Henry Haines, 15, District 1
Jade and I sit in the main compartment of the train, waiting for our mentors to show up. With every second that passes, I get more and more irritated. Being from District One, our ride to the Capitol is one of the shortest, which means we get the least amount of time with our mentors before we'll be surrounded by interviewers and other tributes and Gamemakers that our mentor time will become limited. So I don't really appreciate Alexandrine and Crystal's lateness.
"Stop shaking your leg." Jade spits at me. I hadn't even realized I was doing it. I'm tempted not to stop out of principle, but I do. But I can't stop myself from saying what I do next.
"I'm surprised you were the chosen female." I lean forward in my chair. Jade doesn't flinch.
"Why? I was the best. Better than you." She scoffs. A smirk forms on my face.
"No, no you weren't the best." This grabs her attention. "Rosaline Locke was the best." The name drop catches Jade off guard. I can see herself trying to stay restrained.
"If she was the best, she would be sitting here. Not me." She spits at me and holds a straight face, but I can tell I've struck a nerve.
Gossip travels quickly in the training center. Not that long after Rosaline was announced as the chosen tribute, she somehow ends up with an amputated arm. She claims it was a "training accident" yet refused to confirm who it was with. Yet we all know who Rosaline's favorite person to train with was.
She might be coming up with ways to take me out of the running right now. But I'm better than her. I earned my spot, unlike her. And I'll earn the title of Victor of the 95th Hunger Games. And I'll make sure she knows it before she inevitably dies.
Finally, the car doors open and reveal Alexandrine and Crystal. Alexandrine smiles politely from me to Jade, while Crystal's stone cold face doesn't shift.
"Hello. Henry, I'll be working with you. Would you like to go somewhere more private? Or are you two interested in training together.
"No." Both Jade and I say at the same time. Alexandrine gestures towards the door and I lead the way.
We sit in another lush compartment, with plush couches and a small buffet of various foods and drinks. I pick up a glass of water before taking a seat across from Alexandrine.
"Well, I won't waste time. Tell me about your strengths and your weaknesses?" I hold my head up high.
"I'm strong, especially in hand to hand combat. My specialty is a spear. I'm fast, I'm always faster than the older kids because of my size." I don't hold back. Alexandrine listens carefully, which I appreciate. Between her and Crystal, I got the better mentor. Alexandrine has always seemed more composed than Crystal has. I bet her and Jade aren't getting along.
"Okay. Weaknesses?" Oh right.
"Well, I mean, I'm sure my age is one…" I say, genuinely trying to come up with things I'm not good at. I can't.
"Okay. Well, we have a good base to start with then. What about Jade? Are you two close?" She leans forward. My reaction gives her the answer she needs.
"Well, that's something we'll have to work on then. The Capitol will expect a unified pair from each Career district. If you two come off as indifferent to each other, or worse, it won't work in your favor." She explains. I nod, taking in the words but not thrilled about their implication.
Even though I know I won't like it, it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make for victory.
Kalen Demner, 18, District 5
I lay on the bed in my assigned sleeping compartment, unable to fall asleep. Too many thoughts fire around in my head, and I've been unable to keep them all straight. Our escort tried to engage with me and my district partner, Heather, but she got frustrated at our lack of interest, or appreciation, of going to the Capitol. Despite how much she insisted, I could not fathom the idea of thinking that getting to see the Capitol was worth a high chance of death.
My brain got really rattled after watching the reapings. I couldn't help but notice how many young tributes were reaped this year. A twelve year old boy from Three, a twelve year old girl from Seven and one from Ten, along with the thirteen year old from Twelve, all taken away from their families who have already resorted to mourning their young child's untimely death. However the tribute that stood out the most to me was the teenage girl from Six, Emily. Something about how she walked onto stage, how she stood there with tears in her eyes trying to keep it together, it reminded me all too much of Eleanor.
I can't believe I spent sixteen years hating her for something she couldn't control. Something no one could have prevented. And now I'm going to have to fight for my life and potentially die with words left unsaid.
Watching the reaping recap made me realize the odds of me beating all those trained Career kids, even the younger ones, is nearly impossible. I won't go down without a fight, but I feel as if the fight is already won.
I turn over on my side and look out the window. At the speed we're traveling, I can't see more than a dark blur of fence, trees, and sky. I think we passed District Two earlier in the day, and I know we'll be one of the first tributes to arrive in the Capitol, which makes the whole thing even more pressing. I need to figure out how to better my chances, and figure it out quickly. I'm sure I can gather some sympathy at the interviews, and based on the simple training I've had with my knife throwing I'm sure I can earn a decent score in our private sessions. But I won't be able to go at it alone, at least not at first. I'll need a body to watch my back, maybe someone to take the blunt of any attacks that might happen. Obviously my initial thought is the Careers will be the biggest threat, but I saw some shifty older tributes pulled into this arena during the reaping recap, and I don't doubt many of them have something up their sleeve.
Without a helpful mentor, escort, and a ruthless district partner that probably wants to stab me in the back before we reach the Capitol, I really do feel like I'm on my own. So what the hell should I do to mitigate that?
Maybe once we're there, inside the Capitol, everything will start to fall into place. I'll be able to watch people's true colors come out in training, where they won't be able to hide behind the facade they'll certainly put on during the interviews. As long as I can stay under the radar, it shouldn't be so hard, right?
But I can't remember the last time I was able to just "stay under the radar"
Elijah Axenfros, 17, District 7
My eyes flutter open and panic sets in as I don't recognize my surroundings. Slowly, but surely, I remember what hell I've been sent into. I rub my eyes and reluctantly get out of bed before someone decides to take it upon themselves to wake me up.
