Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games. Credit to the series goes to Suzanne Collins. (but you already know that)
Chapter 3: Goodbyes, Train Rides, and a Glimpse of the Head Gamemaker
Diamond and Silver were waiting inside a fancy sitting room within the Justice Building. The Peacekeepers figured they may as well put them in the same room since they were siblings, so there they were, seated together on a red plush couch, surrounded by a peace plush carpet and white walls. The room was mostly bare, with only a marble table next to the couch and an ornate mirror on the wall, plus a window behind the couch. Diamond and Silver were bickering back and forth about absolutely nothing, when they received their first visitors: their parents. They rushed in and quickly embraced their children, with their mother hugging Diamond and their father hugging Silver.
"Oh, Diamond, Silver!" their mother cried. "This is a disaster! I can't believe we're going through this! Especially after your sister, Rhinestone…" Diamond and Silver nodded, now thinking of their fourteen-year-old sister, Rhinestone, who was reaped in the Hunger Games last year. She had killed two tributes, the boy from 3 and the girl from 10, and almost made it out of the Cornucopia before the girl from 5 threw an axe into her back, killing her right before the bloodbath ended. The family was devastated, and the household was tense for weeks due to their parents' extreme depression. The mother especially was heartbroken all over again. She had already lost one child, and she would most likely lose two more. Their father gently pulled Silver aside, while their mother pulled off her diamond ring and handed it to Diamond for her to wear as her token in the arena.
"Now Silver," their father began sternly. "You can do this. Don't let yourself think otherwise. I know that your sister won't be much of a contender-"
"Hey!" Diamond exclaimed, shooting daggers at her dad, who waved it off and kept his eyes on Silver.
"But I have faith in you. I will be betting on you," their father continued, patting Silver's shoulder. "You can very well win this thing, so do it."
"Alright, I will dad," Silver replied with a nod. "Thanks." Silver watched as his father then pulled out a shiny, silver pin and pinned it on his white blouse.
"Now, this," his father said, as he secured the pin to Silver's designer shirt. "I want you to wear this as your token. It's a priceless family heirloom that traces back several generations." Silver nodded again and responded with another "Thanks", when two Peacekeepers came in to lead the Tiara parents out of the room. The door was about to close behind them, when Silver's girlfriend (one of them, anyway - Silver isn't exactly a one-woman man), Glitter, rushes in and wraps her arms around him in a tight hug.
"Oh, Silver!" Glitter cried, clinging onto Silver. "I can't believe you're going into the Games! But I know you'll be great, so you'll win for sure."
"Thanks, Glitter," Silver responded with a grin, before the two began making out. Their kissing lasted for several minutes, before Peacekeepers showed up and Glitter followed them out. Their next visitor was Sparkle, another of Silver's girlfriends, and she didn't even say anything. She just latched onto Silver and started kissing him. Several minutes in, they break apart for air, but the Peacekeepers come for Sparkle before they can continue. They roughly escort Sparkle out, and the door slams shut behind them.
"Exactly how many girlfriends do you have?" Diamond asked Silver, raising an eyebrow.
"Let's see…I have…" Silver trailed while counting on his fingers. "…Seventeen girlfriends." Diamond snorted and rolled her eyes, while Silver smirked and shrugged.
Rosemary paced the floor nervously, her palms shaking and a bead of sweat sliding down the side of her head. She heard the creak of the door and whipped her head around, right as Mayor Wood walked. Without any words, Rosemary ran over and hugged her dad, her eyes watering.
"Rigged," Mayor Wood mused as they broke the hug. "I swear they rigged it. They rigged it because they know you're the only one who can succeed me after I retire from being mayor so that they can elect someone else, someone who's in with the Capitol."
"Dad…it's okay," Rosemary lied, looking down at the floor. "It happens."
"No, it's not okay," Mayor Wood continued, putting his head in his hand. "You're my only child. You're the only successor I could want. I have spent years teaching you and preparing you for the day that I would step down from my position and you would take my place, but all of that is down the drain because they're sending you into the Games."
"Despite the possibility, I didn't expect this to happen," Rosemary responded, running a hand through her brown hair. "I'm still in shock from it, and I wish it wasn't happening, but there's nothing I can do about it."
"Rosemary, I know the chances are slim, but I need you to do something for me," Mayor Wood said to his daughter. "You have to fight hard. I need you to win so you can come home."
"I'll do my best," Rosemary replied, waving to her father as Peacekeepers burst in and dragged him out. The door quickly closed behind them, but was opened a few seconds later as Priscilla, Rosemary's best friend, entered the room.
"Rosemary!" Priscilla cried, nearly tackling Rosemary to the ground as she wrapped her in a tight hug.
"Hey Priscilla," Rosemary replied, half-choking from her friend's tight grip. "I'm going to miss you."
"I'll miss you too!" Priscilla responded, hugging Rosemary tighter. "But I have hope that you'll return home."
"Thanks," Rosemary said, slowly breaking away from the hug. "And thanks for coming to visit me."
