Chapter Twenty-Seven: Speeding Towards the Future

Reaping Day, Post-Reapings

Alexa Dobio, District Seven Female

I'm still in shock.

There were only a few slips in the bowl. Those slips were part of thousands among thousands. No rebellious background (unless you count the stuff I did when I still lived with my parents). No reason for anyone in power to hate me. But that doesn't mean jack anymore, because I'm still on a train bound for the Capitol, about to become another pawn in their stupid little game.

The train car I'm sitting in right now is empty, so there isn't much to do except stare out the window, wondering exactly how screwed I am.

However, that changes pretty quickly, when my mentors, along with Aaron or Arnold or whatever this kid's name is, enter the car.

I recognize both of the mentors right away. The taller one, Ash, spent his Games in a freezing tundra well before I was born. I don't know much about that year because I've never bothered to do that much research, but the one thing that everyone knows about his Games is that he won because of how he put the ice skates he'd gotten from the Cornucopia to many, many different uses.

The other one is Mahogany, no doubt. Sure, she has bags under her eyes from lack of sleep, her hair is messy and hanging down to her waist (unlike the short, neat ponytail I'd remembered her with), her hands are twitching constantly and her eyes are red from crying, but it's still Mahogany. No doubt about that.

Seeing that I know her, you'd think the first question that comes to mind would be "How's everything going, Mahogany?" Or maybe "How's Sepia doing?" It could even be "How's your life been for the past five years?"

Instead, the first thing I say to her is "Doesn't Johanna usually mentor?"

I clamp my hand over my mouth immediately afterwards, but the damage has already been done.

She fixes her cold, tired gaze on me, and lets loose an emotionless laugh. "Yeah, usually she takes care of it. I just heard through the grapevine that she needed a break after what happened last year."

At first, I don't get what she's saying, but then it comes up, and I stifle the urge to start crying at my rapidly approaching fate. "Johanna really got that angry over what happened?"

Mahogany's permanent frown almost shifts into a smile, but her mouth sags again as she starts telling the story. "I believe her exact words when it happened were, 'The freakin' bitch couldn't pound it through her thick skull that MAYBE, JUST MAYBE, keeping a damn AIR HORN in her bag for three days MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN A GOOD IDEA?'"

I'll admit, her Johanna impression is pretty good. "I thought she only did that to tributes before they entered the arena."

"Honestly, that's what happens most of the time. She hates the Games just as much as most of us victors do and just needed a way to vent. We all have our own ways. Apparently, hers is screaming."

Ash staggers over towards Mahogany, each footstep unsteady and his eyes unfocused. "You know I can tell Johanna what you just said about her," he says, each word slurring and piling on top of the others.

Mahogany gives Ash another one of her almost-smiles. "Ash, I've lived next door to Johanna for five years. I'm pretty confident I can handle her yelling at me for fifteen minutes."

With a grunt of displeasure, Ash wanders back to the other end of the cart, nearly falling flat on his face on the way there. It's common knowledge that he turned into a drunk after his Games, and, similar to Haymitch from Twelve, he doesn't even bother trying to keep it a secret. So much so that it's easier to find him with a bottle of some kind of alcohol than without.

As soon as he's out of earshot, Mahogany leans close to me and begins whispering in my ear. "Please don't mention his drinking in front of him. It's a sour spot between us. He still resents me because I haven't had to take up a vice yet."

"But-"

"But nothing. He had to kill five people to get to where he is now. I made a grand total of one kill, and it wasn't even intentional." She's right on that aspect, her only kill came during the Bloodbath, where she pushed a smaller outlier out of the way so she could escape faster. Unfortunately for the outlier, there was a Career right there.

"The point is, I have nightmares at least four times a week and I'm one of the luckier victors. So you have no idea what's he's going through right now." She pulls away.

"So, is there a way to figure that out?"

Mahogany stares right into my eyes. "Girl, if you do, I'll have a new neighbor."