I don't spend much time picking out an outfit, just a simple Capitol provided t-shirt and sweats, which are higher quality than anything I've ever had access to in my life.
I walk into the main train compartment and head straight to the food, a small buffet of pastries, juices, and other things I don't recognize on a look. As I decide what to take, I suddenly get the sense that someone is watching at me. I turn around and I'm surprised to see Darrah's already made herself comfortable. She has her knees pulled up to her chest on the couch. Her head immediately snaps towards me when I walk in and she basically jumps up and walks over to me.
"Hey." I say as politely as I can manage, given how early it feels and the lack of food I've consumed.
"Hey!" She looks over at the small buffet I'm standing by. She grabs a muffin and peels the wrapper. I go take a seat on the couch and she follows.
I've only been on the train for less than a full day, but I already get the sense that Darrah isn't someone I'm going to be able to shake off. She seems to still hold onto the curiosity of youth, something I had definitely lost by her age. Getting the shit beat out of you tends to do that.
"Are you nervous? To get to the Capitol? I'm nervous." Darrah takes a bite out of her muffin and awaits an answer. I play along.
"Yeah, I guess I am a little. I mean, it's not like we know what it really looks like, you know? Other than what we see on the television." I say, staying polite and cordial to her like I've done to all strangers I've had to deal with over my lifetime.
"I wonder if it's exactly what we imagine it to be, or if it's better, or worse. I mean, they could be living like us, faking richness. Could you imagine that?" She asks with a light in her eyes that I haven't seen in a long time. A kid like this isn't going to make it far in the Games, but I decide it wouldn't hurt to play along.
"That certainly would be a sight to see. Imagine if they have wood farms, just like the ones in District Seven. We'd feel right at home." I say in a failed attempt to distract myself from home. Obviously, it has the opposite effect, and I find myself wondering what my parents are doing. With their only child gone, I can only imagine the worst. And Rocke, my partner in crime. It's hard to imagine him on his own. The only saving grace is recognizing he'll probably do a better job of staying out of trouble compared to when we were together.
What bothers me most about the whole ordeal is the voice poking at the back of my head, reminding me of the possibility of the reaping to have been rigged. It wasn't a secret I wasn't liked amongst the Peacekeeper forces, but is it possible they had a hand in my name conveniently being drawn? Of all the years to be drawn, for it to be the last one I'm eligible for? With all the names in the bowl due to the sheer size of the district, all the tesserae taken out by the children of larger families, it should have almost guaranteed my safety.
"I don't think they have any production in the Capitol. But I bet they have excess materials from us. I mean from all the districts. They must get so much stuff from us all, they have to do something with it when they have too much." Darrah's face shifts and I can tell the reality of the situation has really dawned upon her. Where we're going. What we'll be doing. And where we'll likely end up.
Nadia Miniera, 13, District 12
I sit in front of the TV, letting Capitol propaganda play while I navigate through the endless pile of thoughts in my head.
Getting reaped cracked my heart, but my dad saying goodbye completely shattered it.
"You'll come home. I'm certain." He told me.
"How can you be so sure? I mean, look at me." I replied, feeling the tears forming.
"I am. I'm looking at a strong, intelligent, gifted daughter. You know suffering more than anyone else, I guarantee. Don't doubt yourself."
"I don't know." I've never felt so unsure of myself.
"I know. There's no alternative for me." He pulls me in for a hug for the first time since my mother and sister passed. I couldn't hold back any longer.
Now my dads left all alone, with no one there to help support him. I worry he's going to increase his already overloaded work schedule to distract himself from the next few weeks. Even if I do come back victorious, I worry I won't have anyone there to greet me at the train station.
The door opens and Charon walks in. He takes a seat a little too close to me. I pull my legs onto the couch to try and keep space between us.
"Good morning." He says casually. Yet there's nothing about Charon that is casual. Just yesterday, he wanted nothing to do with me, and the feeling was reciprocated. But suddenly he had a change of heart, and wanted to…apologize, or whatever. I don't understand what he's trying to do. And despite my curiosity wanting to find out, my brain feels the opposite. It tells me to stay the hell away from Charon Agytigin.
"Morning." I finally say, grabbing the TV remote and flipping through the channels. I come across the replay of the reapings, what they showed in the Capitol that is.
As is my luck, the recap is on District Twelve. I change the channel, landing on one that has a replay of last year's Games on it, and rest my head in between the pillows on the couch.
"Who came to visit you? After you were reaped." Charon asks like he's asking what the weather will be today. Too calm. Too calculated. I don't like it.
"My dad." I bury my head in further, blocking out half the screen as one of the female Careers decapitates a young boy.
"No one else?" Charon asks. I shake my head.
"Nope. You? Your dad visit?" This makes him laugh.
"Nope. Just a friend. No family." He stretches out his legs and sighs, leaning his head back and watching the carnage. Enjoying it, even.
"You seem like a bright girl. Is that a good assumption?" He tilts his head to look at me. I shake my own.
"I don't know." I outstretch my legs with the intent to get up, but Charon keeps firing.
"Well, I know I won't be going down without a fight. No one will stand in my way. But I'm always itching to learn more." I stand up, but he stretches out his legs to block the way. "I think I'd like to learn what you know. We can…exchange ideas. Help each other out. Maybe even fight together, when the time comes." His gray eyes send a shiver through me. For the first time in a long while, I find myself speechless. Scared.
Desperate to get away, I just nod at him, then quickly jump over his legs and disappear out of the train compartment before he can get another word in.
"Thank you for reading this chapter! This chapter was written by Team Shadow. With that, we're finally into the Capitol and soon we'll be seeing the chariot rides, where more chaos is bound to ensue. Until next time, don't forget to review!