The year of the Forty First games:
The year goes by quickly with very little change to my schedule. I go to the capitol I meet my clients and sometimes they reward me with pills or other little luxuries. At first I never do more than I have to for them; I keep in my head that I despise every one of them. Yet as the year drags on I find myself beginning smile around them, sometimes even forgetting who I truly am to them. All this time they act and play at being the only man or woman for me, pretending not to know the truth and I believe them, the effort it take to fight them has become too much.
Sometimes it feels like I spend more time in the capitol than at home and that I'm losing my dad to Jewel. She's always there you see, cooking his meals and keeping him company while I'm out partying and sleeping around like they expect me to. Soon I feel he will forget me and I know I'll need more than a few pills to stop the pain from that. But Panem doesn't care about how I feel or what I want and soon it's time for another hunger games and this time it's my turn to mentor.
I stand on the stage and look down at the sea of faces bellow me; two of them will soon be joining me up here before we go to the capitol for the games. Again I am thankful for being born in a career district, it gave me and the children bellow me hope and a chance to be replaced if we are reaped. Of course I was stupid and reckless back then, I've since learned that lesson, I do as I'm told now.
Daphne stands between myself and Paris; who will be mentoring the male tribute, he's sober for a change and wearing his trainer suit from the centre. I still haven't been invited there; it's always been a bit of a boys club though. Anyway I'm always busy going to and from the capitol to meet with clients, it doesn't bother me as much as it used to.
Daphne reaches into the girls bowl first and I feel my stomach tense up, which is stupid of me, I'm not going to be chosen.
"Sapphire Hall" she calls and a girl strides up confidently from the eighteen year olds, the section I'd still be waiting in now, I study the girl for a moment. She's smaller than me as most girls are, with medium length curly brown hair pulled into a loose ponytail; I notice a smattering of freckles along her nose. She's dressed smartly but not too extravagantly in a slim fitting navy dress accessorised with a broach adorned with a sapphire.
"Do you wish to be replaced?" asks Daphne and the girl shakes her head.
"I'm ready for this" The crowd cheers.
"To the boys then" Daphne moves over to the male ball "Onyx Hall" a boy from emerges from the thirteen year old section as Sapphire gasps in shock. The boy must be her brother, how rare, they must have a large family, or a very poor one.
"Do you wish to be replaced?" Daphne repeats the question she asked Sapphire.
"Yes please, my sister will win this for my family" the boy speaks clearly and calmly.
"I volunteer" call several voices as a group of eighteen year olds race to the front, I recognise the winner.
"Tiger Grant" announces the boy shaking hands with Onyx who runs back down the steps. Tiger stood on these steps two years ago, as Clos replaced him in the games. Tiger owes his life to Clos and now he's going to fight too. Tiger looks much the same as he did back then, with a muscular frame and scruffy dusty blond hair. The crowd seem to love him as they cheer much louder than for Sapphire.
The two tributes stare at me as we sit on the train to the capitol, to me it's just another journey to the city but for them every inch we get towards the capitol is another inch further that they have ever travelled from home. Paris has wandered off probably in search of free bubbly leaving me alone with the tributes.
"I was a massive fan of you during your games" Tiger tells me, I know he's lying but I humour him.
"Thank you"
"What's the capitol like?" Sapphire cuts in,
"urm well it's big, you might feel a bit scared at first"
"I'm never scared" scoffs Tiger "they train us not to feel fear at the centre" my none attendance of his precious training centre is implied.
"If you think like that you'll die, you'll need your fear in the games it keeps you moving" I tell them
Sapphire nods, looking like she's actually taking in my comment Tiger looks less sure.
"I can see that" she says "You have to keep alert to win."
"Where's Paris?" Asks Tiger
"Gone to get drunk I suppose" I tell him, "but if you'd rather talk to him I'd say he's only in the next car down the train"
"I'll see you both later" he mutters before leaving, I guess I wasn't all he expected.
"What's your angle then?" I ask Sapphire, I may as well try to help this girl survive.
"My looks" the girl shrugs like it's the most obvious answer. I'm not sure what else I was expecting her to say really. She's a pretty standard district one tribute and as history tells us they tend to die.
"But what's your angle?" I ask again "What makes you different from all the other girls that go into the games?"
"I'm going to win" she smirks.
I raise my arms in defeat and stand up "come to me when you're ready to take this seriously." At this I storm out of the carriage in disgust. I know I have to be here but if she doesn't care then why should I? I find my way to an empty carriage and throw myself on a large plush sofa with a sigh, why is the girl being so difficult!
