Chapter 21- Astrid Clearwater
It's still dark out when Sparkle knocks on my door. "It's time to go, Astrid!" she says, annoyingly cheerfully. I don't want to go; I want to just stay here in bed forever, where nobody can get to me. I actually slept a few hours, but it's not enough. I'm exhausted, which doesn't bode well for the arena.
Sparkle opens the door and drops something on the end of the bed. "Change into this; I'll be waiting for you outside the door," she says, then leaves, closing the door behind her.
I turn on the light to see what she dropped; my eyes half-shut because of the sudden brightness in the room. Once my eyes have adjusted enough, I see that Sparkle has left me a simple white shift to get into. Is that what I'm going to wear into the arena?
"Is that my uniform?" I ask, holding it up as I open the door. Sparkle laughs.
"No, silly, that's what you're going to wear to the Launch Room. You'll get your uniform there." I shut the door in her face and go into the bathroom to change. The shift is short, barely coming to my knees, and it makes me feel cold and uncomfortable.
I grab the edge of the counter, trying to get a grip on things. In just a few hours, I will be lifted into the arena, and then all hell will break loose. Did Mama sleep at all last night, or did she lie awake just like me? My reflection in the mirror shows me the dark circles under my eyes; I look very, very tired.
Sparkle knocks on the door again. "The hovercraft will be here soon! Hurry up!" I splash a little water on my face and march out the door, not bothering to turn out the light behind me. I can't wallow in self pity or fear anymore; neither of those will get me the crown. What's done is done, and now I have to make the best of it.
"I'm ready," I say, stepping out barefoot into the hallway where Sparkle's waiting impatiently. I look for Beetee or Delia, but none of them are around. I didn't expect them to be; the goodbyes were said last night, and now Beetee has to keep me and Circuit alive. Circuit's not around either.
"Where's Circuit?" I ask.
"Already gone," Sparkle says, leading the way through the living room to the elevators. It's dark still, but the sun is rising over the Capitol skyline. Soon it will be bright here, but I won't be here to see it.
I follow Sparkle into the elevator; she presses the button for the roof and we shoot upwards. My knees are shaking from cold and terror, even though I told myself I wouldn't be scared anymore. It's hard not to be.
"You'll go up first, then they'll collect me after," Sparkle says, pointing to a ladder dangling down from hovercraft that's suspended in midair. "Go on."
As soon as I touch the ladder, a current freezes me in place; the ladder retracts, bringing me upwards with it. When I'm finally in the hovercraft, a woman dressed in white approaches with a needle in hand. I can't even protest when she stabs me with it in the arm; once she's done that, the current releases me and I stagger backwards.
"What was that?" I ask, grabbing my arm and wincing. "That hurt!"
"Your tracker," she says before walking away. Leaving me to stand here, waiting for Sparkle to be brought up from below.
Shore Seawind
"Eat; the breakfast they have here is wonderful!" Augustus says, gesturing to the full buffet before me. We only just got up here in the hovercraft, at the crack of dawn, and he's already awake and bubbly. I'm not quite sure how he does it, since I'm still yawning from my poor sleep last night.
"What do you recommend?" I ask, picking up a plate. The inside of the hovercraft is warm, which I'm glad for since the white shirt and pants Augustus gave me are really thin, and not warm at all. As I understand it, I'll get my actual uniform later.
"I enjoy the crepes," he says, taking a bite of pastry himself. Even though it's early, he's already wearing his trademark curly green wig and purple eyeliner. Again, I'm no expert on fashion, but it's hideous even to me.
"So, what's going to happen next?" I ask, picking up random pastries and fruit and putting them on my plate. An Avox comes and pours a cup of coffee for me, which I'm extremely grateful for. Anything to help me wake up.
"We're en route to the arena as we speak," Augustus says, swallowing. "Then we'll go down into the Launch Room to prepare you for entering the arena itself."
"How long will that take? Until we get there, I mean," I ask, mindlessly eating. I'm going to need it for today.
"An hour, an hour and a half maybe?"
"We have time for a good breakfast then," I say, raising my cup of coffee to my stylist. "To the Hunger Games!"
"To the Hunger Games," Augustus says, toasting me back. I think back to Mags's warning about facing my mortality. I feel none of that; I feel powerful and confident that I can win.
I won't be facing my mortality at all.
Iry Coppersmith
Damius came and got me early this morning, from Terra's room. "I'm not ready!" I said, holding on tight to Terra.
"I'm sorry; you have to go," Terra said, holding me close and starting to cry a little. "I've got to go too, with the other mentors. You'll be okay, I promise."
"Will you come with me to the roof?" I whispered.
"Can I?" Terra pleaded with Damius. He nodded.
"Here's your slip that you'll wear in the meantime," he said kindly, handing the white dress to Terra and then leaving the room. Terra helped me get dressed, then walked out with me into the hallway, so we could join Damius. I was cold, and scared. I'm still both of those things. Nobody said anything while we went up the elevator to the roof, where a hovercraft was waiting.
"I don't want to go!" I said, backing away, trying to get to the elevators again. Terra caught me by the arm.
"I'll see you soon, okay?" she said, crying. "Damius is going to be with you the whole time; you won't be alone. I love you so much, Iry." I could tell it was killing her inside to make me go to the hovercraft.
"I love you too!" I said, throwing myself into my sister's arms. She hugged me tight, then let me go.
"You can do this," she said. Damius took me by the hand and led me to the hovercraft. As the ladder took me up, I could see Terra, standing there alone and watching me. Then I couldn't see her anymore.
