Trigger Warning: Fat-shaming in Barracuda's POV
Colin Kurz, 16
District Six Male
This isn't exactly ideal. Two hours ago Colin Kurz staggered out of his bed, nearly tripping and tumbling down the stairs on his way to the breakfast table. And now he's here on an all too familiar train, dragging him to his impending death. The S42B3, also known as the Cloudbreaker. One of the fastest train models created in Six, journeying at the speed of light and overtaking any bullet train with ease. It's been a dream of his to experience the might of the Cloudbreaker firsthand and yet, now that he's sitting in it, Colin can't help but be amused by how fate does end up having its ways and giving you what you desire ever so desperately. Maybe had he not dreamt of the Cloudbreaker, he would still be home now, brunching with his father on the front porch, as he paged through today's newspaper, the smell of sizzling eggs, frying in a pan, filling up their house.
Colin's mind focuses on the oily, greasy, soft texture of the eggs, almost mistaking the saliva, making its way down his face, for his own. His eyes tear open, staring into the ferocious eyes of a beast, covered in fur, claws, glistening as the sun rays hit their smooth, deadly surface.
'What the hell?!' Colin jumps back.
'Brittney!' Optika, their escort, shouts at the beast. 'Sorry, this is Brittney. She's a Siberian Husky.'
'Is that thing even allowed to be here?' Colin rubs the Saliva away from his face with his sleeve.
'Well, you see, I read in a magazine that dogs are, like, supposed to help with depression and anxiety and stuff so… I thought I'd bring Brittney here with me to help y'all out.' The Siberian beast wags its tail threateningly, tongue sticking out, ready to devour villages. 'Well, aren't you a good girl, Brittney?! C'mere, why don't you give our friend here a lil kiss, make him feel all jolly again?'
Brittney wastes no time, tackling Colin to the ground, he, struggling to get that goliath off of him. He shouts and squeals as the hound drags its tongue across his face repeatedly until it's attention is diverted somewhere else.
'Holy heck! Is that a dog?!' Cecilia, his district partner, bolts into the compartment.
'Why yes, it is! Do you want to pet it?'
'Can I?'
'Of course you can!'
Colin notices the dried tear marks at the corner of Cecilia's eyes as well as her shriveled lips. At the reapings, the girl kept her composure, struggling to get the words past the border of her mouth while she stood up there, in front of a whole crowd of selfish, cutthroat kids who deep down inside have bloody smiles carved from one side of their face to the other.
Colin, too, had a bolt of joy, rushing through his body every year his name didn't get picked. He was glad it wasn't him and he pitied whoever did end up getting reaped but never in a million years would he stick up for anyone but himself. Why would he? It isn't as if anyone else here would do so for him. There's nothing separating Colin from the other greedy, self-centered monsters in his District since he too felt joy whenever he escaped the slippery hands of fate. Sadly, this year he didn't. And neither did Cecilia.
The moment they got on the train, she excused herself and vanished into her room. There was nothing subtle about her approach. Her sobs could reach the conductor's compartment and probably span another couple of miles beyond that. But, at the end of the day, it isn't her fault that Colin is as cold as he is. Had she been paired up with any other boy from Six, she might have found somebody to join her as they wept together in silence, engaging in deep, thought-provoking conversation about life and what it means to be and whatnot.
But Colin isn't that kind of person. His whole life it's only been about numbers and statistics and calculating the deaths of other children and how they could have survived longer by changing the course of their actions. He's never built real relationships or real trust. Money is what is important. Money is power. Money is your only true friend. Money is what gets you far in life.
'Colin, look how adorable she is.' Cecilia giggles, the dog, nibbling at her hands, playfully. Poor girl. Her death is looming and she knows it and yet she hides behind her smile, displaying a picture-perfect image of herself in that pink bubblegum dress. It's only a matter of time before cracks start to form in her little facade; until it all shatters and Colin won't be the one to pick up the pieces when they come tumbling to the ground.
