I am not Suzanne Collins. Seriously, however brilliant my stories are (and they are brilliant :P) they are not the real Hunger Games.
The Antagoniser(Yes, I know that's spelt wrong. It's supposed to be) Ok, well it isn't, but I spelt it wrong now, and I refuse to change it now. What do you mean it would be easier to change it now than to write out a long-winded reason for why I shouldn't change it. Well... YOU'RE JUST WRONG!
I'm not stubborn, everyone else is just wrong. My motto, and the truth. Suck it losers!
Author away!
The rest of the day is as interesting, or at least, that is what I would call it if I wasn't in danger of being bludgeoned to death in the next few weeks. First off, I get to traumatise Gaia, after she came in at around 8, Red Hair in stupid little curlers with her make-up off, I personally though she looked nicer without the stuff on her face but she did not agree. How do I know this? Well, when she saw us looking at her, she gave one little shriek of terror and ran out, practically in tears. Kai snorted and I felt laughter coming on myself, but held it back, given the danger of head-bludgeoning I have already mentioned. She did not return for several hours, and when she did, we were already getting started on breakfast, alone (our mentors had neglected to make an appearance yet.) She was out of her curlers, hair to its 'natural' upright position and make up was caking up her face once more, making her look even more stupid than usual. I gave a little smirk at her appearance and looked away from her, back to my milk. Kai kept trying to catch my eye, and when he finally did, he gestured at Gaia (who was currently facing away from us, getting bread) and held his copper hair over his head, and began to mime Gaia. It was a very good (if slightly cruel) interpretation which led to me snorting milk out of my nose all over Kai's face. He did no more interpretations, due to the white liquid in his hair, but he was already starting to laugh. This caused Gaia to spin around and berate me for my 'bad manners', I began to laugh to and soon an irate Gaia stormed out the room, leaving us to laugh.
I don't even remember why I am here.
This is not enough to stop me laughing, but the thought does bring me back down to earth with a slight bump. I am laughing with someone who has the power, means and opportunity to kill me. But the laughing seems to free me somewhat, and for a moment, I could be back by the sea in District 4, laughing with Marlin and Nymph. Unfortunately, this illusion vanishes the second Gaia returns, no longer alone. Hydrao is standing tensely behind Gaia, eyes flickering between our faces and the behemoth of a women now standing in front of us.
I suddenly realise that I am no longer laughing.
Lyna seems bigger than I'd thought, even though I have seen her many times before both on the screen and around District 4 (she lives near us). I become quiet, as she seems grow before my eyes. Lyna is quiet, and she doesn't actually seem to be too angry, though she gives me a look of disgust before sitting down. Feeling my life is safe for now, I reach for another orange (the bowl has been restocked by one of the servants.) and begin to cut it open, before sucking out the succulent juices.
Lyna grabs the bread out of Gaia's hand (much to Gaia's indignation) and begins to talk to us."We'll be arriving in the Capitol in an hour or two, so I thought I'd talk to you now rather than later." She rips the bread in two and swallows the first half whole. "Kai, I've trained with you for over 10 years now, and I know your style"
Kai gives a nod (and gives me a quick look, to check if I'm impressed or not). I'm not really, but I give him a (fake) look of approval. It'll be good practice for when I need to do it in the interview and...
My mind doesn't want to say the word right now, to admit where I am going might just make me see my breakfast again.
Lyna then turns her face to me "you I've not seen in the training school, and I seriously doubt you wanted to come here." She gives me a little smirk, mirroring Kai's "and so I hope you won't mind if I focus my attention on someone who might be alive in two weeks."
My breathing rate begins to increase, and I can feel the blood pumping in my ears.
I ignore this though, and reply "I do mind actually".
This causes my pulse rate to spike dramatically, more in fear than anger this time.
Lyna turns to me, and says coolly "Well tough luck, Hydrao will be your mentor as you share similar tendencies."
She then proceeds to turn away from me, to look at Kai "Kai, we'll discuss strategies elsewhere".
Kai looks confused, and replies "Me and Aalgae, we're Allies now, we've already decided."
His voice has taken on the whininess that I attribute to Movii when she wants something from Meena. Lyna remains cool and collected (it's hard to imagine her even pretending to be a pleasant person) and tells Kai
"Whatever you have decided, I feel it's in both of your interests that you train separately. What is the girl has some hidden talent?" She gives me a look that tells me that she severely doubts this, and then leads Kai out the room, though he still looks confused. They leave the carriage, probably going to her room further on.
I am left with Hydrao, trying to stop myself hitting something.
"So." Hydrao says uncertainly. Poor sod, he only looks a year older than me, must be his first time at mentoring. "So." He repeats again, obviously hoping I'll say something.
I am determined not to make it easy for him, either because I feel this will spite Lyna for some reason, or (more likely) I am angry and want someone else to hurt for it. I am cruel like this. Hydrao returns to silence and we sit like that for some time, while I smoulder indignantly at the unjustness of it all. All of it. 5 minutes later, Hydrao tries again, this time with more vigour.
"Do you want to be alive in a month?" I look up from my dark thoughts about Lyna to see Hydrao standing up, out of his chair and begin pacing up and down along the blue carpet. I do not answer, more out of surprise then anything.
