Thank you all for your kind words; I'm so glad that you're enjoying reading this story as much as I am enjoying writing it. The real fun is about to begin, so keep reading, stay safe, and may the odds be ever in your favor.
Chapter 24- Dexsia Greentree
I haven't slept much, even though I should have, when Catullus comes for me before dawn, knocking on my door.
"Come in," I call sleepily. Catullus comes in, serious.
"Here, you'll wear this at first," he says, handing me a simple white dress.
"Where are we going?" I ask, and I'm nervous now, even though I wasn't before. This is really happening, the Games are starting today, and who wouldn't be nervous?
"The rooftop. A hovercraft is going to come for you and me," he says simply, leaving me to dress. My feet are bare, but it doesn't seem to matter. I leave my pajamas on my unmade bed and put on the shift. It's cold in the morning air. There's really no point in changing the temperature, though. I'm leaving anyway.
Before I leave, I splash water on my face, washing the sleep from my eyes. I look in the mirror again and see myself. Will I have changed once I leave the arena? I've seen some years where the victor is unrecognisable; hair cut, eyes missing, eyebrows seared away. Whatever happens will be worth the fame and the glory and the money, though. District 2 will love me for it.
Turning off the bathroom light, I take one last look at my room. "I'll see you soon," I say in a whisper, then I laugh at myself a little. Talking to a room? You must be nervous, Dexsia.
The door opens in front of me then, and Aulus is standing there, waiting for me. Without saying a word, he opens his arms and I go into them, giving my mentor one last hug.
"Thanks for teaching me," I whisper.
"I'll see you on the other side," he says. "I want to see you crowned victor, okay?" I nod.
Then he pulls back and ruffles my hair. "You're the best student I ever had, you know? Keep that in mind in the arena. I'll make sure you'll get everything you need."
"Time to go," Catullus says, and I hug Aulus one last time, then start towards my stylist.
"Dexsia?"
I look back at my mentor for the last time. "Yes?"
"Remember who your true ally is in the arena."
I nod once, then follow Catullus to the elevator. Cossus and Julia must have gone up earlier. I never got to say goodbye to Victoria or Titia. I'll see them when I return, I reassure myself. They'll be busy now, lining up sponsors for Cossus and me.
I step into the elevator after Catullus; he presses the button for the roof. I see Aulus one last time, standing and smiling at me. He nods once.
Then the doors close and the elevator shoots upwards.
Dove Rosestar
Cabel and I weren't allowed to go in the same hovercraft, which annoys me. We're allies, and we're siblings! We should stay together. But the rules say that tributes enter the arena alone. Of course, I'm not completely alone; I have my stylist, Quintus. I might as well be alone. Where is Cabel? Is he as nervous about the arena as I am?
The arena! There's only a few hours left before we enter, and terror is seeping in. I could be dead, Cabel could be dead, in just a few hours. Gone! Just gone!
When I got into the hovercraft, I got in alone, leaving Quintus down below. "Don't worry, this won't hurt much," said a Capitol woman in a white lab coat. While some sort of current paralyzed me, she injected a needle into my arm. If I could have moved, I would have winced at the very least, maybe slapped her if I had the nerve. The current released and I grabbed my arm.
"What was that?" I asked angrily.
"Your tracker," is all she said, moving away. Quintus, the fool, was brought up then, looking cheerful. That's where we are now, standing in the entry way as the hovercraft takes off, leaving the Training Center behind.
"What's going on now?" I ask.
"We're en route to the arena," he says in a cheery tone, looking around the hovercraft. A girl dressed in red silently beckons us to another room, where there's an elaborate breakfast laid out. Quintus sits down right away and pulls up a plate of pancakes. I hesitate. Will I be able to keep anything down? I should eat, especially if Cabel and I are leaving the Cornucopia with nothing. So I sit.
Breakfast is good, very good in fact. I eat as much as I can stomach; I know it's important. I eat some fruit and a bowl of oatmeal dotted with raspberries. To drink I have hot chocolate, which is the best drink I've ever had in my life.
Quintus babbles on about nothing, and I actively ignore him. What is Cabel doing right now? What is Mum doing? I'm sure she's up and waiting for the Games to begin. I want to be with her so badly.
"I'm looking forward to seeing what they've put you in for your uniform," Quintus says, the florescent lights bouncing off his shiny blue head.
"You haven't seen it?" I ask, surprised.
"Not until we get to the Launch Room," he says.
"When's that?"
"Oh, in about five minutes."
I look out the window and see the sky and some water in the distance, but otherwise I have no idea where we are. I watch for a little while, seeing a flock of geese go by. Then, all of a sudden, the windows black out.
"See, we're almost there," Quintus says, taking a sip from his coffee.
I can't speak.
This morning, Lexa said goodbye to me. Fabian and Albinia were missing, which I didn't mind at all. Lexa told me, "I'll get you some sponsors, just try to stay alive in there, Dove. I'll see you in a few weeks."
I nodded, shook my mentor's hand, then got into the elevator with Quintus. Was that the last time I'd see her?
"Finish up, it's time to go down," Quintus says, wiping his mouth with a napkin. I take the last mouthful of hot chocolate and stand up, my legs trembling. I allow myself to be led to the ladder, where we came up, as the hovercraft lands.