Well, there's no way to do it but to do it. If I can figure out how to win, I'll be living across the street from Mahogany, and things will be just like old times.

Sure, I'll be scarred (in more ways than one) for the rest of my life, but that's the baggage that comes with being a victor, right?

Zari Morelett, District Six Female

Jet, Remi's mentor, is currently on morphling, and has such a large dose in his system that he can't even talk.

Right now, he's just lying on the couch that takes up the far wall of this train car, occasionally laughing or crying for no particular reason, as if there's some heart-wrenching television program on that only he can see. Even our escort has fled the room, not wanting to be stuck here with only two kids and a mentally-elsewhere mentor to talk to.

Only three District Six victors are still alive, and all of them are addicted to morphling, with one exception. My mentor, Luna, somehow managed to resist the temptation of morphling and became the first victor from Six to do so. She became the one, single, shining example of the victor who avoided the evils of the drug.

She's currently passed out in her small bedroom, sleeping off the massive hangover she got last night.

And they wonder why District Six hasn't had any victors in, like, ever.

Remi isn't being very talkative right now, so I guess the best thing I can do is get something to eat. Jet isn't going to be of much use here, so the only option I have is going to be to wander the train and hope I find it at some point. It's an enclosed space, so there's only so many places it can be.

When I pass Remi, heading for the next car, he says the first words I've heard since the Justice Building. "Going to eat?"

"Yeah, I'm starving."

"Well, me too, so I'm coming with you. That OK?"

"You seriously think I have a problem with that?"

He doesn't respond, but steps ahead of me as we head for the next car.

We file silently through car after car after car, passing no one except for the occasional Avox. I know this isn't fair of me to say, since they didn't become that way by choice, but their missing tongues kind of creep me out. At one point, I hear snoring coming from a side room as we pass through a narrow corridor. Thankfully, I can figure out that that's Luna's bedroom.

After about five minutes of creeping along, we enter the dining car. And it's everything I've heard about from the news coverage of Games gone by, plus a little bit more.

The table is set for four, with silverware made with what looks like actual silver next to each plate. The glasses are actually, well, glass, not the plastic things we use at home because they don't break as easily. A vase crammed to bursting with colorful flowers takes up the center of the table, filling the room with an exotic scent. On one side of the flowers is a bowl filled with more fresh fruit than I've ever seen in one place in my life, to the other, a basket stuffed with a million different kinds of bread. Glossy, dark brown cabinets are nailed into the wall behind the table, presumably packed with even more goodies.

Remi begins to stare at me. "Uh, your mouth is hanging wide open, you might want to fix that."

I practically have to force my jaw back into place with my hands, it's so far down. Then, Remi starts talking again.

"What was with the weird hand-moving thing you were doing on the way to the stage?"

While that might be an insult, I decide not to take it that way. "Oh, that was sign language. One of my friends is deaf, so I was signing to her that I'd be fine. She made sure that was what it meant when they said their goodbyes." Without realizing it, I've started crying. As tears drip down my face and disappear somewhere in the expensive carpet covering the floor, it finally hits me that I'll never see them again.

"Relax, girl. Please don't get all weepy on me," Remi says. "That stuff catches, fast."

But I don't stop. I just can't. Sure enough, he's sobbing along with me in less than a minute.

I hear the door creak open, and Luna steps into the room, still looking hungover. Her deep brown eyes are red-rimmed and bloodshot, her black hair is greasy and tangled, and every step she takes looks like it could be her last, she's so unsteady.

Once she sees us, however, she starts heading back the way she came. "You two want me to leave you alone for a few minutes?"

All we can do is nod. She listens to our pleas, backing away and quietly closing the door behind her.

At least our solitude is assured for now.

Even if nothing else is.

Marius Coin, District Nine Male

"I never thought you two would be the first tributes I'd get," Miller says.

All the pictures of him that decorated the District for a while made him seem larger-than-life, a living testament that no one could be counted out in this sick Games. Even though I've seen enough of him in person to disprove that look, it's even more obvious here- all he is is a sixteen-year-old. However, the Games aren't going to change to become easier for us anytime soon.

