Chapter 10.- Cass Oceansong
I feel safe and warm, home in my seaside house. That's funny; I can't feel Calypso next to me. Then I open my eyes. Oh. I'm not home. I look up at the ceiling, then over at the door. I sit up and swing my legs out of bed. I'm still wearing the clothes I was yesterday, I notice. I stumble out the door, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. I ask a red clothed girl, "Where do we eat breakfast?" She lowers her head and starts walking down a corridor. It opens into a wide open room full of windows. In the center is a long table set with any number of breakfast dishes. Plinia and Rigg are already seated, Rigg eating a plate of toast with a glass of something blue.
"Good morning, Cass!" Plinia says brightly. I mumble good morning to her as I take a seat. Rigg raises his cup and says, "Blueberry juice. Surprisingly good." I pick up the pitcher with the juice in it and pour it into my own cup; he's right, the juice is tart but tasty. I grab a peach and start to eat it. "We will be arriving in the Capitol in about twenty minutes," Plinia says with a smile. I pause with a mouthful of peach and say, "Really? Twenty minutes?" She nods. How far have we come in a night? Still holding my peach I stand up and look out one of the windows. In the distance there is a colorful speck that starts to get closer and closer. "Is that the Capitol?" I say, turning back to Plinia. "Indeed it is, Cass!" I watch as it grows larger and larger, until I can distinguish individual buildings, all too bright, too artificially colored. And yet, the sight is riveting.
Soon enough, we are pulling into the bright blue station. I look at the Capitol people in amazement; they look so freakish and are as colorful as their city. I see one person whose skin is pink, another who has cat whiskers and ears; yet another with bright blue tattoos that sparkle. I say to Plinia, "Where are we going after this? What do we do?" "They'll arrange transportation for us, don't you worry. Then they'll take you to the Remake Center." Rigg finally speaks up. "The what?" "The Remake Center! You will meet your stylists there, and they will get you ready for the opening ceremonies." "What opening ceremonies?" I demand, throwing my peach pit on the table. "You'll see!" Plinia says, and starts to usher us towards the door.
About an hour later, I'm sitting in extreme pain and blinking away tears as my 'prep team' spreads thick hot wax on my legs and, when it cools, rips out the hair underneath. "Stop your blubbering, you'll be fine!" says Lesha, a lady dyed different shades of blue in stripes. I bite my lip until they finish, leaving me alone in the prep room, clutching my robe tightly. A lady with blinding yellow hair and flowers tattooed all up and down her arms comes in. "Hello Cass, I'm your stylist, Riva." "Hi," I say. "Now for the opening ceremonies tonight: you and your district partner will be put into a chariot together and will participate in a parade of the twelve pairs of tributes that will go around the City Circle, ending at the President's house. Now, for that parade, you will need to be dressed in a costume that reflects your district. You are District 4, so I have decided that you will be a mermaid."
Soon I'm dressed in a ridiculous outfit: a seashell top, and a long sequined mermaid tail. Rigg is dressed much alike, except he doesn't get a seashell top. My red hair has been curled and brushed out long behind me; my makeup done so that I don't look like myself much anymore. "Time to go, District 4!" Rigg's stylist calls and we step into the sea blue chariot. "Have fun!" I glare at the two stylists, and then, it's our turn, and the horses start to walk out of the door.