Chapter Two
Oh. I finally realized that I was Tribute. I began walking to the stage as our escort made the biggest deal about how I, at last, showed my face. I felt every camera on me as I walked up, face redder than just about a hot, over-used engine. I wish they could stop rolling the cameras, and I would wake up and this be a nightmare, but of course I couldn't. I nearly tripped getting on stage, but just played it off.
"I give you District 6's Tributes for the 23rd annual Hunger Games!" Ignitus shouted cheerfully, looking into the camera behind the crowd. Everyone clapped and cheered but two groups of family and friends. It wasn't fake cheering either. Everyone would go home and celebrate the fact that their children had better odds. On the other side, I know that my mother would be up late crying her eyes out, with the comfort of the sobs from my friends and their parents. There would be some food given to my mother from the people who are generous enough to celebrate, but understand the pain. It gave me a comforting sensation that despite the hardship of today and the next week, there will be someone there for her.
Back to reality. I was shaking hands with Setth, and then we were taken into the Justice Building into separate rooms. I was sitting in mine, trying to strategize before any of my visitors came in. Of course, no such time was given to me. Minutes after I was put in here, people started coming in. It is no surprise that the first people I see are my friends, rushing in to shower me with hugs.
"We will try to send you something and hope that Express and Motor let them in, alright?" The taller one, Annetha told me.
"Only if you have enough for yourselves and your family." I requested, know that it wouldn't matter to her.
My second and third friends, Shannon and Sylvia, who were twins, each had tears in their eyes. Maybe they faced the truth that this is going to be the last time they see me that's not on camera.
"Please take this as your token." They said, reaching out to show me a charm bracelet. On the small piece of jewelry that was now in my hand, I saw a hammer, nails crossing each other to form and 'x', a wrench, and a screwdriver.
My eyes began to water as I held it, gazing at its beauty. "Thank you so much. I will wear it." I promised, wiping my eyes with my free hand.
They were ushered out, and then my mother was brought in. Her eyes were puffy red and she could hardly speak without choking on her words. She made her best attempt.
"You come back to me, Elli, do you understand?" She asked, calling me my nick name. "And don't let the Capitol define you like it did your father. When you come home, you are still going to be you." She told me.
"Of course I am still going to be me, Mother," I assured, "And I won't let anyone change or rearrange me. I can't guarantee that I am coming back though."
"Try. At least for me, say you will try. Without you, I have no one." She begged, pointing out the cold truth that I was the only family she had left.
I nodded as she left and the next visitor came in. I didn't really know this visitor except for when he came in the shop to get his engine tuned. He came in and told me that I had enough strength and wits to win. He gave me some more bits of advice that the people only want a good show and that if all things possible to stay away from the Careers. Everything he said was obvious, but I was thankful that there was someone out there who was willing to give me advice. Before he left, he gave me a few small pieces of candy, which was a very rare gift in 6, and shook my hand. I now knew that there was someone out there who was on my side.
That was the last visitor. Now on out, everyone I was going to see was going to be purely for the Games. My fellow tribute, who might not even so much as speak a word to me, my escort, Ignitus, the prep team, my stylus, the interviewer, Gamemakers… All were a part of the Games. And I didn't care about a single one of them.
Maybe that sounded a little bit harsh, but I honestly didn't have any spare thoughts to be put on anyone else. It was all about my life. And that was it. I had to survive to get back home to my mother; I was literally all she had left. She never had any other children, because my father was conducting a train to the capitol, got off there, and never came back. Her older brother was reaped in the early Hunger Games, and dyed in the Blood-Bath.
Lost in thought, I hardly noticed being taken to the train. The Peacekeepers gathered me, and led me aboard. Once I regained my sense of reality, I was being shown my compartment by one of my mentors, Express. Of course, he was walking at a fast pace, so I was taking two steps for every one he took. He stopped in front of a door, and opened it.
"This is your compartment until we arrive. You should only have to stay one night in here." He told me. "You need to change before you go to dinner, which is in around forty-five minutes."
"Alright. I will do." I spoke, waiting for him to leave. He eventually did once I stepped into my room. I found a dresser and opened it, finding a large arrangement of clothes that I never wanted to wear a day in my life. I rummaged through nearly all the drawers, throwing items out as I decided that I didn't approve. I found a pair of blue jeans, and a white, button up shirt. I tried on the shirt and looked in the mirror, making sure it wasn't see-through. Once I was satisfied, I walked outside barefooted, closing the door behind me, and began walking around.
I decided that I wanted to see Setth, considering I would be around him so much before the games. I was walking, searching through the halls when I found a woman who looked only a few years older than me. I asked her for instructions.
"Could you please tell me where the Male Tribute's compartment is?" I smiled politely. I awaited an answer, but she said nothing. "Did you not hear-"
I was cut off when she revealed that she couldn't talk at all. She pulled out a pen and paper and wrote in elegant handwriting:
Don't tell anyone I have this, alright? Us Avoxes are not supposed to talk at all, but I found a way to abide from that rule.
"You can't talk." I realized, feeling sorry for the poor girl who had her whole life ahead of her, yet couldn't utter a word.
She ended up writing me the directions to Setth's compartment. I found it with ease after she pointed me in the proper direction. I thanked her, and wished her the best of luck. I stood at his door for a good few minutes, and just as I was about to knock, he came out, bumping right in to me, and knocking me to the ground.
A hand was in my face before I could even mutter an insult. A hand, that was extremely shaky. "Here, let me pull you up." Setth spoke.
"Thanks," I muttered as he pulled me up. He did so with ease. Although I wasn't the heaviest tribute in the history of the Games, I am not the lightest. He must have had some strength to do that. I was for a second amazed, but realize that it could be just nothing.
"It was nothing." Setth spoke, looking around me. "Why are you here?"
"There was no one else to talk to. I don't want to hang around the mentors the whole time until I die. Do you?" I spoke matter-of-factly.
He shook his head no, and then thought it was weird that I didn't think I was going to make it out alive. How could I? We then started talking about various other things, just about life and pointless things.
"I just don't know how I am going to be able to kill people." He abruptly spoke. "It's not who I am. I don't want to have to do this."
"I won't either. And who knows, maybe we'll go first and not have to kill anyone." I said, trying to joke off my fear. He glared at me with his intense blue eyes. I was looking at them, seeing tiny shades of darker blue, and yes, he had green in them too. I was amazed by the beauty.
"So much for coming home to your family then, huh?" He asked, sarcasm weaved into his tone.
"There isn't really much to hope for except that. I do hope you can win, though. District Six needs a winner. And I think that you deserve it."
"No one deserves to be thrown in to this Capitol garbage." He said, which I clamped my hand over his mouth.
"Don't say things like that. Not at home, not during the Games, and especially not in a train going to the Capitol." I whispered in a harsh tone.
He laughed and then looked at a watch that was fastened to his wrist. "Dinner time," he said, offering me his arm. "Shall we go?" I nodded and roped my arm in his, where we began to walk. We had wandered pretty far, and had to ask a few Avoxes our way to the dining room.
We finally got there, and strange looks were given to us by everyone already in the room. Express and Motor each looked puzzled, like an engine had been put in the trunk of a car, instead of a hood, and Ignitus clasped his hands to his cheeks, and shifted out of his chair, taking a few steps toward us.