'Yes… very cute.' he grinds his teeth at the sight of that mutt.
'Come, pet her with me!' Cecilia gestures for him to join her.
Stupid girl. If that is the way she wants to spend her time instead of increasing her chances of survival, then she can go ahead and do that but Colin's seen girls like her in previous Games. He's seen Valerie, he's seen Phoella, he's seen Aiko. The Capitol adores them because of how delightful they are but no one ever places their bets on them. Yes, she might win over the crowd's hearts, but she'll never make it out alive. Her archetype has a survival rate of 0.9%. The lowest winning chances of any archetype.
'I'm good, Cecilia, but thanks for the offer.' he struts past her. In the corner of his eye he can see her gentle hands coil into fists. Interesting. Maybe there's more to her than he initially thought. But it doesn't matter. What does matter is his survival and it is time to carve out his ingenious plan and pull the necessary strings to carry him to victory.
Leven Granert, 15
District Five Female
'Both of you need to put on a smile, right now.' Nivea claps her hands together, waiting for Leven and Pavlov to follow her order.
Pavlov rests his hands on his hips and forces a grin. Had Leven not known that it was forced, she might have actually bought it. 'This is ridiculous…' Leven retreats her hands into the soft inside of her oversized hoodie, or should she say her father's hoodie, and pulls the hood over her dark, frizzy hair.
'No, it's not.' Nivea forcefully uncovers Leven's hair. 'Listen to me guys. The Capitol won't want to sponsor two grouches. They want to see your beautiful and fake smiles. That's the kind of shit they care for and-'
'Well what if I don't care, Nivea? What makes you so sure that I want to come back? I've seen your Games. We all have. You're a monster and what you did was inhuman. I'd rather die… with people remembering me as a hero than living among people who are disgusted by my actions' Leven stares into her mentor's eyes provocatively.
This is by far not the first time that Leven let her pride and anger get in the way of actually learning something since she was reaped. No matter what advice Nivea offers her, Leven keeps rejecting it coldly. She's actually surprised that her mentor hasn't given in at that point. Leven, however, has just about zero respect for Nivea and while she isn't really the greatest example of a good person either, Leven's spent a lot of time in her life, caring for mentally ill patients. Nurturing unstable and vulnerable people is an act that comes naturally to her. So to have watched Nivea manipulate a mentally unstable boy, driving him to suicide, just about demolished all the pride Leven had for a victor from Five.
Nivea stays silent for a while, observing Leven. 'And yet it is what salvaged me…' she says blankly.
Paying no further attention to her mentor, Leven turns away from the lecture, leaving her District Partner behind. It's not like she trusts him either, the way he made his way to the stage at the reapings as if he'd just been called to accept a prize. Pavlov has yet to learn the true meaning of fear.
She slides the door to her cabin shut and throws herself onto the bed, letting her arms drop on either side of her body. 'I'll miss you, dad… stay safe, got it?' her eyes well up. She wipes the tears away with the sleeve of her father's hoodie. Leven brings her legs to her chest and wraps her arms around them. She buries her face in her father's garment. It still smells like him. It smells of car oil, rust, and heavy cologne. She's gotten so used to the smell that it brings her back home. Back to when her father showed her how to fix a car for the first time, letting her get a feel for, at the time, seemingly enormous power tools. She remembers how her frail little body couldn't bear to keep up with him. How, at first, she kept complaining, wanting to go back to her room and continue reading her thriller.
And now…
Now she thanks him for everything he has done for her. For everything, he has taught her. For turning her into a lioness. He gave her enough power to realize when to let go of her father and hand him off to someone who'd be able to take better care of him. But she didn't abandon him. That's not something a Granert does. Ever.
A few minutes pass before she feels her thoughts drifting away, a gentle, tiring weight pressing against her body. Everything that's on her mind disappears as she waits for the sandman to do his magic and engulf her in his mesmerizing, golden drizzle.
