District 11 Justice Building & Train Rides

(Brooke Marlow and Cullen Hardom)

Brooke Marlow (15) - D11

The room is dark, lit only by the small window overlooking the square. I watch the people leaving, going on with their lives. They are happy that no one they loved had to die. They are happy to go home and enjoy their day off.

I rub away at the grime that has collected on the window. Anger and despair battle in my head. How could these people be so cruel? They walk away as if one of their own wasn't being led to death. I clench my fist into a ball. I would come back and show them all. I would show them that I could be strong and brave. I would defy the odds and win.

The door opens and I turn to face my father. I pull away from my hood and reveal my face to him. He knows what I look like.

"Brooke," He whispers.

Tears fill my eyes. "I'm sorry," I whisper and run into his outstretched arms.

He strokes my head and whispers soothing words in my ear. How could I leave him? How could I leave them without someone to care and support them?

"What will you do?" I look up at his tear-streaked face.

He sighs heavily. "We'll manage. I promise." He tucks my hair behind my ear. "I have to go."

I sniffle and glance at the door. "Where are the others?" I ask.

"They shouldn't come up here." He pulls away slowly. "It'll only make it all hurt worse."

"But I want to see them," I protest.

"I'll tell them you said goodbye," He grabs my hand and squeezes it. "Believe that you can come home. You will." He smiles sadly and leaves before I can say anything else.

I bite my lip. I wouldn't get to see Eddy or Nerida, Rain, or Dylan. I understand my father though. I'd rather remember them as smiling and joyful children, rather than crying for their sister who might as well be dead.

The door creaks open, and Fen peeks in, her eyes falling on me in my disheveled state.

"I'm so sorry," She says and hugs me tightly.

I try to remember Fen like she is. Strong, kind, and sweet. I look into her big, brown eyes that are brimming with tears.

"Take care of them, please," I whisper.

She needs no explanation and simply nods. "Of course," She hugs me one last time and disappears.

I stand in the silence, letting my grief overwhelm me. The internal pain is worse than anything I've ever felt. I want to get back home again, but how? I stand there, numb to the world until a peacekeeper calls me. I then stand up a little straighter, wipe away the tears, and take a deep breath. I will do my best. I will try harder than anyone to make it home alive.

Cullen Hardom (17) - D11

My whole body is trembling. I can't stop it. The disbelief that I feel. How? Why? I stand in a corner of the room, eyes closed, trying to capture every good memory of my life in District 11 for the games. I try to tell myself that I have a shot. I can do this. But somehow, it comes out as less believable than I would like.

The door opens and in father and Lincoln. Lincoln's face is red and shiny with sweat. He hugs me tightly around my waist, his thin arms holding on with astonishing strength.

"You'll be (cough) back." He says confidently and throws a sharp look at my father as if daring him to contradict. Papa says nothing and stares blankly at me.

"I'll do my best, Lincoln." I hug him tightly to me as his body wracks with coughs.

Eventually, he is forced to pull away. Papa sends him downstairs, saying he wants to talk to me alone. Lincoln hugs me one last time and walks out the door, head down to hide his tears.

I'm fighting back my own tears as Papa approaches me.

He's dying," Papa says solemnly.

I open my mouth, but no words come out. Finally, I look at my shoes. They're dusty and ripped, but they've served me well in the past few years.

"I know," I whisper. Tears fell down my face. I know that Lincoln is dying. There is no way around it. "What can we do?"

"Nothing," Papa says. "I'll have lost everyone that I ever loved. I might as well die too."

"Don't say that!" I exclaim and hug him to me. He doesn't hug back.

When I pull away, he won't meet my eye. "Goodbye, son." He says and turns away, leaving me alone.

There's only one other person that I need to see. Alma bursts through the door, sobbing. She nearly knocks me over. "Why you? Of all people!" She has her arms around my shoulders, her feet barely touching the floor.

I bury my face in her blonde curls. "I don't know Alma," I whisper. "I don't know."

Alma pulls away so she can see my face. She runs her hand down my cheek and I lean into it. She then traces my features with her delicate fingers. I shiver as she follows my jawline and traces my lips. I want her to kiss me. I want to kiss her. When she's done, she closes her eyes with a sigh.

"I'll never forget you, Cullen." She whispers. "You're my best friend. I will forever know your voice, your face, and your heart." She opens her beautiful eyes to stare at me. "I'll never forget."

The urge to kiss her grows as she continues to stare at me. I'm scared that she might take offense at the kiss. I feel tears on my face as I battle internally. She leans up and kisses my cheek, so softly. I let her go and she walks away backward.

