Train Ride
I walked off to what I figured was my room, leaving Nyla by the train entrance, still crying. When I entered the room, everything was totally different to me. Everything in the room looked fragile and expensive, whereas, in my home, nothing was expensive, everything was dirty and pitiful. I blinked a couple of times and found that this wasn't a dream. The dresser looked as if it were made of a special kind of mineral. The mirror glass was very clear and when I sat on the bed, it felt extremely comfortable.
I didn't feel like wondering the train or talking to Nyla about the dangers that head our way, so I walked over to the closet,(which held extraordinary clothes), I grabbed a pair of plush pajamas and dressed into them. They felt great and worked really well at keeping the warmth in. I climbed into the bed and pulled the blankets all the way to my neck. The combination of the soothing speed of the train, the gentle hum of the train's wheels, the softness of the pajamas, mattress, and blankets, the right elevation of my head against the pillow, and the warmth in between helped me doze off in no time.
Surprisingly, no nightmares occurred during my sleep. I guess because I didn't know all the hardships I was to go through in the future. Anyways, I was awoken by a gentle knock on the compartment door. "Yes?" I replied softly. "Come on down for dinner! It's time to meet your mentors!" a voice squealed. I recognized this voice and guessed it belonged to the woman who announced the tributes at the reaping. Oh yeah, she's the escort. "Coming." I said back. I looked out the compartment window, judging by the sunset, I would say that I was probably sleeping for about three hours.
I climbed out of bed and headed to the dining room in my pajamas. It took me about five minutes to finally reach the dining room. In the dining room was a very lengthy table laid out with all different kinds of foods. Their were four chairs. Two at each end of the table, and two facing each other in the middle of the table. Occupying the chairs were Nyla, a man and a woman. The man looked to be about in his forties, but also looked wasted from alcohol. His arm ended in a stump, probably lost his hand in the Games. I wonder why he didn't want an artificial hand, I know they offered him one after he won. The woman seemed to be in her sixties but still looked strong. She didn't look like she came from District 11. She had olive skin and straight black hair with gray streaks in it. Her brown eyes marked her to our district. Each of them sat on either end of the table. I took a seat across from Nyla. The amount and different kinds of foods laid out in front of me made my stomach growl instantly. The woman laughed. "Someone's hungry!" she said. I looked toward her. She already had amounts of fancy dishes in front of her. "My names Seeder, and that's Chaff." she pointed to the man on the other end of the table. When he noticed he was acknowledge he nodded and said "Huh? Oh yeah, uuhh, my names Chaff." He sounded as if he were confused. Then I found the source of his confusion. He lifted a bottle of whiskey and drank it. He called over an Avox and asked for another bottle of whiskey.
"He's usually drunk." said Seeder with a smile. I looked over at Nyla. She let out a giggle while biting into a piece of chocolate cake. "Uh, my names Lanzus. Lanzus McNair." I said. "My names Nyla. Nyla Sons." Nyla said. "Oh well nice to meet you guys." said Seeder. The woman from the reaping walked in.
"Have you guys introduced yourself to your mentors?" she asked. Me and Nyla nodded. "Good. Well I want to introduce myself. My name is Renalda Zane. I am your escort." she squealed happily. "Nice to meet you." said Nyla and me.
Dinner lasted for about an hour until we all couldn't stand another bite.
"Shall we watch the recaps of the reapings?" asked Seeder. "We shall." said Chaff, sounding once again confused. We all headed out of the room leaving two Avoxes cleaning up our mess. I felt bad for them, I wanted to help. But I knew if I tried to help I would only be scolded by Renalda.
We stumbled into a compartment with a couch and a television. I sat in between Chaff and Nyla. Chaff smelled of vomit and alcohol. I stared at the stump that ended his arm until the television turned on. The District 1 reaping had just begun. I watched as the escort called up a girl named Selena Boleguard. Selena walked up to the stage with much confidence. She smiled and waved toward the cameras. This wasn't false happiness, this was real.
What gos through the Careers heads during the reapings? I can't believe they don't realize that if they are chosen during the reaping, it means they may never see their family again. It means that they are being sent into an arena that will show their true colors, their true personality. They will have to make decisions that weigh life against death. They will participate in the event of their lifetimes. But no, the Careers are to blind by fame and to eager to kill to show of their skills.
Selena pushed back her dark hair and winked her piercing blue eye. She was beautiful. But that beauty would soon be wasted and covered in the blood that she will shed with the weapon she will wield in the arena. Behind that beauty was a trained killer with a dark heart.
Then came the boy tribute. The escort called up a boy named Sirius Mane. He had the face of a killer. He looked to be about 18. He is someone that I don't want to meet in the arena. Someone I wouldn't dare confront. He was muscular and confident.
"He looks like a challenge." I say aloud.
"The Careers always do." says Nyla.
And she's right. The rest of the Careers look like experienced killers. I soon grow tired of the rest of the reapings. Children being called up, looking scared or confident. Others volunteering. What catches my attention are the tributes for District 12.
Effie Trinket walks over to the male reaping ball. The camera turns towards the crowd. Tension is in the air. And then I see her. The great Katniss Everdeen standing with her "so called" cousin. What was his name? Gale Hawthorne? It doesn't matter. All that matters is that she is with Gale, not Peeta. The camera turns back to Effie as she announces the male tribute. "Jamie Mellark!" she yells aloud.
I open my mouth immediately to say something but Nyla beats me to it, "Isn't that Peeta's brother!" she yells.