I reach over and find a bell to summon an Avox to me, the tall man strides into the room and looks at me waiting for my order.
"Champaign and fetch me my handbag from my room" the man bows and vanishes.
I used to be disgusted at the idea of Avoxes, they are human after all but it has to be said it's useful to have someone to order around. The man appears again quickly and passes me a glass of bubbly and my bag. I take them from him and he disappears again, I wonder what he said to get him in trouble like this.
After he leaves I rummage in the bottom of my handbag removing a corner of its lining and pull out a strip of pills. I pop one out of the packet and toss it down my throat, washing it down with half the glass of bubbly before hiding the pills again. The relief I feel is instant and I cement it with the rest of the Champaign, now I feel good I feel ready to face the capitol and send this girl to her death.
"Hiding from your tribute" the voice comes as a shock as I notice Daphne stood by the door, how long has she been there?
"I suppose" I reply
Daphne chuckles and steps into the room "I remember a girl only two years ago who made her mentor so mad she almost quit"
"Silk?"
"Didn't she tell you?" Daphne laughs sitting next to me, she notices my empty glass but doesn't mention it "Don't you remember all those things you said?"
"Not really, though I do recall slamming my door and screaming into my pillow"
She chuckles "yea, my ears still ring remembering that scream"
"But I was over confident and stupid then, Just a kid. Sapphires eighteen, my age now!"
"Yet still a kid compared to you Diamond, still untested. Think about it." And with that she leaves, I ponder what she said. She may appear a bit of a capitol bimbo but she's been doing this job a while now; I guess she's seen it all. I suppress another almighty scream and buzz for the Avox, he may as well bring me the bottle this time.
As the tributes are primed and waxed and dressed for the parade I go with Paris to discuss our tributes angles with Tigris who as usual has requested to work alone.
"Diamond darling, how you've grown" She grins kissing me on the cheek, "and you Paris, still a fine man" I catch a small blush on Paris' cheeks.
"Tiger wants to show some animal instincts" he tells her "not a farmer like ten but wild and unruly to match his name"
"A boy after my own heart!" I have just the suit for him, "And the girl"
"Sapphires going for sexy" I tell Tigris, "so do whatever with her" I wave my hand in dismissal.
Tigris only grins before shooing us out of her studio,
"Well we may as well get a drink before the big show" Paris smiles and I follow him to the bar.
The tributes look spectacular as the roll into the parade; Tigris has done a brilliant job in such short notice. Tiger is wearing blue tiger stripe underwear with a sash over one shoulder and Sapphire the shortest dress I have seen in a while made from the same material. Closer inspection shows me that each of the blue items is shining from being studded with hundreds of Sapphire jewels both tributes wear feathery headdresses also blue. I notice the boy from two's eyes never leaving Sapphires behind for the entire parade.
"I never want to take this off" screeches Sapphire as we reach our apartment floor "and did you see the boy from two, what a hunk, it's a shame I'll have to kill him though."
"Just get a good night's sleep guys" laughs Paris "You'll need as much energy as you can get for the training centre tomorrow"
"Yes Sir" replies Tiger saluting Paris and heading off to bed Sapphire also salutes her trainer and heads to her own room. I raise my eyebrows at Paris;
"So that's what it looks like when someone respects you"
"That's what it looks like when they want you to like them so you'll help them win" he replies "You got a job tonight?"
"No"
"Good, let's go get a drink"
The bar is packed as Paris and I enter, he passes through the crowds though to a back room where the man on the door lets us through easily. This room is smaller but mostly empty and Paris goes to sit in a booth seat with his own table.
"Paris darling" squeals a lady and slides over to join him she strokes his face and gazes into his eyes "I've missed you baby" she purrs
"Suada darling" he tells her "we have company tonight"
"Who?" She looks up her eyes filtering excitedly around the room it takes her a moment to notice me in my slim black dress. "Diamond Hart, as I live and breathe. I never thought I'd see a girl like you in a joint like this"
"Paris invited me" I reply carefully,
"Indeed I did" grins Paris, "thought I'd show you the darker side of the shining capitol"
I chuckle "I think I'm getting well versed in that at the moment" I decide to join them sitting down at the table as a waitress brings us over glasses and a familiar bottle.
"On the house as usual Paris" she smiles leaving it for us.
We help ourselves to the drink in a stony silence before Suada talks again "So Paris, Diamond, tell me all about your tributes this year"
"Well I don't want to speak too soon, but I think we have a victor in Tiger, how do you feel Diamond?"