He continues anyway "I've been through the games, I didn't want to enter them. Did you know that? I almost died on more than one occasion, I had to kill people I may have liked, you'll have to do the same soon and all you care about is having a sulk?"
He turns to me and I open my mouth to retaliate but he doesn't give me time to speak.
"I can give you advice, I can tell you how to survive if you let me. So, will you let me?" He is now looking as angry as I felt a few minutes ago, but my anger has left me now. He accepts my silence as accepting his help as he stops pacing, and asks me
"So tell me, what will you when the gong goes off? Will you run to the Cornucopia?" I feel embarrassed answering now but I mutter "Depends. If there's a spear or something."
Hydrao nods, and resumes his pacing "Good, good, you can use a weapon then. Of course, you're a spear fisher, aren't you?" He doesn't seem to expect me to answer and so paces on. "Even so, you should not enter the fray at the Cornucopia, most people die there. It's a lure, one which works every year. Can you make your own spear?"
He suddenly turns to me, and I realise he wants me to answer this question.
"Yes…" I say apprehensively, "but I need a knife at least, and some time."
He nods and increases his pacing. I am beginning to wonder whether he is entirely sane when he stops, and sits down opposite me. "You didn't volunteer for this, so I'm wondering whether the trained tributes will accept you or not. If you prove yourself good with weaponry, then you may get in."
He says this a lot slower than anything else he has said so far.
"Kai thinks I'm a 'tee… I mean a trained tribute, he thinks I just got picked early." He told me that last night, and I felt no need to correct him. "Anyway, I don't want to be part of the trained group. They all kill each other before the end."
Hydrao doesn't even turn to look at me "But at the beginning, they are strong, they don't die of starvation or thirst, everyone knows that. You could just leave afterwards, before the fighting starts!"
He does not seem to understand, if I left, they would hunt me down like an animal for betraying my 'own kind'. I would rather die a peaceful death by starvation, then at the hands of one of the 'teer boys. My end would not be quick by their hands. I try to tell Hydrao this but he shoots down my retaliations, telling me again and again, that I need to go with them.
Exasperated, I tell him "You didn't! I saw your games. You went on your own so why can't I?"
He ignores this comment of mine, leaving me more exasperated and angry than ever. Will no-one listen to me? Am I just a player in one of these games? One of those tributes who goes into the games with no-one knowing their name? I may be a 'teer (in the mind of the audience) but district 4 is one of the weaker ones, with less wins than district 1 or 2. I also look entirely unimpressive. I do not look sexy and seductive like the girl from district 1. I do not even look strong, like the girl from district 11. One of the worst things to do in this game is to be forgotten. When forgotten, no-one will sponsor you, unless you manage to survive until the final 5 or something, but usually by that time, it's too late. I need an angle, and I try to interrupt Hydrao again, who's now ranting on about how to cross a river – as if I'll ever need to know that. District 4? Swimming? – but he ignores me and keep talking about stones and moss and stuff like that. I sigh and wish I had a better mentor. Hydrao may be less intimidating than Lyna, but he won't shut up and let me talk!
Hydrao has been raving for some time (with me nodding occasionally, but generally ignoring him) when he suddenly stops. I look up from my stupor, and find him looking at me expectantly.
"What?" I ask him, non-pluses. "What do you mean, what?" He asks me, incredulously, "I just ask you the most important question in your life, one which may even save your life, and you say 'What?'?" He finally sits down and stops his pacing, looking at me in impatience. "Have you even been listening to me?" He asks me, irritation rising in his voice. With all that's happened today, it's all I can do not to slap him across the face.
Restraining myself, I answer calmly. "No."
"Well good, because all that I've told you will come in very… Hang on. No?" He stops, mid-flow, incredulity in his voice this time - He has displayed more emotion in the last few hours than I think Lyna has ever shown in her entire lifetime. Nervousness, Anger, Irritation, and now Incredulity. He should be a bloody actor –
"No." I tell him, my voice filling back up with the anger that left me while I dozed listening to Hydrao's stupid solo-speech. I have always had a short temper, and normally regret letting myself go, but right now, on this train waiting to be slaughtered, I don't care…
"No." I say again in a shriller, and louder voice. "No. I will not listen to your stupid little talk on what you want me to do, when you won't even listen! I try to suggest things and you just blather on! You don't even care. It's not my fault your fellow mentor hates you even more than I do!"
And with that, I storm out the room, leaving nothing behind except a bewildered looking Hydrao, and a pile of orange skins. I fly back up the carriage, muttering swear-words under my breath, not even stopping to mock Gaia, who is leaving Lyna's carriage and going back to the main carriage. I'm almost at my door when I feel the floor sink slightly below my feet, and get the feeling I've just walked on land for the first time for ages, as if on a long sea journey. I suddenly recognise that if this is a hover-train, then it must be floating something, like a boat. I look out the window and gasp, a large city, full of high, glistening buildings looms above me, below me is a floor of pure white, where the train has come to the stop. Around me, people dressed like peacocks flap about, and I realise that I have arrived at the Capitol…
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