Chapter 18: A Unique Impression

Wahida Carmichael, 32

District Eight Escort

The Reaping was the opposite of what I had expected.

Out of all of the teenagers in Eight, it seems as though my two tributes know eachother. I noticed this one girl in the crowd who looked absolutely distraught at the idea of losing either one, so I'm guessing that she knows both of them somehow. I cannot seem to shake the image of that poor girl's face out of my head. It was like the light died out of her eyes when Eisley was Reaped and then the same thing happened all over again with Corduroy. I know how it feels to have your world come crashing down and lose everyone suddenly, so I feel terribly for her.

I could tell how sad Eisley was at the idea of having to leave the girl who was next to her. They don't look alike, so I'm assuming they're not related, and probably either friends or partners. They seem to have a great connection whatever it is, which should serve as motivation to Eisley for making it home. A reason to get back home could definitely give her a chance in the games. It's something I certainly want to discuss with her at some point, to help her create a strategy of some sort. I'd really like for her to be able to return home, so she can get back to this person. I certainly don't want her to die, she seems like a nice girl.

Corduroy just seems so young and confused, and I can't even imagine how hard this must be for him at his age. When I lost my family, I was seventeen, and it was hard enough to deal with that. He's only twelve, as he was standing all the way in the back at the Reaping. Although based on my first impression I don't think Corduroy has much of a chance to make it home, I hope to help make this situation as easy for him as possible. That was a part of why I wanted to be an escort, to help children deal with this terrible situation. I closed myself off after the death of my family, and I want these kids to feel like they have someone to talk to even in the worst of times.

The train door slides open as Eisley and Corduroy walk up the stairs. She seems shaken up while he does not take his eyes off the floor. I wonder why he refuses to look at me and hope I haven't done anything to upset him.

"Hello," I say, trying to break this terribly awkward silence. Corduroy looks up when I speak and backs up a bit, trying to hide behind Eisley.

"Hi," Eisley says with a sniffle. I'm trying so hard to talk with them, but it's been years since I've had a real conversation with anyone by choice.

"We can worry about the games later, you guys have been through enough today. I really wanted to work with you guys - I love fashion so I thought it could be a good match." That couldn't have been any more awkward.

"I like to sew a lot," Eisley says, as both of us become a little less nervous and make small talk about the subject.

Will I be able to figure out how to bond with Corduroy?

Honey Underwood, 31

District Seven Escort

I certainly was not expecting two people to volunteer.

I only volunteered to be here in order to get some time out of my awful relationship, and am not risking my life to do so. If anything, I'm saving it. On the other hand, I supposed they technically saved the lives of the people they volunteered for in a way. Not that you would know for a fact that the Reaped person would've died, but I think it's fair to say they saved their lives. I have to say, it's quite nice to be able to have my mind go off on tangents instead of spending all my time being upset at myself for staying in a relationship with Dante and worrying about my own safety.

The fact that Ash volunteered for her twin sister demonstrates to me that she may believe she would have a better chance of surviving the Hunger Games than her sister. She definitely seemed more thought driven while Aspen seemed more emotionally driven, and you don't want to get your emotions involved in the games. Ash strikes me as a quiet and reserved person who cares a lot about her family. Her sister will definitely be a good motivation for her throughout the games and I hope that it can bring her to the top. I'm curious to see if I can bring her out of her shell during her time in the Capitol because I think that could help too.

I don't know Alberi's relation to the boy he volunteered for, I just know they are the same age and not brothers. They could be cousins, but they didn't look alike to me at all, with Alberi having blonde hair and green eyes and Josh having dark brown hair and olive skin. They looked to be very close friends, which makes it even more meaningful that he volunteered. I don't think I've ever had a friend that I would potentially die for, that must be a really special bond. It would be my dream to one day find love and create a special bond with someone else, but I am still stuck with Dante. But in this moment, I am away from him and I am happy.

I flinch at the suddent noise of the train doors opening. Ash and Alberi walk into the train car, she's looking at the floor while he gives me a sad smile. He's definitely the extrovert of the pair.

"It's nice to be able to talk to you guys away from the crowd," I say, not really knowing any good conversation starters in such a bad situation.

"You too," they both respond at the seem time. They both seem really polite.

"You both seem really corageous to volunteer for someone else. I just think that's really admirable," I say.

"He's my best friend. Sending him here just seems so wrong," Alberi says. I was right that it was his friend I guess.

"Same for my sister," Ash adds. We begin to talk more about our values.

What if they don't get to see their loved ones again?

Infinity Winterton, 30

District Twelve Escort

I'm curious about the views of my tributes.

