Shine

Chapter 19

Train Rides

Diamond Knowles –18- -D1- POV

I board the train to the Capitol after snapping the usual celebratory pictures with Lustero. We get on the train and immediately head to the dining car, where we know our mentor, Jennifer White will be. We enter the car and see Jennifer, our blonde-haired, blue-eyed, 22-year-old mentor.

"Hello, Diamond, Lustero," Jennifer says. "Diamond, I'm sorry you have to be here. I hoped that you would at least be here with Topaz's backing. My deepest condolences."
"Oh," I say, surprised by how much she knows. "Thank you."

"He really did love you, you know," she says. "He refused to sleep with me because of you. I can see why now. Please, sit, have some bread."

"Wait, what?" I reply.

"Don't worry about it," Jennifer says. "Lustero, bread?"

"I'm not getting involved in this," he says, "but I'll take some bread," he takes a piece of bread of Jennifer's proffered basket.

"Look, Diamond, I said he refused to sleep with me because of you. And I come on to all the careers, I'm twenty-two and have never had a long-term relationship. Before the Games, I was too busy training. After that, all the boys except for the one I liked wanted me, but they were all so fake. So, I take what I can get, even though they'll most likely die in the next couple of days," Jennifer says.

"Okay," I say, and sit down. I'm not quite sure how to feel about this new information, but I guess Topaz was faithful, so no harm, no foul on his part. It's our new mentor I'm more worried about.

"Let's start with a threat assessment over dinner," Jennifer says. And so we do, with Jennifer offering her perspective on each of the other Tributes. It's not even a question if we want to ally or not, she already knows the answer.

District Two: "These two have been training. The girl is only sixteen, but she was recommended by her District, so watch out for her. Both of them will be your allies."

District Three: "Neither of these two are careers. If they want to ally, don't let them. Not that anyone else will either. I think they somehow know each other, but I don't know. It doesn't really matter, they shouldn't pose much of a threat to you two."

District Four: "The boy is a career. The girl isn't. She might be strong enough to make it further, but not a threat for you."

District Five: "The girl looks smart, something's going on inside. Watch out for her. The boy is the same, but she'll be a fast runner, he could be a good fighter."

District Six: "The boy can barely walk. I'll try to work to get them to disallow that leg brace. Even if they don't, I don't think he'll be much of a threat physically. That leg brace is cobbled together though. If it was him who did it, he's smart. If not, he'll be a really easy kill. Even if so, just don't give him time to use his intelligence and you should be good. The girl is strong, but she won't be much of a threat to you two."

District Seven: "The girl is strong, watch out for her. The boy is strong too. But that's to be expected from District Seven, all that work with lumber."

District Eight: "The girl isn't a threat. Easy kill. The boy is a little more threatening, but he shouldn't be a problem."

District Nine: "The boy might be a bit of a problem, but shouldn't be hard for you. The girl shouldn't be a problem."

District Ten: "The girl won't be a threat. Watch the boy though. He's small, but that means he can move through you."

District Eleven: "The girl shouldn't be hard to kill. The boy would be a problem, but he can't hear from one side. Just kill him from that side."

District Twelve: "They're both easy kills."

"Can you tell me more about the redhead? The girl from eleven?" I ask after Jennifer finishes her assignment.

"Sure," Jennifer says. "She's either really poor or a street urchin. Her hair is really dirty, she looks malnourished. She'll be easy to kill if you run into her. If she survives the Bloodbath. She might make an ally, that could make her live longer, make it more of a threat if you target her, but that's it. Why?"

"Because," I explain, "she's as close to killing that Athena b-h as I can get. I can't kill her, but I can kill this girl."

"Diamond, I would have to advise against that," Jennifer says. "Revenge can only get you so far, and it's more likely to get you killed than make you win. And why her and not the other Athena?"

"Because I've been planning revenge on her for a long time, and I didn't know that another Athena would get Reaped. Besides, girls from District Eleven aren't supposed to win," I reply.

"Nobody is supposed to win, Diamond," Jennifer says. "And that's something I had to tell your – fiance, I guess. Nobody deserves to win. Not you, not Lustero here, not me, not Athena, not Isabella from the 69th, nobody. Another thing I should tell you two is to never refer to the other Tributes by name unless they're your allies. And in your head, they should always be the girl from two, the boy from four. Got that?"

"Of course," I say.

Lustero Aldor –17- -D1- POV

"Of course," Diamond says.

"So, Lustero, answer some questions for me," Jennifer says. "Do you think you can win? Have a girlfriend? Is anyone better than you?"
"Yes, yes, as of today, no," I say.

"I think Diamond might beg to differ about that last one," Jennifer says. "Next lesson, some people are better than you. Or at least they could be. If you think you're the best, all you'll be the best at is getting stabbed in the back."

"Okay," I say. Hmm, maybe she's right. I don't know. I guess it's something to keep in mind.

Giselle Serpentine –16- -D2- POV

I and Ares board the train and meet our mentor. Iron Flint is a 26-year-old, blond-haired, blue-eyed man. He walks us through the videos, doing a quick threat assessment. The pair from three are unusually pathetic for that District. Oh well. One less possible threat. The girl from seven though, she's as strong as I am, probably stronger. Bigger too, which means that I could probably slip around her, but still, it's surprising. I don't know what to make of the boy from six, but I don't think he'll be much of a threat. I discuss the results with Ares afterward.

"That girl from seven might be a threat. She's pretty strong," I say. "I think-"
"Are you scared, little girl?" Ares asks.

"No! I was about to say that I think that if I was going to take her on, I'd have to rely more on my speed than my strength," I say. "I would advise against you going up against her. You're a big chunk of meat, and she'll chop through you like she does those trees in Seven."

"I wouldn't bet on that," Ares says.

"I would," I say. "I bet she'd take you down in five seconds."
"Oh really?" He asks. "I think that I could take either of you down in fifteen."

"Really? After our previous… incident?" I ask.

"I think so," he says.

"Want to test that theory?" I ask.

"Tributes-" Iron starts. We both look at him.

"Don't," we say simultaneously. Iron holds up his hands and stands up from where he sits on the other side of the table.

"Just let me leave. And try not to hurt the food," Iron says. Iron gets up, grabs a piece of bread, and walks out the door of the car. As soon as the door closes, I slam Ares's head down on the table. Hard enough to cause pain, not hard enough to break his nose.

"Hey! No tables in the Games!" He shouts.

"So?" I ask, standing up from the table. His hand shoots out and grabs my other arm, the one that's not holding his head down. He whirls me around his back, throwing me on the table. My hand releases its grip on his head, and he stands up. He goes to punch me in the face. I'm lying on the table, face-up, with my legs dangling off the end. So, when he steps forward to punch me, I take advantage of his mistake. He steps forward, putting both of his legs between mine. I snap my legs closed and he falls on top of me, breathing heavily. I grab him by the neck and squeeze a little bit.

