They locked me in this room that looked like a library. I was sitting on an old, ratty sofa, thinking of what I was going to be put through. I knew that I wasn't going to survive. I knew that my family would break down even worse because I would be death number three. I stared out the window at the rows of grain, thinking this is the last time I will be able to see the place that I once called home.
I heard the door click open and turned to see my brother and father walking into the room. I quickly jumped out of my seat and wrapped my arms around my father's neck. I wanted to cry, but I couldn't. Not in front of them. The last thing that I want them to remember about me is that I was upset. I released my hug to see the tear-stained face of my father.
"You don't have to tell him anything," Dimitri said quietly. "The Capital told them everything." I sat back down on the sofa. I couldn't do this. I couldn't bare to watch my father upset. "I told him why you didn't tell him." My father sat down next to me and put his arm around me. My brother sat on the other side and took my hand. If I wasn't going off to be killed, this would have been a great moment. Suddenly, my father stood and turned to face me.
"Listen, Valiant," he started. "You're going to make it. You know how to survive. You're a rebel. Nothing they can do can take that from you." I stood and nodded my head, realizing all of the training I had gotten from the rebellion was coming back in one giant wave. I remember how to scout, find food, get fresh water, and all of that. Truthfully, the only thing I really have to worry about is finding a weapon I can use.
The door swung open with peacekeepers yelling at my father and brother to go. I quickly gave both of them a hug. My brother leaned in close to me and whispered, "Come back home." I nodded my head and the two left. I was once again, alone. I walked over to the window to watch as the stage was getting torn down and the ropes started to disappear. I heard the door click open, but didn't turn to it.
"Well, aren't you going to greet your guest?" the voice was soothing. I knew that voice. I turned to see Elise standing by the door. Before I realized it, I was running to her arms and sobbing. Elise stroked my hair and hummed. We sat down on the sofa and she coaxed me into stopping the tears. She held both of my hands in hers. "I've watched you train for this day. Running back and forth from the fields and such. You're quite the runner. But I'm not here to tell you to win." This shocked me. I thought that she would have wanted me to come back. "I'm here right now to tell you not to forget who you are. You forget yourself, it won't matter if you win or not. The Capital will have already done their job." Her words sunk in. She was right. I didn't dare talk in fear of crying again, but I nodded my head in agreement. Elise quickly stood on her feet and turned to the door. "Make District 9 proud to have you as a tribute." She opened the door and left me alone once more.
Galaria came to fetch me. Together with Jeremy, we walked out of the building into a car. It was the first time I have ever rode in one, and probably the only time I will. The car drove us to the train station. Cameras were everywhere. The minute we exited the car, flashes started going off. I thought I would be blind if we wouldn't have gotten to the train so quickly.
"Ladies first," Jeremy said. He offered his arm to help me up. I quickly took hold of his arm and got on the train. He hopped on right behind me. The train started to roll just as we got into a train car.
"Valiant, your room is to the left. Jeremy, yours is to the right. Clean up and I will see you in the dining car," Galaria said, sounding perky. Galaria left the car, leaving the two of us alone.
I went into my room, shutting the door behind me. The room was much bigger than mine at home. The bed was dressed in silky white sheets. I opened the closet to find plenty of clothes to choose from. I quickly pulled out a navy blue skirt that reached to my ankles and a simple white blouse. I washed my face in the bathroom and changed into the clothes I picked out. My stomach growled but I didn't feel like eating. My stomach was still in knots from the Reaping. I peaked out the door to find Jeremy standing in the hallway.
"Hungry?" he asked me. I shook my head as I opened the door more.
"Not really," I answered.
"You mind coming with me to the dining car? I don't want to be stuck in the same room with that orange catastrophe by myself." I laughed at the comment and agreed to go with him. The two of us walked to the dining car. We opened the door to find Galaria sitting with a glass of purple liquid in her hand. We walked in, smelling the different foods in the car.
"Not bad. Simple but cute," she said. I assumed she was talking about our clothes. We sat down at the table in the seats across from her. A basket of rolls sat on the table. I picked one up and started pulling at it, putting pieces in my mouth. The television was on with some guy with pink hair was talking about the Reapings. "Oh, good! They're on!"
One by one, starting with District 1, the Reapings were being replayed. Just by the videos, I could already tell that the tributes from 1, 2, and 4 were going to be threats. The boys were huge and the girls were far bigger than me. There were two twelve year olds, one from District 3 and the other from 12, but other than them, there were nothing but eighteen year olds. If the odds of me returning home weren't bad enough, this made them much worse.
"I'll be right back," Galaria said. She stood up and walked out, still holding her glass. Jeremy looked at me, looking about as nervous as I felt.
"Well, the odds are not in our favor. I think we could make it if we worked really hard when we get to the Capital," he said. His optimism was shocking. He could make it if he tried, I would be lucky enough to survive in a fight with any of the tributes from 1,2,and 4. Even the boy from District 12 was threatening my chance of survival.
Galaria came back into the room and announced that we were arriving at the Capital. Jeremy and I walked to the window and looked at the tall buildings, all colorful and shiny. They were nothing like the buildings back home. Same went for the people. They wore colorful wigs and eccentric clothes made them look like what I had pictured a circus would look like when we learned about them at school. As we rolled into the train station, camera and colorful people were everywhere.
