Chapter 4

Glistening City

I hadn't expected the train interior to feel quite so...grand, to say the least. Honestly I'm not sure what I'd expected. Black walls? Chains? Torture devices? It is a capitol train after all, designed specifically to transport Tributes. But no, of course thats not what the interior is like, in fact, in theory it lives up perfectly to my expectations of Capitol standards, what with its long spacey rooms, lined with deep blue velvet chairs and polished dark wood tables. Everything about it seems to be...glistening.

I look at Fry (his ashen skin flushed), who seems transfixed. Not with the trains decor' but with the long table of food lining the right wall. Trays and trays, with all different kinds of it...cake, (a rare finding in District Three) elaborate looking crackers with a strange yellow substance settled perfectly center on the top...small sandwiches (We can barely afford bread, much less stuff to put in between it)

"Looks good, doesn't it?" a strangely familiar voice says from the large chair about two feet to my right, I almost jump. I'd been so absorbed in my strange surroundings I hadn't even noticed Skader Telavis leaning lazily in some sort of oversize recliner. He'd been only 15 when he'd won the 67th Annual Hunger Games. Since he was the latest victor to come from District Three, he is now one of our mentors. District Three isn't exactly renown for winning, its usually the career Districts 1,2, and 4 that become victorious (considering they're mostly volunteers who train for these games since infancy, hardly fair if you ask me) but even not considering the careers, Districts Three is known for our IQ's, not our ability to fight, hunt, or lift heavy objects. In other words, we spend our childhoods training to assemble televisions and computers which isn't exactly manual labor, therefore when we're thrown into the arena, with nothing but our unusually expansive knowledge of TB1000 wring and DBC sets, it wouldn't be too big of a surprise when someone from lets say District Seven (known for their specialties in working with hatchets, axes, and saws for cutting lumber) takes our head off without breaking a sweat. So our wins are few and far between, not to say we're the farthest behind. No, that title would probably go to the most outlying districts, 11 and 12.

"You guys mine as well dive in" He murmurs, "while Beatilce is looking for Rassa, otherwise" he rolls his eyes dramatically "she'll scold you for acting like" air quotes "cavemen." Fry doesn't hesitate, just smirks and practically attacks the table. I can hardly blame him, I've never seen this much food at once...and I mean never, food is precious back home, you savor the little bits you get, and make it last as long as possible. You never know when the next batch is coming, which is exactly why I don't follow Fry's lead, and ignore the rumbling in my stomach.

"None for you then Blondie? Fine, can't blame you." Skader winks, and I drop my gaze.

"Thats ridiculous..." I say, I can hear the anger and frustration in my voice, the heat rising to my cheeks "Do they realize people are starving in the Districts? Dying?"

It was a rhetorical question but Skader answers anyway, voice light, cheery even. "Sure they do! But here's the punchline blondie...they don't care. Honestly, why would they? They have everything they need this way...everything they want" Another aggravating wink. I'd never met Skader before, he's spent most of his time at the Capitol ever since his win, not that thats the norm for victors, but the Capitol people love Skader, so apparently they insisted he just live there most of the time, but before the games he'd lived only a couple streets over from me so I'd seen him around just never talked to him, no reason to. I remember his reaping, it was weird, I was only 11 at the time, still nestled in the safe zone, praying Mayla's name didn't get called. When Skader's had, I'd cried, I couldn't help it, I mean...I knew him. I guess it was the first time the games had felt real to me, before that, all they were was an annoying ceremony I'd had to get all dressed up for in annoying outfits and sit through in the baking sun for hours every year, for seemingly no purpose, and then he got called, and I realized they did effect me.

I don't comment on Skader's response, just grind my teeth and flop down into a chair near the window, drawing my knees up to my chest. I wonder if Beatilce would get mad about me tracking mud from the bottom of my boots onto the chair, but I quickly realize I don't care either way. I watch Fry jam food into his mouth, and adamantly ignore Skader's gaze on me.

After about five minutes of this I turn to him "Yes?" I demand, surprised by the venom in my voice. I've never spoke like that to someone, it just isn't in my nature to be rude in any way, 'but I'm not exactly feeling like myself today' I think.

Skader shakes his head unfazed, his lips pressed in a thin white line. "You're Mayla's sister, thats why you volunteered" His voice is surprisingly gentle. I blink.

"You...you know my sister?"

"knew" He corrects with a nod. "I mean obviously I haven't seen her in a while, but I vaguely remember her from school. She was smart, I don't think we ever talked."

"Oh." Is my only response, before turning to the window, the train had started to move and I hadn't even noticed, it made no noise, and practically glided along the railway, trees pass in a long endless blur.

"So why didn't they show her? On screen I mean, when she was called"

I stiffen "What do you mean...why would they? I volunteered"

He raises his eyebrows "Well, yea but they didn't show her at all, they usually show people the second they're called, and then if someone volunteers they switch to them...but I didn't see her..."

"How should I know?" My voice turns defensive, I make an effort to soften it, sound more indifferent "Maybe I volunteered fast enough where they didn't have time to find her..." I turn back to the window.

"Hmmm" Skader says, with a tone of doubt in his voice that makes a chill run down my spine, what if they knew she wasn't there?

I brush off the thought quickly, its not going to make any kind of difference anyway, hell If she gets punished I'm never gonna know, I mine as well just choose to believe the best... At that moment Beatilce bursts into the room, followed by a tall slender women with a shock of long black hair, matching pits for eyes, high sharp cheek bones, and a pinched expression that reminds me of a bird, that combined with her hair and eyes immediately make me think of a raven. Rassa Delport, The 57th Hunger Games victor, and our second mentor.