I really hope at least one of the pair was interested in supporting the Rebellion. Considering they're from District Twelve, I would say these odds are very likely. I would love to talk to them more about their views, and form real relationships with them before they go into the games. I want to learn from their experiences in what is the poorest District in Panem and see if there's any way we in the Capitol could be able to help. I wouldn't want Verena to grow up helpless if she lived here, as I could tell so many children standing at the Reaping were. All children are created equal, it doesn't matter what region they come from.

When I first figured out which girl in the crowd Evelyn was, she looked genuinely afraid for her life. As she got closer to the stage, although still evidently very afraid, I saw something in her that I'm not sure she even sees in herself. I saw a passion and a fire inside of her about something or other. The twinkle in her blue eyes seemed to me like those of a possible rebel. She may not know it yet, but I already like her. She could be exactly the reason why I was meant to be here. Whether she's a rebel or not, I'm definitely exciting to work with her. She seems like the type of person I could really get along with.

Erik looked oddly indifferent to being Reaped, I would've thought coming from Twelve people would be more upset about the games as a whole. He could very well be putting on an act for the Capitol and trying to seem tough, but I'm pretty good at reading people and I bought it. He seemed liked a very tough guy, one that would have the physical strength to do well in the games. He gives off a rebellious aura to me, but I don't know if it's relating to the Rebellion as he may just be a rebellious kid. I can't really decide what I think about him yet, he just seems really hard to read and mysterious to me right now.

As the doors to the train slide open, my pair of tributes walk in. Evelyn looks like she has calmed down since the Reaping, while Erik looks bored.

"It's nice to meet you," Evelyn says. She definitely appears to be the more social of the two.

"You too. I'm sorry for the circumstances though," I respond.

"It's okay. Somebody had to get Reaped," she says, clearly trying to downplay her feelings.

"Yeah. Twelve's the smallest District so you guys had higher odds to be Reaped than kids elsewhere," I say kind of quietly.

"I suppose, but I wouldn't trade Districts. I like Twelve, it's got a lot of heart," she says passionately.

"Makes sense. What do you think of Twelve, Erik?" I say, trying to bring him in the conversation since he is just standing here.

"It's okay," is all he says. I get the vibe that he doesn't want to talk to me.

Will I get him to open up?

Qadesh Verbeck, 27

District Four Escort

I need one of them to win and I don't care if they deserve it or not.

I am planning on figuring out the strengths of my pair so I can work on a strategy for each of them. I figure that one strategy won't work for everyone in the Hunger Games, so I really want to personalize it. I don't care which kid wins and which kid dies, as long as one of mine win. I have a one in twelve shot of Victory and a chance at financial stability, and I will do everything it takes to win. It's kind of exciting in a way, it almost feels like I'm a tribute without my life being at risk. I think that this will be a fun little adventure with a happy ending for me.

Athena looked quite afraid when she was Reaped, so I would assume that she does not have that many skills that will help her win at the moment. We need to change that immediately. Based on my research about District Four, they are the District with the highest percentage of people that know how to swim. This could set her apart from other districts if the arena is water based. Her outfit looked rather expensive compared to the others in the crowd, so I would guess that she's on the wealthier side. Based on that conclusion, I already don't like her. Regardless, I want her to win so I can get that bonus.

I would say that from my first impression Syris looks rather promising. He looks like a strong guy who is capable of surviving a death match. Unlike his counterpart, he seemed like he was not wealthy by any means. I don't know which socioeconomic background is better for the games, it depends on how you look at it. If you are poorer, you are more likely to know survival skills, but if you are richer, the Capitol is more likely to root for you. And the Capitol always gets what it wants. I guess it's a good thing that I have one of each. Personally, I'd rather see Syris win than Athena, but it doesn't really matter as long as one of them comes out alive.

The two tributes board the train and I hope they are in the mood to stay alive for the next few weeks.

"Strategy Time!" I say excitedly, as they give each other a glance, a little confused.

"So you guys both know how to swim, right? It's a skill I don't think many others will have, and it could definitely come in handy," They both look a little overwhelmed, but I don't care. I have to win.

"I can swim," Athena says, as if I'm asking her what color the sky is.

"Same. I love to swim actually," Syris adds.

"Fabulous," I respond, continuing to ask them questions about their skills for a while.

Is one unique skill enough to save their lives?

Nagan Troublefield, 28

District Ten Escort

Saving my tributes could be a challenge.

Both of them seemed like nice kids and not the type of people that could kill another person. Ability to kill changes over time, I know that better than anyone, but as of right now it's not looking the greatest. They bring me back to who I was before the war, I never thought I'd be able to kill anyone, but when it came down to it, I had to in order to save my own life. Hopefully, when they're in that situation, they will do the same. They're too young to have to kill and live with it for the rest of their lives, but it doesn't seem like they have a choice. I doubt the Victor can get out of the games without killing anyone.

