Now, here's the District 6 train ride!

POV: Kamryn Middleton

I swing my feet up on the sofa, and lay back. Stupid Fedora Lifte, District 6's capitol escort, had called me to dinner, even pleaded with me to come, but I didn't feel like going. So I told her to 'buzz off' and she replied with a breathless "Well, I never...!" and clicked off somewhere, with her long blue hair swinging behind her. But that was, like, an hour ago, so I have no idea where she is now.

My argument with the Peacekeepers at the reaping is fresh in my mind, and I laugh when I remember the Peacekeeper's angry face. Then I think of my farewell to my family, I had tried to show them that I would try my best, and that I wasn't the least bit afraid. And I wasn't lying. Suddenly, the door opens and Gingko, my annoying district partner, walks in holding a plate of food.

"You need something, rabbit?" I ask sarcastically. I had given him the nickname rabbit, because he has huge big blue eyes that just scream, 'Innocence'. He walks over to me and puts the plate on the table next to the couch I'm laying on and replies,

"I brought you some food, since you didn't show up for the meal. I'm trying to be nice, or do you not know what that word means?" Gingko smiles, with his small pointed lips. I cock my head and look at him with a raised eyebrow. This little boy is trying to insult me? I don't think so.

"Listen, rabbit, I don't want the food. Why don't you eat it? You sure need to pack on some pounds for the arena. Wait, let me help you." I quickly take the food, which is a weird soup, and dump right over his head. He gasps, and shoots up angrily. He looks so funny, I just burst out laughing. I can't stop, and his face just gets redder! His dark hair is even darker, now that the soup is in it. After a while, Gingko gets up and darts out of the room, and I can hear my laugh echoing through the open door.

Now that I've finally stopped laughing, I get up from the couch. I wonder what there is to do on this train, are they expecting me to just sit still for the whole ride? Almost on cue, Miki Scribe and Ace Vander walk in the room. They are our mentors, or will be, once the Games truly begin. Miki looks angry, and Ace just looks like he wants to be anywhere but here. Miki finally opens her big mouth and shouts,

"What did you just do? You can't do that to your fellow tribute! And you didn't show up for dinner! Imagine, I was having a nice chat with Ace here, and Gingko comes running in with a soup bowl on his head! Unbelievable!" She goes on and on, and I just stare at her with raised eyebrows. Yelling at me won't do any good, and she'll learn that soon. Everyone does. Ace scratches his head, awkwardly, and clears his throat.

"I wonder how you ever won the Hunger Games. Did you nag everyone to death?" I smirk, crossing my arms. Her face turns red, and I can tell that Ace stifled a laugh. Miki turns to him, and slaps his shoulder. Then she says,

"How dare you! I've never seen such a disrespectful girl in my life! Just wait 'till you get in the arena." She mutters something else under her breath, and walks out of the room with Ace in tow, like he's on a leash. I sigh, and just then, yet another person comes to bother me. It's Fedora, of all people.

"Kamryn, this time you must come. We're all gathering in the TV room, and you must apologize to Gingko. Then you must sit nice and quiet while we watch the reapings." Her ice blue hair hangs over her milk white eyes, it looks very odd. There isn't anything better for me to do, so I slowly follow her to the TV room. Miki and Ace are sitting next to each other, and Gingko is sitting on a fluffy chair covered with a blanket. His hair is still wet from the soup, or maybe he has taken a shower. No one wants me to sit next to me, and I don't like them shunning me like this, but I just sit on the floor close to the TV. I hear Fedora gasp from behind me, as if sitting on the floor was barbaric to her. Then the death sentences begin, all twenty-four them. One tribute will survive, though, as we all know.

The reapings begin with the announcers chatting, and then they look at the camera as if they had suddenly noticed us. With a loud voice, the male says they will begin. As always, all the tributes from Districts 1, 2, and 4 are all pretty and handsome, but behind their beautiful masks, lies the faces of deadly killers. But the male from 4 seems very detached, and out of place. When it gets to District 6, I see Fedora calling my name, and my strange argument with the Peacekeepers. It brings a smile to my face, it seems very funny. No one shares in my amusement, but I don't care. The rest of the reapings pass by, almost in a flash. I wish I had paid more attention instead of think about my family, and how they're holding up.

"Strong tributes this year. A lot of competition, but nonetheless, I'm so excited!" Fedora exclaims, just as I see the sun going down. Everyone, especially me, ignores her and leaves the room. She stands there, probably wondering if she said something wrong. Gingko gives me a playful look as he walks toward his room, can't he take the hint that I don't like him?

"Farewell, I'll wake you when we reach the Capitol." Ace tells me, because Miki hadn't given me as much as a glance since our run-in. I look at him, and his good-natured smile.

"Sure, thanks. And, why do you let Miki walk all over you? Stand up to her," I say, and laugh, expecting him to join me. But he just shakes his head and replies,

"Miki's my sister. She got married, that's why her last name is different. I have respect for her." He silently takes his leave. I don't know why, but I just can't hate him. He seems too nice. I shrug my small shoulders and I go to my room, walking in almost complete darkness.

When I slip inside the alien room, I go over to the mirror. My dark eyes stare back at me, as though I'm a stranger. My black hair is cut sharply to my shoulder blades, without any curls. With a small sigh, I remove my clothes and put on silk pajamas that an Avox had put on the bed. I slide into the soft and inviting bed, but I lay on my side with my eyes wide open.

It didn't take me long to realize sleep wouldn't come. Not tonight.

But after an hour of tossing and turning, my mind gives in to exhaustion.

