Here's the next chapter! Yay! ENJOY
Rosalina Crest - District 2
The train moves silently through the afternoon sun and I hardly feel as if I'm moving at all. I find it easy to walk about the plush cabin I'm supplied and I quickly shower. The grime of the day washes off my smooth tan skin and I release an audible moan. It was so hot it district one, which isn't uncommon, it made the whole process of good-byes unbearable. My five sisters, one brother, and mom all suffocated me with tears, and as bad as it sounds, I'm almost relieved to have some space.
I grab one of the many towels and begin to dry myself. The towels are so soft it's like I'm drying myself with a blanket, strangely I like it. I press one of the buttons and my dirty blonde hair floats down to my shoulders dry. I use some of the supplied hair products and pin my hair up in its usual half up – half down style. I place my token, my brother's good luck bracelet, on my wrist and spin it around slowly. I suddenly remember the last conversation I had with him that wasn't muffled by tears. I was pestering him and he ran off, I hope that won't be how he remembers me on the long nights until the end of this.
Once again my leadership has gotten in the way. I can't even keep from trying to keep everything under control when I'm with my family. I sigh and slump against the wall in the tight sweatpants and green v-neck I took from my dresser. Maybe this is going to be harder than I thought. I'm startled by the sudden knocking on my door calling me to dinner. Is it really that late already?
In the dining hall my escort, mentor and partner are already sitting. I have to say, he's pretty intimidating with his tall muscular body, but his eyes… they just seem off. It's not the color, even though they are breathtaking, something just seems… crazed about them. "Are you going to sit or what?" Zeke's booming voice asks me.
"Oh, yes sorry. I'm just… I don't know where to start with all this food." I give a winning smile and gracefully sit down. I can tell Zeke's cold eyes are on me, doubting me, but I ignore him and dig in. He gives a grunt and starts on his all-meat plate.
We lightly discuss our strategy and in the end we decided on the "traditional-expectations-set-forth-by-our-processors". In other words: careers. I guess when you're well trained and fit you don't need to be super cunning or swift. As we head to our separate rooms I feel Zeke's large hand on the small of my back. "So I thought we should get to know each other a little better, now that we'll be working together." He whispers in my ear. I lean up against the wall and look at him, trying to play cool too. His voice is surprisingly smooth now, that's unsettling.
"I guess you're right." I give him a charming half smile praying that it works.
"Tell me about yourself then. Where's your bracelet from?" He smiles back, it almost seems genuine.
"My brother, Adam. Don't you have a token?" Now I'm interested, this boy seems to have nothing with him. Plus, I want to move the subject away from my brother.
"No, tokens are pointless to me. I don't see the point if I'll be back home in no time." This I can tell is his true sadistic nature. Maybe we are getting to know each other, just not in the way he was hoping.
"Huh, well you better make sure to get me home too then." I give a wink, turn slowly and walk into my room without a further word. It's true, he better help get me home but I wanted to get away from him. I crawl into bed and turn off the light, thoroughly creeped.
Nick Freewild – District 6
Just as we pull out of the station it begins to rain, hard. Once we're at full speed though it's impossible to tell, the rain moves past too quickly. Everything just looks like a gray blur as we pass at lightning speed. I look at Marzipan using my peripheral vision and I see her face is blotchy and red. She seemed so sure earlier, I wonder what happened. She looks up and sees me looking at her and quickly moves her face from my view.
"Hey, you O.K.?" I take a step towards her but she turns into herself more.
"I'm fine. Really." I see her wipe her face with her small freckled hand. She turns to leave but I grab her shoulder.
"You can talk to me. We're a team, remember?" I say as gently as I can. For a moment she stops and looks over her shoulder at me.
"I can deal with it on my own. I want to wash up now though, I'll see you at dinner." She walks silently to her room and shuts the door with a quiet click. I walk off to my own room trying to push away my aching conscience for letting her walk away alone.
Fallon Delos – District 10
Dinner is eerie as we all sit silently eating. The sound of silverware against plates fills the room as I sit with my head down barely touching my food. Already I feel nauseous with its strong flavoring. Everything seems unreal now and this food isn't helping.
"So, let's talk strategy." Our mentor gives a laugh and I see Eplis look up with a confused expression. Her eyes dart to his face as she tries to decipher him. Suddenly I feel extremely childlike next to a girl who's already sizing up the people around her, even before we're in the arena.
"What did you have in mind?" I ask not wanting to look at Eplis's knowing eyes.
"I don't know, what are your strengths?" Our mentor, Bryin I now remember, picks up a roll and lazily swings it in the air. "What makes you two so special?"
Eplis and I look at each other not knowing what to say."I-" She falters a bit. "I can throw…" She trails off and looks at me with wide eyes. O.k. maybe she isn't so threatening.
"Throw what? Knives, spears?" Bryin is leaning forward over the table as if getting closer to Eplis will help him see her abilities.
"Well, I meant more sports wise…" She twirls her hair on her finger and looks down. I've seen her play in the streets, she's good. Sometimes on my way home from my job I see her running with dirt streaked on her shorts chasing after a ball flying through the air.
"O.k. as soon as you reach the training building I want you to find some sort of weapon to throw. No exceptions, learn to be deadly." She nods and he turns to me expecting some sort of talent.