Cheyenne seemed too sweet to be able to kill anyone. I could tell she was a nice person who definitely was a hard worker. She certainly did not deserve to be Reaped. But then again, no teenager really could. No matter what a teenager has done in the world, I think they are too young to die. People can learn from their mistakes, especially at that age. It's a shame though, because Cheyenne is clearly not the type of person to have done anything bad. I'm sure there are other kids in the district who are criminals, and yet this innocent girl is the one chosen to fight for her life. I feel terrible for her to be completely honest.

I'm a little bit more unsure about Colt. I couldn't tell if he was having trouble following the Reaping or if he was just very suprised. I felt very bad for him as it seemed he could possibly have some type of disability. Chances do not look very good for him to survive the games, but I won't ever give up on him. Just because his chances of victory are low, it doesn't mean that they are impossible. I would hate for him to go into the games and not understand what is going on with people killing eachother, that would be absolutely heartbreaking. I hope to work with him to help him understand what is going on but not scare him at the same time.

The train doors open and Cheyenne and Colt get inside.

"I'm sorry this is happening to you guys, I want to work with you both to help make it through this," I say, not sure how to begin. I'm sure they have an unimaginable amount of fear right now.

"Thank you," Cheyenne responds as the train begins to move. Colt looks out the window, confused.

"How far away is the Capitol?" Colt asks, cocking his head sideways.

"It should be a while, likely the rest of the afternoon at least." I say. About five minutes go by in silence.

"So are we there yet?" Colt asks again. He doesn't seem to have much of a concept of time.

"Not yet," I say, having a feeling this won't be the last time he asks this.

Can two nice kids like this really have the capacity to kill?

Cion Jarvis, 22

District Six Escort

I wonder if either of my tributes do any drugs.

It's not going to be the frist thing we talk about of course, but it could help me get to know them better if they do. Most people, including me, have a reason for doing drugs however big or small. Mine is Krishna, the most important thing to me. Maybe we could bond somehow over traumas, that's the nice thing about meeting fellow drug addicts. It's a weird little community, but one that I can relate to. Neither of the tributes looked like they used drugs, but you never know. I would say Kia is a more likely candidate than Rollo, but considering how much the districts have lost, I wouldn't be suprised.

Kia seemed like a nice girl, I cannot tell if she's quiet or a little spacey. Maybe she's spacey because of Morphine! She seemed like a good person so I hope she hasn't gone through any type of trauma. But even if she hasn't gone through anything yet, the Hunger Games will fix that for her. I feel like the Hunger Games can change anyone, and I can't imagine whoever wins not ending up doing drugs to try and numb the pain. Although I'm not sure if she has the capabilities to win, I hope one of the two of them is able to. If someone from six wins, maybe the morphine will spread faster! That's my ultimate goal in all of this.

Rollo looked like the strong and silent type. He may not look like a drug user, but it's a strong possibility that he has been around it at some point in his life. Just based off of looks I think he can do very well in the games. Plus, if my hunch is correct and he has been around drugs before, maybe he would want to help me with my Morphine empire! He looks very tough, certainly tough enough to help get drugs around. I'm curious to learn more about both of my tribtues and see how they can best help me. I know this is supposed to be about them and not me, but everyone in the world is out for themselves, so why shouldn't I do the same?

Kia and Rollo step onto the train and a moment after the doors abruptly closed. Kia flinches at the sound while Rollo barely notices it.

"I'm Cion, nice to meet you both," I say reaching into my pocket. Kia looks at the floor while Rollo gives me a friendly nod.

"You want any?" I ask them, taking my syringe out. Kia's eyes widen in fear.

"No thank you," she says very quickly. Damnit.

"I'm good too, I've seen what that can do to you," Rollo adds.

"How do you mean?" Well now I'm curious, I have to ask!

"I work in a nightclub sometimes. I've seen those type of things before," Rollo responds.

"Perfect," I say aloud, not meaning to. Kia looks at Rollo and is extremely afraid.

"Don't worry, he's not going to make us do it," Rollo says to Kia and she looks more relaxed.

How am I supposed to work with them?

Hey everyone! I'm so sorry for the wait in chapters, my life has been super crazy. Please know that no matter how long it takes, Chapters will always be coming. I hope you enjoyed the point of views from Qadesh, Cion, Honey, Wahida, Nagan, and Infinity. In addition, please remember to vote for the poll in my profile of which groups goodbyes you sympathized with the most. This is a bit in advance, but I hope that all those who celebrate have a happy Thanksgiving!

Yours Truly,

CuriousClove :)