Okay, train rides! Remember how I said, it will be: Girl, boy, girl, boy for each District? Well, I decided, since it takes me a long time to write from so many POVS, I'm just going to go up to District 6 for this one. And then up to 12 in the next one. But, still, you'll get the POVS. And they'll be switched once the Tributes enter the Capitol! So, enjoy! :D They may be a bit short, sorry ^-^" ~Squintz P.S. Carter's is short, yeah, because it's right before he falls asleep.
Day One of the Train Rides -
District One's Bay Rossey -
I cross my legs, looking out the window as the train begins its way to the Capitol. The District One people who stuck around by the train to cheer and wave are doing just that, and I just roll my eyes. The District Representative smiles at us, then holds out her hand to Hunter, and they shake. She holds out her hand to me, and I shake it once, then fold my arms.
"I'm Coral. Coral Kline." She beams.
"I'm Hunter. But, I go by Hunt." Hunt says in a bit of a quiet voice, nodding his head.
"I'm Bay. Just call me Bay." I say, turning away and glancing out the window again.
The train picks up speed, and then there's a silence in the entire room. The cart shakes a bit as the train steadies out at one specific speed, and then Coral stands up, brushing off her hideous skirt.
"I'm going to go get the mentor! I'm sure you'll be excited to meet her!" Coral says, doing a pigeon toed walk from the cart.
The automatic doors slip open, and she walks through them. The room is silent, and all you can hear is the gentle shudder of the furniture in the train as it moves along. I blow out an annoyed sigh, then glance over to Hunter. He's looking down at the floor, shuffling his feet and looking uneasy. He chews his bottom lip, and I knit my brows, then speak up.
"So, why'd you volunteer for that kid? He looked pretty happy." I say, scratching at the little white ring on my finger.
"We all have our reasons, right?" He says quietly.
"Yeah, which is why I asked you." I retort.
"Why do you have such a bad attitude?" He asks.
"There's already a question on the table." I reply.
"I volunteered because I didn't want him in the Games." Hunt sighs.
"Why?" I ask.
"Because... I just... Want him to be safe." He says with annoyance.
"Oh, well... He could probably fend for himself if you let him." I shrug, "He looked pretty damn scary... And hot..." I giggle.
Hunt shoots me a death glare, and then the automatic doors slide open. Coral walks in with the mentor following her. The mentor has long, blonde hair and bright blue eyes. She's got two enormous scars running down her arms, and she looks like she doesn't bother to hide them, since she's wearing a short, pink sundress. Hunt stands up, shaking her hand.
"I'm Beryl, and you are?" She asks him.
"I'm Hunter D'Agosto... But, I go by Hunt." He replies.
Beryl clears her throat, glancing at me. I blow out a careless sigh, then stand up and shake her hand lazily.
"And I'm Bay Rossey." I groan.
"Okay, Bad Attitude. Bay your full name?" She asks.
"Uh, yeah." I say, giving her an indifferent look.
"Uh, okay." She snorts, rolling her eyes and sitting down in the chair across from Hunt and I.
"So, special skills for you two? Anything you're good with?" She asks, crossing her thin, tanned legs.
"Well, I-" Hunt begins.
"I'm really good with a rapier sword, or any type of sharp sword." I beam, brushing some curly, brown hair behind my shoulder.
"Okay, Bad Attitude... And how about you, Blondie?" She asks Hunt.
"I'm good with-" I cut him off again.
"Are the nicknames going to be a permanent thing?" I hiss.
"Let the boy talk!" Beryl says in a louder, frustrated voice.
"Like I was saying..." Hunt growls, "I'm good with a mace..."
"A mace? Haven't seen one of those since my Games." The surprisingly young Victor, who looks to be at least 24, laughs.
"Yup." Hunt smiles.
"Hmm... I can work with you too, even though Bad Attitude here might be a bit of a challenge. But, with that behind us and done, who wants some lunch?" Beryl smiles.
District Two's Sterling Peeters -
"So, take a guess at how good you think the competition will be for this year..." Our mentor, Amita Mullur, says.
"Uh... Pretty good?" Emiliana replies, playing with her amazingly long hair.
"That's exactly what I thought during my Quell." Amita laughs, clicking the remote to the television.
The projector flicks on, putting a nice, clear image of the District One Square on the black tile wall. The Reapings for this District are interesting, and the girl, Bay, looks pretty lethal. She'd be a good addition to the team... The boy, Hunter, seems pretty weak, considering the fact he broke down and volunteered for his friend. But, he may be valuable. Then, we fast forward through District Two, and go on to District Three.