POV: Gingko Wyde

After being followed to the dining car by Fedora Lifte, she places me in a seat across from Ace Vander, who is silently staring down the soup that is in front of him. I'm still in a frenzy, after being reaped and all, and now I've just been placed on this train filled with crazy people. I'm trying to get the best out of my time left in the world, but the world isn't giving me much to work with. Fedora announces that she is going to find Kamryn, my sharp-tongued district partner, and leaves me alone with Ace. An Avox with sheen blond hair places soup in front of me, but I don't think I can stomach it. Ace, my reserved dinner partner, has light brown hair with pale brown eyes.

"Alright, I've arrived." A proud looking woman, with pale brown hair, says and takes a seat next to Ace. This is Miki Scribe, our female mentor. She eyes me up and down, and groans.

"I swear they get weaker and weaker every year." She laughs to Ace, putting her hand on his shoulder. He just stiffens. She starts to attack her soup, like she hasn't eaten in years. I zone out, not wanting to see the green liquid all over Miki's face.

I wonder how my mom is doing, now with one less mouth to feed. Sorrow washes over me, knowing no one will miss me. No one but Mom, or maybe even Dad. They had all pretended to be sad, or that's what it seemed like. I can't lie to myself; there is no way I'm going to come out of this alive. Might as well accept it now, I'll be lying dead on the arena floor in a week. But I won't give the other tributes the satisfaction of knowing that I doubt myself.

"Well, are you going to eat? A chef made that just for you, and you're going to go and waste it? My, my, how distasteful." Miki suddenly says, just as Fedora walks in.

"Such a horrible young lady! Kamryn refuses to come to dinner, even when I pleaded with her!" She shouts, and I can tell she's really outraged. This is a good opportunity to get out of this awkward situation, and I say,

"I'll bring her my soup. I don't want it, and like you said, Miki, it would be distasteful if it was wasted." I snatch up my bowl, and scurry out of the room, my bony body hidden by baggy hand-me-down clothes from my brother, Coda.

The train is heavy with decoration, I wonder why. To me, it's stupid to travel to your death in style. What always gets to me is that the Capitol dresses up tributes only to put them in the arena. But whatever, I still have a week.

I finally find Kamryn, who is lying back on a mahogany couch. She looks at me with her big, dark brown eyes. I lay the soup on the table and say,

"I brought you some food, since you missed the meal. I'm trying to be nice, or do you not know what that word means?" I smile, coldly. Kamryn looks at me funny before commenting that I should gain some weight for the arena, and then she picks up the bowl. This can't be good. Knowing that she's going to do something, I try to rise, but she pours the soup all over me! I rocket up, with the bowl still on my head. Kamryn bursts out laughing, holding her sides. My dark shaggy hair hangs in clumps now, and the soup rolls down my shirt and pants. I can feel my face starting to get very red, so I bolt out of the room, and her laughter follows me down the hall. Miki and Ace are sitting in some chairs, but I pass right by them. I need to get this soup off!

"What in the name of Panem happened?" Miki almost screams, but it comes out like a shout. Ace begins to laugh, but with one glare from Miki, he shut up.

After rushing into my room, I run straight into what I think is a bathroom. I slide the baggy clothes off with ease, and I remove the bowl from my head. I step into the shower, and realize I have no idea how to work it. There are so many buttons, so I press an orange one, just guessing. I think it's right, because steaming hot water pours down, and shampoo almost squirts in my eyes. So this is a shower? I've never had one; we always took paths in a wooden tub back in District 6.

Surprisingly, I'm not mad Kamryn. If we had known each other back in District 6, and we weren't in this situation, I think we could have been friends. At least acquaintances. I quickly attend to my shaggy hair, and wash my body. I'm always so self conscience because I've been told that I'm as skinny as a pole, and my limbs look like long pencils. I almost don't hear it, but there's a faint knock on the door.

"Gingko? It's Ace. We're going to watch the reapings." I can tell he's still by the door, so I say,

"I'll be there in a minute. I just need to get dressed…" Then I hear his footsteps, but I don't hear him leave my main room. What is he doing? I stand there for about five more minutes, letting the warm water run over me. I make sure I hear Ace leave before slipping out the door with a towel draped around my waist.

I see a fresh set of clothes laid on the bed, with socks and slippers, and next to it lays a soft blanket. So this is what Ace was doing while I was in the shower, making sure I had warm, dry clothes and a blanket. His kindness warms my heart, and I plan to thank him as I pull on the surprisingly tight-fitting clothes. Grabbing the blanket, I head out to where the TV room is.

Ace is next to Miki, of course, and I take a seat on the only chair in the room. The rest are couches. A while after I sit down, Kamryn and Fedora stalk in the room, neither of them looking too happy. Kamryn surveys the room, and finally chooses to sit on the floor. I don't blame her. Then the reapings begin.

I don't pay much attention, and I definitely don't want to see District 6's reapings. I see many faces, many of them scared, and many of them confident. This year will be bloody, I just know it. Just as I was thinking that, Fedora exclaims,

"Strong tributes this year. A lot of competition, but nonetheless, I'm so excited!" No one acknowledges that she had said anything, and we all desert her. With one playful look at Kamryn, I tred off to my "room".

Things can't get any worse, but then I'm reminded that I'll be in the Capitol by tomorrow morning. To be observed by millions of citizens, and then carted off to the arena like a lamb led to the slaughter.

How grim.

...I know, I know! I said there would be a delay, but the D6 train ride was waiting in my documents, ready to be posted...so here is it! Keep in mind that there WILL be a delay for the District 7 train ride, as I still have a big math thing to do. Please review, and we broke 60! Wow! Sorry for any typos or spelling errors, also!

And again, I hope you guys liked this chapter! ;)

~ArtificialLove