Chapter Three
A minute after her parents are escorted from the room, Alec comes in with a an avox in tow. She is dressed in red, but besides that, there is nothing outstanding about the girl. Her long black hair was pinned up, not a hair touching the red band around her neck. One of her eyes was covered by her bangs. She stood by Alec's side, hands clasped in front of her and her eyes downcast.
The District 8 escort clapped his hands together "Now that all of that tragic stuff is out of the way, let's get a good look at you." He moved to circle her, eyes dragging up and down her form "Not bad. Seen worse off for sure." He played with the ends of her pigtails "In fact, I think we can make you perfect Capitol material. Of course, you'll have to learn quickly. I'll have to spend most of my time with Adrien, no offense. He just looks like a shoe in to win."
She still felt the sting. Of course supermodel Adrien Agreste would win over her. His mother was the first victor ever and he was a popular model on his own with a father who had millions of dollars backing him. He was perfect and she just wasn't. If she had anymore tears, she would start crying all over again. She was not going to do that. She had just promised her parents she would come back home. She had to. She had to at least try. Marinette shrugged "Then I'll figure it out. I am pretty quick on my feet."
"Oooh, feisty. I like it. Come now, the car is waiting outside. The train should be waiting to leave once we arrive." Alec looked dismissively at the avox "Go start the car."
She bowed her head slightly and quickly departed. The tribute and escort followed behind.
Normally the District 8 streets would be buzzing with energy and the sound of sewing machine would go on til late into the night. Since the reaping had happened less than an hour ago, workers had yet to travel across town to their jobs. Looking at the time she could hardly believe it herself. Less than an hour ago, her name had been called.
They had passed the street that held her house, the bakery. She couldn't see it from the main driving road, since it was tucked back a few blocks down, but the fact that she knew it was there filled her chest up. She didn't feel sad at the moment. Perhaps tonight when she realized she was thousands of miles away from home, it would hit her harder but she did not want her memory of home to be tainted. She needed this to stay sane, and to stay hopeful. If she didn't.. She would fall apart at the seams.
If she was going to die, she was going to die with the smell of freshly baked bread in her mind, and the pricks of needles in her fingertips.
The train was surrounded by workers from District 6, who were busy refueling the train and loading coal into the open cart nearest the engine room. They looked pale, some looked gray or almost yellow. She knew well enough that many from District 6 had a drug addiction problem. Peacekeepers stood by them, ensuring they continued working even as their car pulled into the station. Marinette had not ever seen a train up close before. District 8's fencing had prevented anyone not authorized to work the train tracks to stay far, far away. The had bypassed the checkpoint a while ago and had to drive down a long road before the train station opened up to them.
The avox driving the car, pulled up to the parking. Alec had insisted that they both sit in the back and enjoy the car with the windows down. The dark haired girl didn't really enjoy having the wind in her face and her bangs pushed around haphazardly but she didn't say a word. Alec seemed like the type to talk her in miles before anything got done. When the car was parked, Marinette reached for the door but Alec's hand, which had rested on her shoulder the whole ride, smacked her arm "She'll get it."
She had to let the avox get up and out of the car to let Alec out, and then a few seconds for her to walk around the car and open her door for her. The avox offered her a hand, and Marinette thought it was rude to refuse, even if she doesn't need the help. Once she has gotten to her feet, she smiled to the taller girl "Thank you."
"Ugh! Marinette! Didn't your mother ever teach you not to talk to the help! You're embarrassing me." Alec pulled her to his side. He lead her towards the train, a worker getting the door open for them "You have a lot to learn, but don't worry, I'm a great teacher. Tonight, I'll teach you some dinner etiquette. You'll need it to make a good impression on your mentor. Speaking of which! Where is that tom cat?" In the train car they had hopped into, it looked to be one meant for dining, or at the very least drinking. There were tables with cushioned benches around it and a bar off the side that had some variously colored drinks on it's counters "He said he'd be here on time! Ugh. I'm going off to find him Marinette. Stay here and have a drink or two. Not anything too strong, you're such a small girl, but lord knows you deserve a drink after today! I know I'm going to indulge a little later tonight. The Reapings are always so taxing on my pores."
Alec waved his face, as if that would help clear out his pores from the 'stress' he's feeling. At least he doesn't complain more. He moved in the next room, in search of her new mentor. The avox behind them, closed the door of the train and then followed Alec out of the car and to the next, leaving her alone.
She eyed the drinks. She has never had alcohol in her lifetime, it's a harder commodity to come by in District 8 ever since an epidemic of alcoholism consumed a good portion of the district's population over ten years ago. It's how she lost her grandfather, and she knows how her father has sworn off the stuff ever since. Marinette doesn't want to wander down the same path, but she is thirsty. Perhaps she can find some water. She had been parched ever since the Reaping and the dryness of her throat has not left her since.
She crossed the room and swung open the latch to the bar. Inside, the wall is lined with liquor, as well as the countertop, but there is a clean and open surface for the supposed bartender to work on on top of a set of cabinets. Marinette opened up the first bottle of clear liquid she could find, but the smell of it tells her it's not water. She gave up the search for water on the counter and goes to look under the cabinets to see if maybe they have any of the bottled stuff. As Marinette ducked to look inside the cabinets, she hears one of the train doors slid open.