"I think I won," I say.

"I concede. This one," he says. "Good job, Giselle."
"I've earned a name?" I ask.
"Not if you don't let me go," he says. I've released my chokehold, but I'm still holding him down on me.
"Or what?" I reply. He spits in my face.

"Or that. B-h," he says.

"Now what did I do to deserve that?" I ask, pulling his face closer to me.

"You know what you did," he says.

"I think you should apologize. Or I might never let you go," I say.

"You're gonna have a problem when we get to the Capitol," he says.

"Then I'll just kill you," I reply.

"I don't think you can do that," he says. I push his head down so our noses are almost touching, and grab his neck with my other hand, squeezing a little bit.

"Really, I can't?" I ask.

"You shouldn't," he concedes. "If you do, you die too."
"Might already happen," I say.

"Why don't you kill me later," he says.

"I'm quite comfortable," I say.

"So am I," he says. I push him up off me and knee him in the stomach.

"Nice almost killing you," I say.

"Nice almost being killed," he says. He walks out of the room into the hallway, and I follow behind him. He goes into his room, and I go into mine. I take off my clothes and get in the shower. I got a little sweaty easily defeating Ares. It's funny, I think I'll miss him after I kill him. He's a fun person to be around. I finish my shower and put on a cream-colored ballgown. I should look good for my arrival at the Capitol.

Ares Moretti –18- -D2- POV

"Nice almost being killed," I say to Giselle. I walk out of the room into the hallway to our rooms. I hear Giselle following behind me, and I consider turning around and pinning her against the wall. I could easily win that fight. I'm ashamed of having lost these last two fights. I should be able to win against her, just a sixteen-year-old girl. I enter my cabin and strip off my clothes. I get in the shower and don a nice suit afterward. It's odd. Throughout my shower, I can't stop thinking about Giselle. In some ways, she reminds me of Selene. Her cutting wit, and her hair. But I force those thoughts away. I can't develop feelings for anyone here. Not any sort of feelings. Then I open the door of my cabin and step out into the hallway, where Giselle is waiting in a beautiful full-length, low-cut, cream-colored, ballgown. And she looks really pretty. No, Ares. No falling for a girl you might have to kill.

"You like nice," I say.

"So do you," she says.

No. I can't do this. Hmm… I think of killing her. Okay, I don't feel bad about it. I'm still okay. For now.

Clear Palatino –12- -D3- POV

I and Bec board the train after taking the usual promotional photos. Bec turns to the right, down the hallway, and enters a room with his name on it. I follow him. He flops down on his bed, on I close the door behind us.

"Why are you here?" Bec asks.

"Because I got Reaped, just like you. Duh," I say.

"I mean, why are you in my room?" He asks. "You have your own, right across the hall. Why don't you use it?"

"Look, Bec. I know we've never gotten along very well, but I think we sort of have to get along now. We're in this together, after all. We need to come up with a game plan," I say. I sit down on his bed next to him. "Remember, this year, we need to do something, like, really brave or smart to stay alive."

"I'm sure that won't be a problem for you," he says. I don't take the bait. He wants me to ask what he means by that.

"We can talk about that later," I say. "We do need a Game plan though. Do we want allies?"
"I don't know, you tell me," he says.

"Fine. I say no. We each already have one ally. An additional one is just somebody who we're given an open invitation to stab us in the back or cut or throats while we sleep," I say. Bec sits up and sighs.

"You're right," he says. "That sounds like a good plan. I think we just need to get out of the Bloodbath, don't worry about supplies. You're smart, you can tell us which berries to pick or whatever, right?"

"I guess. I don't know about that-" I start to say, but Bec cuts me off.

"Look, I don't think it's worth the risk. We're both really easy targets," he says.

"Okay, fair point," I say. "So we avoid the Bloodbath, forage, and don't make any allies. Then what? Hide until someone walks by and hope we make it to the finale with a better position than anyone else?"

"I guess," he says.

"Sounds like a plan, then," I say. "For now," I mutter under my breath.

"Huh?" Bec asks.

"Nothing," I reply hastily.

"Okay then. I guess we should go meet our mentor," Bec says.

"I guess," I say.

Becquerel 'Bec' Grey –15- -D3- POV

"I guess," Clear says. We leave my room and head to the dining car, where our mentor, Jack Snow, a brown-haired and eyed man who's all of twenty-one waits for us.

"Hello, Bec, Clear," Jack says. "How are you?"

"As good as can be, Sir," I say.

"I understand," he says, "and no need for the Siring, Bec. What about you, Clear? Please, sit, eat. We want you to be nice and fed for the games."

"I'm okay," Clear says. "We've worked out a strategy of sorts. We're going to hide most of the Games and run straight out of the Bloodbath. We'll ally with each other, obviously, but no one else."

"I see," Jack says. "I am sorry for the two of you. You're step-siblings, right?"

"Yeah," I say.

"Okay," Jack says. "Let's watch the other Reapings well we eat."…

Later, Jack pulls me aside as Clear enters her room.
"Bec?" He asks.

"Yeah?" I respond.

"I need to ask you, what is your plan for getting a shine moment? Being brave, loving, whatever?" He asks.

"I don't have much of one. I doubt I'll win. I hope I won't actually. My only plan is to protect Clear as long as I can and hope that if I make it past three days, that counts as brave enough," I say.

"I see. I admire your selflessness, Bec. I would recommend that you come up with something else though, but I can't give you any tips on what it should be," he says.

"Thanks. Honestly," I say.

Thia Zollis –15- -D4- POV

I board the train after the usual pictures with the other Tribute. A career, apparently. I decide to follow Falcon, and I'm rewarded as we walk into the dining car where our mentor, Margaret Adams, waits. Margaret is a dark-skinned, dark-eyed, dark-haired woman who won her Games thirteen years ago.

"Joe, honey, I have to go," she says. "The Tributes just got here."

"Okay, I love you, honey," a voice emanates from a tablet in front of her.

"Love you too," she says. "Bye." Then she taps the tablet, and the screen goes dark. "Hello, Thia, Falcon. Career, not a career. Please, sit." She rolls an odd object on the table. "Nat one! Darn it!"

"What is that?" I ask.

"Oh," she says. "I was playing a game with my husband. This is just a die, but instead of six sides, it has twenty. One is the lowest possible roll, so we're going to pretend that it didn't happen. If it had been a twenty, I would have told him. Our secret?" She asks.

"Of course," I say, smiling.

"Want to try?" She asks.

"Oh. Sure," I say.

"Actually..." she says, fishing around in a bag. She grabs another die and hands it to me. "Roll this. It's a d8."

"Uh… okay," I say. I roll the die. The side that says "four" faces up. "Is that good?" I ask.

"You're not unlucky, but not overly," she says. "Right in the middle. Want to try again?"