Everybody looks lost when the tiny, thin, pale girl is picked. And she wanders through the crowd to the stage. She won't last long... Then, the boy, who really looks sort of blank. He doesn't really have a reaction, but he seems super focused on somebody in the crowd. He looks to be pretty smart, sneaky, almost... Just from the way his looks appear. Thin, angled, and carved just right to look like something's suspicious...
District Four is another story. The girl volunteers for this scrawny, glasses-wearing girl. She has choppy, brown hair and two different colored eyes. She seems of some worth. Pretty tall, and some sort of muscular build. Maybe she could be another good addition to the Career pack. The boy looks a bit tough. He's tall, brawny, and muscular. He must be heavily involved in work down in his District.
District Five looks like two relatively close people. The girl and boy both act seemingly calm, and during the handshake look like they've known each other for a thousand years. But, a little girl is screaming in the crowd and crying, and it's a bit distracting. And although it's distracting, I can't help but feel like those two kids are going to be crying just as hard when I remove all the life from them... A smirk slips across my lips, and I continue to watch the rest of these pathetic Reapings...
District Six is alright, looking to be of some guts. The girl, Waverly Mendez, doesn't make a peep when called on stage. She could have some skill, for one thing she looks to be a bit smart... That could benefit us. The boy, Carter, looks like he could snap a neck with the flick of his wrist. His little sister cries in the crowd, and when he's ushered into the Justice Building, he's relevantly quiet. Strong and silent type, huh? Well, he'll probably scream like a pig when somebody kills him...
In District Seven, Jade Arctics looks of some worth. She's got muscular build in her arms, and she has the 'Don't mess with me or I'll tear your guts out and stuff them down your throat, then cook your lifeless carcass over a fire and eat you like a starving cannibal' sort of look on her face. One thing about her I instantly get, is that she's silent. She's sort of solid, too. Looking very sure of herself... The boy, Douglas, looks like he thinks he's a hotshot. Right off the top, I can tell he's some sort of heart throb in D7. But he's brawny, tough looking, and maybe, just maybe, he could help us out in the Arena... That is, if we needed help. Which won't be likely...
District Eight's Tributes are fairly interesting. The way that Cordelia smiles at the boy, Toro, is unmistakably painful. But the fact that I can't draw my eyes away from Toro's bright red face is even more painful. He looks like there's ants in his pants, or he peed himself in front of everyone... He's amazingly embarrassed at nothing in particular, and I don't doubt that he'll be blushing when he dies in the Arena.
Alex Fahey of District Nine is a bit sketchy for me. She has no initial reaction... She looks... Confused, even. But the boy, Cyan... He looks like he could kill a raging lion. He's covered in dirt and blood, and then you see the new interview man and his assistant laughing at the recap of Cyan beating up the boy.
"Now, see? That's the kind of threat you must look out for in the Arena!" He exclaims.
"Yes, he seems to have quite a temper!" The assistant chuckles.
District Ten is fairly plain, with a tall, blonde girl for their female Tribute. She seems witty and courageous. Perfect for devising a plan... Watch out for her... Then Matthew Juliann, who is muscular enough to probably lift up the female Tribute. He could be a nice addition, but he'd probably get killed in the final four, easy...
District Eleven actually appeals to me a bit, the girl looks like she could easily break a rib with a single kick. She's tall and slim, which will be an advantage in the Arena. Then, the boy, who looks like he'll get killed in the bloodbath... He's small, so he could probably sneak around. But I doubt he'll get far... He's weak looking. Frail.
District Twelve... Well, District Twelve doesn't come on as too much of a shocker to me. But the way the boy strides onto the stage with a pickaxe, that catches my eye. I lift an eyebrow, then run my eyes over the girl. She looks like she could be a fast runner, but she won't last long, other than that... She's short and thin, so she could be sort of sneaky, but that won't help her for too long... Especially when hunger strikes.
"So, your thoughts?" Amita asks, flicking off the television.
"Looks like we have some good competition." Emiliana says, modestly.
"No. It looks like we have some valuable allies, some easy kills, and some quick ways to win." I correct her, rolling my eyes.
"Well, right and wrong. Some of these people won't ally with you. And that is decided during training. But I hear there's going to be a twist this year." Amita says.
"A twist? They always do a twist. It's a Quell." I reply.
"Yes, but this is a different twist... Very different..." Amita nods.
"Like what?" Emiliana asks.
"They wouldn't tell us. You'll have to wait until the Capitol..."