And then it all happens so quickly.
The sound of an explosion rings in her ears.
The floor, no, everything around her moves simultaneously.
Vases shatter, screams echo, vibrations are sent across her body.
Leven counts the seconds for it to end. For her to wake up. But nothing happens and from one moment to the next a black veil covers her face.
…
'Leven!' a female voice shouts as two hands shake her body up and down. She forces her eyes open but all she can see is a blurry haze. It takes a few moments for her eyes to refocus.
'What… what happened?' Leven rubs her face with the palms of her hands, wiping the dust away.
'We had an accident,' Nivea says softly. 'According to the train driver someone apparently tried to detonate our train by placing C-4 explosives.'
'Whoever did this probably miscalculated the train's speed or arrival time, setting the explosives off too early,' Pavlov explains from behind her. Leven's eyes drift to the train. It's completely derailed, smoke still escaping from between the metallic crevices. The train chefs, conductors, drivers, and staff are all huddled together, communicating with the Capitol headquarters. There's something mildly beautiful about it all. Leven's eyes proceed to wander more. For the first time, she really realizes the absurdity of their location.
'Where are we?' Leven asks.
'The Wastelands,' Pavlov starts, giving Leven a hand. She takes it before he lifts her up to her feet. 'An arid region that surrounds the outskirts of the Capitol.'
'And how exactly do you know that?' Nivea asks, scratching the back of her head.
'My father's into geography.'
That's not true. Everyone knows that information regarding the Capitol is restricted. Why Pavlov knows what he knows remains a mystery but as of now she has other problems to worry about.
'Got it…' Nivea lingers awkwardly for a while before snapping back to reality. 'Well, anyway, I'll go check with the staff, see if they have any news.' And with that Nivea heads off, joining the crowd.
If Leven wanted to she could run. There's no one stopping her. Everyone is occupied with the dilemma. Leven wouldn't need to return to her District if she escaped. She could travel around Panem, on the run, no one stopping her. She'd probably need to pick up Beth, her girlfriend, from back home without raising suspicion first. That would be the trickiest part. She wouldn't be able to take her father with her because he needs special care but she'd always drop by to check on him. She'd never abandon him or Beth. Leven can already picture it. Just her and Beth along with a whole country, waiting to be discovered.
Leven subconsciously takes a step forward.
'Don't.' Pavlov places his hand on her shoulder.
'I'll kill you if you stop me.'
'And they'll kill you if you run. Whatever is luring you into this desert right now, you need to ignore it. I give you two days max before they find you and either place you in the arena without any training because you spent the last couple of days hiding hopelessly or they'll just execute you on live television to make an example.'
Leven turns to face him. 'I need… to run.'
'Then go ahead.' with those words he leaves her, joining the others.
Now is her chance. No one is watching.
Leven takes a step forward, then another, and another, and before she knows it, her feet are carrying her across the desert landscape. She hears muffled and panicked sounds behind her but they don't stop her from reaching the liberty she longs for so desperately. A whistle blows and a few men yell but they can't stop her, now that she's free, there is no one who is going to force her to play the Capitol's little games.
She can't wait to see Beth again. All she needs to do now is-
A rope ties itself around Leven's legs in an instant, causing her to trip, the rope still twisting and turning around her limbs. Unable to keep her balance, Leven's body plummets to the ground. She bashes her head against the floor and falls back into the comforting darkness.
Barracuda 'Arra' Bannister, 18
District Four Male
The trees that surrounded Arra seemed more like pillars than actual plants. The Night sky was so dark and lushes that Arra was barely able to make out what was what.
All he had was a meeting point. Arra's eyes wandered to his stomach. He forcefully grabbed a big chunk of his belly fat and squeezed it between his hands. He still failed to comprehend why someone would want him, why someone was actually attracted to him. He barely knew Tonio when he made a proposal to meet up at the lake at night. Tonio was the younger brother of his cousin, Flounder's, girlfriend. So, yeah, they didn't really know each other at all before that fateful day when he confessed his love. After it had happened, Arra ran home, pressing a pillow against his chest and screeching with glee.