Beatilce just smiles at us "Enjoying the food as much as the previous tributes I see, Fry." Fry smirks, clearly unfazed by the jab. "Well, I see you've met Skader Telavis then? Good, he'll be one of your mentors, and this" She gestures to Rassa "Is Rassa Delport, as you probably already know, your' second mentor, usually how this works is, you will start off training together, I mean Both Skader and Rassa will mentor both of you, and then later when we get closer to the games you will split up and Skader will mentor you" She nods towards Fry " and Rassa will mentor you" She nods to me.

"Whoa whoa, is their some sort of gender division rule I haven't been informed of?" Skader asks, pushing himself to his feet. I blink, I hadn't realized how tall he was.

"Well...this is what we've always done Skader, I mean, technically there is no rule" Beatilce responds, taken aback.

Skader smiles "Good, then I call dibs on blondie" He jerks his thumb in my direction. "You can have pretty boy" He says, turning to Rassa,who just raises her pin straight eyebrows, clearly amused.

"Why?" I blurt out, without really thinking, not sure where he's going with this, does he figure since I'm probably gonna die right away, he won't have to do much work when it come to sponsors? Especially considering I won't have any...everyone glances at me.

" Cause I know you, well...kind of, we're from the same part of town" he winks and I have a sudden urge to punch him in the nose. "and because I'm assuming you're smart, where as pretty boy" another thumb jab in Fry's direction "I'm a bit more concerned about...no offense of course Dapsty" he says, looking back at him.

Fry just looks amused, "None taken" I guess thats the good thing about living in Fry's haze of arrogance, nothing negative seems to get through.

A little while later, Beatilce shows Fry and me to our rooms, telling us to change and get cleaned up for dinner, or in her words "Go spiffy ourselves up for dining." I swear, every word that comes out of that women's violet mouth makes me gag.

My room, is no disappointment compared to the rest of the train, not that I'm sure why I thought it would be, the Capitol definitely has its standards on living conditions. I would love to see them try to trade places with District Three for a day.

For one thing the bed is huge, at least the size of the room Mayla and I share...or shared, I guess, back at home with an intricately designed blanket, that Beatilce had called a 'duvet' earlier, whatever that means. I brush my finger tips along the length of the bed as I walk over to the closet doors, its silk, and I can't resist the urge to collapse onto it, spreading my arms and legs out wide. 'Its so soft' I think, the bed Mayla and I share is not only small and cramped but hard as a rock, with loose springs sticking up through the scratchy cloth. I'd never complained of course, thats just the norm for District Three, but now that I'm laying on what feels like some kinda of oversize cloud I don't know how I ever got any sleep.

With some reluctance I push myself off the bed and make my way over to the closet, my footsteps clicking against the polished tile flooring. I frown when the door opens, revealing rows and rows of colorful fabric, not so much clothes as...well, costumes. I file through the fabric, looking for anything that comes even close to resembling some article of clothing, most of them are dresses...I've never liked dresses, the only time I've ever worn them are on days of the Reapings, therefore I'm against them by association. Finally, I find a shirt that covers most of my shoulder and chest area and throw it on over some kind of blue 'skirt.'

I turn to the mirror and flinch. I look half dead, my cheeks flushed white with red ringed eyes from crying earlier, my lips a strange shade somewhere between red and blue. I suppose from chewing on them so much, a nervous habit I'd had for as long as I can remember. The shirt is tight and hugs my deteriorating stomach, District Three has had a lack of shipments lately and we've barely been getting any food, I've been giving most of mine to Bolt and Tack, they're growing after all. 'not that that applies to me anymore anyway' I think bitterly, either way I can just make out the lines of my ribs though the thin blue fabric.

A knock at the door makes me jump and I spin away from my reflection. "Yes?" Theres a pause. "Can I come in?" Its Fry's voice. "Ugh, yea sure, I guess." He pushes open the door, and gives me an exaggerated once over. "Its a good thing its almost time to eat...you look like hell."

"Gee...thanks" He shrugs, as if to say, 'well, its true' "You know not all of us are the Mayors children...we don't get food three times a day unless we catch it ourselves."

"Which you clearly must not do, besides I mean...its illegal" I snort and mutter under my breathe while I turn back to the closet.

"So, can I help you with something then, or are you just here to insult me?" Silence, I turn back to him and shoot a sharp look "well?"

"I'm not here to insult you" He says finally, carefully. Each word slow and measured. "Have we ever spoke before Dicen? You look familiar..." I cut him off "My mom used to work in your dad's office, but no...I don't think we've ever talked to each other."

He nods "Used to?" "She died" I say before he can ask, making my voice matter of fact. He winces. "Oh."

"Anything else then?" I'm losing the venom in my voice, he looks too tired to really be mad at. "Aren't you going to change? You know, get all spiffy?" I ask, imitating Beatilce's squeaky voice, a smile tugs at the corners of his mouth, he looks oddly genuine compared to how I usually see him, with his signature lazy smirk plastered on his strangely perfect face.

"Like I could look any spiffier than I already do? Hell, like anyone could look any spiffier than I do." He winks "All I could do at this point is make myself look cleaner." I don't know why, he wasn't really trying to be funny, but I break into sudden fits of laughter, and then both of us are laughing, hugging our stomachs and bending forward, eyes squeezed shut. I guess we're both going a bit crazy under the circumstances.

Someone clears their throat suddenly and we straighten up, our laughter subsiding, Rassa stands in the doorway, eyebrows raised "You two ready to eat?"