Part X
Cressie bolted toward the door, not care a wink for the cameras. She was just about to start hurting people if she didn't get off this freaking stage, right now. As soon as she was outside, who cared about the Peacekeepers standing over them all? The Capitol air was clean and cold, and just perfect. Cressie's eyes swept over her opponents. Who would be an ally? Who would she want to kill right off the bat?
She'd just have to find out.
The limo wasn't a very good place for Cressie either. But at least in the limo she was moving. She liked that she was moving. It gave her a sense of progress. Like maybe she was getting that much closer to home, to her family. Or to her death. She shoved the thought away. It terrified her, and it wasn't time for fear, yet.
-x-
Faith blew another kiss to the cameras, sending them a sly wink before walking off slowly and purposely, rushing into her limo.
When in the limo, finally, Faith's eyes strolled across the Capitol. The glass was tinted, no more acting. She grinned finally and shook her hair, before pulling some of the pins out.
She was relieved. No more acting. She watched the lights and buildings with a dull bland expression. Just a few more weeks until even more fame. It cheered her up.
-x-
Away from the blinding stage lights, Jasper took the shades off his head and ran a hand through his hair. He looked a little upset. Jasper glanced at his reflection in the limo window and caught a glimpse of his sour expression. Hastily, he schooled his features into a brooding look and smiled once more at the cameras before getting in. Glad that the interviews were over and done with, all he needed to do for the next few days was survive.
-x-
Cat smiled sweetly at the cameras, before sliding down from her chair. She walked towards her car and slid inside, and waved at the camera's before slamming the door shut behind her.
-x-
Orchid sauntered to her car, and posed sexily for the camera's, before jumping into the car and being whizzed away.
-x-
Roy clicked his tongue. And again. Faith clenched her teeth from beside him. After a minute she glared at him icily. Roy smirked. "Yes boss." He said, needing no verbal confirmation.
Faith narrowed her eyes until she realized he hadn't actually been mocking her. He'd called her boss. A smirk appeared on her lips.
-x-
Acacia slunk into the limo, with an expressionless look at the cameras. And breathe, she told herself.
-x-
Cat sighed as the car rolled along. "What's the matter, ickle baby-kins?" Adaam, her fellow tribute, asked nastily. "Tired of living? I could sort that out for you..."
"Oh, just leave me alone." Cat snapped.
Adaam snorted. "Oooooh! Get you."
The car stopped, and Cat climbed out, ignoring Adaam. She was only just managing to resist the urge to punch his stupid smug face in.
-x-
Faith stepped out of the car and instantly headed for the District Four car.
Noticing the tension she smiled beautifully at Adaam. "Something wrong here?"
She asked sweetly.
Adaam scowled at her. "No. No problem." he gave Cat a shove and barged past her. Cat felt her face flush scarlet with rage. Before he could leave, Faith placed a manicured hand on his arm. Still smiling brightly.
"And there, won't be a problem? Will there?"
He was about to retaliate, but he saw a glint in her eye which made him think twice. "No." he muttered.
She smiled sweetly. "Good." She dropped her hand before taking Cat by the elbow and leading her away
Cat giggled. "The look on his face..."
She smiled faintly. "Yeah, but I do think the second he can, back stabbing time."
Cat sighed. "Why does everyone want to kill me? I'm soooo likeable."
"Only the careers." Faith looked at her. "Have you seen yourself? I must admit, good act. Careers don't like things which don't kill. If you take one look at you..."
Cat laughed. "I guess I'll just have to get the hell out of there at the start then..."
She smiled. "But how do we get you back? Unless you don't want to join with them... secret alliance... near the end, I'm sure you'll be there, and if you're not already with the careers you can help 'dispose' of them."
Cat nodded; although she didn't want to kill except in defence, she knew that if she told that to Faith, Faith would think she was weak. "O.K. Let's do it."
"Do you want to come straight back, or later?" She smiled softly. "Unless you want to pelt away from me." She walked inside. "Which, of course, I understand. I am a career. Don't forget that."
"Don't worry." Cat said, giving Faith a sweet smile. "I won't. And I'll come back when I feel like it."
Faith looked at her with calculating eyes for a second before shrugging. "Okay then."
Cat walked inside the building with her, and towards the elevator. Faith headed to the elevator too. Acacia had already stepped in it. She backed towards the corner seeing Faith
Cat followed Faith into the elevator and recognised Acacia as the girl who had snubbed her before. But maybe she had just been nervous then...Cat tried another friendly smile.
Acacia panicked slightly. She didn't want to seem anything, but her kindness rubbed through. When Faith had stepped from the elevator with a swift nod at Cat, Acacia smiled faintly back.
Cat waved to Faith and smiled back at Acacia. "Hi, your names Acacia, right?" Cat desperately hoped she'd got it right. Acacia blinked. Someone had paid attention to her. "Yes." She said guardedly. She knew her name was Catherine or Cat, she'd studied all the opponents from the beginning.
"I'm Cat." Cat said, giving her another smile. "How old are you?"
She still seemed calm, somehow. "14." She replied, chewing on her cheek
Cat nodded. "District 7, right?"