Arra was starting to make up chunks of the azure lake. It was a spot he never knew existed. In all of Four, there is one single forest and no one ever dares enter it at night. All of Four's folktales stem from this very forest and yet the search for love beats all of Arra's fears, pulling him deeper and deeper until his toes finally make contact with the lake.
He got to the floor and dipped his feet into the alluring water. The only possibility for him at that moment was to wait and maintain hope that Tonio would actually show up. The silence was killing Arra. Once he shut his thoughts off and stopped creating splashing-sounds with his feet, he could hear everything and it was terrifying. His thoughts immediately drifted to all the tales he's been hearing about the forest. He thought of the Nicodemus. A creature that lurked in the shallow waters of this lake. It crept in the shadows and the moment little kids like him would dip their feet into the water, it would nibble on their toes, severing them completely and devouring them whole. Arra retreated his feet, bringing them back to land.
A few moments later he heard a rustle in the bushes. His heart skipped a beat, his hands shook uncontrollably, his teeth made a continuous clattering sound. Arra almost turned away, about to make a run for it, before he spotted Tonio, appearing from between the darkened trees. 'T-there you are. I was starting to get worried.' Arra chuckled. Tonio stayed silent but maintained his smile. A chill rushed through Arra's body. Something was definitely off. This wasn't the same Tonio that confessed his love the day prior. Back then his smile was warm and welcoming and authentic. It made Arra feel safe. It made Arra want to come out of his shell. It made Arra want to love again. Not only others but himself.
This Tonio was hiding something. His smile wasn't a kind one. It was a cold and wicked one. It was a harmful one, it was a sadistic one. 'Oh, Arra… I can't tell you how happy I am that you actually decided to show up.' he said calmly.
'Yes, we really are grateful that you made it,' another voice called out from the shadows. A girl stepped out as well, joining Tonio.
'I hope you do understand why we are doing this, Arra…' a third voice spoke up. Another boy appeared, also joining Tonio and the girl.
'This is getting boring, guys. Can we just do it already?' a third boy popped out.
Arra didn't understand what was going on but he didn't like it one bit. The four of them crept closer towards him. Arra, still on the floor, looked behind him. He realised that he was cornered, the endless lake, trapping him.
'Are you scared, Arra?'
'Don't be scared, Arra.'
'Everything's going to be alright.'
Arra got up, trying to escape the situation but Tonio jabbed at his face with his fist, knocking Arra back to the floor. The four of them ganged up on him and started to lift him from the ground. They tossed him into the shallow part of the lake and started to submerge his face into the water. They touched his skin, his flesh, his fat. They made sure to squeeze every part of his body that he hated. Arra's tears weaved themselves together with the freshwater of the lake. There was no running away. Every time he thought he was passing out, they lifted his head back up, forcing him to breathe in.
'You disgusting obese pig.'
'No wonder nobody loves you. You're too fat for this world...'
'You're pathetic. It's better that way. It's better for you and for everyone around you if you just died already.'
They said the worst of things to him. They touched on every part that made him uncomfortable all while immobilizing him forcefully. At that point, Arra wanted to leave. He wanted to give up. He wanted to die.
'HEY! WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?!' a grown man's voice called from in between the woods. The kids mumbled amongst each other in fear, finally deciding to scatter. Arra continued to lay there like a corpse because that was exactly how he felt. He was humiliated and tortured. The man ran towards him, lifting him from the water. Finally, Arra was able to tell who it was. It was his uncle, Croaker.
'Oh, Arra.' he hugged his nephew tightly. 'Let's get you somewhere warm, alright? Do you want to stay with me for the night?' Arra nodded silently and the two of them left the haunting forest behind.
So this is it, huh? This is the moment Arra has been waiting for. Six years later and here he is, on his way to the Capitol to fight for fame, wealth, admiration, and honor. Everything he never got as a child, everything he desires.