Anisa, Toren's mentor, quietly sits in a far corner, adjusting the sound-cancelling headphones I've never seen her without. She hasn't said a word since we've gotten here, and I'm becoming increasingly unsure she ever will.

"So, you have any pointers for us?" This from Toren. "It might just be me, but I don't want to die."

Miller looks her in the eye, and says, "Yes, I do. First, watch my Games…"

Toren raises her eyebrows.

"...And second, don't do anything I did."

Toren's eyebrows come back down. Sure, Miller did win his Games, but his performance wasn't exactly impressive. All he did was avoid the Careers (for the most part, anyway) and get really lucky in the finale. Chances are, that's not happening for the second time in a row.

Anisa, on the other end of the car, suddenly stands up, and says the first words I've heard from her. Unfortunately, those words are, "Toren, I'd like to share a few pointers with you. You mind coming with me for a few minutes?"

Toren nods, following Anisa out of the train car and quietly closing the door behind her, and then it's just Miller and I.

Okay, at least that gives me the opportunity to ask Miller one thing…

"Miller, I don't know how to put this lightly: I have a massive crush on Toren. I'm assuming that's not working out, but should I bother telling her about it at this point?"

Miller laughs, an awkward, uncomfortable noise. "Yeah, crushing on your District partner does not go well. I should know, considering I had one last year."

I hear a sudden thud. I think it's from my jaw hitting the floor. "Wait, what?"

"You're surprised, I'm pretty confident at least half of the boys in the room had a crush on her. And I'm pretty confident at least one girl had a crush on her, too."

"Did it work? Like, at all?"

He laughs again, the noise even stranger and more alien than before. "Hell, no. She kept calling me Flour Boy for some reason- she either didn't remember my name or just didn't care. Also, if my memory is correct, one of the Careers tried to flirt with her to get under her skin, but that didn't work either. Eventually, she told him to back off, in no uncertain terms."

"Well, okay then." I know the Games is no time for romance, since only one of us is leaving. But who knows? Maybe we can just be allies.

Even if we're not head-over-heels in love for each other, being allies puts us in a far better position than being alone.

I've had enough of being alone.

Galadia Devinson, District Two Female

It's been stony silence between the five of us so far.

Even Champagne, who seemed like a chatty person when I first saw her, has kept her mouth firmly shut. Cassidy (my mentor) is glaring at me, as if she's daring me to step out of line in some way, while Crag (Godric's mentor) is following suit. So far, they're ignoring Godric, which I don't mind (even if it lowers the chances of our District emerging victorious).

Finally, Cassidy breaks the silence. "What happened to Iridium?"

I try to sound normal while responding. "Nothing. I just beat her to the punch. I'm ready to win for our District."

Cassidy shows remarkable restraint upon hearing that. She makes it a full five seconds before she explodes, which is pretty rare for her, based on the few times I've seen her outside her house. "Really? If you were ready, you would have been freaking PICKED FOR THE VOLUNTEER SLOT! WHAT THE HECK MAKES YOU THINK YOU'RE BETTER THAN HER?!"

Ooh, an easy one. "Iridium might be really strong, but she has the brainpower of a rock. And the personality to match. You seriously think a big, dumb moron has a better shot than I do?"

"THAT BIG, DUMB MORON WAS THE BEST FIGHTER I'VE SEEN IN THE LAST DECADE! AND NOW SHE CAN'T BRING GLORY TO OUR DISTRICT BECAUSE YOU WERE A NUMBSKULL WHO THOUGHT YOU COULD WIN THE GAMES ANYWAY!"

Honestly, I've tuned her out by now. "Uh, you might want to look at your face. There's a vein in your forehead that looks like it's going to rupture any second."

"AND I SHOULD CARE, WHY?"