"I'm good," I say. "We should probably get started with… whatever it is we do."

"Right you are," she says. "Please, sit down, and we'll get started. Unless you two want to change or shower first?" She waits for a second and then continues, "No? In that case, we'll get started right now." Falcon makes some odd movements with his hands as he sits down. "Falcon? Can you talk?" She asks.

Falcon shakes his head.

"Oh. Okay," she says. "Do you sign?"

Falcon nods his head.

"Okay," she says. "I don't speak sign. Thia?" I shake my head. "Okay. Let me go see if there's a translator in here for us. You aren't deaf, right?"

He shakes his head.

"Okay, that's great. I'll be right back. Until then, eat something, and uh… do that." Margaret picks up her tablet and leaves the room. I look at Falcon. He looks at me. I don't say anything, and he doesn't try to sign to me. I grab some food and start eating. So does he. We don't… communicate until Margaret comes back, with a Capitol servant. "Found one!" She says. "We're very lucky there is one on this train. We'll make sure you get one in the Capitol, okay?" She asks. He nods. "Good. As for how you'll communicate with your allies in the Games… I guess you'll just have to teach them to sign, or not talk much. Let's get started then." Over the next half hour, I, Margaret, and Falcon go over a brief assessment of the other Tributes. I note the girls from six and eight. They seem like people I might want to talk to later. After our assessment, I mention this to Margaret privately.

"Not going to ally with Falcon then?" Margaret asks.

"He wouldn't want to ally with me anyway," I say. "He's a career. I'm not. Those girls are much more likely to ally with me. What do you think?"

"I think that you can't lose anything by talking to them," she says. "But you will need to talk to them."

"What do you mean by that?" I ask.

"You're a shy person, Thia. You barely talked during the assessment. You got nervous, you blushed, when I told you to talk to those two girls. But if you want allies, just like if you want a boyfriend, you need to make the first move. I never would have won my Games if I didn't make the first move, nor would I have my husband, the bumbling idiot he is." She sees my surprised expression. "I love him, but he would never make the first move. Ever. Promise me you'll try to make some allies, okay?"

"Okay," I say, "I'm going to get a shower now. If that's alright."

"Of course, Thia," she says. "We arrive in the Capitol in forty minutes, just so you know."

"Thanks," I say. Then I head to my, room, or cabin, I guess, aboard a train. I strip down and get in the shower. As I shower, I think about what I need to do. Allies. I need to make allies. On the front of it, that seems like a good idea. The problem is that someone might, someone probably will decide to kill me. And if they do it when I can't fight back, or if I lose, I die. By an ally. Just like Austin. I still remember watching it when it happened. It was a few days into the Games…

Day Three of the 69th Hunger Games…

Austin Fallon –D4- -13- POV

I hear a cannon go off as I pull my dagger out of the boy from 12's heart. He falls to the ground, and I turn around to see Annabelle behind me. She finishes off the girl with a swipe of her sword. Her dirty-blonde hair, so much like Thia's, swings behind her. Another cannon goes off. I still can't believe this. That we made it this far. I also can't believe that I just killed someone, and I don't feel that bad about it. Adrenaline, I guess. And the fact that he and the girl, both of them older than both of us, attacked us. I guess they thought we would be easy kills. They were wrong.

"Good job. You did great," I say to Annabelle, extending my hand. She shakes it.

"Thanks. You too," she says. "What are we down to now?"

"Twelve, including us," I say.

"Right," she says. "Hey, why don't you frisk the boy. See if he has any good weapons. Or supplies. I'll get the girl."

"Okay," I say. "You're a good ally, Annabelle."

"Thanks," she says, from behind me. "You too, Austin." Then I feel the pain as her sword slices through my neck, separating my head from my body. "That makes it eleven," she says.

Back to the present…

That Annabelle girl… at least the girl from six, Hailey Satin. At least Hailey got Annabelle. She did die for it, but I thank her. Annabelle didn't deserve to win. Not in my opinion, anyway. I finish my shower and I put on a nice blue dress. Want to look nice for all of the prying eyes in the Capitol who might just either save or end my life. I step out into the hallway when we arrive. Falcon is already there, and we walk together to the door. Margaret is there too.

"Ready?" Margaret asks.

"Yes," I say.

Falcon signs something, and his translator says, "Yes."

"Outstanding," Margaret says, and we step out of the train.

Falcon Lockdust –17- -D4- POV

I board the train with the other Tribute, Thia is her name, I think. It doesn't matter, we won't be allies. After our threat assessment, I pull Margaret aside to ask her some questions privately. I sign, and my translator talks. Whatever. At least I can communicate.

"What do you think of my allies?" I ask.

"Let's see," Margaret says. "The girl from one looks determined. Keep an eye out for her. The boy from one seems like an average career. Remember, that still means threatening. The boy from two is big, and he knows it. That could be his biggest weakness. The girl is small, but she was chosen by her District, and she looks fast. If you fight her, watch out for that. I would try to avoid a fair fight. It goes against my morals, but this whole thing does, and remember that she would do the same for you. They're really your only allies. The pair from three are really young, Thia isn't a career, and after that, none of the careers will take anyone. Some of the other Tributes might be allies, like the boy from five, but they won't take them. If you see anyone you really like, you can make a case for them, but remember that too big of an alliance isn't good. Does that answer your question?"

"Yes," I say. "In detail. Thank you, Margaret."

"No problem," she says.

"I'm going to go get changed, then," I say.

"Okay," she says, and walks away. I walk to my cabin.

"I'll be just out here for you, Sir, if you need anything," my translator says.

Thank you, I sign and enter my cabin. I quickly shower and put on a nice suit. I'm excited, I can't believe I'm finally here, finally doing this. Soon I'll win, and make my family proud. I just need to remember to always keep my guard up, always be aware, and never fall in love. Should be easy.

Serena Holden –16- -D5- POV

After the Justice Building, the Peacekeepers take me and Emery to the train. We stand and pose for the usual pictures before boarding. We board the train.

"Hey, Serena, right?" Emery asks.

"Yeah," I say. Then, "Wait, you don't know who I am?"

"No," Emery says. "My friend says you're a bit of an outcast. He says you're the sister of some kid who did some bad stuff a while ago. He says the rest of the District hates you because of him."

"And you?" I ask. I've heard all of this before. People often start this way. Then they end up hating me.

"I think that you shouldn't be judged by what your brother's done," Emery replies. He looks right at me. "Should you?"

"I'm not what they say," I say. "But it looks like I may have to be now."

"Oh?" Emery asks.

"We're in the Hunger Games, remember?" I say. "I'll have to kill people to survive. And one of those people might be you."
"And I might have to kill you. I wouldn't mind getting to know you first, though. Want to talk?" Emery asks.

"Aren't we already talking?" I reply.

"You know what I mean," he says.