Thinking it's her mentor and Alec who have come back, she closed the cabinet and is about to stand when she hears a light voice "Didn't you say she was in here?"
There was no reply to her question, not one Marinette could hear.
"He can only keep that man busy for so long. If she's not in here, then where else can she be?"
Marinette stayed hidden. Her pulse is throbbing. If she learned anything from class, she knows that right now, she is experiencing 'flight or fight' and since she can't choose between one of the two, she has decidingly remained frozen.
The woman walked around the room, pacing. Her heels clicked on the tile flooring "I know you disabled them, but can you tap into the cameras and see where she could have gone?" There is a minute pause and without a doubt, Marinette knows she's going to be found, by who, she cannot say for certain, but she does not want to find out.
No one would dare kill a tribute before a Game, the consequences of such an action would strike fear into anyone with half a brain. But a seeded fear of doubt in her head makes her believe that maybe someone would try to hurt her or control her so that her district partner (she does not dare to think the name right now, she has been avoiding confronting that part of her in for the past hour) has a better chance of surviving the Games. So before the woman had a chance to get her hands on her, Marinette reached for the countertop and knocked over a few bottles, shattering them on the ground. The noise catches the woman's attention, but the dark haired girl doesn't bother her a glance. She pulled herself over the counter and makes a run for the door the woman left open.
She closed it behind her and moved into the next car, running through it. When she opens the door to the next part of the train, she hears her name called out. Through the glass of the door, she can see the woman briefly enough to see that her hair is a vibrant red with a patch of black on her bangs, and white, white porcelain skin. Marinette turned away before she can freeze again and allow herself to get caught.
In the next room, to her horror, she finds no door on the other side. There is only a maintenance latch on the roof, which has been left open and another a line of six doors on either side of the hall, that all lead to bedrooms. Before she can think through what would be the best option, the red haired woman comes through the door and closes it behind her "Marinette, please don't try to run. I only want to talk to you for a few minutes. We don't have much time." The woman holds her hands up by her waist and moves to sit on the floor. She unbuttons the top of her red coat, allowing her to breath easier "Please sit with me." She gestured to the ground.
Wary, Marinette elects to sit two feet away, with her feet tucked to the side instead of underneath, in case she needs to make a run for it.
"Thank you Marinette. Now this is going to be a lot of information to take in, and I won't be able to give you all the details right now but it is important that you listen to everything I have to say. Do you understand all that right now?" Her voice is steady and doesn't waver, like she has already has every bit of confidence in the young girl.
Unable to find her voice, she nods.
"Good. Then this will be easy. I come from an organization within Panem, one that wishes to put an end to these Games. But in order to do that, we need help, your help Marinette."
When she speaks, she surprises herself "Then why are you asking me?"
"Excuse me?"
"Why are you asking me?" She repeated. Her blue eyes are downcast, staring at the red carpeted floor between the two ladies "Don't get me wrong. I hate the Games. I hate having to watch my friends disappear every year. We've lost so many good people.. But, I'm nothing special. I don't know how to fight, or hide, or survive in the wild. I'm the daughter of a baker, and if you need to help, t-then you should ask Ad-" Her throat is closing up. She didn't want to have to think about him, not right now when things were still so complicated "You should ask Adrien. Everyone wants him to win anyway."
The woman paused for a moment, choosing her words carefully "Well, we will be asking for Adrien's help as well. But he can't do it alone. He can't do it at all without you. You were the one who was chosen to do this."
"There must be some mistake-"
The woman leans over the space between them a places a her finger, covered in a velvet red glove against her lips "There is no mistake. Call it fate, destiny, whatever. None of that matters." Her other hand dipped into her the breast pocket of her coat "Take this." She pulled out a jewelry box with a Chinese design crafted onto the black box "Tell them it is your tribute token."
Marinette thinks to the picture of her family. She can't even think about letting it go "But I already have my token."
"I know Marinette, but you have to trust me. They won't take this from you now. But you'll have to make a decision soon. Think it over. If you don't think this is for you, I will completely understand. But I have the utmost faith in you." Her moved from her lips and comes up to cup her cheek and force the small box into her hands "You'll arrive in the Capitol by noon tomorrow. Either leave the box or your picture in your room. If it's your picture Marinette, I promise to keep it safe and have you see your family soon." She lets her hand fall from her freckled cheek and stood up. She walked around the baker's daughter and jumped up, catching the emergency roof latch that was left open and pulled herself up and out of the train.
Holding the box tight in one hand, she stays up as well, watching her leave and she calls out "Wait! What's your name?"
She holds her breath, staring at the open sky above the moving train. After a moment, she thinks she's lost her chance for the question but a bundle of short read and black hair pops back into view with a bright smile, rivaling the brightness of the sky behind her head "It's Tikki." She closes the hatch and Marinette is left alone with her box and a head full of unanswered questions.
