Balling my hand into a fist, I have to restrain myself to keep from slamming down on the alarm clock too hard. I sigh audibly, and click the button to shut the pesky thing off. It's seven o'clock. Time to get up. Get up, get dressed, have breakfast, then be brought up to that damn Hovercraft that will take us all to the arena.
For the last time, I step up to the massive automated closet to select my outfit for the morning. I decide on a comfortable pair of black sweatpants, a pair of sneakers, and a warm pink T-shirt. I'm not usually the biggest fan of pink, though for some reason, I'm finding myself drawn to it.
Oddly enough, I'm the last one out for breakfast this morning. Everyone else is already at the table. The air feels unusually heavy this morning, and I'd say that it's for a rather understandable reason. Trying to ignore this fact, I take a seat at my normal spot at the table, pour a cup of coffee, and start piling things on my plate. I'm honestly not hungry, though I know that I should eat a good meal before going to the arena. This one good meal could very well be my last.
"Iris!" Thumbelina hollers. "Where are your manners? You didn't even greet anyone."
It annoys the fuck out of me that that's what's on Thumbelina's mind right now, as Jamie and I could very well both be dead in a mere few hours. But, at the same time, it's also sort of a relief and a comfort to see that Thumbelina isn't acting any different right now than she usually would be.
"I'm sorry, Thumbelina," I say gently. "Good morning Thumbelina, Dover, and Jamie."
"That's better, Dearie. Good morning to you, too. Here, have some apples, they may help to keep your blood pressure down!" Thumbelina says in reply.
I'm surprised at the fact that Thumbelina would know that, to be honest. Most escorts, most Capitolites, don't know crap about nutritional value of specific fruits. Although it likely is merely something she learned by chance, perhaps Thumbelina would make a good escort for District 11 or District 13 one day.
"Thank you," I nearly mumble for some reason, taking the apple from Thumbelina's outstretched hand.
I glance over at Jamie, who once again seems entirely focused on his food. Shit. I can tell that he's extremely nervous, and that he's letting his nerves get to him. Even I know that he absolutely can't do that, if he wants to survive the Bloodbath, at least.
"You okay over there, Jamester?" Dover asks Jamie, beating me to the punch.
Jamie immediately looks up from his plate. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm okay. Just...thinking is all."
"Well, don't overthink anything. You shouldn't let your nerves get to you. I know it's hard, but try your best to ignore them," Dover advises Jamie.
"I'll do my best," Jamie assures Dover.
The remainder of breakfast is an odd affair. Everyone does their best to make small talk, and keep a conversation going, obviously to clear our minds of what will be happening in a couple of hours. Everyone's acting entirely different than usual, but also acting the same as usual at the same time. Taking Dover's advice, I try my best not to let my nerves get to me, though I can't seem to get thoughts of ways past District 12 tributes have been killed out of my head.
The Seam girl in the 1st Hunger Games committing suicide, to finally end it all. Mara Northview in the 6th Hunger Games, being attacked by those Snake Mutts. Nolen Northview in the 12th Hunger Games, having his head nearly severed by the Career boy from District 4. Grase, only last year, being tortured for up to an hour by the girl from District 1 for show and payback after she had offed the boy from District 1 in the Bloodbath. Countless tributes from District 12, in only 15 Games, being cut down in the Bloodbath.
I visibly shake my head to ward the thoughts off. Oddly enough, it seems to work a little more than it usually does. Doing my best to keep the inevitable horrid thoughts at bay, I bite into a sugar cookie and tune back in to Thumbelina's story about what happened while she was at her favorite salon a few weeks ago.
-x-
After we're done with breakfast, while I am already dressed in the outfit I've chosen to wear until Corban gives me my arena uniform, I figure I should do a couple personal maintenance things before we head up to the Hovercraft. Wash my face, brush my teeth and hair, the basics.
The hairbrush, undoubtedly made in District 1, feels smooth against my scalp as I rake it downwards, along with my hair. It still gets me how different these hairbrushes are from the ones I used back home, one that would nearly leave scrapes all down my skull as the thing was so prickly.