"I do," I say. "You suppose they have cabins for us?"

"I imagine," he replies. We walk down the hallway, until we see a door with his name on it on the right, and one with my name on the left.

"Which one?" I ask.

"Mine?" Emery replies.

"Sure," I say. We enter, and I close the door. Emery sits down on the bed.

"It feels good to sit down," he says.

"I'll take your word for that," I say. "So, Emery, how come you don't know who I am?"

"I'm a bit of an outcast myself," he replies. I give him a questioning look. "It's a long story," he says.

"I have nowhere to be," I reply.

"Okay then," he says. "So, I'm really good at singing-"

"If you do say so yourself," I interject. He stands up, off the bed, and takes a deep breath.

"Serena, my dear. If we want to get along, youuuu neeeed to listen toooo meee," he sings. He does have a beautiful voice. My heart flutters a bit. He has a deep voice that resounds throughout the entire cabin without being loud.

"Okay," I reply. "Sorry."

"It's no problem," he says. "And I was about to say, as other people say. I never heard it myself. Anyway, my parents aren't rich. Never were. So when I started singing a lot, they decided to ask the mayor if I could perform in town. For some money, you know. The mayor was like 'sure, kid, whatever,'. Well, I shocked everyone, so they say. Everybody thought I was really good, and things were great for a while. Then-"

"People started to resent you?" I guess.
"Yeah," he says, "basically. My parents… they seemed to grow more distant. My sister didn't like that I was… she just started to drift away too. And generally, most people did the same. I don't really have any friends, just one. My family… they love me. They're just a little distant, that's all. And that's my story. Not really that long, I guess." I can tell that there's more to his story. Especially about his family. But he's also the sort of person who would never say anything bad, even if they deserved it, even if it was the truth.

"I'm sorry, Emery," I say. "I know how it feels to be outcast. Never from my family, but… I get it."

"Thanks," he says. "I'm sorry for you too. It's not fair how people judged you."

"You can say that again," I say. "Thank you for not judging me, based on- based on what Dermot did."

"No problem," Emery says. "You seem like a good person, Serena. Should we go meet our mentor?"

"Thanks, you too. And yes, let's go," I say.

Emery Colt –17- -D5- POV

"No problem," I reply. Of course, it's so easy for me partially because I don't know what her brother did. I heard rumors, I wasn't that out of touch. But I don't know what really happened, and I'm not going to ask. "You seem like a good person, Serena. Should we go meet our mentor?" I ask.

"Thanks, you too. And yes, let's go," Serena replies. We walk out of my cabin, and down the hall the other way to the dining car, where our mentor, Ashley Cooper is waiting for us. Ashley is a pretty young woman, with her brown hair in a side braid, brown eyes, and tan skin. She's twenty-one, and she won her Games at fifteen.

"Hello, Serena, Emery," Ashley says. "I was getting worried about you two, afraid I'd have to check on you. Tributes who don't come to dinner have issues sometimes."

"No issues, just talking… uh, what do I call you?" I ask.

"Ashley's fine," she says. "So, I should get to know both of you, but first question: Do you plan on training separately or together, or do you not know? If you don't, that's alright."

Serena answers first. "I'd prefer it if you kept us separate for now," she looks at me. "I like you, Emery, and I don't like many people. But I need to see if there's anyone I like more first. You understand, right?"

"Yeah," I say. "That's okay, I guess. We can both look for other allies, and if we don't find any..." I leave my thought unfinished.

"Yeah," she says.

"Okay," Ashley says. "So, I'll go over the Reapings with both of you, and then we'll each talk separately. Sound good?"

"Sure," I say.

Harper Satin –16- D6- POV

After I leave the Justice Building, I and the other Tribute, whose name I don't know, pose for pictures. Then I board the train. I immediately head to my cabin and flop down on the bed. I can't believe what happened. I volunteered for the Hunger Games. The freaking Hunger Games! How… I know how. I know why. I just hope that I don't end up like Hailey did…

Day Thirteen of The 69th Hunger Games…

Hailey Satin –16- -D6- POV

I skin the rabbit quickly. It was a hard kill, but I finally managed to get it. I can't believe that these Games have gone on for thirteen days. At this rate, they'll last fifteen days! Unless something big happens today or tomorrow. I hear a noise in the bushes behind me. I grab my sword and crouch, turning slowly to face the threat. Or possible threat. Better safe than sorry, you know. I crouch in front of the fire, waiting. An arrow slams into the tree behind and to the left of me. I immediately lie flat on my belly and quickly regret my decision as the girl who fired the arrow comes charging out at me. I recognize her. It's one of the careers, Jennifer, the girl from District One. She must have killed the other careers then. I presumed that when I saw their faces in the sky, but not hers. Anyway, she's charging at me with a sword. I scramble to my feet and clumsily block her first strike. The impact force forces me back though, and I stumble over the dead rabbit. I fall backward. Crap. Not that I'm falling, presenting an easy target to the girl who is much more trained than I am. That is a problem, but it's not my most major problem right now. The problem is that I'm falling right into my fire, that I was planning to use to cook the rabbit. None of my options are good. I fall into the fire, or I drop my sword and use my hands to stop my fall. My back would still get burned, and I'd be defenseless against Jennifer. I see Jennifer complete the same analysis in her head, and apparently, she's not quite as cruel as I thought, for I feel a stabbing pain through my chest, killing me, but pulling me free of the flames. I had hoped I could win and come back to Harper. I guess not. I hope she's alright…

Back to the present…

Poor Hailey. At least Jennifer died too. And she didn't let her die by burning, that would have been cruel. As I think about it, I hope that doesn't happen to me. And then I wonder if I'll have to do that to someone. As I lay on the Capitol bed, I start to cry. I start to sob, actually. I continue to until a chime sounds, telling me that we have ten minutes before arrival at the station. Then I get up, wash my face in the bathroom, and try to look presentable. After all, I can't look weak if I stand any chance at all of winning.

Andrew Spayler –16- -D6- POV

After the Justice Building, I'm taken to the train, where I pose for pictures with… Harper, that's it. When we get on the train, she heads down the hall to a room with her name on it immediately. I decide to go to meet my mentor. I walk into the dining car, where Adam Kane sits. Adam is a twenty-one-year-old man who won his Hunger Games seven years ago. He looks up at me with his green eyes, brushing his long brown hair out of the way.

"I don't care about your name. I don't care about you or that other little girl. I'm here because it's required. If you want to survive, ask one of the other mentors when we get there, I don't care. Just don't bother me. Got that?"

I'm a little shocked by this man's manner. He is supposed to train me and Harper, but I guess he won't do that. "Okay," I say. "Is there some sort of library, or some way I can find out who the other Tributes are?"

"Yes," he says. "Everything you need is on this tablet. It has all the books ever written in Panem, according to the Capitol. It also has videos of the Reapings, and the highest quality Capitol entertainment. Believe it or not, they have TV other than the Hunger Games. Now leave."

