The Capitol
His feet seemed to have a mind of their own as he made his way to the stage, not daring to look around or show the emotions building up in his chest.
As he stood on the other side of the mayor, he stared forward, not meeting anyone's eyes. He'd been expecting to be Reaped this year, but to hear his name called out... His mind couldn't seem to process it. The world was a grey blur. He wondered why everything was swimming before he realized tears were starting to leak through. Shutting his eyes tightly, he focused on the mayor's words as he gave his speech. On the districts' rebellion. The Capitol's victory. Why the Hunger Games were even a thing, to begin with.
When he was done, the mayor made Tyler and Daizee shake hands before being escorted by peacekeepers straight to the train platform where they were shoved in and sealed inside.
The train's interior was dark, only small beams of light coming from tiny windows near the ceiling allowing them to look around.
The area of the train they were in was completely empty except for the two of them.
Finding a corner to rest against, Tyler closed his eyes and tucked his head against his knees.
A couple of minutes later, the sound of the girl sitting beside him caught his attention. He could just make out her outline as she began to sob.
His first instinct was to wrap an arm around her and tell her it was alright, but his own sobs were the only thing he was capable of at the moment.
They stayed like this for what felt like an hour before the girl, Daizee, seemed to have fallen asleep.
Wiping his nose on his sleeve, Tyler tried to find solace in sleep as well but was jerked awake by the train's movements slowing down.
A couple of minutes passed and the doors were slid open as two more tributes were violently shoved in.
He only got a quick glimpse of them before the door was slid shut and they were obscured by the dim lighting once again.
Judging by their silhouettes, they were both on the tall side. They stood there silently, watching him and Daizee, before moving to the opposite side of the car.
About twenty minutes later, the train stopped again as two more tributes were added to the car. This repeated several more times as the car slowly began filling up.
After a couple of hours, the car had only a bit of room left that was not taken up. Daizee slept throughout most of the stops, Tyler keeping his eye on the other tributes in the darkness.
The train stopped once again, the final two tributes being added to the ever-growing crowd. The next stop would be at the Capitol.
Another hour passed until finally, the train pulled to a stop one final time. The doors were slid open, this time remaining open.
"Out." A deep rough sounding voice ordered. The tributes began filing out, stragglers being pulled out, leaving Tyler and Daizee as the last two aboard.
Tyler poked his head out first and jumped down to a concrete platform, his hand reaching out to help Daizee.
With all of them now on the platform, the train's doors were closed, the train moving on. Leaving them in the hands of the peacekeepers.
They were in a rectangular train station, sealed off from the rest of the Capitol. They were to be kept out of sight until their official reveals soon.
"This way." The same man ordered, directing them toward a door across the station.
Marching single-file, they were led through a narrow corridor that opened up to a large room filled with beds and prep teams waiting for them.
Each of them separated from the other as Tyler was escorted to an area curtained off in the back.
A group of Capitol people advanced on him like wild dogs on an infant.
"Hmm... Not bad... You're already good-looking from the get-go, although I think a few tweaks here... and here..." A woman with green lipstick and matching eyeliner ran her bony fingers across various parts of his face. "Pluck the eyebrows a little, and of course, that stubble will have to go."
Irritation at the thought of his stubble being shaved caused him to snap back, "What, I don't look child-like enough for you?"
This caused the peacekeeper who had been escorting him to butt his rifle into his side, making him double over in pain.
"Please, don't damage the goods!" The same woman protested, giving the peacekeeper a side-eye.
"Whatever, just do your job, and I'll do mine." He replied angrily.
'Don't damage the goods!' Tyler thought fiercely, wouldn't want the merchandise to be damaged.
Not resisting again, Tyler winced as they shaped his eyebrows and frowned as the dark stubble was shaved off his now naked feeling oval face.
With that over with, they had him strip to see if anything else needed 'tweaking'.
One of the preppers wanted to shave his chest also, but he was overruled on it.
Now finished, they hosed him off and left him in a hospital gown, in a room separate from the prep room.