In the bathroom, there's this odd device that reminds me of a denture, that the Capitolites insert into their mouths in order to clean their teeth. It fits around their teeth and gums, and renders them completely spotless in moments. While that technology is totally at my disposal right now, I decide to clean my teeth in a way more similar to the way we did it at home. With a toothbrush and toothpaste. Of course, this toothpaste, likely made in District 13, is far nicer than the pasty crap we would use back in 12. Though I honestly almost wish that this toothpaste was the pasty crap from home. Any reminder of home at all would be comforting right about now.
Lastly, I wash my face with what feels like the softest facecloth in the Capitol, but honestly likely isn't. As I close my eyes and rub the warm, soft facecloth on my face, I wish that I could just stand here like this for another few moments. Unfortunately, I know that I can't. Surely enough, as I'm wringing the facecloth out and tossing it into the hamper, I hear Thumbelina calling my name.
"Come on, Iris, Dear! It's time to go to the Hovercraft!"
-x-
Standing in front of the elevator, Jamie and I say our final goodbyes to Thumbelina. Jamie hugs her first, and thanks her for being "the best escort ever", to which she replies by thanking him for being "the best male tribute ever". It's an honestly tear-jerking moment, even though I've only known any of these three people for around a week.
"Good luck Iris," Thumbelina says, embracing me next. "I know that you'll do well. I know that I'm no Mentor, but I want you to remember to stay on your toes and think before you act. And thank you for being the best female tribute ever."
I can tell that Thumbelina is getting choked up, just as she did moments ago with Jamie. I can hear it in her voice.
"Thank you, Thumbelina," I begin in reply. "I promise that I'll do my best, and I'll remember your advice. All of it. Even the things that I thought may be useless, because you never know just what you may need to win the Games. And Jamie's right. You were the best escort ever, and I want to thank you for that."
To be honest, she likely wasn't, though it feels right to say that she was.
"Thank you, Dears. Off you go now! I'm sure that I'll see one of you again in just a matter of weeks!" Thumbelina hollers, trying to ignore the tears now starting to stream down her face, which she instantly wipes with a tissue.
-x-
And so, Dover, Jamie, and I board the elevator one final time, this time going up to the roof rather than down to the ground floor, leaving a more-than-choked-up Thumbelina behind.
The ride in the elevator is a shorter one than usual, as we're only going up two floors rather than descending twelve. During our time in the metal box that I loathe (perhaps I'm claustrophobic?), Dover mainly gives us rushed last-minute advice that he has seemingly forgotten he's told us already. "Don't drink any water without purifying it first" and "Be sure not to start a fire at night" are among the last-minute repeat tidbits.
As soon as we reach the top floor and get off of the elevator, it descends back downwards to pick up another pair of tributes and their Mentor(s). I already spot the Hovercraft, as well as multiple other tributes and Mentors preparing to board. Dover checks his watch, as only around half of the tributes, including us, have arrived thus far.
"Eight forty-six. Still got fourteen minutes before this thing leaves," Dover says.
Just as I feel a wave of relief knowing that I don't immediately have to board the Hovercraft, I unintentionally lock eyes with the girl from District 2, Entella. A smirk appears on Entella's face, as she points at me, then stretches her hand out to its limits, puts it horizontally to her throat, then rakes it across as if to slit her own throat. She's trying to intimidate me by implying that she intends to kill me. It's honestly working better than I'd like it to, though for the most part I simply ignore the typical Career-like gesture.
Though now that I've seen that, I find myself unintentionally wondering which tribute, or Mutt, or arena hazard will spell my likely eventual death.
Or, whose death will I bring upon them?
A/N: Okay, so this is obviously the quickest I've ever updated this. Yay me! Just kidding. Anyway, we're getting really close to the arena, and I'm honestly just itching to get there. I hope you guys are as well.
I hope this chapter was okay, and didn't seem too forced. I'll see you all next time, for a Hovercraft ride and Launch chapter. After that, Bloodbath!
Chapters until the Bloodbath: 2(!)
Until next time.
-Bo