"Thank you," I say. I can still have manners. "Can I please grab some food first?"
"Sure," he says. I grab some food and a plate and quickly leave the room. I head to the cabin with my name on it. Trains. I never thought I'd be on one. Just maintain them, and occasionally have my leg get crushed by one. Just usual stuff. I reach my cabin and enter it to find a more ornate cabin than I expected. There is a large king bed, two nightstands, and a dresser. There's also a door to another room. Peeking my head through the door confirms my suspicions. It's a bathroom, with the most complex shower I've ever seen, a toilet, and a sink. The only thing missing is a bathtub. I close the bathroom door and check the dresser. All sorts of formal attire in all sizes. I guess they don't know who will get Reaped. All the furnishings in the bedroom are made out of wood, and a lamp sits on each of the nightstands. It seems a little overkill for a train that will only be used for a few hours. Then again, I guess that the victors do take their victory tour on these trains, and the escorts and other Capitol personnel have to use them. I sit on the edge of the bed with the tablet. I pull up the videos of the Reapings and quickly watch them, noting the physical strength and reactions of all the Tributes. Their reactions tell me who is more likely to be mentally prepared for a fight. Of course, between now and then, they could become a lot more determined, and some of them already are. Then I realize something. My leg. If the Capitol prevents me from having my brace, I won't make it out of the Bloodbath. I need this thing to walk at even a slow pace. I quickly look up the history of similar situations. The only thing I can find is an old rule (who knew the Hunger Games had rules) that reads:

1.2.5 a. Medical Conditions. If a Tribute has a physical condition that may detract from the entertainment of the Games that is easily treatable, such a treatment may be administered by the Capitol, as long as the condition is brought to the attention of the Capitol within a period of two (2) days after the Tributes arrival by the Tribute's Mentor or another member of the Games Staff.

I quickly look up Games Staff and see that it includes the escorts, trainers, and mentors. My mentor isn't going to do it, so I'll have to find someone else. I don't really know much about any of the other mentors, and I know nothing about the trainers. I doubt the escorts will do anything. The mentor I know the most about is Athena Feere, District Eleven. After all, she did win last year. I'll have to see about talking to her. After I come to that conclusion, I peruse the rest of the Games rules until a ding sounds, announcing ten minutes until arrival. I decide that I should dress up after all, now that I've been Reaped. I go to the dresser and rummage around for a minute before finding a suit that fits. I quickly put it on and leave my cabin, awaiting our arrival at the Capitol.

Vallory 'Val' Stensland –16- -D7- POV

After my goodbyes to my family, and strangely, Juniper, I'm driven to the train station, where I pose for pictures with Aster. We board the train, and I decide to go meet my mentor. I walk into the dining car, where Sophia O'Neil is waiting. She's twenty, with blue eyes and red hair. She was seventeen when she won her Games.

"Hello, Vallory, Aster!" Sophia says. "How are you?"

"Hello..." I pause.

"Sophia," Sophia says.

"Hi, Sophia," I say. "I'm doing okay. My life might end within the next week, but I think I can prevent that from happening."

"That's a good attitude, Vallory," Sophia says.

"Val, please," I say.

"That's a good attitude, Val," Sophia says. "And what about you, Aster?"

"I'm harvesting good," Aster says. Sophia laughs.

"I don't get it," I say.

"Reaping, harvesting," Sophia says. "As good as you can be on Reaping day."

"Oh," I say, smiling. "I get it now."

"So," Sophia says. "Let's get to it then. Val, why did you volunteer?"

"A twelve-year-old was Reaped. I couldn't just let her die," I say.
"Okay," Sophia says. "That's noble of you. Do you think you can win, or was that more of a sacrifice?"

"I think I can win," I say. "I hope so, at least. I have a family, and a couple of friends who I would like to come back to."

"Okay," Sophia says. "Okay. That's good. What about you, Aster? Family? Friends?"

"Yes to both," Aster says.

"Well then," Sophia says. "Let's get started. We can watch videos of the other Reapings with dinner, size up the other Tributes, then I can talk to each of you about your strategies. Unless you two want to be trained together, of course?" I look at Aster, and we both shake our heads.

"We don't know each other well enough yet, I think," I say. "Maybe later."

"Gotcha," Sophia says. "Fair enough. Let's get started."

After we finish the videos, Sophia pulls me aside.
"So what's your strategy, Val?" She asks. "Do you have one?"

"Well," I say, "I'm strong. So I won't train with axes and such in training, I'll try to learn how to use a ranged weapon and some survival skills. I think I could easily take most of those Tributes one on one, but the careers would be a problem," Sophia nods. "So I'll try to find some allies. No careers, but some allies definitely. Maybe Aster, maybe not. I'll have to get to know the other Tributes first."

"Of course," Sophia says. "Sounds like a good plan."

"Thanks," I say.

Aster Ochs –17- -D7- POV

I board the train after posing with Vallory for the photos. She's pretty, I note, as we walk towards the dining car where our equally pretty mentor is waiting. We go through the introductions and watch the videos of the Reapings. Afterward, Sophia talks to Val, and then to me.

"So, Aster, what's your strategy?" She asks. "Assuming you have one, of course."

"I think I'll focus on learning to use throwing knives in training. Keep my ax skills secret," I say. "Maybe learn how to use a sword in case I can't find an ax. Try to make some allies, of course. Maybe Val, I don't know."

"Okay," she says. "Good plan."

"What do you think are my odds? And her odds?" I ask.

"I think both of you have pretty good odds," she says. "But get ready. We're almost at the Capitol."

Rhylee Kaski –16- -D8F- POV

As we mentioned earlier, Rhylee was sedated after she refused to go up to the stage. She missed her Justice Building interviews and the news of Lake's death. She was strapped down on a bed specifically designed for the purpose in the train's medical car. Two Peacekeepers were assigned to watch over her, all that District Eight could spare in the aftermath of the small rebellion, with three more for the rest of the train. A slightly smaller garrison than normal, with seven to eight Peacekeepers making the trip, supervising the whole train. No promotional pictures were taken, and Silk wondered where she was, but knew better than to ask. Three minutes after the train started moving, she woke up.

"Ahhhh!" I scream. I try to move my arms and legs, but I can't. My eyes fly open at the same time as my sense of orientation returns. I'm staring at the ceiling, and the ground is moving and shaking beneath me. I must be on the train. I try to move my limbs again. I feel them push against restraints. I try to sit up, but restraints are over my torso too. I can't even move my neck. "Let me go!" I shout. A Peacekeeper walks into my field of view. He's holding a sidearm, and I feel it press into my forehead. I stop moving.

"Calm now, little girl. If you want to be released, you'll need to stop thrashing and screaming, or we'll keep you here for the rest of the ride. Are you going to be calm?" He asks.