Cassidy's screaming has significantly lowered in volume, which is a good sign, because that means she's running out of steam. I look around the room, trying to see how everyone else is reacting to this, but Crag, Godric, and Champagne have all left the room. Hopefully they got far enough away from Cassidy that they couldn't hear her, or at least found ear plugs.

"You should care because, sorry if you take this the wrong way, but you're really hard to take seriously when you look like that. You remind me of the villain of a stupid cartoon I watched when I was little."

Cassidy turns to face the ceiling of the car. "I DOUBT ANYONE'S LISTENING UP THERE, BUT IF THEY ARE, I COULD USE SOME DAMN HELP," she shouts. Then, she slumps over the table, finally appearing to have yelled herself out.

"I've literally known you for less than thirty minutes, and I already hate you," she says. "That's not a good thing, considering we're going to be stuck together for the next week."

"Well, the feeling is mutual, so something tells me this will be a long week for both of us," I reply. "At least it's nice to know that early."

"If your goal is to irritate the other tributes into submission, you're already well on your way," she adds. "You better hope your District partner likes you, otherwise I could see the other Careers kicking your sorry ass to the curb." With that, she begins to walk out.

"Unlikely," I sneak in right before she slams the door in my face, leaving me alone.

Whatever. I'm not changing who I am just to fit in with a bunch of people I've never met. I have a good shot at hating them, anyway, meaning I won't want to stick with them. If I have to go it alone, I'm pretty confident I'll still be fine.

It's worked for the first seventeen years of my life, why would it stop doing so now?

Maxxer "Max" Bent, District Twelve Male

I'm not sure if I'm on my fourth or fifth helping of food at this point, but I don't really care.

Chances are, I've already eaten too much and am perilously close to throwing up. Back home, that kind of thing would be a disaster, since filling meals were few and far between. However, here, there's always access to more of everything I desire.

The thoughts swirling through my head make me feel even more nauseous than I already am. Half our District is starving, and just because I happen to be going to the Capitol (even if my stay is likely to be brief) I have way more food than I could ever eat at my fingertips.

But even worse was the Goodbyes. Everyone was crying, and I couldn't help but follow suit. What made me feel hopeless and stupid was Poole pulling me close and whispering, "You know I could have volunteered for you, right?"

Now I feel even worse than usual.

Fox isn't at the table, which is a relief. She initially refused a shower, but eventually caved after Ribbon made a sarcastic comment about her smelling worse than the rest of her District put together.

Sure, she caved after making an attempt to tackle Ribbon while calling her several names I don't wish to repeat, but it's the results that count, right?

My mentor, the still-drunk-and-now-losing-his-marbles Haymitch, wobbles slightly at the table, not saying anything, not moving, save for some short, shallow breaths. There's a place of food in front of him, but it's just as full as when he first got it.

Fox's mentor, Corinne, glares at Haymitch while trying to make a dent in her own food. Eventually, she gives up, standing up and taking her plate with her.

I decide that maybe I should wait until breakfast to gorge myself any more, and ask, "What should I do with my plate?"

Corinne grunts. "Just scrape it off and put it by the sink. It'll go in the dishwasher later."

"I assume that's something that cleans dishes automatically?"

"Yes, of course. Smart boy," she says, a little edge in her voice.

All of a sudden, the hairs on my left arm stand on end. Then, a prickly, buzzing noise erupts from the bathroom, immediately followed by a rough, painful "OWWW!"

A few seconds after that, Fox staggers out of the bathroom, dripping wet and very naked. Her hands are making a feeble attempt to cover her private areas, but I force myself to look away anyways. I don't need to add an impromptu sex-education class to the list of freaky things that have happened to me today.

"Okay," she says, "I thought you were supposed to touch that weird metal box to dry your hair. All it did was freaking zap me! What gives?"

Corinne gives her a look. "Girl, did you not see the gigantic "ELECTROCUTION HAZARD" sticker I put on it? There's a reason I put towels in one of the open drawers, you know!"