District Three's Neon Watts -
I sit at the table with the mentor, Hurley, and the Representative, Tech, as well as my new District Partner, Reuben. The sun is just barely setting over the moving mountains as we glide along the train tracks. It'd been a long day, and we had watched the Reapings several times over. Hurley wanted to make sure that we had memorized every single Tribute we'd be against. And which ones could be valuable allies. But, you know, who would want to ally with me? They probably would forget I was there.
"Would you pass the butter, please?" Tech asks, reaching towards me.
"Oh, uh... Sure..." I say quietly, handing him the little tray with a stick of butter on it.
Tech begins to slab it across his corn, and then feverishly indulges in the food. I look down at my full plate, blinking hard. Reuben feasts with true hunger, grabbing what he can and shoving it down his windpipe. I never really got too much food at home, so this was like... A lifetime supply to me. I pick up the fork next to the enormous plate that must be as big as my head, and move some food around. But, it really has nowhere to go, because there's so much food on the plate... Hurley looks at me, tilting his head, and then stuffing more food into his mouth.
"Better eat that food, gonna need it when you get into the Arena..." Hurley says, shoveling another mouthful of food into his mouth.
"I'm not going to be alive for that long..." I reply, looking at the food, never moving my gaze to Hurley.
"That's not a good way to think about it... I think you'll do pretty damn good. If I didn't, I wouldn't be talking to you right now." Hurley says.
I can feel Tech and Reuben just staring at us. "I'm just not hungry..." I say, pushing my plate forward on the table.
"Alright. But you're going to eat tomorrow, whether you like it or not." Hurley growls.
"Can I be excused?" I ask quietly.
"Excused? What the hell does that mean?" Hurley says.
"Language!" Tech announces, taking a sip of his bright purple wine.
Reuben laughs, spitting crumbs onto the table.
"That is mahogany!" Tech screams.
Reuben starts cracking up, and I just stand up.
"I'm going into my room..." I say, walking through the automatic doors and into my room.
A few minutes later, Reuben walks into my room, sitting down on the edge of my bed. I just stare at the wall, then glance over to him. He smiles, and I turn back down to the floor. He taps my shoulder, and I move my head up, my glance still a bit downcast.
"Do you want to be my ally?" I hear him ask, but I don't reply.
He continues anyway.
"You can be my ally, you know..." Reuben says.
"I'll just slow you down..." I murmur.
"Nah, you'll be good. I do most of my work with Ra-" He chokes up, "I uh... I do work in the District with some girl that's sort of slow catching on." Reuben says.
"Oh, well... I don't know. I will slow you down, after all." I reply, toying with the little torn end on my dress.
"No. It won't be an issue..." He says, then holds out his hand, "Allies?" He asks.
I slowly reach my hand out, and then grasp his firmly. I actually feel myself smile as we shake on it, and Reuben gives me an actual, real hug. Then, he waltzes from the room like none of it had ever happened.
District Four's Kai Drave -
Lotsear sits at the table, looking down at her food as she takes little bites. I slowly take a bite, chewing thoughtfully. The mentor, Sebastian, keeps glancing up at Lotsear, then to me. I try to ignore it, fixing my eyes on the District Representative, Tira. Lotsear stands up, dabbing her face with a napkin.
"You okay, kid?" Sebastian asks.
"Yeah... I-I'm fine... I'm going to go... Take a shower..." Lotsear says, walking to her room.
I sigh, then turn to Sebastian. He looks up at me, taking a drink of his bright green... Something. I frown as I set my glass of water down, then speak up.
"Do you think she's gonna hate me? Forever?" I ask.
"Why would you care?" Sebastian asks, chewing a strawberry carefully.
"Well, she's my sister's girlfriend..." I reply, poking at the stray parsley on my plate.
"Yeah? So... I guess you two are really close? You and your sister?" Sebastian says.
"Yeah... Mostly because our father's insane and if he ever found out Kalli's a lesbian he'd kill us both... Me for knowing, Kalli for being a lesbian." I say, putting my fork down.
"Wow. Sounds like your dad has never met a Peacekeeper." Tira chimes in.
"Yup. He's a real asshole." I nod.
"Well, when you get to Victor's Village, then he'll be good." Sebastian says.
"When?" I sigh, "I promised Kalliroe that I'd keep Lotsear safe... I didn't want to break her heart... I don't even know if I'll ally with Lotsear. Let alone keep her safe..." I continue.
"I think you should at least ally with her for a while... But once you get to the final eight or six, you should probably branch off." Sebastian states, popping a mint into his mouth.