"Of course, Rosemary!" Priscilla replied, when she turned around and saw a Peacekeeper opening the door. "Good luck!"
"Thanks Priscilla," Rosemary responded while the Peacekeepers were motioning for Priscilla to leave. "Take care."
"You too, Rosemary!" Priscilla chimed before the door shut behind her. Rosemary was alone once again, but not for long, as the door opened again, revealing Rosemary's former teacher, Ms. Hawkins. Rosemary smiled at her presence as the older woman brought her in for a hug.
"Oh, Rosemary, you were always one of my favorite students," Ms. Hawkins said while blinking back tears. "It breaks my heart to see you going into these Games. Do you have a token to wear?"
"Yeah," Rosemary answered, pulling out a gold mockingjay necklace.
"Good, good," Ms. Hawkins said, admiring the mockingjay hanging from the gold chain. "It's lovely." Rosemary and Ms. Hawkins could hear the footsteps of the Peacekeepers pounding down the hall, so they quickly hugged each other again. "Goodbye, Rosemary," Ms. Hawkins continued, wiping a stray tear from her eye. "And best of luck."
"Thank you, Ms. Hawkins," Rosemary replied, waving to her as she was being nudged out the door by the Peacekeepers, before letting out a heavy sigh when the door closed again. Ms. Hawkins ended up being her last visitor, so she waited in solitude until the Peacekeepers came for her a half hour later. They circled her as they led her and Hamish out of the Justice Building and to the train station.
"So Regan, did you see Coach Carl at the reaping today?"
"I did, omigod his facial expression was so funny! It was just like last year!"
Caius sighed in agitation. As much as he tried, he could only tune out a fraction of the loud conversation Regan and Viola were having. Their topics of choice ranged from reminiscing about last year's Games to joking around about their Coach Carl, their trainer at the Career Academy, to gushing over the huge sale their favorite boutique in the district had the other day. They were way too loud for his pleasure, as their voices boomed throughout the train. It irked him how obnoxious they were; it was part of the reason why his relationship with Regan didn't work out and he chose to end it. They chattered on and on for almost an hour, when Caius finally spoke up, sounding more harsh than he intended.
"So…are you going to give us any advice at all for when we're in the arena?" Caius asked Viola. She blinked a few times, before her eyes flashed with remembrance.
"Oh, yes, of course," Viola answered, taking a moment to clear her throat before continuing, "You guys are Careers and all, but my help won't hurt." Viola paused again to collect her thoughts of what she planned to say, while Regan and Caius looked to her expectantly. "Anyway, when the bloodbath starts, head for the inside of the Cornucopia. That's where the best weapons are. Get a weapon, and then just turn around and attack full force. The bloodbath is the time when you're going to have the most energy you'll ever have in the arena, before you start being worn down by injuries and fatigue. Attack at the bloodbath, and take out as many tributes as you can before everyone starts running. That way, there will be fewer opponents to face later on when the arena takes its tolls on you." Regan and Caius nodded in understanding as they listened intently. "But be careful. Always look over your shoulder every second that you can," Viola continued. "The last thing you want is a tribute to sneak up on you and get a lucky shot at you. You saw that happen to the guy from 4 last year. He ended up with a huge gash in his back, and he died from that injury just short of being one of the final ten tributes." Viola's two tributes nodded again, Regan seeming to enjoy hearing these tidbits from her best friend and mentor.
"Viola, you were so awesome in the Games last year," Regan gushed. "When you roundhouse kicked and stabbed that guy from 11…oh my gosh, it was so epic."
"Thanks," Viola replied, beaming with pride. "It was pretty awesome. Especially considering he was huge! I actually thought he was going to take me down, so hearing his cannon go off and me being announced the victor was a huge shock to me." Caius turned around just as their escort, Randall, sauntered into the room, his footsteps pounding on the green carpet due to his weight.
"Hello, hello, children," Randall chimed in his obnoxious Capitol accent. "We can finally watch a recap of the reapings!"
"Alright, awesome," Viola replied, smiling at Randall. "Let's do that." Caius, Regan, and Viola rose from the table they were sitting at and sat down at the cream, leather sofa as Randall turned the TV on. Being from District 2, Regan and Caius were some of the first tributes to be revealed. Nevertheless, they became quickly engrossed in the reapings of every district.
Darien sat in an ornate chair against the wall and blankly stared out the window. He knew in his heart that reaping could be inevitable for any and all district children, but nothing could shake the turmoil he was feeling due to it being him. He was paying no attention to the world outside the window; he was too busy contemplating possible escape plans. He knew he had to escape, and he intended on doing so. He just had to figure out how he could do it. The Capitol had high-tech security that could detect him in his tracks and Peacekeepers that could stop him at any turn. It would take major stealth and even some luck to get around them. He noticed that the train was now out of District 8 and starting to pass through District 9 when his thoughts drifted to his goodbyes in the Justice Building. He scowled contemptuously when the image of his father came to mind. How his father, dressed clad in his form-fitting Peacekeeper uniform had exchanged cold glances with him before dragging Darien's mother out of the room. Peacekeepers weren't allowed to have children, so Darien's father had left Darien's mother and cut all ties from her after Darien was born out of wedlock. So Darien's mother was forced to raise her son on her own. Darien's mother had told him all about his father, and despite never knowing him, Darien hated him. His Peacekeeper father had looked on at him like he was dirt, practically forgetting that he was looking at his son. An illegitimate son, granted, but it was still his son nonetheless. It was his father's fault for having a one night stand with a woman he didn't know, so why blame him for being born? Darien snapped out of his thoughts when he felt himself lurch forward as the train come to an abrupt halt.
