AN: Sorry for the delay dear readers! I'm really sorry, but I wanted to plan this chapter well before posting it, and it's not like I have a lot of free time for this. I'm glad to see that some people do read this, BUT I really appreciate feedback, so pleeeeaaase review, it's just a minute.
Anyway, this character is the last one I'm going to introduce as a narrator and I hope you like it. Also, you should tell me who is your favourite character, it might affect who survives or who dies.
Chapter 4: Journey to Immortality
I jump inside the train while grinning seductively to the camera flashes around me. By my side, my district partner – Marius, Marcus... whatever he's called – looks rather gloomy. It makes no sense to me. Okay, I understand that the Hunger Games isn't the most desirable thing to participate in, but that's for the other districts. He volunteered like me, didn't he? He is also an important guy's son – I don't remember his name either. So what can he possibly want? He has money, popularity, piercing and deep blue eyes and an incredibly hot body. Some people are just SO selfish.
Me, on the other hand, I'm in here for the money and fame, of course. My mother and I weren't exactly wealthy, not by district 1 standards, so I couldn't afford going to all those fancy parties my academy partners throw. However, there are some ways to get money when you are a beautiful young lady and talk to the right people, and I've never been hesitant to use all the advantages I can have.
When the train doors close behind us, our escort Darius tells us in his squeaky and high pitched accent that we have a few free hours before lunch is served in the restaurant car, where we will be introduced to our mentors, Gloss and Cashmere Hallow – as if we didn't knew who they are already. As soon as he says this, my district partner – I really need to learn his name – walks away in the direction of our rooms without a word.
"Such an impolite boy" says Darius while looking at me from toe to head. I smile to him and walk a step closer. "If you don't mind, I'm going to retire to my bedroom, I'm exhausted from all that standing in the square" I tell him.
"Of course, Crystal. I'll send an avox to call you 5 minutes before lunch." I grin and follow the other guy. He opens the door to his bedroom and enters, so I try the one in front of it. It seems he guessed right. It's an enormous room, with a king-sized bed in the middle of it, a huge closet full of the finest clothes I've ever seen, all my size, and a medium sized bathroom with a complex looking shower. It has so many buttons I don't think I can start it. You see, I've never been a genius with technology.
I lie in the bed, thinking about all this luxury, and I must doze of, because I wake up to the sound of someone knocking on the door.
"Come in!" A blond haired avox girl enters, and I remember what Darius said. I tell her to go so I can get dressed. I start looking through the huge piles of clothes inside the closet until I find a marvellous short grey dress that suits my eyes perfectly. I look at myself in the mirror of the bathroom, rearranging my shoulder-length blond, curly hair. It's a really light shade of blond, almost platinum, with the ends dyed purple. When I feel I can't get any better, I walk out.
I arrive to the restaurant car and everyone else is already there. Cashmere and Gloss introduce themselves, Darius offers me a seat next to him, and my district partner says nothing. He doesn't even look at me once. What's wrong with him? I roll my eyes and take the seat next to Darius.
"Okay, now that we're all here, let's start eating, shall we?" Cashmere asks smiling. I grin back to her. She's really admirable. She won the 64th Hunger Games using only a dagger, tricking every tribute who believed she was just silly and spoiled, and the previous year her brother Gloss had won with a similar ruthless strategy, showing off his great skill with knifes. If I'm going to be mentored by both of them, I can't possibly lose.
"I'm pretty sure you both were at the Bunker" Gloss says between bites. "Though if memory doesn't fail me, you're a year older, aren't you Crystal?"
"Yes, I'm 18. That's why I felt prepared to participate. Besides, there was no other girl in my age willing to participate" I smile to him and he raises an eyebrow.
"And what are you good at?" His sister asks sweetly. "Well, I can defend myself with a bow and arrows, and I could survive with knives or any other weapons really, but I feel more comfortable using a long sword." A long silence follows, and we don't speak again until dessert is served.
"What about you Magnus? I've heard you're really skilled with a spear." Gloss asks him, and I hear him speak for the first time. "Yeah."
Now this guy is definitely weird. We're supposed to be careers, so we're supposed to know how the other one can fight. Well, I won't try to get any information out of him. The other careers might just kill him if he doesn't cooperate, so he's not worth the effort.
In that moment, Darius speaks. "Oh, it's time now to watch the recap of the reapings! Let's see who your competitors will be." We all move to the TV part of the car, and I seat on the sofa, right between Darius and Gloss. Cashmere and Magnus sit on the two left armchairs. The TV starts broadcasting without no one turning it on.
Caesar Flickerman and Claudius Templesmith are yelling excitedly about how incredibly fierce they think we look. They proceed to tell the audience that this will be the first glimpse they'll get of us, so they can start planning bets. And a moment later, the reaping ceremonies get started.
We – being District 1 and all that stuff – are the first ones to appear. It is shown how Darius calls two names no one cares about, and then we run. I'm the first one to get to the stage, and I look stunning, but with a mischievous look. Perfect. Magnus, on the other hand, looks serious but not in a menacing way. What his blue eyes show is more like acceptance.
District 2 female tribute is just an average strong-looking career, but the guy is scary. He's huge, black haired and with a scar crossing his left cheek. His glare is ruthless and bloodthirsty, like he not only is able to but wants to kill you. Not many tributes, not even from 2, are that frightening.
The tributes from 3 are both scrawny and small, though the girl has a sly half-smile. The next tributes are pretty unimpressive, except the female from 4. Her hair is red, almost crimson, and she looks vicious. She's a volunteer. A 12 year old boy gets reaped in District 6. The girl from 7 bursts into tears and cries for her mother. Johanna Mason must be disappointed.
Nothing special catches my eye until we get to District 9. The male tribute is an attractive guy, looking between 16 and 18, with wavy coppery hair and tanned skin. He's not what you would call hot, but he has something in his appearance that out-stands. I can't understand what's different in him when the girl gets called, a delicate beauty. She has her chocolate hair beautifully braided, making her green eyes bright. She's naturally beautiful. And I hate her for it.
When they shake hands I finally see what's strange about the guy – Dorian, he's called. It's his face. His expression is not that of fear, or acceptance, or determination like hers. He's annoyed, like he's arriving 5 minutes late. And that's definitely not normal.
I can't dwell on the thought because they change to District 10. They reap a 15 year old blond girl, but I don't pay much attention after that. Those tributes aren't likely to last more than a couple of hours at most.
I'm positive that these Games are going to be really interesting. People will remember Crystal Garnet's Games as the best ones in history, I'm sure of that.