"Wait, that sticker meant something? All I saw were squiggles, they didn't even look like letters. And I also have no idea what 'ELECTROCUTION HAZARD' means."

Okay. What?

I hope she's joking. I really hope she's joking.

Corinne gives her one of the biggest fake smiles I've ever seen before she starts talking again. "Well, a hazard is a bad thing. And electrocution-" she pauses for a brief second for extra effect- "is what just happened to you!"

Fox doesn't lose the cold look in her eyes, but she seems to be slightly less crazy than usual right now. "Thanks for the tip. Now I need to go find a towel and not come out looking like this again."

She disappears back into the bathroom, and the second time she comes out, she does so with a towel. "Where should I leave this when I'm done?"

"Just hang it on one of the hooks, we can toss it into the laundromat in the basement later." At that, she ducks inside the bathroom again.

I'm starting to get a little confused about something else. "Sorry if this sounds insensitive, but what happened to the Avoxes I saw for the earlier Games?"

"I specifically asked for a train without any. One, they creep me out, and two, I survived a Games where the Gamemakers were specifically trying to kill me and the rest of my District Twelve allies. I can do my own damn cleaning."

Well, that settles that. I already knew Corinne had a bitter, sardonic attitude towards almost everything, but finally seeing her outside of the very rare speech she's given the District makes this the icing on the cake.

Fox comes out of the bathroom for the third time, thankfully with clothes on this time. She looks much cleaner, but no less insane. "Now I don't look ridiculous, at least."

"Good for you," Corrine says. "Now, you two want any help so you have a shot at, you know, not dying?"

"Sure," Fox says. However, as she says it, she begins to stare at me. Really oddly. With this weird smile on her face. I'm starting to think if she's wondering whether I'll taste better with tomato sauce.

So, my mentor is a drunk, Fox's mentor is… strange, and Fox herself may or may not be a complete psycho.

This day just keeps getting better and better.

Sienna Starboard, District Four Female

I've been feeling queasy for the last few hours, and I don't think it has anything to do with what I ate for dinner last night.

Vick hasn't said a word to me since we boarded the train heading for the Capitol. I'm not sure whether or not he wants to join the Careers (despite not being the one chosen), but either way, it won't be the same as if I had Ripple on my side.

So, we both were terrified of the incoming Games. Considering how confident and cocky he always seemed to be in training, that was a pretty big shock. And now I really wish we were District partners, because at least we knew each other enough that we could pump each other up.

However, I've never seen Vick before in my life, so that's not going to work.

Sirena comes into my room, holding a hot cup of black coffee. "Sienna, if you want breakfast, I'd eat it now. We'll arrive at the Capitol in less than an hour."

My mind wants to skip breakfast and try to compose myself, but my queasiness is overridden by my growling stomach, which seems to have become a beast of its own. So, instead of just sitting on my bed for the next hour until it's time to leave, I throw on the clothes I wore yesterday and head to the dining car.

When I arrive, everyone else is there: Sirena, Vick, Turquoise (our escort) and Mako (Vick's mentor). Everyone except Sirena is attacking their platters, while Sirena merely leans against the wall, taking tentative sips of her coffee. She's already gone ahead and set up a plate of food for me- scrambled eggs with fish, what appears to be orange slices in a heavy syrup, thin strips of bacon, two rolls with butter, and a cup of the same coffee she's been drinking.

As the others finish, I silently eat it all, even as chattering continues on around me. When I slurp down the syrup the orange slices were stored in, the behemoth of a mountain range Sirena told me about yesterday appears in the distance.

"So, how do you two plan to introduce yourselves to the Capitol?" Mako steps up to the plate first.

For a few seconds, both of us have blank expressions on our faces, and then Vick speaks up. "Tough and confident. I think I'm big enough to play the part."

I turn to Sirena. "I'm assuming that's what you did?"

She nods. "Of course."