And although he should be celebrating with champagne, together with his mentor and his district partner, Zo, who's out there right now doing what he should be doing; learning and using the knowledge that Atmos has to her advantage, he's locked up in his room.
His heart is beating faster than ever, which is strange because back in his District he was all confident and the crowd loved it. Someone from the audience even tossed a bouquet of flowers at him which he caught elegantly with one hand, blowing a kiss at however had gifted him the flowers. It was all fake, obviously, but Arra's started to learn that in order to survive you had to be superficial. You had to put up something that everyone wanted to see and not something that everyone should see. People don't like the truth and that's a fact. All the people who surround him would rather live in a perfect illusion and Arra knows what it feels like not to live in that illusion. Now, he'd pick the superficial life over anything and he'll gladly play along because it is so much easier that way. So much more efficient. He'll be the career everyone wants him to be. He'll be confident, charming, and courageous.
And although everyone loves it, he's not feeling calm. Everything around him is moving far too quickly. It's hard to fathom that just this morning he still stood in front of his own mirror, observing his naked body, seeing if he'd gained weight again, judging his imperfections.
There's no safety blanket anymore. The stress makes Arra want to eat again. As much as he'd like to stuff every inch of his mouth with the greasiest and fattiest of foods he has to keep himself under control. He cannot afford to fall back into that vicious cycle again. The beating of his heart rings in his ears, blocking out everything else.
The only thing Arra has his eyes set on right now is the anxiety medication on the desk of his cabin. He was allowed to take them with him, as a career. He pops the lid open and carefully picks out a pill and yet part of him wants to put it back and stop stuffing his anxiety into the far back of his consciousness.
'Arra! You coming? Atmos needs the two of us ASAP,' Zo calls from behind the door.
'One sec!' he places the pill in his mouth and swallows it. Although the medication didn't have time to dissolve in his stomach and do its magic, his heart rate automatically decreases back to normal, knowing that everything is going to be alright.
Because everything is going to be alright.
Phoenix Adler, 16
District Seven Female
The girl from Five, Leven, has locked herself into her cabin for over two hours now, and it's definitely been bothering Phoenix. As much as she wants to run in there and help the girl and coddle her, she's been told to give Leven space after the incident.
It was a shock, not only for Phoenix and Morse, but for the whole train staff. All they were told was that the Train from Five derailed and that their train was going to make a detour to pick them up the stranded on the way to the Capitol. It all seemed normal at first but as soon as Phoenix noticed the District Five female being escorted by two peacekeepers, she knew something was fishy. As often as people keep telling her to mind her own business, Phoenix can't help but have a need to tend to other people at all times. It's her nature and her brother always told her that it is the most fascinating and beautiful aspect of her, so she won't be changing anytime soon.
'I'm sorry, Noor, I...I just can't.' Phoenix sighs, letting her shoulders drop along with her head.
'You can't what?' her mentor shows a hint of dissatisfaction.
'That girl in there… something's wrong and I-'
'Stop. Listen to me, girl. If this is the attitude you have going into the Games I can guarantee that you will be an early death. You cannot be caring for other people right now. You have to look out for yourself, Phoenix. It's you and only you. As simple as that.' Noor rubs her forehead with her palm. 'So shall we continue with the lecture?' Noor holds the weapon in anticipation. She'd been teaching Phoenix about different knives and how to use them most efficiently.
Phoenix fiddles with a pencil between her fingers. As her mentor continues to speak, she fails to follow. All that is on her mind is the girl in her cabin and the potential sadness that she carries. And although Phoenix is aware that she should be looking out solely for herself right now, she won't just abandon all of her morals just because her name was picked from a bowl. If it were that easy for her to give up her integrity and what she stands for, then it means that everything she did for the children back home was for nothing. It would mean that she has no identity.
