Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games. I only own the characters I created.
Samuel Aubered. The words rang in my mind as I staggered up to the stage. My vision was hazy. My head spun. People parted abruptly like I had some sort of plague and it was contageous. But why her? Of course the Games were rigged. And on the year I was picked.
Effie made us shake hands and do all the mushy stuff onstage for the cameras, but when it was all finished, we were all ushered offstage and into our rooms.
I paced around the room in the Justice Building with nothing else to do. I would have no visitors-I was an orphan.
I had never been good with girls, but I went crazy every time she looked at me. I would never openly express it, even if it meant the difference between life and death in the arena.
My parents left me with nothing. Mom died and dad left. I lived on the streets for most of my life.
I had been beaten by Peacekeepers because I was out after curfew. They always delivered me back to my old home with no one in it. Sometimes they would just take me to jail because there was no one home. I got used to the foul smell of rotting and blistering wounds in the prison cell. Sometimes the wounds were mine.
If I wasn't picked for the games, I would have had to work in the mines. Which I didn't want to do.
Suddenly, the door opened.
"Time to go," a gruff voice behind the mask of a Peacekeeper said.
I was dragged out of the room. Silver was smiling for the cameras. My face was stone cold, with no expression.
She elbowed me in the side and whispered through a smile, "Come on. Smile!" My heart almost stopped.
We were shoved onto the train along with her parents. Effie introduced me.
"What happened to that Haymitch guy?" I asked, having no intentions of sugarcoating it.
Katniss turned around, Silver put her hand to her forehead, and Peeta stormed out of the room.
"Was it something I said?" I said sarcastically.
"Are you trying to piss my parents off more than they already are?" Silver snapped at me. I had noticed over the years that she wasn't really a people person.
"No," I said innocently.
Silver stormed off to her room.
Goodie, I thought, She already hates me.
I despised Effie's fashion, though I'd only ever had rags for clothes. As the five of us ate dinner in silence, the strands from Effie's elegant dress kept getting in her food. I couldn't help but snicker.
That night, I could hardly sleep in the gorgeous, over-the-top bed they provided for me. I had only slept on a hard mattress, which only was cardboard boxes from the alley and a blanket on top of them. I'd slept on the floor ever since.
Some time during the night, I gave up and slept on the floor. I could feel the rumble of the train below me. I could hear the soft hum of the engine. This is more like home, I thought as I drifted off to a dreamless sleep.
The next few days on the train passed in a blur. I barely listened to Katniss' helpful advice. Silver and I had the "silent treatment" going, and I wasn't going to be the one to break it. Finally, Peeta caught on.
"What is it with you two?" he asked sternly, "You are going to be in the Games together."
I shrugged. I wasn't in the mood to answer that. Silver broke the silence.
"I don't know. I guess we don't like each other. Whoops. I guess the star-crossed-lovers thing backfired on you, dad."
Peeta walked away angered.
"Watch it with him. He could be life and death for you," I told her. I tried to be firm, but the last word I said cracked.
She looked at me hard and asked, "Why is it so hard for you when it comes to me?"
Goodie! I thought sarcastically, She uncovered my deepest, darkest, secret!
"What? No… Well maybe…" my voice cracked on the word "maybe."
"That's what I thought. Meet me on top of the train when we stop for the night," she said, briskly turning around.
"Well... what if… let's say… you're afraid of...climbing on top of a moving train?" I asked.
"Figure it out, Sam," she said as she trudged out the door.
Later that night, I met Silver on the roof. I had always loved heights. Some nights in 12, I climbed on top of the Justice Building. Most of the time, Peacekeepers found me. Sometimes I fought them off. But most of the time, I let them take me.
"Finally," Silver sighed over the soft winds. Because the train was electronic, the winds weren't that loud.
"What! You never gave me a specific time…" I trailed off as my face turned red and my voice cracked.
"Come on," she said as she dragged me down the ladder and into the last car.
The entire night, she helped me open up. She told me I couldn't be as tensed up around her if we wanted to sell the friends or lovers. I had to be comfortable anyway, for the sake of my own life.
But no matter how hard we tried, the interviews with the capital journalists were awful. I froze up, and she had to do all the talking. I was as hard as steel. I was frozen in place the entire time.
The train ride only lasted a few days and we arrived in the Capital. The outrageous fashions and towering buildings only made it worse.
I had dreamed about the Capital buildings towering over my head, but as soon as I stepped off the train, I realized the buildings were a lot smaller than they were on TV.
I took a look at the tributes. From District one, it was Luxor, the boy, and Sapphire, the girl. Both strong. Luxor good with hand-to-hand combat, but Sapphire good with a spear.
From two, Riker and Ashlar. Riker volunteered immediately, but Ashar volunteered after the name was called. Hesitant, I admitted to myself.
From three, Gear and Huxley. Both were famous inventors. Gear's great-grandparents invented the train that ran through all 12 of the Districts.
Four had Emmen and Marlain. Emmen was strong and tall, his figure built of only muscle. He could swim like a fish, putting his head above water every 15 minutes. Marlain had a scrawny figure. SHe was afraid and moved like a snail. She'll be dead in the first seconds, I thought to myself chuckling softly.
Five had Atom and Bina. Both were lanky and scrawny. Their only armor was their brains, and I knew that wouldn't last them very long.
Six had Apollo and Kina. Both were strong and fast, and if they had a weapon, they could do some form of damage.
Tamar and Hazel were the tributes for seven. Not a threat. At all.
Flax and Yarnn came from eight. Again not a serious threat, but Flax had bits of developing muscles.
From nine it was Barric and Zea. Barric was gaunt, but Zea could hit you dead in the eye with a knife.
Ten had Buck and Eve. Both were cow milkers and couldn't do much. They could do about as much as a cow could do in the Hunger Games.
Spud and Willow came from District eleven. They were both hunters and climbers. Definitely people to watch out for.
Silver and I brought up the rear of the tributes. Besides the careers, Silver was the most feared tribute. I stood somewhat by her side, but most of the time fell into the shadows.
I could only think one thing as the Tribute Building came into view: This is going to be an interesting Hunger Games.