AN: Hi again readers! I'm soooo sorry for the unexpectedly long wait, I really am. But I've been without my computer in holidays, and this last weeks I've had a few exams so...

I have a few news for you. The bad one is that I my final exams are practically here, so updates will be few and far between from here until June. The good thing is that as soon as I'm free I'll update as much as I can. So stay tuned!

I'll leave you now with the chapter, this one (a little bit shorter, sorry) from the hand of our dear Kelly Brooks. Review, please! :D

Chapter 5: A Long Road

I'm not sure of what I feel inside when the Reaping ceremonies finally stop broadcasting. There are 22 faces I'd rather not look at again, 22 names I don't want to remember. Most of them will certainly die within a few weeks time, a few days even. And neither Dorian nor I are likely to be the one who comes out alive.

Anyway, I force myself to watch each and every one of them. There are several strong looking competitors this year, apart from the typical career pack. And I need to analyse their apparent strengths and fears in order to come back to Mark.

We are – our mentors, our escort, Dorian and I – in the restaurant car, which includes the TV room. The TV, a huge square screen bigger than any other I've ever seen, is now turned off. I suppose Marian and Daniel want to discuss strategy now that we have seen our opponents, but they are just horrible people. Marian, my mentor, is around 50. She's a wicked woman, always speaking harshly, using bitter words. I'm not sure how she won her games, but she's not physically strong. Either she killed tributes using insults, or she knew how to fight with long range weapons like a pro.

Daniel, on the other hand, is quite younger. I'm positive he's about 35, but with a few grey lines starting to appear in his black hair. He's ruthless and insensitive. I've heard rumours about him, rumours accusing him of murdering all of his alliance members during their sleep, and several other tributes in cold blood, when he was only 15. I'm not sure at all who's the worst monster here.

A deafening silence settles in the room. Our escort, the personified attempt of a person trying to look like a frog, excuses herself and walks inelegantly out of the room. She's really weird. Marian storms out, muttering to herself, and Daniel follows her a moment later, after glaring us both.

"Such a helpful crew" Dorian says, his eyebrows raised. "What do you think about our competitors?"

"Well... I'm not sure. The females from 1 and 4 look quite dangerous, but the guy from 2... he's terrifying."

"Yeah... I suppose he is. But If I were you I'd be even more worried about the non-career tributes. Being desperate turns a person into an animal. The careers are ruthless and definitely dangerous, and a person with a fixed purpose can be really powerful, yeah. But a person that has nothing to lose... well, that's another thing"

"But all of us have the same goal, that same purpose. We all want to win this thing and forget it ever happened." I don't know what is he referring to with that nothing-to-lose nonsense. We are risking our lives.

"Well, that's the typical way of thinking. But you don't know the other tributes. Magnus from district 1 looks like that kind of person. He, or any other really, can be much more dangerous than we give them credit for."

"And why are you exactly telling this to me, Dorian? If we can't know a thing about these tributes from their appearance, then we won't ever. We would be blind. And how have you learned their names, knowing that you'll probably have to kill some of them? I really prefer not to think of them as human, it will make it more difficult in the end."

"But they are humans, and we need to know them in order to defeat them. That's why we need a plan. So, are you in, dear district partner?"

…

When I wake up the next day, it's almost time for lunch. Dorian and I were talking about the games until really late. I really trust him, and his plan seems logical and well prepared. I wonder if he started creating it the moment he knew we both were going to the Games. He's always like that, clever and resourceful. I need to get out of here, but if I don't I wish he were the winner. We need to make sure that district 9 has a victor this year.

I start getting ready to go out. I'm surprised that none of our mentors came to yell at us. I mean, we are quite late, and we're arriving to the Capitol this afternoon. But I suppose they don't care about us, either way.

Dorian goes out of his room at the same time as I do, and we laugh. It's not funny at all, but when you're life is rather likely to end in a few days, you enjoy laughing as much as you can. The smaller amount of depressive thoughts your mind carries, the better.

When we enter the restaurant car, everyone else is already there, as expected. The surprising thing is that our escort is chattering lightly with Marian and Daniel. What has happened to the world?

The Frog looks disappointed with us, but she can't hide her excitement when we are so close to the Capitol and all her friends and dresses and parties. "Come on boys, you need to eat quickly or there will be no time to prepare for the opening ceremony!"

"What does that preparation exactly consist in?" I ask, not wanting to know really. But I need to know what they're going to do to me before exposing me in front of all Panem dressed as... whatever they invent for the occasion.

"Well dear, how can you not know it? Your own preparation team is going to get your nails, your hair, and your make-up ready for the chariot show. And you will meet your stylist, who has to design something for you to wear out there."

It didn't sound bad when she said it. Oh dear, was I wrong.