"You can't kill a Tribute," I say. I spit on his helmet.

"I'll take that as I no," he says. "And no, but we can make it very painful for you. We can also make sure you get no training at all, and you'll probably die in the Bloodbath. Not that you don't deserve it, scum."

"Fine," I say. "Let me sit up. I promise to be calm."

"We'll see about that," he says, but he must believe me, because I hear him press a button, and the restraints around my arms and torso snap back into their holders.

"See," I say, "calm, just like you asked. If I sit here quietly for a minute, will you let me go meet my mentor?"

"Maybe," he says.

Another voice speaks, and I look over. It's a second Peacekeeper, carrying a rifle. "You might not want to anyway."

"Why?" I ask.

"I've been on this train enough, watching the Tributes," he says. "Ginger… she's crazy. She wants you to die so that she can go home quicker. She loved it when the Games only took four days last year. Let's see what she's doing right now."

"Phillips," the first Peacekeeper cautions the other man.

"What, Johnson? She would see this anyway if she didn't throw a fit," the Peacekeeper who must be named Phillips says.

"Fine," Johnson mutters. "I'm still writing you up."

"Whatever. Sir." Phillips replies. I get the impression that that Sir is not said with loving respect. Phillips presses a few buttons on a wall touchscreen, and an image of the dining car of the train pops up. Ginger is being restrained by Peacekeepers, and one of them is leading Silk out of the room. Broken china lines Silk's side of the table, and he has a cut on his arm.

"Is he going to be alright?" I ask.

"Yeah, we have medical kits onboard," Phillips says. "He just needs a bandage, he'll be fine. So, want to meet Ginger?"

"I think I'll stay in here," I say.

"Good choice," Phillips says.

Silk Daisly –16- -D8M- POV

After the Justice Building, I board the train. I notice that they don't have me pose for pictures, and Rhylee is nowhere to be seen. Odd. But then again, it sounds like there was a bit of a riot, and my guess is that Rhylee caused it. So, not surprising I guess. I board the train and head to meet my mentor. I immediately wish I hadn't. Ginger Goodall, a twenty-five-year-old blonde-haired, brown-eyed woman who won her Games eight years ago, waits for me.

"Get out," she says, "or I'll kill you myself."
"Uh…" I'm shocked, to say the least. "What?"

"I said," Ginger says, grabbing a knife, "get out!"
"I… uh…" Ginger throws the knife at me, but it misses, impacting the wall behind my head. She grabs a plate next and throws it. It too misses. She's drunk, I realize. I head for the door, but she throws a plate in front of me. "I thought you wanted me to get out," I say, trying to keep my voice calm and neutral.

"I do!" She shouts. Peacekeepers enter from both sides of the car. Two grab her arms and restrain her. She breaks free from one and throws a glass at me. I raise my arms to block it. This one doesn't miss, and shatters on my arm, leaving a cut. The Peacekeeper grabs her again. I wonder momentarily why, before I realize that most of the Peacekeepers are probably back at home. Another one gently guides me over the broken china and out of the car.

"Come with me, Sir," he says. I follow him, and soon we're out of the car. He grabs a medical kit from the side of the wall and motions for me to hold out my arm. "Just let me see," he says. He grabs something from the kit and rubs it over the wound. Ointment, I guess. Then he grabs a bandage and applies it to the small cut. "There you go. Good as new. It'll heal before the games," he says. "Now I'm going to have to ask you to remain in your room until the ten minutes until arrival alarm sounds. Can you do that?"

"Thank you," I say. "And of course. Is there any way I can… I don't know, do something? Some sort of training?"
"Most Tributes watch the other Reapings," he says. "And you can too. I'll have a tablet sent in to you."

"Thank you," I say. He shows me to my room, which I enter. A few minutes later, a servant enters, carrying a tablet. I thank the servant, and he nods. I close the door and proceed to watch the Reapings, making a threat assessment. I still can't believe that I've been Reaped, but I push that aside and focus on coming up with a strategy. I need to train with weapons. Probably a dagger and throwing knives. I think I'll try to go it solo, allies are a distraction and someone who can easily kill you. With those facts decided, I wait until the ten-minute alarm rings. Then I stand to leave my cabin. As I do, I look down. I notice the armband my mother gave me and smile. I step out into the hallway, where Rhylee is waiting in a dress.

"Nice to see you," I comment.

"You too," she says.

"Ready?" I ask.

"Not at all," she says. "You?"

"Same."

Isaiah Lemont –15- -D9- POV

After the Justice Building, I'm driven to the train station, where I pose for pictures with Athena. It's a little awkward because I can tell that she's trying to stand as far away from me as possible on the small train steps, and one of the photographers literally has to grab her and move her closer to me. After that, we board the train. Athena starts to head to her cabin, but I stop her.

"Athena," I say. "We need to talk."

"Do you still have feelings for me?" Athena asks.

"I… yes. I think I always will, Athena," I say.

"Then… I don't think we have anything to talk about," Athena says, turning away from me.

"Wait! Athena. Look, I have feelings for you. But clearly, you don't have any for me. That's alright, I… I respect that. But… I think we should be allies. I want to be your ally," I say.

"Why?" She asks.

"I… I think it would be mutually beneficial," I say. "We can protect each other, we won't have to try to make other 'allies'."

"And what if we have to kill each other?" Athena asks. "I will kill you, Isaiah."

"That won't happen," I say. "What are the odds?"

"And if it does?" She asks.

"If it does… if we're the last two people left..." I try to think of killing her. I can't. Every time, I kill myself before I would kill her. And I would never kill myself. "I don't know if I could kill you. I… I don't think so."

"How is this mutually beneficial, then?" Athena asks.

"If someone else kills you, but you kill them, I live," I say. "Come on, Athena. I want to be your ally. An ally who will never kill you. It doesn't get better than that. Please, Athena?" Athena pauses and looks me in the eyes before answering.

Athena Rye –14- -D9- POV

"Please, Athena?" Isaiah asks. I look in his eyes. He's begging me, pleading with me. For what, to have me kill him? Or to make sure I live? I think it's the second one. Maybe he does love me. Then I remember what Presley said, "All I'm saying is make the best of a bad situation. Do what's best for you." But… I can't. If he does love me, I can't use him like that. Then again, will he take no for an answer?

"Will you listen if I say no?" I ask.

"Not really," he says. "I'll just protect you without your knowledge, I guess."

"Fine then," I say. "Allies. Allies only. You got that?"

"Yeah," he says. "Shake?" Isaiah holds out his hand.

"Sure," I say. I shake his hand. "Should we go meet our mentor?" I ask.

"I guess," he says. We head to the dining car, where our mentor, George Nemesis, a twenty-six-year-old man who won his Games at the age of twelve is waiting for us. We introduce ourselves and go over the videos of the other Reapings. We determine that the girl from eight won't be much of a threat, but the one from seven might be. We also tell George that we won't be looking for any other allies and that we'll be training together.

