gonna ask that... "Me? What are YOU doing?" his answer shocked me more than anything else. "Saving you." Saving me? "From what? The hunger games?" I say, sarcastically. Artemis, on the other hand was dead serious. "Yeah, actually I am in a way." I open my mouth to speak, only to find myself completely speechless. After a few seconds, I finally find my voice again, but just barely. "No. No, that can't... W-why... Who... Wh-what?" The words can't seem to connect properly. Nothing makes sense anymore. He starts to speak. "I can't-" I realize what he was saying, and that infuriated me. I take a deep breathe, and shake my head. Everything slowly clears up. "Alright. So what and who exactly are you saving me from, what can I expect, what precautions should I take, what is the risk factor, and what do I have to do? And don't even try saying you can't tell me this, because I have to know, and if you don't tell me, I swear I'll call in everyone I know to come kick your ass, then I'll find out myself. Ok?"
I realized that I was grabbing the collar on his jacket. I gasp and let go, realizing my nails have pierced the soft, warm leather. He looks at me. His green eyes seemingly boring holes into mine. I catch my breathe. I also notice his face is about an inch away from mine. I suddenly fel like a little girl, beside this big, tall stranger. After what seems to be an eternity, he looks down at his collar, half-frowning and half-smiling at the 8 crescent-shaped holes. "You're stronger than I thought. I mean, I was expecting someone... special, you being the daughter of a victor, but I didn't expect anything like this!" I didn't get it. "What do you mean, anything like this?" I know I'm pouting like a 5-year-old, but, frankly, I don't care right now. He sighs, and starts to explain, becoming very wary of my nails. "Well, they told me you were feisty, and strong-minded, you being a victor's daughter and all, but you're way more than I bargained for. I was expecting someone like your mom, you know, smart enough to take care of herself, but only with help, and not morally capable of hurting, let alone killing, anyone. You on the other hand, well, what can I say? You're basically everything anyone imagines in a victor: You're stubborn, very strong-willed, physically strong too, you've got really long legs, so my bet is you can get outta somewhere fast if needed, you have no problems hurting anyone if it means you'll be okay, and you just look like someone you don't wana mess with, I mean even your nails are weapons! I have no idea how you got them so hard, so long, and so sharp, but after what they did to my jacket, I don't wana mess with you, or your nails for that matter." I smile. Part of me wants to kiss artemis, right here, right now, and nobody will know, and part of me wants to claw him, right across the cheekbone.
"Thanks." I finally say. "Oh yeah, and you also a cute, pretty side that can fool anyone into thinking that you're innocent, and kind, and wouldn't dream of ever hurting anyone, but what nobody sees is your dark, dangerous side, that rebels, hurts people, steals hearts and even enslaves men, I'm sure." Artemis is smiling to himself now. I start laughing, then, very seriously say, "So, you didn't answer my first question..." "... and what would that be?" He's grinning, and really quite charming... I quickly stop this train of thought. Now, back to business... "The question was what and who exactly are you saving me fro?m, what can I expect, what precautions should I take, what is the risk factor, and what do I have to do?" He laughs a bit. "Wow that's a question and a half. Ok, so heres the deal: Ice is worried about you starting a rebellion, so his plan was to put a super-strong anticoagulant in your makeup, don't ask how, because I don't know, but don't worry, I switched all the makeup and destroyed the poisoned makeup. All I know is that there's someone on the inside that's working for Ice and is planning on killing you. So you can expect people acting weird around you, because they think you're gonna bleed to death over a paper cut, because that's what the poison does, so what you're gonna have to do is act normal, like nothing happened, but make sure you avoid any scrapes, cuts, bumps, bruises... basically avoid injury, or someone'll notice and they'll re-poison you, and maybe this time I won't be there to save you. Now, your prep team's waiting in your second studio, and none of them know about this, so DO NOT SAY ANYTHING regarding this whole thing, ok? Just tell them that you were escorted by a guard to this studio, ok?" I nod, and almost clash heads with him because of our closeness. "Okay. But, one thing, can I tell my friends? Like Tom, Quincy..." He cuts me off "and Fil? Sure, as long as they can be trusted, go ahead." I was taken aback by what he just said. "H-how do you know about Fil?" He just laughed to himself and shook his head. "Oh boy. Well basically, everyone KNOWS he's here, but nobody knows exactly where, so we can't get him, but we know he talks to tributes in 4." All I could say was "Oh."