She nodded, a guarded sparkle in her eyes
"Cool. What's it like?" Cat asked, curiously.
"Boring." She said, still calm and guarded, but panicking inside.
"At least it probably doesn't smell constantly of fish." Cat remarked, giving a small laugh.
Acacia smiled faintly. She felt really mean, but she knew having friends was a weakness, it couldn't help her. The lift stopped at Cats floor. "Well, goodnight Acacia." Cat said smiling.
"Ugh! Now I have to put up with stupid old Adaam for the rest of today. He's such a pain!" she rolled her eyes, grinned and left the lift.
"Bye" She squeaked.
Cat walked along the corridor and darted into her room before Adaam could catch her. She slid out of her dress, took a shower to blast off all her makeup and jumped into bed. She'd need all the sleep she could get.
-x-
Faith washed off all the makeup, somewhat relieved by her curls returning; she preferred curly hair. She slipped into bed and fell asleep quickly.
-x-
Acacia slipped into bed, unable to sleep.
-x-
Orchid slid into bed, clutching her knife, having successfully washed off all of the gunk. Tomorrow. That's when they'll learn their lesson...
-x-
THE NEXT DAY
Faith was excited, there was no denying that. With a smirk, she slipped on skinny jeans and a fitted blouse, pulling her long curls up into a ponytail.
Time for fame she told herself, time for everything you wanted. With a slightly crazy laugh she walked out into the corridor a moment ahead of her mentor, her father. Faith stiffened and brushed past him, but he clamped a hand around her wrist.
They stared, or glowered at each other for a few minutes until her father's gaze softened slightly. "Knock 'em dead." He told her, making Faith freeze; her father had never given her a target, or praise except when she was younger. She pulled her wrist away stared at her father for a second more, before dashing down the hall way, stepping into the helicopter her district rep was ushering her in.
-x-
Cressie slipped out of her bed, eyes solemn and hard. It began today. She showered slowly, taking her time. She didn't have much of that left. The shower was going to be her last for a long time or even forever, but she couldn't focus on it. She couldn't keep her mind away from the Games. It was like someone with some sort of hideous deformity. It wasn't nice to look at, and you really didn't want to, but you couldn't stop yourself from staring.
Cressie stepped out of the shower and sat down next to her window in a towel.
She looked out over the amazing Capitol skyline; a riot of colours vied for her attention. As much as she hated being cooped up in this city, she could look at it forever.
As her hair dripped dry she pursed her lips and ever so slowly drew herself up from her chair.
"CressssieeeeeEEEEEE?" Yodelled her escort. "Hurry up, dear. You'll be late!"
She hated the way he talked to her. Like he was her father. Like he knew her at all. She shook her head and forced herself the rest of the way out of her seat. Something in her core was shaking and fluttering. It was nerves, she knew. She didn't like it one bit. Her hand shook as she pulled on a soft white dress for her hovercraft ride to the arena. She'd get her uniform there.
The ride was inappropriately loud, with her escort and stylist squawking in their ear-grating accents the whole time. It should have been deathly silent, and it still had that air of doom. It was deathly silent in Cressie's mind, anyway.
Once her escort disappeared with the boy from her District and his stylist she was left alone with Ramicus, her stylist. He jabbered the whole time, not nearly reverent enough of the peril of the 24 children who would soon be fighting to the death. Cressie shuddered and paced, sure she was going to explode with tension.
Too soon she was forced into a tiny cylinder of an elevator (Ramicus had to call some Peacekeepers to "encourage" her) and it went up. Up and up. Toward death.
-x-
Jasper yawned as he sat in the waiting room. He was dressed in a dark coloured pants and a jacket. He was also wearing sturdy hiking boots, a gift from Moxin. For a mentor, she sure did care a lot, especially since Jasper didn't plan on surviving for very long. Jasper had said a solemn goodbye to his other stylists, and an awkward handshake from his mentor, before hopping aboard the helicopter with Ink.
Said stylist was now pacing the room anxiously. It made Jasper smile a little bit.
"Worried that all your hard work will go to waste?" Ink gave him a crooked grin.
"No." Ink sat down beside him. "I'm just worried that you'll die during the bloodbath. Do you have any strategies?" Jasper shook his head.
"I'm just hoping that my self-preservation will kick in and do the thinking for me." Ink slapped him upside the head.
"That is the dumbest thing I have ever heard of." Jasper smiled once more, and he couldn't help but think it was his very last one. He leaned over and gave Ink a tentative hug.
"Thank you, Ink. For everything." Jasper stepped away and waited for the tube to take him up to the arena. He was scared as hell, and was pretty sure he wouldn't make it through the first few days. But at least he had found solace in someone who wasn't planning on killing him. Even if it was only temporary.
-x-
Symonn stared at the faint reflection of himself in the window, seeing himself as he now was, a faint impression of what he used to be. Today would be the last day he saw his reflection, for he knew that if he wasn't killed, that he still wouldn't see himself when he looked in the mirror.