The intentions of this meeting become clear and I put on my best game face "Oh I don't know I think Sapphire might give him a run for his money, beauty and smarts"
"That bimbo smart?!" the laugh comes from the doorway and I look up to see Thor and Terra, this year's district two mentors, Thor is about ten years older than me, his massive muscles shown off by a sleeveless vest top and tight black jeans, the women in the bar can't keep their eyes off him. Terra is Paris' age and I'm aware that the two of them have had history if idle gossip is to be believed.
"What have you got to offer us then Terra?" Asks Paris
"Mason, built like a slab of stone, he's strong and deadly and Cassie can kill your tributes in any of a hundred different ways."
"Not very clever though I'm betting" The reply comes from my mouth as quite a shock.
"Little Diamond still has bite then" taunts Thor,
"Oh you have no idea" the rest of the bar is watching this show now, the sparkle in Thor's eye tells me he knows this too and if this little confrontation is another of their tests I'll make sure I'm going to pass.
"You know little Diamond, first year victors never bring back a tribute alive and Paris how many have you ever brought back?" Terra asks smirking at Paris.
"Been saving my effort on the worthwhile ones; Tiger for instance" he replies stretching out and wrapping his arm around Suada, "Now that's the name of a victor; Cassie, Mason don't make me laugh."
"We shall see if your style beats our substance in the arena then" Terra smiles before she and Thor retreat to the other side of the bar, they are soon followed by a collection of capitolites singing the praises of district two as our own table is swamped with those pledging to sponsor our tributes.
"Like shooting fish in a barrel" Paris whispers to me later as we leave the club, still attached to Suada.
"So is the alliance sorted, are we good to fraternise today?" Tiger asks that morning.
"uhuh" Paris replies as he continues tucking into his breakfast.
"We sorted it last night" I tell the two kids "so knock yourselves out"
After giving the two of them a few tips on the training centre, we send them down in the lift and today's real work can begin.
"I'm going to cover the west street places today, could you do a couple of places over on Ivy Street."
"Do what?"
"Whatever you want my darling; shop, drink, party, fuck. Just remember to sing the virtues of district one as you do"
"I guess I can do that" I reply.
"good good" he tells me "though I'd suggest you start with shopping, that dress is far too dowdy for Ivy Street bars" he says referring to my open backed teal and gold gown.
I do indeed take his advice I jump in a cab and take myself around every high-end place I can find, buying and buying and buying until I'm sure I must have over a month's worth of my prize money. In every place I go though I talk and talk of our tributes. Of how Tiger volunteered to save the life of Sapphires little brother, of how Sapphire is one of the most beautiful girls of our district, how she's the fastest, how he's the strongest, how the two of them are winners. It eventually gets to the point where I'm not even sure if I'm telling the truth anymore.
That evening I return to the tribute centre exhausted but I keep going as the two tributes discuss their strategies with us or in Sapphires case discuss Mason.
"He's perfect for me to use" she tells me "strong and protecting plus he's so smitten it's almost cute"
That's how the next three days go, the tributes train and plot and forge alliances, while Paris and I use our influence to separate the capitol from their money.
By the time the interviews roll around, I'm sure that the vast majority of the capitol already know more about our tributes than they know about themselves and after two high scores of nine and two strong interviews the two of them are ready to go into the arena.
Tiger dies on the ninth day of the games; a large scorpion mutt twice the size of him sliced his head off with its sharp pincers. The capitol was annoyed as he'd been a favourite to win, Paris drunk himself into a stupor that night. I continued to sit and watch Sapphire flirt with Mason.
Sapphires death comes on the fifteenth day of the games, she was one of the final four when Mason killed her in her sleep, they were the final two careers. Mason went on to kill the other two remaining tributes and win the games.
I was in bed with a client when it happened; the man had not been particularly up for the task the night before and was now in the deepest sleep I'd ever seen. I watch the footage from the night before being repeated on the screen placed in front of his bed, the sound was off so I couldn't hear her final cries of death, but I could see as the commentators laughed and smiled and seemed to be making one big joke about it.
Mason's interview was excruciating to watch, the boy had no class and grinned and cheered as they re-played his every kill.
"What did you really think of Sapphire" they asked him.
"She was a silly little whore who was never going to win" ouch, that word hurt more than it should have.
That night I was in Castor and Polluxes house again, as usual they were happy to share me and afterwards we lay together and spoke of inane topics as they passed me drug after drug that relaxed my mind and let me forget everything that troubled me.