"Hey, what's going on?" he asked himself, now sitting up in his seat. "Where are we?" He heard footsteps pattering across the floor, and he turned to see Ariani walking up to him, her reaping outfit now slightly wrinkled.
"The train broke down. We're stopping here for a bit while they fix the train," Ariani said to him. "It probably won't be long though." Darien turned to glance out the window again, noticing that they were now halfway through District 10. He nodded and stood up to follow Ariani outside the train. It was when he stepped off the lavish carpet and onto the wooden platform when it hit him. This was his chance to make a break for it. He peered around him, making sure nobody around was watching him, before casually walking across the platform. Ariani had stepped back onto the train, and the Capitol chefs and Avoxes never left the train to begin with, so Darien was safe to keep going. Nobody was in sight now, so he prepared to jump off the platform and run off into the woods of District 10. He took another step, mentally preparing for launch, when he suddenly heard an annoying Capitol voice behind him.
"Darien! Yoo-hoo!" chimed the District 8 escort. "The train's been fixed, so we can keep going! Come along now!"
Rats. He found his chance, and then he lost his chance. Darien sighed with exasperation as he turned around and followed the escort back inside the train, barely listening as the escort rambled on about eating dinner and watching the reapings. After that little failure, Darien was more determined than ever to find a way out of the Hunger Games.
Thousands of Capitol citizens were seated in a vast theatre, cheering as Lindsey Knucklesworth, the interviewer for The Hunger Games, took a seat in one of red, leather, swivel chairs onstage. The red laser lights flashing throughout the otherwise dark theatre illuminated Lindsey's perfectly powdered face, adorned with sparkles that replace eye shadow and, thick red lipstick, and cheeks that are completely covered in blush. Lindsey was dressed in a glittery, poufy, pink cocktail dress and silver heels, with matching jewelry to boot. Lindsey beamed and waved to the crowd as Curtis Sparks, the returning Head Gamemaker, stepped onto the stage, resulting in more cheers from the Capitol crowd. Curtis was of medium height, about the same as Lindsey. He had dark, spiky hair and matching dark eyes, and he was dressed in a silver suit with a red tie. Curtis too smiled and waved to the audience as he sat down across from Lindsey.
"Hello, people of the Capitol!" Lindsey said in a booming voice, cueing the crowd to settle down. "As you all can see, I am here with the one and only Head Gamemaker, Curtis Sparks!" Together Lindsey and Curtis basked in the applause, before Lindsey continued, turning towards Curtis. "So Curtis, tell me, how are you feeling about this year's Hunger Games?"
"Well Lindsey, I must say that I am very excited about the Games this year," Curtis answered confidently. "With all the surprises we've come up with for the tributes to find in the arena, I think we just might be able to top last year's Games." The crowd nearly went into a wild frenzy upon hearing this. They couldn't wait for the excitement that was another Games.
"Can you reveal any of those surprises to us?" Lindsey asked, leaning in towards Curtis, who chuckled as he paused to think.
"Well, I can't really give anything away…" Curtis trailed, a playful smirk appearing on his face. "But I can tell you that the tributes will face many twists and turns throughout the arena." This made the Capitol people echo in oohs and Ohs. Lindsey giggled at this before pressing on.
"What can you tell us about the arena?" she inquired, raising her eyebrows inquisitively at the Head Gamemaker.
"Ah, yes, the arena. Well…" Curtis began, nodding quickly. "It's going to look like ordinary woodlands, but there are going to be little traps everywhere."
"Nice, very nice," Lindsey said, listening with intrigue. "I bet it's going to look awesome on all of our TV screens."
"Oh, it sure will," Curtis replied with a chuckle. "Yeah, it's going to be really great and I can't wait for all of you to see it. I promise you that you will not be disappointed." Curtis gave a small bow as the audience clapped for him once again.
"That's great to hear, Curtis! Well thank you so much for being here tonight," Lindsey said, shaking Curtis' hand, before the two stood up. Lindsey then extended her arm in a warm gesture towards Curtis as they faced the audience. "Ladies and gentlemen, our Head Gamemaker, Curtis Sparks!" Curtis gave one more wave to the cheering crowd before leaving the stage. "Be sure to tune in for my interviews with each of the tributes in a week!" Lindsey told the crowd. "Until then, goodnight everyone!" Lindsey bowed quickly as the audience applauded her before she walked off stage. She smiled to herself and sighed with bliss, as she did after all of her successful shows. Her smile grew even bigger with anticipation, as she was looking forward to interviewing this year's tributes.
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