"I use knives in the butcher shop I work at." I took up this job in order to keep my small family going, I guess it really has paid off. At the time it seemed like a huge hassle to have to keep my family going.
"Good, and while you're at it learn survival skills." Bryin abruptly gets up and walks out of the room without another word. I look over to Eplis and see she's just as confused as I am. After dinner -and a few unavoidable burps from myself- I stand and Eplis follows.
"So are mentor isn't exactly the best."She says from behind me. I'm not really in a talking mood – o.k. I'm just not a talker period- but I decide to try with her.
"Yea." Is all I manage. Eplis continues on without pointing out my lack of people skills. I turn around and face her in the hall. Up close she's much smaller than I first thought, only about 5'3''.
"He's definitely in his room getting wasted right now. It looks like we're going to have to take care of ourselves." She looks down and sighs. Now I feel dumb for being so intimidated by her, after all, she's just a 17 year old girl.
"Well, that's nothing really new for me." I can't believe I just said that. She looks up with her eyes filled with understanding and her arms crossed across her chest.
"Yea, me too. I guess we're both used to independence." She gives a small laugh and we both head down the hall in opposite directions, taking this small laughter as our cue's to leave. "Fallon?" I turn around and find her standing a few feet away, near her door.
"Uh, yea?" She looks unsure, almost embarrassed.
"You were friends with my brother right?" Her brother was my only friend actually, which makes being here with her so much worse. If something would happen to her I wouldn't blame Edson for hating me.
"Yea, we were friends. Uh, we are friends."
"Did he…" She trails off and looks away, she sighs and continues: "Did he ever talk about my mom?" No. Somehow we both had a mutual agreement: I don't ask about your mom, you don't ask about mine.
"No, sorry Eplis, I know nothing about her." She looks relieved.
"Ok, thanks. I just wanted to know. Goodnight." She's in her bedroom before I can return any response. Now I really wish I asked more about Edson's family.
Henry Nightguard
Being the last district to be reaped has its disadvantages. By the time me and my partner reach the train the sun is low in the sky. Beside me she sighs and yanks on her dress. "Well I hear the food is good here." She walks off down the hall and I hear a door shut.
I go off to my own room – it's probably twice the size of my room back home - and change into some of the supplied clothes. I feel much more comfortable once I have on a pair of sweats and a plain t-shirt. I take the sword pin my brother gave me, before he moved out, and place it on my new clothes. Most of my clothes back home are old hand-me-downs so I make sure to appreciate these clothes while I'm still alive.
At dinner we sit side by side but Ace and I don't even look at each other. Even when our escort addresses her she only answers with a nod or a one word answer. She could at least try to be friendly! Dinner is more than awkward and I'm more than happy to get it over with. I wait in my room until they call me for the recap on TV. Ace is already sitting down on the sofa and Peeta and Katniss share a small chair off to the side, even though they hardly touch. As the recap starts I get a firsthand look at the people that want me dead. The boy from one is terrifying, but most of the careers are.
It's easy to tell which kids are confident and which already know they're going to die. The whole time I dread the recap of district 12 and luckily a lady in district 11 faints when her brother is picked. The announcers take their time cracking jokes about her and finally district 12 pops up. I see the familiar streets filed with people and even see the bakery from one angle. Ace's name is picked and she grouches her way to the front looking pissed off.
Then they pull my name. It's like being back in the square all over again.
-Flashback-
"Acacia Maylet!" A small 14 year old girl looks angry as she steps onto stage and shakes the escorts hand stiffly. I look down at Katie who is beginning to shake slightly. Lucky for her, she already knows she won't be competing this year.
"Henry Nightguard!" No. Katie looks at me her eyes already starting to redden.
"Henry no. You can't leave." She grips my arm tighter and I know that everyone is looking now, they need a boy to walk up. Katie starts to cry and I try my best to remove her hands from me.
"Katie I have to." I whisper and look her straight in the eyes as she sobs. I yank away one more time and leave her behind. When I reach the stairs I look back and find her sobbing into her hands. I can't bear to look at her anymore and I turn and look at Acacia Maylet. Her arms are crossed across her chest and her lips are tight. She looks at me with a disapproving look and I glare right back at her.
-End-
Back in the train care I look over at Ace. The whole time she hasn't removed her eyes from the screen. Even when an attendant asked if she wanted something to drink she simply moved her head so she could see past her. At the end she slumps back in the sofa and Katniss and Peeta review the competition. I ignore them because to me, my real competition is my unforgiving district partner.
"The girl from 4 seemed kind of weak for a career…"
"Look out for the girl from district 7; her sister will have trained her…"
"No no no, don't' count out district 9, their tears could easily be fake…"
On and on their conversation goes but all I want to do now is go to bed. I get up and walk silently towards my room leaving Ace behind me.
Once I'm in my room I regret it immediately. In my head I see the replay of district 12 over and over again. I can't focus on my competition now when all I see is her face, streaked with pain. For hours I sit in bed and repay every moment I had with Katie from the minute I met her, and silently I let her go.
Ok here is your first sponsor question! : Next chapter I plan on having the chariot rides. If you have any ideas for any district outfits PM me. I will give you 2 points for each district you send in! Thanks!
