District Twelve.
...
Our train brings us just outside a building, theJustice Building. We are hurried up a rickety escalator into a room with velvety chairs, which will be my temporary preparation station.
"Seeing as it's colder here, you'll be wearing the winter outfit. It should be fine." Says Maple.
I am put into black denim jeans, a navy blue knitted jumper, which hugs me, insulating the heat, a black, furry jacket and black buckled boots. Carmen keeps my hair down, but plaits a piece at the front.
"Perfect! We didn't think it would fit, but we were obviously wrong!" Says Griff.
"What do I even do?" I ask.
"Well, read these. Don't copy them word for word, the same thing is on the notes every year. Pay your respects, and then you get to talk with a few of the District Members. It's simple really!" Says Fia brightly.
OoO
The Mayor of Twelve, Mr Undersee, leads me onto a platform. A drunk-looking man, who must be one of the previous Victors, walks over and sloppily shakes my hand. Mr Undersee tells him to go back to his house in the Victor village. I presume he's always like that, especially if he had been in the Games.
The Mayor taps the microphone to check it is working.
"Hello, District Twelve!" He booms. "As you know, the 67th Hunger Games have ended. The Victor is here in Twelve today." He hands me the microphone.
"Hello..." I start. I fumble for the notes in my pocket.
"I'd like to start off by paying my respects to Cherish and Marlin. Though I never actually spoke to Marlin, it made me feel guilty throwing that spear. I knew his family wanted him back, and needed his guidance. In the training centre, he knew where everything was, and I saw him helping some of the other tributes. Cherish, I spoke to her once. She congratulated me on winning the Careers over. I admired Cherish. Her knife throwing was perfect and she was modest.
I look at the crowd in front of me. At the back, a small huddle of people, with black hair and hazel eyes glare at me. Those eyes are Marlin's eyes. A man in the middle begins to clap. His family, a woman and two little girls, follow. Soon, the whole of Twelve is clapping. They are clapping me.
I smile.
Now I am allowed to talk with the members of Twelve. I walk down the little roped-off aisle towards the man and his family.
"Thank you." I breathe.
"You're welcome. How old are you, thirteen?" The woman asks.
I nod, before turning to the girls. The smallest, a pretty blonde backs behind her sister.
"I'm Katniss Everdeen. This is my sister, Prim."
"They're pretty names!" I crouch down so I'm eye-level with Prim.
"Hi." I say softly.
"Hello... I saw your pretty dresses on the screen." She whispers.
"Oh, did you? Were they nice?"
She nods, her hair flying.
"I liked the glittery one, when you were in the chariot. You looked like the magic fairies Katniss tells me stories about."
"Did I look magical? You look magical now, with your lovely blonde hair and pink dress." I hold my arms out and give her a quick hug.
"You have lovely daughters, Mr and Mrs Everdeen."
"Thank you. Do you have any siblings?" Asks Mr Everdeen.
"Yes. My little Ray. He was born while I was in the Arena." My voice breaks when I say Arena.
"You poor dear! Imagine going into the games at that age!" Mrs Everdeen says.
At that moment, Fia comes over to me.
"Come now, Flicker. We have to have you ready for 11 by tomorrow."
OoO
District Eleven.
It's slightly warmer the next day in 11. My team dresses me in an aqua coloured ruffled skirt and white sleeveless top. They also paint my nails the same blue and slide my feet into white gladiator sandals. Eleven's stage is the same as Twelves, but they have banners with the faces of this years tributes from here.
"Hello. I'd like to pay my respects and also thank the Tributes from here. Blake and Willow helped me in the Training Centre with the trap station. They were quick-witted and always had a plan. Had I been able to find them, I would have formed an alliance with them."
No one claps here. They all bow their heads at me respectfully. I am respected.
OoO
District Ten.
Oh no. I killed a tribute brutally from here. Griff and Maple keep telling me to relax when I start chewing my lip.
"How am I supposed to relax? My District partner strangled one of them and I shoved a knife into the back of t'other!"
They shake their heads.
"Just make it up as you go along. Last time we had a Five Victor, he had stabbed both tributes from two districts. He just said how he regretted it. Just look sad. It's the Hunger Games. It's what happens!" Says Maple.
I wear a pale blue summer dress with a daisy headband. I have blue flats. My hair is in a simple bun in the middle of my head. I breathe deeply as I walk onto the platform. Ten's platform is in the middle of a green field. Two fields either side of it are filled with cows. The main export here is Livestock.
"I don't think I really talked to Rhona, although I saw her do very well on her animal identifiers. My partner strangled her at the bloodbath although I feel I could have helped, as I ran past him twice. Buckley. I-uh, I'm responsible for his death, but he got me pretty good also. I actually think that the Tributes from here were good. Really good."
Speech over, I look at everyone. A few people clap, but several people have their arms crossed tightly across their chests. I have not won the people
OoO
District Nine.
For district nine, we have to have a complete wardrobe swap, as the sun was blazing over everyone. My outfit is a simple gold dress, no glitter, no shine. My shoes are the same and my eyes are decorated with eyeliner.
"I'm going to start off by saying that I hadn't really talked to Rye or Baylee. Rye. I was on the site of Ryes death. Looking back, I feel I should have told him to run, because he was determined. Baylee. She fell down one of the cliffs, but she was doing well. I respect both Tributes from Nine."
OoO
AN: just so you know, the next few chapters will have about 4 districts on the tour. Once they are published, this story is done :)