As soon as the anthem stopped playing Marley was ushered through the justice building's doors and into a large room with velvet couch and chair sets. For a few hours Marley would have time to say good bye to anyone who wished to come to the justice building and risk having their tear streaked face shown on camera later to the whole world. The first people to visit Marley were her mother and Katie.
Katie crawled up Marley's lap and wrapped herself around Marley like she was a toddler again. Marley held her close as their mother wrapped an arm around them. It was a little awkward jut sitting there so Marley began to remind her mother about the things that needed to be taken care of while Marley was in the arena.
"Katie you are not to take any tesserae, you should be able to get by with the money you get from our small shop and the milk from Daisy." Marley turned to her mother and grasped her by her forearms. "Listen to me. Are you listening to me?" Millie nods surprised at Marley's sudden aggression. "You can't leave again." After the mining accident Millie had shut herself down mentally and had given up completely on trying to keep herself alive. Marley knew if her mother relapsed while Marley was in the games there would be no way for Katie to provide enough food for themselves by her efforts alone. Millie focused her attention on the floor and says quietly:
"I know. I won't. I couldn't help what…" Marley cuts her off knowing their time was very limited.
"Well, you have to help it this time. You can't clock out and leave Katie on her own. There's no me know to keep you both alive. It doesn't matter what happens. Whatever you see on the screens…" Marley's voice began to crack as she realized she was talking about her death as if it was just another poor soul lost to hunger and starvation in district 12. "You have to promise me you'll fight through it!" All of Marley's anger at the previous time her mother had given up came through in that sentence and her grip on her mother's arm increased.
Millie's face lights up in anger as she defends herself against her daughter's accusations. "I was ill. I could have treated myself if I'd had the medicine I have now."
"Then take it! And. Take. Care. Of. Her." Marley spoke each word with as much emphasis as she could manage without angry tears pouring down her face. Katie crawls back into Marley's lap and looks her in the eyes. For the first time Katie looks older to Marley as if Marley hasn't really seen how much Katie had grown in the past few years.
"I'll be alright, Marley." She takes Marley's face into her hands. "But you have to take care, too. You're so fast and brave. Maybe you can win." Katie must know the odds are not in Marley's favor to win. There would be other kids from districts where winning is a huge honor who will walk into the arena swinging swords, launching spears, and swiftly ending the lives of unsuspecting victims. All Marley can do is give Katie a weak reply of maybe and then say that they would be as rich as Haymitch.
"I don't care if we're rich. I just want you to come home." Katie's voice has softened to just barely above a whisper so that Marley has to lean in to hear her. "You will try, won't you? Really, really try?" She holds up her little finger asking me to pinky swear like Marley used to when she promised Katie they would one day get a really big cake from the bakery for her birthday. Marley hooked her finger with Katie.
"Really, really try. I swear it." Marley grasps Katie into a bone crushing hug and tries to not cry in front of them knowing this could be their last few moments together also that there would be more cameras at the train station. Just as Marley thought a Peacekeeper walked into the room and ordered the Rose family to follow him out of the room. Marley tells them she loves them one more time and holds onto Katie's hand for as long as they can and then are reluctantly torn apart. Marley's hand is still outstretched when the door is closed behind them.
Marley's next visitor is unexpected. It's Dwight Puckerman, father of Jake. Marley tries to think of why he would come and visit her but all she can think of is one really stupid reason not even worth mentioning. They stand awkwardly for a while before his arm extends towards Marley and holds out a small white package. Marley unrolls the parchment paper and sees a dozen freshly baked cookies nestled within the wrapper. Her eyebrows rise at the odd gesture but she takes them and thanks Mr. Puckerman. Judging by the look on his face he had just said goodbye to his son. Jake wasn't really skilled with anything other than weightlifting, and baking bread and it was hard for Marley to see him as a real threat in the Games when in comparison to kids with the ability to use knives and spears. None the less Marley was determined to not let his appearance and lack of natural talent make him seem like a weak target. Nobody really says anything until the Peacekeeper comes to collect Mr. Puckerman out of the room.
"Do me a favor? If it comes down to the two of you and he offers you his life, please just take it swiftly and don't draw it out no matter how much popularity that would give you in the Capitol. Will you do that for me?" He turns away without waiting for an answer and Marley is left nodding to no one.
Marley's next visitor is another surprise. It's Rachel Berry, the mayor's daughter. She comes forward and embraces Marley in what she was guessing was meant to be a reassuring gesture but only left Marley more confused than before.
"They let you wear one thing form your district in the arena." She pulls out a golden pin from her pocket and holds it out to Marley. "One thing to remind you of home. Will you wear this? Here, I'll put it on your dress, all right?" Rachel fixes it onto the front of Marley's dress. "Golden objects are kind of my thing. Promise you'll wear it in the arena, Marley? Promise?" her voice was a little hysterical and Marley could only whisper a silent yes before Rachel leaned forward and gave Marley a quick hug before darting out of the room.
Ryder Lynn is the last person to visit Marley and by then she had accumulated many more gifts: words of advice like where to find water, some roots that were edible and found in almost every single Hunger Games so far, how to make sure you are covered from the elements no matter the location, the cookies, and lastly the pin. Ryder and Marley were not the best of friends but something unspoken had brought them closer since Ryder removed Katie from Marley's leg. He held his arms out wide and Marley didn't hesitate to step forward and wrap her arms around his sturdy frame.
"Listen. There are going to be a lot of competitive people there but you can't let that keep you from fighting the best you can. Getting a knife should be easy- they always include many of those, but getting a bow and arrow set is the most important thing.
"Why?" Marley steps out of his embrace to look at his face.
"You may be able to throw a knife a long distance, but a bow is the best way to see and shoot targets before they get to you." Neither of them mentioned that the targets would be humans. "There aren't always bows so you may have to construct one yourself but even a weak bow is better than no bow at all." He placed his hand on her shoulder and made sure she was looking him in the eye. "Marley, it's just a game. You are the best game player I know."
"But it's not just some game where if you mess up you move back a few spaces or lose one life out of five and these people will have strategies just like you and I are discussing." Even as Marley was talking her spirits and will to fight with all she had was fading. There was no way she was going to survive this game. There were too many rules, no. There weren't enough rules in this game to make it civilized. There were too many possible scenarios to play out and to plan for. The best thing to do was walk in there with only a minor plan and then watch as all hell broke loose and try not to get stabbed or decapitated or impaled. Either way if you were injured in the games you stand no chance of surviving.
"But you are the best and you have real life practice with keeping yourself alive. These people can train all their lives and they would never be ready to defend themselves in the wild. Do you really think those tributes from districts 1 and 2 can outlast you if it came down to going without food?" Marley shakes her head no. "Exactly, if the Gamemakers were to remove all the game in the arena and it was a battle of wills and technology at preserving food you would win easily."
"It's time to go." One of the Peacekeepers walked into the room and began to drag Ryder away.
"Remember Marley, I won't let them starve. And I…" The door shut behind him and Marley was cut off from anything she might have found comfort in.