3.

It was dreadful but wonderful, it was a wonderland.

The table is covered in food, pork and chicken. Different vegetables, stew and bread. Even though I'm well off I've never ever had so much rich food. My stomach hurts when I'm done and I lean back in my chair.

"Should we watch the reapings?" Finnick asks when we are finished.

"That's a good idea!" Mags agrees with him "we can see who the competition is". I wonder how she can be so optimistic when she knows all the kids on the screen will die except one.

We move to the couch and I sit down beside Ivan, he shoots me a friendly smile which I return. At least I stopped trying earlier!

"So what are your special skills?" Mags asks us.

"Spears, swords fishing and swimming" Ivan says proudly. I look at him fearfully, he would most likely join the careers. I doubt they would let me in, I'm too weak.

"Did you have training before?" Finnick asks him.

"Yes" Ivan smirks. How could he be okay with killing innocent children, maybe he even wants too. The idea disgusts me.

"How about you?" Finnick turns to me and looks at me with his blue eyes.

I gulp "um..swimming and fishing I guess" I stutter. They all look at me for a moment and my heart sinks even further. Even they know I don't stand a chance.

"We can work with that!" Finnick sticks up for me while shooting me a heart stopping smile. I blush and look at the floor.

The screen comes to life and the faces of Claudius and Caesar Flickerman appear on the screen and introduce themselves. "Welcome welcome" the chime together before they introduce the reapings and they begin.

Ivan must be seizing up the competition, all I see are the innocent kids sentenced to death. I ignore the lump in my throat and quietly watch the reapings from Districts 1,2 and 3.

In District 1 a huge boy with large muscles and grey eyes lunges forward to volunteer. His name is James but he introduced himself as Jem. The girl who volunteers is about my height but looks deadly and lethal, she even attacks a girl who tries to volunteer instead. Her name is Jewel. They have strange names in 1.

In District two a skinny but muscular boy with a large smile volunteers. He introduces himself as Eddie. He doesn't look all bad but he's probably really malicious behind the scenes. The girl who is reaped is named Snow, she's tall and blond and beautiful. She smiles maliciously at the crowd as if to say 'you better not volunteer for me'. No one does.

Two skinny kids named Drew and Sam are reaped from 3, they practically shake in fright. I can't blame them. Then it's our turn.

Ivan looks as strong and malicious as he did when I saw him. Then my name is called and the focus on my blank face in the crowd. Lynn pushes me forward and I walk to the stage. My short hair blowing across my face. I manage to hold back the tears until Emmy calls for me. I would have looked fine if I hadn't burst out crying.

I can feel everyone looking at me but I don't take my eyes of the screen. The only other tributes that catch my eye is a tall malicious looking girl from District 6 named Spring. A limping boy from District 8, and a 12 year old from 10 named Alyssa. In District 12 a normal pair of kids are reaped but they show them kissing and I guess they are together.

I wonder if the games will drive them apart or keep them together.

Soon the reapings are finished and the screen goes blank again. "Maybe add the girl from 6 to the pack" Ivan comments and our two mentors agree.

After that we are dismissed and I escape up my room. I find the bathroom and pull off my reaping clothes. I leave my necklace on and step into the shower. There is a large plate near the shower head with buttons the control the shower.

I somehow manage to turn the water on, and squeal when the cold water hits my face. I slam my hands down on the plate and some different smelling shampoo hits me from all sides. I lean forward and manage to turn the water warm.

Now the I have managed to get the water right I slowly wash all the soap off my body. I smell like a bouquet of flowers when I am done. I sigh and turn off the water. This stuff is too high tech for me.

Once I am done I step out of the shower and a machine dries me. I walk into my room and throw on a pair of silk pajamas. I sink into my bed and pull the covers up to my chin, I expect to cry but no tears come, I must be all cried out. I think of the sea back home and the waves and soon I drift into a troubled sleep though I can't stop the nightmares from coming. I dream of all the tributes faces, and death before I wake up with a start. I look down to see my blankets twisted around me and my forehead covered in sweat.

I decide to walk around and get a drink so I go to my door and step out into the hall. Someone walks right into me and I fall to the floor, I grab my arm painfully and look up. Finnick is looking down at me with red eyes and an angry expression. He helps me up before muttering a sorry and storming down the hall. I stare after him in confusion before I hear a door slam.