Artemis led me down a trapdoor in the closet floor, and through a winding tunnel that ended with a pink door. This is where he left me, saying he can't go any further. I walk into the studio, and am ambushed by Clay. She quickly explains that the rest of the team cant be here because Ice called them to an urgent meeting. She helps me into my dress, does my makeup, and adds some finishing touches to my hair, before announcing to nobody that I'm "Officially a perfect goddess." I smile triumphantly, as Clay sprays some stuff over my face, eyes and lips. When I asked her what it was, she simply replied "This is to keep your makeup perfect in case you cry, and to make sure quincy doesn't end up wearing it when you kiss him." Seeing my blank expression, she giggles "Well surely you weren't expecting us to let this all go without at least any lip action, right?" I bite my lip nervously. "Oh dear. Well on the bright side, this won't be your first kiss, will it?" I look shyly at my shoes. "Oh my, it is isn't it?" I nod. "Oh. Well no worries, maybe we can call Quincy in for a little rehearsal..." I look up at her, bug-eyed. "WHAT?" She starts laughing. "Well he IS your boyfriend, unless you want me to call in one of the guards..." I get so nervous, I start stuttering "W-well d-do we n-need to h-have a r-r-rehearsal?" She laughs "Of course we do! And even if we didn't, we don't want you guys to look like an awkward couple that doesn't know how to kiss! I'll tell you what, I happen to know a very charming guard that's also quite professional that wouldn't mind helping you out..." I cut her off right there. "NO!" she looks confused. "then how..?" I sigh "Well, there's an hour of free time between makeovers and ceremonies, right?" she nods "Well, I'll figure something out then, ok? No need to set me up with some guard or anything, I got it, ok?"
Soon, too soon, I was escorted back up to the 4th floor by Clay, all the wile getting advice and tips that I did not want. "Don't try anything your not comfortable with" "whatever you do, don't pucker" "just relax and you'll do fine." after a while, I find myself wondering why the hell i had to go all the way down to the emergency studio, today of all days!
When I finally get to the 4th floor, I make a beeline for my room, hoping nobody would see me. I was terribly mistaken. The first person parading into my room Artemis, who stabbed me in the finger with a tiny needle, only a centimeter long, and squeezed a drop of blood outta me, then stuck it on a strip, before inserting it into some compact machine. It made weird beeping and whirring noises for a bit, then a light flashed, and letters appeared on the screen. Artemis smiled, informed me that I was clear of toxins, and left.
The second visitor was Rick, who wanted to talk about strategies for our assessments. He was planning on throwing knives, punching a dummy, and running from station to station. After our conversation, his plan changed to throwing things first, then sprinting to the back of the room, collecting the knives, sprinting back, building a fire, then beating up the dummy and leaving it in the fire pit to burn. I'm gonna throw knives into the dummy from across the room, then impale him with a whole quiver of bows, all in one minute, then start a small fire, camouflage myself, and climb one of the artificial trees, swing from branch to branch, then land beside the dummy and slash its face open with my nails. Then I'll take the straw stuffing from the dummy, and use it to coax the red hot embers back into a blazing fire. Impressive, no?
Rick leaves, and Quincy walks in. I'm really gonna have to track down whoever installed a revolving door in my room!I open my mouth to tell Quincy about the... news Clay gave me, but he cut me off. "I think I know what you're gonna say, n I'll just save you the explanation." I give him a really confused look. "What?" He sighs. "Tyson told me about their... plan." I blushed... dammit why do i always blush? "Oh. ok. Watcha think about it?" We talk a little uncomfortably for a bit, before tyson walks in and takes Quincy back to his studio to finish some stuff on his outfit. He leaves, reluctantly, mouthing the words SAVE ME! I crack up.
Just as he walks out, Tom walks in. Once again, who the hell decided my room had a revolving door in it? "Hey I heard about your stylist' master plans" Toms flat out laughing at me. How nice of him... I was about to get up and push him face first onto my bed, when Fil walked in. Someone please tell me: what in hell happened to knocking on the door? He sits on the corner of the bed, as if it was his room, but then again, it probably was last year... "So, nice you stopped by, but um is there any particular reason your here?" Me and Tom ask at the exact same time. I hear whispers in my head, really intense ones. I guess this is what happens wen 3 mind-speakers (thats the name we agreed on, well fil and tom did, i wanted to call us ninjas...) are in a small space together. "whoa" I say, under my breathe. Fil notices it. "intense, right?" Tom answers "holy... yeah" Just then, I realized something. "Hey, if i can hear you guys whispering, even from a mile away... You can't hear... Do you guys hear my thoughts even wen your not listening?" They both grin mischievously "Every single second" Aw crap. Aw crap is right, you dirty-minded little girl why don't they stop doing that, just for a second? A second passes, and then I get attacked by brain messages from Fil mocking me, and Tom who jumps on me, sending me flying back into my huge pile of pillows, and then attacking me with them. My own pillows! they immediately start imitating me. "My own pillows! thats just low. ok thats it, im gonna get revenge, and im gonna get it a 4:30 am!" Damn these guys are really annoying me. They both stop abruptly, "Oh sorry! are we annoying you?" Grrrrrrrrrr I send them the most threatening, scariest, evilest thoughts i can possibly think (and no, I will not tell you), and they stopped right away, and turned white, and inched to the back edge of the bed. Much better :). They look at me like I was about to claw their eyes out or something. I tell them to cal the hell down and then we started talking...
