The Tribute Train

Kale Morgan (District One)

It's rather sad that one of the last memories I have of home is Sam hitting me. She pounds on my chest in anger and frustration. It didn't really hurt, physically, but it made me ache inside. I'm going to miss her so much. I love her, I really do. She's beautiful. I love the way she looks when she laughs.

Sam is the only one who watches me leave the district. She waves to me, tears flowing from her green eye. She has her pale hands clasped. I just watch her. I don't smile, I don't blow her a kiss, I don't move. I just stand at the window. Even after I can't see the district, I just stay there. I don't want to talk to that weird girl, Zroya, or something. She just sits in a corner, mumbling to herself and watching her world fly by.

I pull myself away and shuffle to a large bedroom. I just lay down, and closed my eyes. Maybe, if anyone found me, they'd think I was dead, already. I know that sounds ridiculous, but it could happen. The Capitol is that stupid, sometimes.

I fall asleep. It's kind of embarrassing when I wake up, 'cause I must have looked stupid. I mean, here I was, trying to be dead, when I fall asleep and start snoring…

Zroya Marks (District One)

I am lead to a room with a large television. We watch the reapings. I look dumb.

You are dumb, says the weird voice. I don't speak to it. I'm icing it out.

The district two girl seems EAGER to volunteer. She even rolls her eyes when she's not called. The district two boy is just as bold as the girl is.

The two from three seem okay. They'll be easy to kill.

You can't kill them, the voice mutters.

Shut up! I scream inside.

The girl from four, Coral, volunteers for someone she doesn't know. The boy volunteers for his friend, or something. You can see it in his eyes.

The two from five seem okay, although Flora Flower's name is lame!

Not as lame as you.

The two from six are obviously in love, which makes me wonder why the guy volunteered.

The two from seven are okay, maybe even nice. Not that it matters. They'll be dead, soon.

Unless you die first.

The boy and the girl from eight seem kind of nice, too, but they'll die immediately.

You won't live to see their deaths.

The girl from nine's father breaks down, and the boy gets adoration from the older girls.

The girl from ten seems mad, and the guy volunteered for whom I guess is his brother.

The girl from eleven's dad is upset, and the guy tribute even comforts him.

The girl from twelve cries, and the guy is cool with being chosen. How weird.

Vincent Lunaris (District Two)

Terrana is as arrogant as ever at lunch. She talks about herself the whole time, bragging to our escort. I don't really notice anything except my food. I ordered a lobster with lemon, and shrimp cocktail. Hey, I didn't have to pay for any of it, so I don't really care what I eat.

I'm not good at math, but this is what I think throughout the whole day: lobster = awesome. When I bite into it, it sparks this little message in my mind that makes me want more. I don't need the morphling that some of the other people in my district take, I just need LOBSTER.

The shrimp is almost as good. I enjoy dipping it, 'cause nobody else shares it with me. I love shrimp. I love lobster. I plan to gain pounds, and show up, fat and strong. I figure I can lose it quickly. I'll be accepted into the Career pack, but I'll leave as soon as there's any betrayal. I'm not into that sort of thing.

Dessert is heaven. I order a chocolate cake slice. When it arrives, I don't wait for the others. I take my fork and stab it into the dark cake. I thrust it into my mouth and chew slowly. I close my eyes and savor it. I've never had any of this fancy-schmancy stuff, so I'm making the best of this.

"MMMMM!" I shout, involuntarily. The others look at me, and I blush. Oops.

Terrana Stoner (District Two)

My dinner is something called beluga caviar. It's supposedly really expensive, like, WAY expensive. It's from what used to be the Caspian Sea. The caviar is purplish-black, and it's really pale. The annoyingly perky escort tells me that the pale kind is the good (expensive) type. I spread it on toast. It tastes like… hmmm… fish. I dunno why. I have no idea what caviar is. Maybe it's, like, cut-up fish, or something. I don't really want to know.

After, I have a serendipity sundae. It is, like, chocolate ("from around the world", to quote the escort), with edible gold, and a multithousand-dollar truffle. My stomach is so distended, I can't get up. I'm living the good life.

We're arriving at the Capitol, soon, so that we can get ready for the chariot rides. It'll be spectacular.