'So always make sure to grab the hilt at a-'
'I'm sorry, Noor. The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others, right?' And before Noor can reply, Phoenix runs off, towards Leven's cabin.
She knocks on the door gently. 'Leven, it's me, Phoenix, I just want to check on you…'
At first, no one answers and as soon as Phoenix is about to lose hope and prepare herself to face an angered Noor, a click is to be heard, followed by a sliding sound. Phoenix enters the cabin. It's completely dark but her eyes start to adjust soon.
'What do you want?' Leven asks rather abruptly.
'You seemed rather sad when you stepped into our train so I wanted to check up on you to see how you were holding up.'
'I'm good, OK? Just leave,' she says her lower lip quivering gently
'Listen, Leven, I am aware that I have no clue who you are and what you've been through and that we're supposed to be enemies, all of us because we're playing this Game… but I don't believe in that. Why should we give up everything that makes us human in an instant just because of this Game? If we do that… well, then the Capitol truly won.' Phoenix places a hand on Leven's back as the two of them sit, side by side, on the small bed. Leven flinches at first but soon retreats back to her normal position.
Leven rests her head on Phoenix's shoulder. 'I-I tried, you know?' Leven whispers. Phoenix hears the stammer in her voice. 'I tried to run and they just… they just…'
'Shh, it's fine. You don't need to speak of it now.'
Leven breaks into tears completely, placing her head on Phoenix's lap. The teardrops flow down her cheeks, staining Phoenix's pants.
'They… they tied me up and they t-told me that if I… if I ever stepped out of line again they would kill everyone I loved back home.' Leven continues to cry while Phoenix runs her hand through the girl's hair in a calming manner. 'I love my father, Phoenix!' she shouts out. 'Just the thought of me having done anything to… to potentially endanger him… I can't just… I couldn't have...no…' she hides her face with the sleeves of her hoodie.
'It's going to be alright, Leven. Nothing happened… and nothing is going to happen. You ran because you have a will. All of us have a will. It just means that you value life and that is something you can't just give up…'
'I-I know but I… I...' unable to finish her sentence she breaks again. Leven is clearly in shock which is completely understandable. It has been a tough day for everyone, but especially for her. Phoenix notices the bruise on her right arm and a small blinking appearing occasionally from beneath her skin. They must have injected a tracking device into her.
While Phoenix should be afraid, she's rather excited for what is to come. She hasn't quite figured out yet why all of this isn't affecting her the way it is affecting Leven, for example. And while Phoenix may be calm and composed now, she knows that it's only a matter of time until she cracks. Until her time is up.
ALLIANCES:
Careers: Raja (D1F), Goud (D1M), Zo (D4F), Arra (D4M)
New Friends: Hilda (D8F), Mune (D8M)
We are done with the train rides now (finally)! I hope that you guys enjoyed this chapter. What was said in Arra's POV does not reflect my opinion (or the submitter's opinion) at all. Just throwing that out for safety reasons lol. Anyway, here we met calculating Colin, rebellious Leven, conscious Arra, and gentle Phoenix. I know this time we haven't seen a lot from the non-POVs but we'll get to know them later on. We still have a lot ahead of us, no worries xD.
There were, however, subtle details, concerning Pavlov and Cecilia. Did you catch them?
And what do you think of the relationship between Phoenix and Leven? How will it develop?
And what is Colin possibly up to?
I'd like to thank 20, SparrowbirdEliza, TheMayflyProject, Paradigm of Writing, Nemris, , and Anna for Arra, Zo, Leven, Cecilia, Colin, Phoenix, and Morse respectively. All very fun characters, waiting to be unraveled.
So, I hope you enjoyed this rather unconventional train rides chapter and next up we have the post-parade party (yes, I'm skipping the tribute parade, forgive me.) where we'll meet our remaining POV tributes Dimitris, Severin, Voxel, and Aditya. I'm super excited!
Please, please review. It would mean the world to me because I love reading all of your thoughts and predictions :)
See you next time! Bye!
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