He thought of his mother staring at him with patronising tears and the ugly baby she held in his arms, he smirked knowing that if the series was commissioned for long enough that that little brat would have to go through the games himself. He thought of his trainer, breathing smoke into his face and telling him he wasn't good enough and he thought of Caesar. Treating him differently to the others, looking down on him, simply because he wasn't as attractive or charismatic as the other contestants. Then he thought of Faith, and he became just as scared as he was at the start. It wasn't going to end well between them, whatever happened, he knew that. Perhaps he even loved her once.
-x-
Cat nibbled her lip as she sat is the hovercar and drew blood. Her hair was tied back in a thick, curly plait and she nervously chewed her thumb nail as the hover car drew closer to the arena.
-x-
Orchid sat straight and erect, dark eyes gazing out of the window, her small hands with their black painted finger nails with delicate red flowers the only remainder of her former sexiness. She was back to being deadly, the way she should. She smiled to herself as the hovercar landed.
-x-
Heather gave Cat a tight hug, squeezing the breath from her body. "Good luck sweetie! We'll all be rooting for you!" she squealed.
"Thanks Heather."
Cat nervously fingered the outfit she been given, trying to guess the environment she'd soon be thrust into. She bit her lip again as the tube began to rise, her heart pounding in her chest. She was scared really, really scared. She felt her eyes burn with tears of fear and blinked them away. There would be no time for tears in the arena.
-x-
Acacia paced frantically before her stylist all but shoved her to the cylinder.
She got the feeling her stylist didn't like her. With a shrug, Acacia's face suddenly became calm, a mask, as began to rise up.
-x-
Faith curled a perfect spiral of hair round her finger, tilting her chin as the platform rose. She closed her eyes, putting a winning smile on her face.
Her games. These were her games.
-x-
Acacia's face wiped clean, completely black from any emotion. Run, she reminded herself. Grab a backpack and run.
-x-
Jasper shifted his weight anxiously. He wasn't ready for this. Looking down, all he wanted to do was claw his way back to the mock-safety of the launch room. Jasper shook his head and put his game face on. Ready to die for other people's entertainment.
-x-
Aurora fought to keep the tears from her eyes as the platform rose. However poor her chances were in the games, it was an unspoken rule not to show weakness; especially not now the Games had begun. Her handler had cheerfully recited the game's signature phrase as a goodbye; she was alone now. May the odds be ever in your favour- what a joke. She'd be lucky if she lasted five minutes.
She wondered what the terrain would be like this year- forests? Deserts? Seas?
She cast a despairing look at the standard 'uniform' all tributes wore. The style was so vague that she couldn't deduce anything from it- her only advantage had been taken from her. Completely at a loss as to what her strategy could now be, tears crept silently into her eyes again. She brushed them away again hastily.
Remembering, suddenly, that she was not completely alone, she pulled out the abacus necklace from underneath the loose-fitting tunic, grasping it tightly in her hand for comfort. Her parents had a fund set aside for sponsoring tributes- not to win any bets, just to give a little comfort to the District Five children, as they struggled through their final hours. One of her best friends, Venn Denominator, had been sent a needle filled with morphine after receiving a wound that turned out to be fatal from a District Two tribute- to put an end to his pain. How long would it be until she needed the fund to ease her own death?
-x-
Faith closed her eyes as the platform stopped and began counting, opening her eyes and studying around her after 5 seconds of counting.
Cat looked around, taking in the trench. She caught Faiths eye.
Faith saw Cat, catching her eyes for a second before subtly winking, looking away before anyone would notice and studying around her.
Cat took in the pile of backpacks. She saw the handle of a throwing knife sticking out one. She focused on it. She was fast. She knew she was.
Faith saw a sword, near the edge of the pile of weapons. It was a long katana blade with a sharp point and a beautiful sheath. Mine.
-x-
Summer gasped when her platform reached the arena. All of a sudden, everything she had learnt throughout her time in the Capitol seemed pointless beyond measure. All the training done in the training centre and the fact that she stole one of the Gamemakers watches was useless as her eyes trailed over her contestants once again. They all obviously had a plan, except her. Summer secretly prayed that her brothers: Riley and Jeremy together with Trinni, her clothes designer and Haymitch were going to be alright. No matter how drunk Haymitch was or how much tears her brothers were going to choke on tonight.
She was sure to die today.
-x-
Orchid caught sight of a naginata , sticking out of the middle of the pile. It was meant for her, she knew.
-x-
Faith saw a couple of knives in the same direction of the katana, she would pick them up on the way to her sword, then she could chase Cat away, she told herself.
-x-
Cat readied herself.
-x-
Acacia saw a backpack near her and readied herself for it, she was a fast sprinter, and then she could disappear into that lovely safe forest.
-x-
Adaam grinned savagely and readied himself. That stupid child won't know what's hit her.
-x-
Roy grinned and set a sprinting stance.
-x-
Orchid's entire body was tense, ready to spring. She breathed deeply.
-x-
Summer spotted a very small backpack lying outside the huge pile of supplies and weapons. A spark of hope ignited deep within her. This was her only chance of getting something from the supplies where the chances of someone killing her were lesser.
-x-
A voice rang out over the arena. "Ladies and Gentlemen, let the 71st Hunger Games begin!"
The gong rang.