The train comes to a halt and the windows are obscured by the greenery of District Twelve. Coal dust begins to settle on the window panels, this is home. I inhale the aroma of the woods and the coal. Despite the mines claiming my father's life, this will always be home. I come from a mining district, and I am proud.

I can hear Haymitch's footsteps and he puts a hand on my shoulder, "Welcome home, sweetheart."

Not for long.

I turn to face him, his expression is grim, "Thanks Haymitch. Well we better get off the train right? Best to take in home as much as we can."

I sit on a plush red velvet sofa as my ears are filled with mindless chatter. My prep team is so oblivious to how their society works, they think everything is all for fun, sometimes I think that they don't even realize that children are killed, it's all a big game to them. Well, that's all it really is, a big game. And no one really wins, not really.

The only thing you get out of playing the game, is pain.

Capitol personel have arrived and now they are transforming the district into banners of light and color, but it doesn't cover up the depressing aura and the grey sky, with rain threatening to fall. It's quiet outside, apart from Effie Trinket's twittering voice. It's so quiet, it's like the place has been abandoned, it might as well be though, everyone would still be safer out in the wilderness with bears and wild dogs. Anything is better than this, all the fake smiles, everything's fake. The Capitol on the outside? Perfect. Bright. Colorful. But on the inside? Horrible. Cheap. Moraless. Fake. They're all fake. Including me. They have turned me into this perfect doll that is at their whim, I don't have choices anymore, they have everything planned out for me. Whoever said freedom came with being a vicor, they lied. If I knew this is what they would turn me into, I would have preferred to have commited suicide in the arena. At least I would have been at peace. Rather than living a life of hell.

"Katniss! You let your hair grow again!" Flavius says, horrified. I really couldn't care less.

"Speaking of hair, did you know that orange hair is the new 'it' thing?" says Octavia.

Venia just stays quiet, I wonder why though, then she whispers in my ear.

"You have a new stylist, you're old one…she was executed."

I could feel my heart stop beating, "What? What happened?"

"No one knows, all that's known is that all she left behind was blood smeared on the fabric of her dresses."

Oh Willow. Poor, poor Willow.

"What's going to happen now?"

"It's such short notice that the Capitol allowed one of your tribute's stylist to be yours as well."

"Who is it?"

"Cinna."

I'm dressed in a scarlett sundress that reaches my knees, a red strap is slinged over my left shoulder and descends down into an orange color at my waist, the flowing part of my dress has been accented with yellow strips that merges with the orange. And when I walk quickly, it seems as though I leave behind a trail of fire.

My dark hair has been put into an intricate braid down the side of my shoulder and I have very little makeup on, just highlighting here and there.

I stand in front of the long mirror, I look somewhat like me, but I look like a little girl, like the one I was two years ago when I won the Games.

In fact, I look a little bit like Prim, I'm a little taller, but with the makeup and the dress I look like a girl, I seem as though I have the same stature as her, small and fragile, but that's exactly the difference between us, she would never hurt a fly, while I would not hesitate to shoot down deer. She prefers to take care of animals instead of eating them. She made it clear that she understood that we needed to eat, but she really couldn't bring herself to do it. But now, here I am looking harmless, while that isn't the case at all. I have so much hatred inside me aimed at the Capitol, for what they had done to me and to everyone else.

"Katniss?"

The voice startles me but I already know who it is, I turn around.

"Hey Gale. How are you?"

He smiles at me, "I'm alright. It's just, I miss you that's all. It's been a while."

"I miss you too. Good luck on your last reaping okay? Tell Prim good luck as well, and that I'm sorry I can't see her, it's been a busy day."

"I will Katniss. You don't have to worry about that."

I smile at him, it feels like the old times.

"Can I ask you something Kat?"

I nod my head.

"Why do you mentor? Why don't you just leave? Why can't Haymitch just do it? Tell them that you don't want to do it. Tell the Capitol, refuse their orders. You always wanted to be free, and now they have you wrapped around their finger. Why don't you just leave?"