After several minutes, a man with slicked-back black hair, wearing a fancy-looking deep purple suit entered the room.
"Good evening, Mr. Thornehill," he began but was interrupted by Tyler.
"What else are you all going to rip off my body?" He said, irritation once again taking control.
Glaring at him like a cat does a cockroach, the man continued. "I will not be doing anything of the sort. I am your stylist."
Confused, Tyler did a double-take, "'Stylist'? What does that mean?"
"This year is meant to be extra glamourous. Therefore, this year you are all to be dressed in reference to your districts."
The 'stylist' who had yet to give his name circled him like a vulture. "Of course, District 12 is coal mining... Not a very 'glamourous' industry like District 1."
He seemed to be annoyed at being given a further out district.
"However, I'm sure I can make it work in some way..."
A few hours later, Tyler stood in what looked to be a stable full of forty-eight horses. Two horses each assigned to a chariot that would pull them along the city to the city center.
He was dressed in a dark miner's costume, complete with a glowing headlamp and coal dust smeared across his face.
Beside him was Daizee, similarly dressed but with a cleaner face than his. She was having a conversation with her stylist, a woman in a tiger-fur coat, when the peacekeepers guarding them gave the order to mount their chariots.
"District 1 in the front. Two, second. Twelve in the back." The lead peacekeeper in the stable pointed at each pair of tributes, assigning them to their own chariot.
With each of them standing in their position, they had chains locked around their ankles to the chariots. Tyler groaned a little as the cold metal locked firmly around his left foot.
"Shut up! If it was up to me, you'd be all beaten and dragged to the enclosure." The peacekeeper securing him snapped.
With them fully secured, the lead peacekeeper gave a signal, and the chariots began moving.
Tyler tightly shut his eyes as brightness engulfed them. Opening them again as it became more bearable, he found that they were being moved through the streets of the Capitol.
Left and right Capitol citizens were pointing and gawking at them as they rode past, admiring the new costumes. Some of them were sneering and making rude gestures, others grinning and cheering.
How can they get amusement from this? Tyler asked himself, glancing back at a particular man with his face so full of makeup that it looked as if his face was melting.
The parade continued on like this for over an hour. Faces and clothing in the crowd blurring together into one big rainbow. Just as he thought he wouldn't be able to stand much longer, the chariots stopped in a circler square. Around them, several mansions stood on the outskirts of a large fountain.
The largest of these mansions was a white one in the center: The president's mansion.
And there he was, President Ravinstill, leaning on his cane and staring down at them with contempt.
"Good evening, tributes," he began, "We welcome you to our beautiful city and thank you for your sacrifice."
Sacrifice Hell! We don't really get much choice in the matter.
"You were all selected from the others in your districts for a reason," the president continued. "And while the reasons may vary between each of you, you all have been selected for one reason in common;" he paused for dramatic effect. "Retribution for the sins of your districts' past."
They all look to the president in silence, the weight of his words bearing down on them.
"And on this; the first Quarter Quell of the Hunger Games, your districts will begin to learn just how high the price of their actions must be."
With his speech over with, the chariots began moving again. The cheering crowds being left behind them. They found the streets becoming less populated as they advanced toward a large community lot.
The large sign above told them that it was a zoo.
Inside the zoo, they found it empty of all guests. Only peacekeepers in uniform and animals in various exhibits surrounded them.
A large exhibit marked 'Tributes' stood in the center of the zoo.
They can't be... serious... are they?
As the chariots halted in place and the peacekeepers closed in, he knew it was not some sick prank.
After being unchained, they were herded toward the tribute exhibit with guns trained at their backs. Shoved inside, they found several sleeping bags left for them to stay warm during the upcoming cold nights.
Some of the other tributes began shuffling around and picking out a spot in the cage to curl up in whilst others still stood in shock, looking pale and confused.
Tyler picked out a spot near the bars facing the entrance, Daizee following his lead.
He wondered how she'd handle being in the cold, already being sick and all...
Feeling more alone than he had in years, Tyler crawled in his dark blue sleeping bag and tried yet again to find some kind of solace in sleep.