Chapter 5

Aery helps me put on the outfit, smiling dopily and telling me how stunning I'll look once the costume is on and just as I thought, I'm a tree. I can't even see the edges of the branches in the mirror, it's so huge. For a moment, I wonder how I'll be able to fit inside the chariot.

"That looks amazing!" She exclaims, leading me out of the room, carefully directing me around the doorway. I smile to myself as one of the highest branches clips the ceiling, breaking it off. Aery luckily doesn't notice.

"Where are we going?" I ask her, almost tripping over my roots.

"To the stables, of course!" She announces, as she keeps walking me towards them. I catch sight of a few other tributes in outfits just as bad as mine. The fox faced girl from Five is dressed as a power plant, complete with a metallic silver dish around her head and the boy from Four is a six foot tall, brilliantly blue fish.

"Beautiful as always, Aery," Blight remarks, upon seeing me.

"Yes, this year I tried to incorporate more of a leafy style," She explains, waving her hands at a branch, before she catches the attention of one of her friends.

Once Aery wanders away, Blight says, "She does this every year. Johanna just ripped hers in half once her parade was done."

I raise an eyebrow, "Actually?" But I'm interrupted by a blond man that comes crashing into me.

He looks familiar enough, probably a victor form a earlier game, with sunken in eyes and blond hair that was a bit all over the place. He's completely hammered.

"Haymitch!" Blight warns, shoving him off me. Haymitch, the name rings a bell.

"Oh Blight, whats good?" he asks, teetering dangerously to the side. Blight grabs his bicep to straighten him up.

I look behind him, where the male tribute form Twelve stands. He's wearing a skin tight black catsuit with a big cape on the other end. He sees my eye contact as an invitation to talk and I almost run away from him.

"District Seven?" He asks.

I gesture to the trunk, "What gave it away?"

He cracks a smile.

"Twelve, right?" I ask, even though I already knew.

"Kinda obvious isn't it," he remarks.

I shrug, "It's not as bad as the time you were pieces of coal."

He groans, "I was crossing my fingers that it wouldn't happen," Before dropping to a whisper, "How do these people get hired?"

I chuckle, "Did you see Four?"

"The walking fish was hard to miss," He jokes, "I'm Peeta," he tells me.

"Katniss," I respond, before Blight pulls me away form him.

"What are you doing!" He demands.

"What? I can't talk to people now?" I reply, angrily.

"You can't make friends, because that boy may be the one standing in the way of you and your survival!" Blight says, sounding mad.

He leads me over to the chariot, where Rilien and Johanna are waiting. I feel a sliver of satisfaction when I see his costume. His stylist had obviously thought his red hair clashed with the greenery and had dyed it an awful seaweed green colour.

"What's got you in the awful mood?" Johanna asks Blight.

"Katniss here, decided to make friends with 12," He tells her, scowling at me.

Johanna frowns at me and she and Blight walk away form us and start to whisper to each other. Rilien and I spend the the rest of the time in awkward silence, until Aiola herds us into the chariot.

"Wave, smile and act nice, Katniss I'm talking to you," She orders us. I glare at her, but nodded.

Aiola gives us both a sickeningly sweet smile, "Good luck."

Once she leaves, I attach the mockingjay pin to my outfit. Rilien looks confused, but he doesn't ask anything about it.

I see the District One chariot take off. I hear the crowds just seconds away form us erupt into cheers. One by one, each chariot takes off.

Caesar Flickerman's announcements are loud and clear, "And here comes the shining jewels of the Districts, introducing District One! We can thank their stylist, Lavania and Biggus for their beautiful costumes tonight! On our left we have Glimmer and can I say her name does fit her dress. Marvel is beside her, showing off an outfit that definitely shows off his assets. Women of the Capitol, pay attention! District Two coming out now, is everyone ready?"

I see six chariots leave and suddenly, it's our turn. We're out of the stables and my mouth drops open. It's blinding. The crowds, the sun light everything. People scream names. I can't make anything out, because so many people yell. Roses fall to the ground and the horses, thankfully, aren't at all fazed, maintaining a steady clop clop. Rilien is already smiling and waving before I even start. Just when we're about halfway to the end, I hear a huge gasp and some cries of horror. I look behind me, to see District Twelve's tributes on fire. Not just painted like a flame, they're actually on fire, but they were both smiling away, even though the girl was holding onto the handle like her life depended on it.

"Don't look back," Rilien tells me, sounding annoyed. I kick him, but start waving and smiling again. Nothing works. Everyone watches District 12.

Once we pull in, President Snow, starts his speech. The flames extinguish as he starts speaking.

"Hello and welcome to the 74th annual Hunger Games!" President Snow declares. The moment he starts speaking, the entire stadium goes quiet.

I look over the rest of the tributes. Six doesn't look very threatening and neither does Eight, but after Johanna's performance no one doubts anyone else again. I remember the year after Johanna, a girl from Ten tried the same strategy and the careers hunted her down quicker than anyone else.

"And may the odds be ever in your favour!" President Snow declares with a cold smile, ending his speech with the famous quote. I laugh at that. The odds are never in anyone's favour. Prim only had her name in there once and it could of easily been her standing where I was right now. Travier had his name in thirty times before he was reaped. The only ones who has the odds in their favour is the Capitol.

The horses lead us back to the stables.

"Good job you two,"Aiola says, excitedly.

"If you hadn't been trees, you might of even pulled it off," Johanna remarks, scathingly.

"No need to be rude, Johanna," Aiola tells her, sternly, "I think the Aery did an especially good job this year. Have you noticed how she made the costume leafier? I think it adds something the Capitol is sure to notice."

Johanna rolls her eyes, before heading to the elevator. I come with her. District 12 was waiting there too and when it came, we all rode up together.

Peeta smiles at me and I nod back.

"Did you get burned?" Johanna asks Haymitch, gesturing to the costumes.

"District 2 wants us to burn, that's for sure," He tells her, "I love how your stylist can so easily capture the spirit of your district," He finishes, sarcastically.

"They captured it so well they've redone it every year," I mutter.

Haymitch chuckles, "Hilarious, Sweetheart."

The elevator opens it doors at floor seven and I walk into it.

"Well that was a disaster," Johanna remarks.

"We've been trees for the past twenty two years," I tell her.

"Yeah but we've all had stupid costumes, but Twelve is done with coal miners and pieces of coal now," She says, "And you saw the way the crowd cheered for them, they're going to be fan favourites for sure."

Alright, so 5 is finished. I hope everyone enjoyed!