I am partially disgusted at his question, but also at myself. I train these kids for slaughter to see them get murdered.

"You want to know why Gale? You really want to know why? I'll tell you. It's because these kids have nothing except their mentors once they become a tribute, their partner is their enemy, everyone is except us. I can't leave them. You have no idea how it feels to prepare them to die, you have no idea how it feels when you see a sliver of hope that they might survive, and then they die. These kids lose hope once their name is pulled out of that reaping bowl, they've already accepted that they're going to die, that they don't even bother anymore, because they've given up. You have no idea how I feel when I face their family once they've died, I feel like I've let them down. Once they die, I beat myself up for it, how could I have helped better? I could have trained them harder. One of the worst parts is that when I send them off to their death is that I know that I'm never going to see them again. When they die, I feel like it's my fault. Haymitch and I? We're the only thing these kids have left. And when I stand on that stage looking over those kids, I can feel it Gale, I can feel the hope draining away. I could leave, but you saw how Haymitch was before I won, he was a disaster for the reason that he had no one to confide into. No one could understand him until I came along. He's like my father, we listen to each other, we teach one another. We may have been through different things but the outcome is just the same, nightmares, paranoia. Everything. We've witnessed the same crime, murder. No one can really understand what a tribute as gone through unless they've been one themselves. That's why I can't leave."

Gale has a sorrowful expression plastered on his face as his brushes back and piece of loose hair, and wipes away my tears, I didn't even know that I was crying.

"I'm sorry Catnip, I-I didn't know."

"It's alright, no one really does. It's not unusual. Anyway, good luck today okay? The last thing I want to do is train my best friend."

He cracks a small smile, "Yeah, see you Katniss."

Haymitch is dressed in a black suit with a crimson red tie, it seems as though we're matching this year.

He had never dressed up before I won, he had never let his prep team touch him. But that was because of the emotions he was holding within him, he had never let it loose. When I won, he sobered up, and finally no one was scared of him anymore, in fact, they were mostly proud of him. He was cunning as a tribute. Even now, almost thirty years later, he still is.

We take our place on the stage towards the side and I sit by the mayor, I can see Madge in the crowd of sixteen-year olds wearing a pretty dress with her hair up in ringlets. And I can barely see Prim in the twelve-year old section; she had a little duck tail peering out of her skirt. Gale stands tall over at the front with the eighteen-year olds. I can see his siblings as well in the mass group of people.

I can feel the anticipation, because tomorrow, two of them will be gone. And in two weeks, most likely, dead.

Haymitch and I stand up when the ceremony begins, the routine is usual, the video documenting how the Hunger Games were born, the Dark Days etc. Honestly I think we all get the point.

"Welcome, welcome. Happy Hunger Games! And, may the odds be ever in your favour," Effie starts, "as usual, ladies first."

Effie Trinket, in her bright pink wig and spring green suit strides gracefully across the stage and places her hand in the girls reaping bowl. She lingers in there, seemingly feeling every slips, until I can see her hand grip one as she pulls a slip out.

There it is, she's sentencing someone to their death.

"Vailea Halliwell!"

I exhale, Prim and Madge are safe for this year. Now, I only have to worry about Gale's family.

A girl that looks like she's my age walks up onto the stage, I can see tears brimming in her eyes but I can tell she's trying hard not to cry. She's a merchant by the looks of it. She has wavy dirty blonde hair that falls just below her breasts and piercing blue eyes. I can work with her, I think it'd be pretty easy gaining sponsors for her.

"Lovely! She is a gorgeous one!" Effie praises, "Now, for the boys!"

She crosses the podium and puts her hand in the bowl once again, but this time, she just plucks a name out quickly. I hold my breath and hope that it isn't Gale.

"Peeta Mellark!"

I can feel myself falling, and the last thing I see before blacking out is Haymitch's wide eyes.

Generations ago, we were all just children playing soldiers. And now, we are murderers. But in these Games, living is only a dream for the dead, but after them, it's a nightmare.

Next chapter's going to be up in less than 2 hours! Stay tuned! Reviews are appreciated :)