"Ladies and gentlemen, let the games begin," I stated in a mocking tone. Jeremy laughed, knowing that what I said was true. Galaria gave us a scolding stare but we didn't care. We knew that we would need all the good humor we could get in order to make it through this colorful sea of terror.
I heard the door click open and turned to see my brother and father walking into the room. I quickly jumped out of my seat and wrapped my arms around my father's neck. I wanted to cry, but I couldn't. Not in front of them. The last thing that I want them to remember about me is that I was upset. I released my hug to see the tear-stained face of my father.
"You don't have to tell him anything," Dimitri said quietly. "The Capital told them everything." I sat back down on the sofa. I couldn't do this. I couldn't bare to watch my father upset. "I told him why you didn't tell him." My father sat down next to me and put his arm around me. My brother sat on the other side and took my hand. If I wasn't going off to be killed, this would have been a great moment. Suddenly, my father stood and turned to face me.
"Listen, Valiant," he started. "You're going to make it. You know how to survive. You're a rebel. Nothing they can do can take that from you." I stood and nodded my head, realizing all of the training I had gotten from the rebellion was coming back in one giant wave. I remember how to scout, find food, get fresh water, and all of that. Truthfully, the only thing I really have to worry about is finding a weapon I can use.
The door swung open with peacekeepers yelling at my father and brother to go. I quickly gave both of them a hug. My brother leaned in close to me and whispered, "Come back home." I nodded my head and the two left. I was once again, alone. I walked over to the window to watch as the stage was getting torn down and the ropes started to disappear. I heard the door click open, but didn't turn to it.
"Well, aren't you going to greet your guest?" the voice was soothing. I knew that voice. I turned to see Elise standing by the door. Before I realized it, I was running to her arms and sobbing. Elise stroked my hair and hummed. We sat down on the sofa and she coaxed me into stopping the tears. She held both of my hands in hers. "I've watched you train for this day. Running back and forth from the fields and such. You're quite the runner. But I'm not here to tell you to win." This shocked me. I thought that she would have wanted me to come back. "I'm here right now to tell you not to forget who you are. You forget yourself, it won't matter if you win or not. The Capital will have already done their job." Her words sunk in. She was right. I didn't dare talk in fear of crying again, but I nodded my head in agreement. Elise quickly stood on her feet and turned to the door. "Make District 9 proud to have you as a tribute." She opened the door and left me alone once more.
Galaria came to fetch me. Together with Jeremy, we walked out of the building into a car. It was the first time I have ever rode in one, and probably the only time I will. The car drove us to the train station. Cameras were everywhere. The minute we exited the car, flashes started going off. I thought I would be blind if we wouldn't have gotten to the train so quickly.
"Ladies first," Jeremy said. He offered his arm to help me up. I quickly took hold of his arm and got on the train. He hopped on right behind me. The train started to roll just as we got into a train car.
"Valiant, your room is to the left. Jeremy, yours is to the right. Clean up and I will see you in the dining car," Galaria said, sounding perky. Galaria left the car, leaving the two of us alone.
I went into my room, shutting the door behind me. The room was much bigger than mine at home. The bed was dressed in silky white sheets. I opened the closet to find plenty of clothes to choose from. I quickly pulled out a navy blue skirt that reached to my ankles and a simple white blouse. I washed my face in the bathroom and changed into the clothes I picked out. My stomach growled but I didn't feel like eating. My stomach was still in knots from the Reaping. I peaked out the door to find Jeremy standing in the hallway.
"Hungry?" he asked me. I shook my head as I opened the door more.
"Not really," I answered.
"You mind coming with me to the dining car? I don't want to be stuck in the same room with that orange catastrophe by myself." I laughed at the comment and agreed to go with him. The two of us walked to the dining car. We opened the door to find Galaria sitting with a glass of purple liquid in her hand. We walked in, smelling the different foods in the car.
"Not bad. Simple but cute," she said. I assumed she was talking about our clothes. We sat down at the table in the seats across from her. A basket of rolls sat on the table. I picked one up and started pulling at it, putting pieces in my mouth. The television was on with some guy with pink hair was talking about the Reapings. "Oh, good! They're on!"
One by one, starting with District 1, the Reapings were being replayed. Just by the videos, I could already tell that the tributes from 1, 2, and 4 were going to be threats. The boys were huge and the girls were far bigger than me. There were two twelve year olds, one from District 3 and the other from 12, but other than them, there were nothing but eighteen year olds. If the odds of me returning home weren't bad enough, this made them much worse.
"I'll be right back," Galaria said. She stood up and walked out, still holding her glass. Jeremy looked at me, looking about as nervous as I felt.
"Well, the odds are not in our favor. I think we could make it if we worked really hard when we get to the Capital," he said. His optimism was shocking. He could make it if he tried, I would be lucky enough to survive in a fight with any of the tributes from 1,2,and 4. Even the boy from District 12 was threatening my chance of survival.
Galaria came back into the room and announced that we were arriving at the Capital. Jeremy and I walked to the window and looked at the tall buildings, all colorful and shiny. They were nothing like the buildings back home. Same went for the people. They wore colorful wigs and eccentric clothes made them look like what I had pictured a circus would look like when we learned about them at school. As we rolled into the train station, camera and colorful people were everywhere.
"Ladies and gentlemen, let the games begin," I stated in a mocking tone. Jeremy laughed, knowing that what I said was true. Galaria gave us a scolding stare but we didn't care. We knew that we would need all the good humor we could get in order to make it through this colorful sea of terror.