"Yeah, but... I don't know if she'll last long once we're not together." I say, handing an Avox my empty plate as she refills my water glass.
"Then I guess you have a choice to make, yeah? Either you stay with her the entire time, or you just let somebody else pick her up." Sebastian replies.
"Ew! Don't say it like that..." I reply, shuddering.
"Sorry... You know what I meant, though... Right?" Sebastian finishes, breathing into his hand, then taking in a whiff.
"Yes..." I sigh, standing up.
"Alright..." Sebastian says.
"Take it into mind, though... Okay, Kai?" He asks.
"Of course... I'll fall asleep thinking about it." I chuckle, patting Sebastian's back as I walk towards my room.
"Oh! And, Kai!" Tira calls.
"Yeah?" I ask.
"We arrive tomorrow at ten. Tell Lotsear." She says.
"Sure thing." I nod, walking down the hall.
District Five's Talon Kotka -
"What are the odds?" I ask, staring at the ceiling.
Alister stirs beside me, placing his hands behind his head.
"I'm not sure... But, with our luck... I guess they're not in our favour." Alister says.
"You know..." I say, glancing out the window beside the bed, watching the moon and the stars zoom alongside us, "Sometimes... I wonder what things would be like if our parents were still around."
"Really? I'm sure we'd still be best friends." Alister chuckles, nudging my elbow.
"Of course!" I say, throwing my arms out in front of me.
Silence settles over the room. All you can hear is the gentle rattle of the mirror in the bathroom. Then, it's broken.
"I tesseraed this morning..." Alister murmurs.
"What?!" I squeal, sitting up.
"I tesseraed... I felt bad... I... I felt like I had to contribute to the family." Alister says.
"But you're Alister! You don't feel bad!" I exclaim.
"Thanks. That makes me feel appreciated." Alister replies.
"I didn't mean it that way!" I sigh, shaking my head.
"I told you guys I didn't want you to tesserae!" I practically yell.
"Shut up, Talon! The mentor's going to kill us, because we'll be too exhausted for chariot night..." Alister says, clamping his hand over my mouth.
I lick his hand, and he wipes it across my face.
"Why... Why would you do that?! Maybe that's why you got picked, Alister!" I whisper scream.
"Maybe that's exactly what happened!" He mocks me, poking my forehead.
I collapse back onto the bed, shaking my head. I'm so full of rage right now. How could he do that?! I clearly say, every week, no tesseraes for the family. But of course, he goes and blows me off! Of course he'd do that... He is Alister Rain. I shake my head, then feel him lie down next to me. The train turns a bit, sliding along the tracks effortlessly.
"I can't believe you..." I blow out a breath.
"I'm sorry..." Alister whispers as I close my eyes.
"I'm sure..." I yawn, "I'm sure you are..." I say, drifting off to sleep.
District Six's Carter Woods -
I lie awake, glaring at the wall. I can't sleep... I blink hard, rubbing my forehead. I pull a pillow to my bare chest, gazing out the moving landscape. The moon somehow follows me past the mountains and over the running river beneath the train. I imagine it's Lani, following me along to the bakery. I smile, closing my eyes and imagining her skipping along with Goldfish in her pocket. Him croaking happily as she hums a dainty tune. I shake my head, then open my eyes. Nothing is happy right now, so why am I trying to make it happy?
I roll over, facing the other window. The stars look brighter than ever, unlike the way they look over the groggy, hazy night skies of District Six. I bet it's the same as District Five, in some sense... I blow out a heavy sigh, thinking about the Tributes for this year. Who will ally with me? What's the twist? What will the Arena be like? How long will I last? Will Lani actually watch? Questions flood my mind, and I attempt to push them away. I hope Lani doesn't watch...
My chest aches at the thought of my little sister... The thought of home... Wondering how she is at home with my father... Oh, man... My father. I hate getting further from her with every growing second... I have no control over anything. I'm just going closer and closer to my possible death. I shake my head, remembering that I promised Lani I'd come home. That's all I can try to do, anyway. But, as far as I'm concerned, I can get pretty far.
I remember how Lani cried, and I feel a heavier ache in my chest. I wish somebody could understand my pain... Waverly didn't seem too bothered by the fact she was going into the Games. She was talkative at dinner, conversing plans for the Games with our mentor, James. They exchanged ideas, strategies, and ways to win or lose. I was silent, thinking about all the things Lani and I'd did in the few years she'd been alive. I shake my head again, deciding all I need is sleep, and close my eyes. And to my surprise, I actually drift off into a dark, dreamless sleep.