I don't know what to expect next.
Terra Coppersmith
I had expected Postumius to be the one who escorted me to the Stockyard, or the Launch Room as they call it here in the Capitol, but it's Damius instead. I'm very happy about this; Postumius would be useless, while Damius is a decent sort of character.
The Launch Room is deep underground, and I am the first and last tribute to ever use it. Damius tells me that there's a new one built for each tribute every year. The ceilings aren't as low as I would have imagined, but it's all very bleak and austere; everything grey and metallic. Very Capitol.
"Go clean your teeth and shower in there," Damius says, pointing to the bathroom. This will be my last chance to do either for a while. I go in and shut the door, turn on the water, and step into the cool, clear spray.
I should be nervous, I should be terrified, but after last night all I feel is elated. I left Fletcher in the living room after a long time; just thinking about it makes me smile. He's somewhere down here, but tributes go into the arena alone. I'm divided between finding him or avoiding him in the arena. I don't want to kill him, and I don't think I could.
Not after last night.
After a short time, I shut the water off, activating the current that dries me. My hair stands out in a curly cloud around my head. I brush my teeth with the toothbrush provided, then I pull a robe off the back of the door and step out to see Damius accepting a package from some attendants.
"What's that?" I ask, holding the robe closed around me.
"Your uniform. Let's see what's in here; it'll give some clues as to where you're going," Damius says. He hands me some plain undergarments, which I put on, then we examine the other pieces together.
"These pants are definitely designed to reflect heat away from you; you can expect some hot days," Damius says, handing me a pair of sandy colored loose pants.
Next is a long-sleeved white cotton shirt, then a light brown jacket that weighs very little. I zip it up over the shirt. "You're probably going to see some cool nights too, if they're giving you a jacket. All of these are designed to breathe and keep you cool. I'm guessing they're sending you somewhere hot," Damius says.
Finally, black socks, black high-topped boots, and a Capitol engineered tan hat.
"Don't I look stylish?" I say, posing dramatically. I know it's not the most attractive outfit I've ever seen, but it will hopefully help keep me alive.
"Did you have a token?" Damius asks, looking me up and down with a critical eye. I nod and pull out the necklace with the ring on it.
"It was my mother's ring, and my sister gave it to me when I left," I explain.
He nods in approval. "How do you want your hair done?" Damius asks.
"Can you put it in a ponytail?"
Damius motions for me to turn around, then pulls my hair back tight. That'll keep it out of my face while I'm escaping the Cornucopia. I certainly have no intention of sticking around and fighting with 22 other tributes for the goodies there. I say 22 because I couldn't fight Fletcher.
"That's that then," Damius says. "Is there anything you'd like to eat while we wait?"
"Some bread?" I ask. Within a few minutes a bowl of rolls is brought in by a Capitol attendant, and Damius sits in silence while I eat rolls and drink a glass of water.
"What are you thinking about?" Damius asks after a little while and I've made my way through two buns.
"My family," I say. They'll all be watching now, waiting for the Games to start. And now it's really becoming real; I'm going into the arena to kill people my own age so I can get out and go home.
"I don't think I want to do this," I say; if there was a way out, I would have taken it long ago, gone home to Iry and gone back to my life. There's no way out.
"You've got a good chance, Terra," Damius says. "You're smart, you're talented, there's no reason why the victor shouldn't be you."
"Do you think I can do it?" I ask, and now my nervousness is seeping in, and it eclipses my family, my friends, Fletcher, everything. I could die in an hour, and I would leave Iry to the mercies of the District.
"I really do, Terra. I really do," Damius says.
I don't say anything more for a while, and neither does Damius. I keep eyeing that metal plate in the corner where I'm going to be expected to stand soon. Panic, sheer panic starts to course through my veins, making me get up and pace the room for a while.
"You should save your energy," Damius says. "You'll be moving enough today I imagine."
He's right, but with the impeding situation I just want to meltdown and scream. The reality is hitting fast and hard. I don't want to do this! All the joy of last night has been taken away and replaced with pure terror.
"Come sit, Terra."
I listen this time, and go sit by Damius. We don't say anything to each other while I try to conquer my fear and get on top of it. This is what we're doing when the voice comes over the speaker, making me jump.
"Prepare for launch," says the robotic woman, and I look at Damius in alarm. He stands up and offers me his hand. I don't want to take it, but I do, and I allow myself to be led over to the metal plate.
"I'll see you on the other side, Terra," he says, tucking my necklace in under my jacket. "Keep that safe. I want to see you wearing it onstage when you wear the crown."
"Do you think I can win?" I whisper. He nods.
"I really do. Good luck, Terra."
I manage a smile, grab his hand and squeeze it, and then a glass cylinder is lowering around me, and I'm all alone in the tube, watching Damius on the other side. I hate being trapped, hate it! But he smiles and nods once, so I stand up tall and try to contain my breathing. I have to be strong for Iry.
The cylinder rises with me in it; all around me is darkness. I touch the walls lightly with my fingertips, and then there are no walls, just air.
And I'm out in the blazing hot sun facing the Cornucopia.