I dont have enough time to turn around before I hear the shouting. "I cant do it anymore" Finnick shouts, I hear someone try to console him in a soft voice but he continues shouting "I'm not their little play thing". I wonder if I have misunderstood Finnick until now, maybe he doesn't want to be the womanizer the Capitol has made him.

I duck back into my room and plop down onto my bed. From then on my dreams are filled with Finnick.

The next morning I wake up and the events from the night before come rushing back, I can't believe what I had heard. I shake my head in confusion when I hear banging on my door.

"Wake up!" Daisy calls "Its going to be a big big day!". I groan and roll out of my bed. I dont want to go to the Capitol, and be forced to pretend I love the Capitol and what they are doing, I mean I'm going to die anyways, why do I have to pretend I like the people who are planning to watch me die for fun?.

I throw on my outfit from the day before. Its not too dirty and it reminds me of home. I feel the normal gold locket on my throat and I look at the picture of my family. I wonder how they are doing without me, hopefully alright. I hope Emmy handles everything okay, and shes okay to grow up without a sister. There no belief Im going to make it, they must know that, even though they can hope.

I walk to the dining room and find everyone eating in awkward silence, Finnick is glaring at his plate and Ivan looks confused. I sit down across from Finnick and pile my plate high with food. I eat eggs, bacon, cinnamon rolls, muffins and even drink a cool liquid called hot chocolate. It tastes really good and I finish 3 cups of it. Finally I finish eating and lean back on my chair feeling sick. I hope I don't throw it and I focus on keeping the food down. Finnick watches me with an amused expression and I blush.

Suddenly the train compartment goes dark. "Were here" Daisy exclaims, and I know she can only mean the Capitol. I walk to the window with Ivan as we pass through the darkness. I know there are mountains surrounding the Capitol and were passing through a tunnel to get through, The tunnels are the only way to enter the Capitol. During the rebellion the soldiers had to climb over the mountains to reach the Capital, making them easy targets for the Capitol air crafts.

Then I'm blinded by light as we pull into the train station. The Capitol is magnificent, all tall glass building and grey roads and shiny cars. The Capitol citizens crowd the station trying to get a glimpse of this years tributes. I back away from the window in disgust when I see their smiling faces. How could they enjoy watching children fight to the death in an arena? How could they bet on who would live and who would die? I wonder if there are some Capitol citizens who don't like it.

The train pulls to a smooth stop just as I bump into Finnick. I blush when he leans in to whisper in my ear "looks like we keep bumping into each other". He waits for me to reply but Daisy saves me from having to say anything when she calls us over to the door. She exits the train and we follow her in a straight line. The Capitol citizens go crazy when they see Finnick and Ivan leading us. Finnick blows a kiss to one girl and she actually faints. I swallow the bile in my throat and force myself to smile and wave through my hatred. I am soon saved when we walk into the large gold building that will hold us tributes until the games.

Inside my prep team meets me and whisks me away to get ready for the parade. I hope they don't put me in something silly, or make me go out naked like they did for District 12 last year. They introduce themselves as Fabia, Auala and Simmer. Simmer happens to be a guy, he has a strange name. They each have brightly coloured hair, tattoos and many piercings and I try not to stare at their strange faces and outfits.

The lead me into a room and make me lie down on a cold metal table. They make me take off my clothes before quickly setting to work on me. They wax every single piece of hair off my body and tweeze my eyebrows into the perfect shape. It takes hours before they are finally pulling off the last bit of hair. I hold onto the table and grit my teeth as they pull it off. My skin burns and I sigh in relief when I sit in a odd smelling tub filled with lotain. It smells bad but makes my skin feel better. I feel like a plucked chicken waiting for slaughter.

Next they straighten my short hair and do my makeup. They add black eye liner and gold eye shadow which makes my green eyes pop. Then they add soft pink blush and pink lips which makes me look older and more mature. Once they are done they let me sit in my robe and wait for Poppy to come and make me beautiful. I hope she puts me in something decent. Im surprised when I realize I actually do like it, I like it very much.

Soon Poppy walks into the room. She flashes me a smile before saying "Hello Annie, welcome to wonderland".

A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews! Hope you like this chapter!