"Well, that's what I'm doing, then," I reply. However, as I say that, my stomach begins to turn again, really badly. I hope I'll be able to keep my last two meals down when I walk in front of the Capitolites for the first time, because last I checked, throwing up on them doesn't exactly make them hurry to sponsor you.

Mako smiles. "I like the two of you already, and I've barely met you. Although, Sirena did teach me a lot about Sienna before she won," he says.

"Well, I bet you'll learn a lot more about her when she gets back here," Sirena responds.

Vick blanches, and I don't fare much better. I manage to keep myself from grimacing due to the wave of nausea, but that doesn't stop everything in my stomach from sloshing around like there's a water park inside it.

We hit the mountain range, and everything outside the train car changes to pitch black. Even though the car is brightly lit with a vast expanse of fancy light fixtures, everything seems dimmer and darker without the sunlight streaming in from outside. Instead of being vibrant and full of life, everything's shadowy and a stark contrast to the shades they were before.

Just as quickly, though, we emerge into brightness. And the Capitol gets showcased in all of its glory.

I mean, I've seen it in bits and pieces on the television, especially during Sirena's Games. However, there's something about the sheer size of the place that the small screen doesn't catch. The towering buildings that stab at the sky with their pointed tops. The neon signs, advertising anything and everything that you can imagine. Even at street level, the place is massive, and filled to bursting with the oddly-dressed, neon-colored Capitolites going about their daily lives, although many of them stop and stare as our train bullets past.

As we begin to slow down, Sirena moves closer to me, and whispers one last piece of advice into my ear. "You shouldn't worry about this too much, since I'll be with you, but the Capitol paparazzi are vicious. Don't try to move in any direction other than straight for the building, and never stop moving. I had to learn that the hard way when I came here. I don't want you reliving that same experience."

Trying to form some kind of bond with my District partner, I immediately tell him, "Apparently, we should just move straight forward to the building because of how insane the Capitolites are."

He doesn't respond verbally. However, he does give a nod of thanks, right before our train comes to a stop and the doors swing open to reveal a packed train station.

As I step off, I'm immediately swarmed. Sirena suffers this as well, and I get microphones jabbed at me from every direction as Sirena and Mako begin to push their way forward, clearing a path for Vick and I to follow in their wake. Some lady with rainbow hair and a unicorn tattooed on her forehead shrieks as Mako passes her. A man whose clothing is so dark he might as well be a living shadow tries to drag Sirena off into the crowd, but Sirena throws an elbow in his direction and he backs off. Hands grab at me from all sides, every leg seems out to trip me, and the innumerable faces in the crowd all scrutinize me with looks that range from amusement to pure lust.

It feels like forever, but we finally manage to break free from the crowd and pile into the unmarked van that will take us to the training facility. We manage to slam the door shut, despite the people trying to storm the thing, and then the van starts moving.

Sirena looks at me in the half-light coming in from the windows. "You ready for this?"

I smile at her. "Ready as I'll ever be."

However, my stomach starts to churn again right after I say that. I might tell her I'm ready, but I'm pretty confident that I'm not there yet.

Hopefully, when I meet my allies, they can help me get up to speed for this, because right now, I'm a hot mess of nerves and queasiness.

And what I am right now just isn't going to win these Games.

Author's Notes:

-Yeah, you know what I said last chapter? It's still in play, I just started working on this chapter way before finishing the last one. I started it around Alexa's introduction, when I started getting bored of writing nothing but tribute intros. Thus, it's out way earlier than expected.

-I know there's a big, fat elephant in the room right now. This is an AU, but I'm still going to need to explain why the Games are still going after Katniss' year, plus Corinne's statement that the Gamemakers actively tried to kill her. Oh, and Corinne herself. I should get to that soon, but I might not be able to do it without launching you into a block of exposition. If that happens, sorry, but I need to get this data across so this universe makes sense.

-Hope you enjoyed this chapter. The next chapter will feature Nascar, Remi, Toren, Faolan, Thomiah, and Fox (yet again, not necessarily in that order).

-See you next chapter, whenever it comes out!