"Great," he says. "That makes my job easier. And, Athena, Isaiah?"

"Yeah?" We both reply.

"Please win. I want someone to take over for me. And you two are good people," he says.

"Will do, Sir!" Isaiah says and snaps a mock salute. I smile but quickly hide it. He is funny. And sort of handsome. And- no, Athena. No. Isaiah drops the salute and smiles. "We'll do our best. Thank you. And if you're a betting man, put your money on Athena here. Even without me, she's got the grit to survive." I blush against my will.

"Thanks," I say.

"Will do," George says. "Now you two should probably get ready if you feel you need to. We're almost there."

Kayra Dawnbreeze –13- -D10- POV

After the Justice Building, I'm driven to the train. I pose with Kayne for pictures and then get on the train. I head to my cabin, and the stress of it all finally gets to me. I flop down on my bed and don't wake up until we arrive at the Capitol.

Kayne Lytch –13- -D10- POV

After I pose for pictures with Kayra, I get on the train. I decide to go to meet my mentor. I walk into the dining car, where Harold Cooper, a twenty-eight-year-old brown-haired brown-eyed man is waiting.

"Hi, Mr. Cooper," I say.

"Harold, please," Harold says.

"Harold. How are you?" I ask.

"Okay," he says. "Let's get started. We'll watch the videos of the other Reapings, then we'll talk about your strategy. Okay?"

"Sure," I say. "Shouldn't we wait for Kayra?"

"She's asleep," he says. "Bio monitors. She fell asleep as soon as she got here. The stress, probably. I'll talk to her when she wakes up."

"Oh. Okay," I say. We watch the videos of the other Reapings, and I try to spot allies in the outliers. No careers, not that they would take me even if I wanted to go with them. I decide that I'll try to talk to the boys from five and eleven. Most Tributes seem threatening, apart from the girls from eight and twelve. And Kayra, no threat. I feel bad saying that, but she's clearly malnourished and weak. She won't be able to put up much of a fight. I feel bad for her, I really do. I hope she'll survive. Sort of. Of course, if she survives too long, she becomes a threat to me winning, and I… I need to win. For Kylie. I do hope I don't have to kill her though. I hope I don't have to kill anyone, but I know that's a fool's dream. If I want to see Kylie again, I'll have to do things nobody wants to do. And I do want to see Kylie again. I will see her again.

Athena Feere –D11V- -18- POV

After the Reaping, I was taken directly to the train to wait for the Tributes as they say their goodbyes. I already feel bad for the two people who were Reaped. I have detailed information on them, courtesy of the Capitol. Brianna Tribiani, a street urchin. She reminds me of myself, except without Alix, Alia, and Ainsley. She does have one friend, Patricia. It scares me how much the Capitol knows. In fairness, that is the extent of the information, so it's not like anyone was watching her every day, probably just once for a day or a few hours before the Reaping. Still… I wonder how much they're watching me. I asked, and the told me they weren't. I don't believe them. Then the boy. Tontu Heinburg, eighteen. He's mute, but he uses cards to communicate with people, so that's interesting. Deaf in one ear. Wonder how they figured that out. Oh yeah, because the other ear was shot off! By none other than a Peacekeeper. The story, told in the report of the Peacekeeper and doctor who tended to him, sickens me. I feel sorry for him. After all, being deaf in one ear, I doubt he'll make it far in the Games. Ugh. This whole thing… it's so wrong. But I can't change it, not now at least. So I'll do my best to make sure that these Tributes get the best training possible with the best odds of survival possible. The tablet in front of me buzzes, and the screen changes to an image of Alix's face. One of the perks of being a Victor, Capitol tech. I press the green button, and the screen goes dark again. Alix is calling from a phone after all. I wonder if this tablet has a camera. Could you do that? I don't know. I should ask one of the scientists.

"Hi, honey," I say.

"Hi, 'Thena," Alix says. "How's it going?"

"Okay. I just finished reading up on the Tributes this year. I feel bad for them. This one girl, she reminds me of me, Alix. Just if I didn't have you to help provide for me. But… she's malnourished, she probably steals to survive, and I doubt she's going to make it very far. I'll do my best, but…" I trail off.

"I get it, honey," he says. "Look, don't feel bad about it. As long as you do your best, you have nothing to feel bad about. As for Brianna… It's sad, but beyond training her as best as you can, there's nothing you can do. And as long as you do your best, don't feel bad if she doesn't make it. There's only so much you can do. Just try not to get to attached. I know it sounds bad, but if you don't get attached, you can't feel that much loss. Okay?" Alix asks.

"I'll do my best. Thanks, honey," I say. "Are you going to be okay while I'm gone?"

"I survived without you before, Athena. I can do it for a week or two," he says.

"Okay, honey," I say. "Just want to make sure you're alright." The door of the car opens, and Brianna and Tontu step in. I hold up a finger. "Uh, got to go, Alix. They're here. Love you!"

"Love you too, 'Thena!" Alix says. Then I tap the tablet again to wake up the screen. Then I hit the red button, and he's gone. I turn off the tablet and greet the Tributes.

Tontu Heinburg –18- -D11- POV

"Love you too, 'Thena!" A voice emanates from Athena's tablet. She taps it twice, hits a button, and it goes blank again. Athena Feere is eighteen and won her Hunger Games just last year. After that, she got married, and now she's my mentor. She has pretty hazel eyes and copper-colored hair that reaches her mid-back in a braid. Her skin is tan, and she's slightly taller than the average woman, but about half a head shorter than me. She's fairly pretty. Not as pretty as Noami, but pretty.

"Hello, Brianna, Noami!" Athena says and smiles. "I would ask how you're doing, but, you know, I imagine you're not doing great."

I open my notebook, and say, Hello, Ms. Feere.

"Athena, please," Athena says. "Assuming you can change that or whatever. Sorry, I didn't-"
It's all right, Athena, I say.

"Good, sorry," Athena says. "And, Brianna?"
"Hi," Brianna says. "Bri, please."

"Okay. Tontu, Bri. Please, sit down. I want to get to know you two before we start watching the Reapings. So, Tontu, I know what happened with your father. I'm sorry. But, besides your mother, do you have anyone else here you want to come back too?"
I do, I say. Her name is Noami, and she's beautiful. I love her. We just- I have to pause. The words for what happened in the Justice Building aren't in my little book already. I quickly scribble them on one of the pages reserved for writing things that are situational. We just- got together in the Justice Building. It was… great.

"Ah, I see," Athena says. She smiles. "So, you want to win?"

Yes.

"Anything else I should know?" She asks.

I can't think of anything right now, I say.

"Okay," she says. "Bri, what about you?"

