The moment I step onto the train, I feel like I'm in another world. I know it's a silly thing to say, of course, but even the Capitol's trains are so much different than the rusty, creaky trains in the districts used to transport things. I have never ridden a train before.

I make no eye contact with Slade as Zia Oleander gives us instructions. She tells us that we need to be in the dining car for dinner in exactly one hour, but we can do whatever we want in our compartments until then. She recommends we freshen up. I know this is more for her benefit than ours, most people in District Four spend most of their time smelling like fish, but the Capitol citizens, like Zia, are used to perfection, and I know she'll want me to look presentable. So I agree to go take a shower.

I make my way to my compartment. It is complete with a bedroom area, dressing area, and bathroom. I decide to go ahead and take the shower. I find my self confronted with at least a hundred different buttons, all controlling temperature and soap variety. After being deluged with both burning hot and freezing cold water, I figure out how to work the temperature controls. That's a relief, but now I have to figure out how to work the soap controls without getting totally covered with the stuff.

It's not hard how to figure out how to use the soap controls, but then I have to figure out which scent I want. So, after sniffing the many different soaps available, I finally decide that I like a lemon-scented one.

I step out of the shower, where a machine dries me off and combs my hair automatically. I walk over to the dresser and rummage through the drawers until I find something somewhat casual- a blue top and white jeans.

I sit in my room until Zia comes to get me for dinner. She leads me into the dining compartment, where we sit down at the currently empty table. Though the food isn't here yet, the dishes are, and I can tell that they are all extremely fragile, and expensive. The plate in front of me has a carving of some sort of tropical bird in it, its brightly colored plumage extending all over the plate. I wonder if all the plates have birds on them. But I look at the seat next to me, and the plate there has a golden engraving of the Sun in it. I come to conclude that though all the carvings in the plates are different, they all have something to do with nature. It's nice looking and I think it's sort of a shame that I'll be getting it all dirty with food.

The rest of the table is occupied by the other plates, and lots of silver forks, spoons, and knives. There's a fancy floral arrangement in the center of the table.

The silence is broken when Slade and our two mentors enter the room. "There you are," Zia exclaims and motions for them to sit down at the table with us.

Shortly after we're all seated, the first course of our meal comes out. Silent waiters and waitresses bring us our food. Based on what I've heard, I think they're Avoxes.

The first course of our meal is salad and soup. Not just one soup, though. At least a dozen choices are set out on the table in front of us, and there's at least five salad choices. And to the girl who's been living off of fish and stale bread the majority of her life, this is overwhelming.

I decide to try a bacon and potato soup first. Some of the other soups have such strange ingredients in them, that I'm not sure they're edible. But the potato soup has lots of bacon and has a lot of cheddar in it. I like it.

I'm only halfway through the huge bowl of soup when the next course comes out. A variety of meats and side dishes are placed in front of us. Steak, chicken, pork, any type of meat imaginable is here along with a variety of sides, ranging from fresh fruit to baked potatoes. I take some steak and mashed potatoes.

More foods follow, including fruit, cheese, and vegetables, but the real treat is desert. I'm already stuffed from all the food, but it can't hurt to put on a few pounds before the Games. I take a big bite of moist, chocolate cake filled with chocolate filling.

I've finished the cake before I know it. It's very good and I would like some more, but I'm so stuffed that I probably can't hold another bite.

Eating so much food at once makes me feel a little sick, but I don't regret eating it, because I know I could use the extra pounds. Once we're all finished with our food, we go to another compartment to watch the recaps of all of this year's reapings.

One by one, we watch the tributes from each district be called. A small girl with auburn hair from District 1, a muscular boy from 2 with shaggy black hair, and two extremely clever looking, dark-skinned kids from District 11 are the ones that stand out most to me. Of course, for all I know, a lot of the other tributes could be much harder to fight than them.

Once we finish watching the reapings, Zia tells us that we can spend a few minutes to get to know our mentors a little bit, but then we should go to bed, because we'll have a big day tomorrow. She then leaves the room.

Slade's mentor leads him off to talk. I still haven't said anything to him since the reaping. I feel a light tap on my shoulder and turn around to find my mentor standing behind me.

She begins with a formal, "Hello, Annabelle," and motions for me to sit down on the couch.

"So, I'm assuming you're trying to figure out why Slade volunteered," she asked, though it didn't seem like much of a question.

"Yeah, do you know?" I hope she does, but she shakes her head.

"Well, I'm Jessa, your mentor, and I'll do the best I can to help you in the Games," she tells me.

"Thanks," I say, the same response to all the others who have wished me luck today.

There's something that I'm curious about. "How old were you when you got in the Games?" I hope she doesn't mind me asking.

"Fifteen," she replies. To my relief, she doesn't seem to mind answering. So she was just a year younger than me when she was in the arena herself. Huh.

"Oh, okay, I was just curious," I tell her. She nods.

Jessa sweeps a strand of straight, blonde hair behind her ear. Though she's obviously older than twenty, she doesn't look that much older than I do. I wonder how hard it is for her to be here, mentoring a tribute.

I don't say anything for a while, but notice the time a few minutes later. "I should probably get to bed," I tell her, and then leave the compartment.

I have no intention to go to bed, not yet. I have to find Slade first. I assume he's in his room, so I decide to check there first. I knock on his door, but don't get a response. He's surely not asleep yet, so he must be somewhere else.

I finally give up looking and decide that he's probably still talking to his mentor, so I just go and sit back down on the couch. Jessa must've already left, because the room is unoccupied other than me.

A few minutes later, Slade enters. "What in the world were you thinking when you volunteered," I half asked, half yelled the moment he was in the room.

"You know what I was doing."

"Getting yourself killed!"

"Probably," he admits.

"Why!"

"We're getting you home to District 4," he says matter-of-factly.
"Oh no we're not." I have no intention of going home.

"Yes we are, and you can't stop me."

"You can't do this!"

"And why not?"

"Because you can't die to get me back home!"

"Well, try as you will, you're not going to change my mind," he snaps and then leaves.

Now I'm in an awful mood, so I storm back to my room, making sure to slam the door behind me. If I'm going to cry, now is the time, but no tears come, so I just stare at the ceiling until I fall asleep.