"How are you feeling, Iry?" Damius asks gently. I haven't been able to eat much of my breakfast. Even the waffles don't make me want to eat. My arm still hurts from where the woman put my tracker in, and I'm cold and terrified.
"I'm scared," I whisper.
"You'll be alright. You're made of the same stuff as your sister, so you'll come out wearing that crown." He smiles at me.
"Do you really think so?" I ask.
"I really do. Eat as much as you can; you'll need it for today."
So I choke down a bit more food, until my stomach doesn't want anymore. Damius doesn't eat much either, choosing to sip on a cup of coffee instead.
I think about Ribbons, and Terra, and everyone at home while I look out the windows as I eat. Just as I finish and push my plate away, the lights outside the hovercraft windows go out, like we're in a cave or something. I don't like the dark at all.
"What's going on?" I ask, looking back and forth between windows.
"We've arrived," Damius says, and my stomach fills with butterflies.
We're at the arena.
Nell Slatefield
One foot in front of the other; that's how I'm keeping it together as we walk down the dark and shadowy halls of the Catacombs under the arena. Focusing on each footstep as we pass by Avoxes and guards and blinking lights. Of course, Opal chatters the whole way.
"Here we are!" she says brightly, pushing open the door at the very end of the hallway. I clench my hands into fists and force myself to walk through the door and follow her. I want to run and find a tree to perch in somewhere, somewhere far away from here.
"So, what are we doing here?" I ask, trying to keep my spirits up. Nell Slatefield isn't so easily defeated, is she? I've faced worse from the Peacekeepers at home. Like once I took an apple when I wasn't supposed to, and they chased me through the orchards until I climbed too high for them to see me. I think that apple was the best I've ever tasted- that and the one I stole right after at the top of the tree.
"First you go and shower and brush your teeth in there," Opal says, pointing to another door off to the side. "Then we'll get you dressed and maybe you'll want some more food!"
"Maybe," I say, going into the small bathroom and slamming the door behind me. I get in the shower, but have to sit down after a few minutes because my legs are shaking too hard to keep me standing. I could be dead in a few hours, and it wouldn't matter to anyone but my family.
The nerves go straight to my stomach, and I pitch forward, retching into the drain. I turn my face up toward the spray of water, warm like a summer rain. Find Trestle, that's what I'm going to have to do; find him and go. Then figure it out from there.
When I get out, I dry myself off with the current button that untangles my hair instantly, then wrap a thick, white robe around myself. While I brush my teeth with the toothbrush provided, I look at myself in the mirror. It might be the last time I ever do it, after all. I see me, Nell. I grin at my reflection, pulling faces like I do to annoy Rosa.
I'm going to be fine. How can I not do fine? I've never gone down without a fight before, and I'm not going to start now.
"Right, what's my uniform?" I ask, throwing open the door. Opal's sitting on a couch holding a large package. "Let's have a look, I'm curious."
"They just brought it in," Opal says. I'm glad she didn't design this outfit, even though her last dress was gorgeous. I'm not forgetting me being naked on the chariots.
Slowly, she opens the package and unwraps the paper inside. Plain white undergarments come out first, which she hands to me. Then a tight fitting black short-sleeved shirt, dark green pants with a cuff at the bottom; a brown jacket that zips up the front; white socks, and black boots that look uncomfortable.
"Do I have to wear the boots?" I ask, picking up the heavy things. "I'd rather go barefoot." I've never worn shoes like these, and I'd rather not. I don't understand why everyone chooses to wear shoes here, when feet are meant to be free.
"Everything given must be worn," Opal says. "Let's get you dressed!"
Nothing of the outfit is what I'd wear in real life, back home. It's too Capitol. Maybe it'll keep me alive in the arena, but Opal says nothing about what the uniform might suggest will be in the arena.
Once I'm dressed, Opal has me walk around to make sure everything fits. "It's fine, but the boots are heavy!" I complain, picking up one foot then the other.
"You're just not used to wearing shoes," Opal says cheerfully. "Deal with it!" I glare at her before collapsing onto the couch.
"Can I have some water?" I ask. Opal gets a glass from somewhere and hands it to me; I drink it slowly, savoring every drop. I'll need to get water in the arena, so it's better if I stock up now. In the corner of the room there's a glass tube with a metal plate in it. Just the sight of it makes me want to throw up again, but I won't let myself do it.
"This is going to be the best year ever!" Opal says, chatting away about things I don't care about. My family will be in the town square by now, being comforted by the other Roots people. Waiting for the Games to start. I can picture the scene clearly, since I've been in that crowd every year that I can remember, except for this year. This year I'm part of the show.
"Prepare for launch," a robotic woman says, maybe the same one that announced each of us for our private sessions.
"Now?" I ask, and Opal nods. "Can I have a hair tie?"
Opal hands me one from her kit on the couch, and I pull my hair back into a ponytail. "You look good," she says, almost kindly.
"Thanks." My hands are shaking again; I'm not ready to go in. Not yet. "The dress was really pretty last night," I say.
"I'll have an even prettier one for you when you return," Opal says, and for the first time she sounds like she actually cares about me.
"See you soon, then," I say. This is it. Time to give the Capitol their show.
"Launch in ten seconds." I step onto the metal plate; the walls around it have conveniently disappeared for now.
"Good luck, Nell!" Opal says, beaming at me. Then the walls come up around me; I put my hands on the glass, looking at my stylist, who's watching me too.
The metal plate begins to rise, and then I can't see Opal anymore. I can't see anything.
All there is is darkness.