Brianna 'Bri' Tribiani –16- -D11- POV

"Okay," Athena says. "Bri, what about you?"
"I was… kicked out when I was younger. I only really have one friend. I… we… I know I'm not going to come back. I want to, but let's be realistic, Athena. I'm not going to win," I say.

"Bri, don't say that," Athena says. "You never know. I didn't stand very good odds, and here I am. Isabella from the year before me didn't stand very good odds, and now she's happy in her house. Well, as happy as she can be."

"I guess," I say.

"Just promise me, both of you promise me, that you'll do your best. Okay?" Athena asks.

"Okay," I say.

Okay, Tontu says.

"Good," Athena says. "Now, let's start watching the Reapings."

Camelia Lloha –12- -D12- POV

After the Justice Building, I'm driven to the train station. I pose for pictures with Char. Then I board the train. I decide to avoid Haymitch. I may be younger than most, but I still know about Haymitch. I head to my cabin and flop down on the bed. I cry silently before I fall asleep on the bed.

Char Alfand –14- -D12- POV

After I board the train, I debate whether or not to talk to Haymitch and Effie. I decide to go in for dinner.

"Hi, Hay- Effie? Where's Haymitch?" I ask. Haymitch isn't there, at least not that I can see.

"Down there," Effie points downwards. I look under the table, where Haymitch is sprawled unconscious.

"Oh," I say. "What does he usually have us do?"

"Eat some food. You're malnourished. We need to fatten you up for the Games. Then you can watch the Reapings on tape," Effie says.

"Oh, thanks," I say. Then I grab some food, for which Effie reprimands me. She spends the next fifteen minutes 'teaching' me table manners. After that, I watch the Reapings on tape. Effie makes snide comments about the other Tributes, but some of them are useful. I try to see if there will be any allies. I think the girl from ten might be a good one. Most of the Tributes look threatening. Camelia doesn't, but that's really it. I think that I'll try to stay out of the way for most of the Games and kill my allies at the end when most everyone else is dead. That's the plan, I just hope it survives contact with the enemy.

Lauren Presley –40- -Capitol Resident- -Gamemaker- POV

"Sir, Ma'am, the Head Gamemaker is requesting you in his office as soon as possible," the messenger says.

"Thank you," I say. "We'll be right over." I and my husband take the walk from our apartment, where we had just finished watching the Reapings, to the Gamemaking facilities, and knock on the door of the Head Gamemaker's office.

"Come in," Mallard says. We enter and stand in front of his desk.

"Hello, Presleys. This year, we have a special assignment for you." Mallard presses a button, and a hologram appears over his desk. I recognize it as the form of one of the Tributes, and at the top is her name. Rhylee Kaski.
"Why her?" I ask.

"All in good time, Mrs. Presley," Mallard says.

"Yes, Sir," I say.

"Your assignment is to eliminate this Tribute with some of your signature mutts. She can not be allowed to live. On the other hand, it can not be obvious that she was targeted to the people in her District. Of course, if she does not have allies, this may be inevitable. If so, that is okay. But if she has allies, you must also kill one of them. And make it hurt. She can not be allowed to win. Not after the trouble she caused the Peacekeepers in District Eight, and the Capitol at large. Sit, watch," he says, and with a swiping motion on his console, the image of Rhylee is replaced with security camera footage from a Reaping. We watch as Rhylee is called and as she doesn't go. Her friend tries to protect her, but we know that it's useless. We watch as Rhylee is sedated, and as Silk is called up. That's where the live footage ended. This footage, however, continues, zooming in on the redheaded girl on the ground. As we watch, she grabs the Peacekeeper's rifle and shoots him. I and my husband inhale shocked gasps. But instead of the Peacekeepers immediately killing her, she manages, with the help of another girl, to kill five Peacekeepers before she and the other girl are finally killed. And the crowd, although they did nothing, did nothing to help the Peacekeepers either. And they clapped after the first shot was fired. I see. If Rhylee wins, they think she'll start a rebellion, and the other girl will become a martyr. Mallard dismisses the video and brings up a hologram of the other girl with one swipe of his hand. "Lake Turner," he says. "She was the District Eight girl's girlfriend. They got up to trouble in District Eight occasionally, and I guess she decided to go out big. We need to make sure that she and her girlfriend are forgotten forever. Understood?" With another swipe of his hand, the hologram disappears.

"Yes, Sir," I and my husband say simultaneously.

"Good," Mallard says. "Start working on ideas. I want it done." We nod to acknowledge him. "Dismissed." We leave his office.

The Capitol

District Detention Center

Cell #345

A man sleeps on his cot. It doesn't matter that it's the middle of the day to him. He had nothing to do, so he turned off the lights and slept. He'd get up for dinner. A guard approaches his cell and turns on the lights at the same time as he hits his baton on the cell bars, waking the prisoner.

"Hey, Lytch. Get up. You get to watch TV this year," the guard says.

Alix Lytch sits up on his bed and rubs his eyes. "Oh? Why is that?" He asks.

"You'll see. Come with me," the guard says, opening the cell door. Alix gets up and follows the guard. There is no need for handcuffs or threats. Alix knows that there is no hope of escape. After three years, it has become clear. All prisoners are equipped with microchips to track them in the unlikely event of an escape, and their clothing will automatically electrocute them if it detects that they have passed outside where they are supposed to be. Add in the electric floor tiles and the guards with stun guns and regular guns, and it quickly became apparent to anyone unlucky enough to be interned in the District Detention Center, where District residents who misbehaved badly enough to be executed but couldn't for one reason or another, usually because there was fear of inciting a rebellion by making a martyr, were kept for life, that escape was impossible. So Alix docilely followed docilely as the guard led him to the rec room. Few inmates were allowed in this room. Most inmates were restricted to the yard if they were allowed entertainment. Most were not. The few who were allowed in the 'rec room' could watch TV, although only what they allowed, or more often, instructed, to watch. They could, in theory, play some of the games scattered around the room. In reality, the games were only there for promotional purposes, and actual inmates never got to play them.
"You'll see," the guard says, as he motions for Alix to sit down in front of a TV. "This year, you get to watch the Hunger Games. Starting with your old District Ten and their Reapings." A sinking feeling enters Alix's stomach. No, he thinks. No. Please, no. Please, not Kayne. The guard turns on the TV, and Alix watches. And the sinking feeling in his stomach is confirmed. The guard smiles as he turns off the TV. "Figure it out?" He asks.

"Yes, Sir," Alix says. "You want me to watch my brother die."

"You got it," the guard says. "Not me. This comes from higher up than me, I don't have the authority to tell where you go. I just enjoy it." Alix just shakes his head as he's escorted back to his cell.

A/N: So, the train rides are over! What did you guys (and gals) think? Who is your favorite Tribute, and who do you think will win? Who do you think will die in the Bloodbath, etc? Tell me your thoughts! See you soon with the Chariot rides!