Chapter 2
The elevator doors open before Effie can explain and she's already strutting halfway towards the hovercraft. I start a slow walk, giving myself time to think. Maybe deciding to become a Career is one of those things I can't remember from the past few days. That doesn't explain the stranger in my bathroom. Unless...
Too late. I'm standing directly beneath the hovercraft. I'm taken aboard, implanted with a tracker and taken to the arena. The only theory for anything I've come up with is that the Gamemakers have wiped my recent memories and replaced them with new ones as a way to confuse me. I'm not even sure they can do that or why. Perhaps they want me with the Careers and not with Katniss, despite her being my best option for safety. After all, she's trying to portray us as star-crossed lover which will give the Capitol entertainment.
What the hell, how do I know Katniss is doing that that? I try to think how I know that but the more I try the harder it gets. Is it one of the past few day's memories resurfacing or is it a memory given to me by the Gamemakers? Why is it so confusing? I should be focusing on the games. You should be focusing on the games, shouldn't you, Peeta? That's what they want, whoever did this to you, to confuse you. So you've got to get it together.
What are you going to do as soon at the countdown gets to zero? Run. What are you going to find first and most importantly? Water. Then what are you going to do? Find a place to camp and camouflage it, then hunt. I continue quizzing myself, surprised at how many things I remember like which plant would prevent a cut from infection, different snare mechanisms and various other survival techniques that would help me win. I start planning for different types of arenas. Distracting me from what's in the back of my brain. Then the hovercraft starts slowing.
I'm led down a long corridor, accompanied by two Peacekeepers. They lead me into a small room with a glass tube in the corner, where Portia stands.
"Oh, Portia!" I say, running and hugging her, eyes stinging. The Peacekeepers leave the room.
"Hey, we'll have none of that. I'm going to see you in a few weeks, or there'll be hell to pay, you hear me?" she says, comforting me. Weird, usually I'm the one comforting other people. I calm down and after showing me my uniform Portia explains that the jacket material reflects body heat so I'm supposed to expect cold nights. She turns around so I can get changed. As I slip my leather boots on I notice I don't have a district token. It was my own responsibility to get one but I still feel... I don't know. I turn around and tell Portia she can look.
"Very dashing," she says with a smirk to which we both laugh. "Effie told me about you not having a district token," did she get me something? "and I wanted to get you a lump of coal as a joke but Effie wouldn't have it." That feeling comes again. Neglect?
"Oh, that's okay. There's nothing I can take in there that reminds me of home, anyway," I say, noticing that my words leave an uncomfortable silence, "that is, besides a loaf of bread." She laughs and gives me one last, long hug and walks me to the tube as my name is called.
"Now remember everything Haymitch told you. He's a drunk, but he knows what's what when it comes to the games," she says.
"I know, well I guess I'll see you on the other side," I say, morbidly, stepping onto the metal plate.
"Hey, don't talk like that." she says giving me a weak smile, then her face lights up, "Oh! I saw you take that boy up to your room last night you little devil." She probably thought it'd make me laugh or embarrass me into cheering me up. But my face drops.
"What? You saw him and didn't tell me. Who?" she doesn't reply instantly, "Who?" I say louder.
"Sorry, I presumed you knew, it was you who took him up there after all." I'm so captured by the thought of finding out who my stranger is, I don't hear the voice counting down to zero in the background. "It was the boy from district-" The thick glass cuts her off.
As the plate beneath my feet begins to rise Portia starts to mouth words. I'm not a very good lip reader but I think she says "I know" or "they know". I'm doing it again, thinking about my stranger when I should be thinking about what's important.
The metal plate starts to rise again and I'm lifted into blinding light. Let the 74th Hunger Games begin.
A/N: I didn't expect to update so quickly but yeah there you go. Don't hesitate to PM me and pleeeease review. Thanks for reading!