"Smile for me before I go." She pleads. She's still walking back towards the door.

I smile with tears still running down my face. She smiles back and walks out the door, still backward, her eyes never leaving mine.

A peacekeeper immediately comes in. "It's time," He says gruffly. I walk out behind him and to the train platform. Brooke is there, her face covered with the hood of her sweater. Guilt washes over me. I should never have gasped. Lots of people have deformities, but I just wasn't expecting it when I saw it.

"I'm sorry," I whisper through the hood.

She turns slightly to me, giving me a glimpse of her deformed face. A slight smile forms on her lips. "No one ever said that to me." She whispers back.

I smile. "Well, first time for everything."

I hear her exhale of breath. Nearly a laugh.

The escort comes up and flashes his bright smile. "Let us go." He says, all too enthusiastically.

I follow the escort into the train and to a room with my name on the door. Brooke disappears into her room almost immediately. I walk in and gasp. The whole place is lavish and plush. Everything here probably cost more than anything that I've ever touched in my life. More than the sum of everything that I've ever touched in my life. I run my hands along the furniture and I can almost feel Alma's soft fingers tracing my face. Why didn't I kiss her? Why didn't I risk it? I sigh. Maybe I'd see her again someday. Maybe I'll win. The money could save Lincoln's life and I could finally tell Alma how much I love her. The thought is comforting, so I focus on that instead of where I'm headed too. When the escort calls me to the mentoring session, I'm not ready to leave the little bit of solace that I'd found in my room.

I follow the escort into a sitting room with a huge tv and a bunch of hard, leather seats. An older man is sitting in one of them. He is dressed nicely, in a business suit and a tie. His shirtsleeves are rolled up. He has dark skin and eyes that are nearly black, like Brooke's. He is freshly shaved and smells faintly of peppermint.

"Ah, Cullen Hardom. Nice to meet you." He reaches out to shake my hand. I take it after a hesitation.

The man smiles. "I am Kaede Nash."

I give a crooked grin. "Apparently you already know who I am."

Kaede nods with a chuckle. "I do already know your name, but very little else. Do you mind sharing?"

I nod. "Well, as far as things to help me in the arena, I'm strong from working, I know a lot of plants and such, I'm an excellent climber, and I can handle larger weapons. At least, I'm assuming." I grin and so does Kaede. "As for weaknesses, people say I'm too trusting, I can't swim and I'm not a fast runner. I do have a high pain tolerance though and an optimistic attitude. I don't know whether that's a strength or a weakness."

"Both," Kaede smiles at me. His smile is warm and real. It gives a sense of peace in the cold, hard train.

We talk about arena and training strategies before I am dismissed. I go back to my room and lay on the bed, imagining what it would have felt like to kiss Alma.

Brooke Marlow (15) - D11

I lay on the bed for a while. I can hear Cullen and the mentor talking down the hall. He seems nice, this Cullen. He doesn't look like he would want to kill me. But then again, who can you trust in the Hunger Games? I wait until our escort calls me out.

I walk slowly into the room where the mentor waits. His smile is so warm and genuine, it makes me stop in shock. His eyes crinkle at the edges and his slightly graying hair gives him the look of an older businessman, not a former contender in the Hunger Games.

"Hello, Brooke. I'm Kaede Nash. Would you mind talking a bit about yourself?"

I sit across from him, eyeing him up and down. I figure that I can trust him. He seems pretty genuine.

"For starters, I'm not super strong. I'm also very stubborn and I'm not what you would consider a team player."

Kaede laughs heartily at this. I keep my head down. I play with my fingers as I continue. "I am agile though. And I'm not fooled easily. My trust is hard to earn, but once it's earned, you can trust me with anything."

Kaede nods. "I see. Now can you look me straight in the face? I haven't seen you yet."

I tighten my lip. He doesn't want to see me. He thinks he does. I sit up suddenly and pull my hood off my head. I expect him to jump, to gasp in horror. Instead, he shakes his head, a look of compassion on his face.

"Poor thing," he says softly. "I'm so sorry."

I shrug. "It's how it is."

Kaede walks me through some strategies and stuff. I'm still shocked at his kindness, and by the fact that he looks me in the face. Not at my neck or my hands, at my face. He's not afraid of my scars. That hits somewhere deep inside. I almost want to cry. When we finish, I go back to my room, still shocked by his behavior. I have never encountered someone like that, and something tells me that I won't be experiencing it much more in the Capital.