I left the door open. I didn't care if anyone saw me, curled into a tight ball, sobbing. I sensed people going past, staring into the room then leaving. I hadn't got to say goodbye to Davvid. I'd had the opportunity to do so twice, but I wasn't able to. Once because of blame; once because of surprise.
"Can all passengers please disembark the train. All passengers off the train." A female, robotic voice said. I lifted myself off the floor and stood before the mirror in the bathroom. I looked a state. My red hair was tangled and stuck up around my head. My skin was marked with creases where I'd been lying on the floor. And my eyes. Eyes that were the colour of storms were tinged red with tears that had fallen and those who had yet to fall. Grabbing the nearest thing to me, I threw it at the mirror with a scream. The glass shattered at the centre, making my tortured image distort and crumble as the pieces fell. Clenching my hands in fists, I put on a false bravado and stepped out of my room for the last time. I traced my steps back from the day I'd got onto this trip to hell. Room. Corridor. Dining room. Entrance. Platform.
I was blinded by the afternoon light at the Capitol station since I had gotten used to the lights used on the train. My right upper arm was gripped and nails dug into my skin. I winced and looked over. Clarice was stood there, her green eyes shining with hate. She tutted at me. "You look fantastic. What look is this? Tramp?" She asked in a mocking tone, accompanied by a snort.
"Push off Clarice." I muttered, pulling out of her grasp. I had to admit, I did look terrible. My reflection in the cracked mirror had proven it all.
"That stain isn't going to come out." I heard a male voice say behind me. I twisted around to come face to face with 13. His brown eyes didn't smoulder this time; they just stared, glass-like. "What stain?"
"The one on your right shoulder." He gestured with a nod of his head. I looked down and was taken aback. The pure white of my shirt had been stained with a large circle of blood. "So that's what Nolan was staring at earlier…" I said, more to myself than to him. Hearing my name, I looked over my shoulder and saw Clovis gesturing at me to come with him. Not even saying good-bye to 13, I went over to him. "Miss Erwin. For some reason, you have been especially…Selected by President Paylor. She requires you and 3 others to come to the main hall upon arrival at our destination." I frowned.
"Am I allowed to know who the other 3 are?" With a sharp shake of his head, he pointed towards an awaiting car. Sighing, I clambered into it; I was soon followed by Clovis. My journey to the Capitol and my future, I realised, had only just begun.
We were in the car for about 20 minutes. Our car and the other 12 stopped outside a tall metal and glass building. Clovis got out and told me to stay in the car. I tried to protest but he was already gone by the time I'd opened my mouth. My door opened quickly and I slid out, grumbling under my breath. "Now, when you see the President, you are to act properly and with manners. Do you understand Miss Erwin?" When I didn't reply, he pulled on my chin so I was looking at him. "Do you understand?" I pulled away from him with a snarled
"Yes." He frowned. He was clearly not happy about my attitude. Not that I care.
"Move." He said coldly, pushing me between my shoulder blades. I stumbled forward and as I did, I noticed how none of the others were being treated like this. It made me wonder, how was I different? I'm not anything special. I'm just a normal girl, who…Happens to have a father who wanted to kill President Paylor…Great.