"Yes, that is." says Seeder calmly. "That can't be a coincidence that Peeta's brother is in the Games the year after he and Katniss won!" says Nyla.
"Yea, I don't believe it's a coincidence either. President Snow probably had it rigged. Probably Jamie Mellark was the only name in that reaping ball. I wouldn't be surprised if Katniss' sister was the female tribute this year." says Chaff while drinking another bottle of whiskey. "Chaff I think you drank enough." says Seeder, reaching for the bottle in Chaff's hand. Chaff hisses and warns that he will bite. "This is my whiskey! I'm not sharing it!"
"Okay, whatever." says Seeder. We turn our attention towards the television. Effie Trinket is just reaching into the female reaping ball. She reads over the name she pulled out and stares at it in horror.
"P- P- P- Primrose Everdeen!" she says. The crowd gasps, and so do I. They know this can't be a coincidence.
As Primrose walks up to the stage, I hear Katniss calling her name over and over, screaming for her not to go. But Katniss can't save her this time. Katniss is a Victor. She can't return to the arena. "Someone please volunteer for her!" yells Katniss. But nobody does. I looked towards Chaff whose just finishing his whiskey.
"President Snow's a fool if he thinks people will overlook this." he says after throwing the bottle across the room, only to shatter against the wall.
"Why would President Snow do this?" asks Nyla.
"To show that no one can defy the Capitol without being punished. Since Katniss can't go back to the arena, he'll make her suffer by making her watch Primrose compete in the Games, it's the only thing he can do. To make matters worse, he threw in Peeta's brother. This won't go good. President Snow knows their will be rebellion. He wants an uprising in District 12. It would give him an excuse to kill off the District. And plus, if there is to be a rebellion, we all know who is to lead it, and that's Katniss. If Katniss loses the one she loves more than Peeta, she would be a wreck and he would have an advantage." Chaff answers followed by him vomiting on the floor.
"Uhh, why don't you guys go get some sleep? It's getting late. We should arrive at the day after tomorrow. Chaff has said more than enough." Seeder snaps. So we head to our rooms. I take a nice hot shower, throw on pajamas, and head across the hall towards Nyla's room. I knock on the door and she lets me in. As soon as she closes the door I explode.
"Nyla I knew it! I knew it all along, and so does everyone else!"
"What are you talking about?" she says.
I sit on her bed and she sits next to me. She has a robe on and her hair is damp. I'm guessing she just came out of the shower. "Don't you see! There is going to be rebellion! Followed by war! Chaff said it himself! It was something only he and Seeder knew! Chaff is friends with Haymitch Abernanthy! Haymitch is Katniss' mentor. Who else would know about rebellion! Haymitch probably told all this stuff about an upcoming war that was being planned to Chaff. And Chaff was so knocked up on whiskey that he accidentally told it to us! Can't you put the pieces together!"
Nyla stares at me with bewilderment. This was the same look she gave me the first time I mentioned about war. "I- I see what your saying, but I just don't want you to be blinded by this rebellion wish. Lanzus, right now we need to focus about what heads our way, the chariots, training, interviews, the Games."
"Yes, yes I know! It's just the Hunger Games may be over for good if this war is to come. The Capitol could finally be taken down. Katniss could have the power to win this war! That is, as long as her loved ones are safe."
Nyla's face turns red. She knows what I'm trying to say.
"I'm not giving up my life for some girl just because you think their will be war! Lanzus, I have a family to get back to!"she yells. "Well so do I! But I'm willing to put aside my family for something bigger! Nyla, as long as that girl survives, the rebellion will proceed, and as long as this rebellion proceeds their will be war! When there is war their will be a fifty/fifty chance that we will win, and your brother and my sister could finally be safe from the Games! Nyla, I promised my sister that I would come back, but I am willing to break that promise in hope that she could be safe from the Games!" I catch my breath and look at Nyla. She is speechless. "Get out." is all she says. "What, why?" I ask. "Because I can't deal with all this talk about rebellion and war! All I want to focus on is the Games!"
"Fine!" I say and head for the door. "And don't talk to me about this stuff for the rest of the train ride!" she says as I close the door behind me.
When I get in my room, I curl up on the bed and think about what I just said. It's true. If Primrose dies, Katniss wouldn't want to participate in any rebellion, and our hopes of ending the Capitol would be destroyed. As I doze off I promise myself I will do anything to keep Primrose Everdeen alive.
The next two days on the train are spent by me exploring the train, and having conversations about past Games and family with Seeder. Seeder is a really nice woman, and I have taken a liking to her, unlike Chaff who I loath a lot. All he does is drink, drink, drink. When he's not drinking, he's vomiting, when he's not vomiting he's drinking. When I see a chance to finally speak to him, I try to get information about any rebellion plans. But I get nothing.
Nyla spends her two days taking food to her room and watching T.V. She goes to her room and draws sometimes, but only to find her drawings cleaned up by the Avoxes. She get's really frustrated, but the Avoxes can't tell us why they did it, they can't speak...obviously. They also refuse to write it down. I asked Nyla what she drew, but she refuses to tell me.
When we arrive at the Capitol, me and Nyla stand at the exit of the train. Chaff, Seeder, and Renalda behind us. When the door opens there are hundreds, maybe thousands of people cheering and screaming.
Here we are, the Capitol. The city I loath so much, the city that is filled with bloodthirsty Games-hungry people. The city I wish to help take down.
Did you like this chapter? Please review! From this chapter and up, expect a lot of drama, violence, and romance! :D