The slight hum of the train sliding along the smooth, steel tracks vibrates under my feet as Janine leads us into a luxurious reclining cart. Dark fur wallpaper absorbs the warm light glowing from the crystal chandelier, as the sky outside turns an inky blue. Couches and small coffee tables made of glass and cream leather are dotted around everywhere, like a comfortable minefield.
'Dinner will be served in an hour,' Janine says in her annoying, nasal, Capitol-accented twang. Wade and I just nod, too stunned to do anything else.
'Angelie, your room is just up there. Wade, darling, you room is this way on the left.'
My room turns out to be quite nice.
Velveteen bed covers, a large TV, a dresser full of Capitol clothes and a picture of Panem hung perfectly straight on the wall. The bathroom is complete with a high-power water system, bathtub, shower, the whole she-bang, with lovely little paper-wrapped soaps to complete the whole image.
The window spans the whole wall. I walk up to it and lean my forehead against the cool glass, the scene before my eyes whipping away before I can drink in any details; only colours.
A single tear tracks down my face, but I don't let it stay there. If I do, more will come and I don't want the others to think I'm weak. I rub my face roughly.
I am not weak.

I shower, using the soap, so that when I emerge I smell subtly of Jasmine flowers. I pull on a pair of dark blue trousers that hug closely to my thin legs, and a dark green top.
My little silver locket, my token now I guess, hangs sparkling from the wash over it. I have fifteen more minutes, so I spend it pinning up my hair in blonde coils.
When I enter the dining cart, I see Janine, Wade and a slim man all sitting there together already. They're talking about the Capitol, explaining it to Wade. He just looks blank, his blue eyes, which nearly all of District 5 people have, looking slightly cloudy.
'The structures are truly beautiful,' Janine says, 'and the furniture!'
'Yes, it certainly is a sight to behold,' the man says, only a hint of sarcasm in his voice. As I take my seat, nodding my greetings to them, I study him carefully. He's tall, with ash-coloured hair, brown just tickling the roots and ends. His face is deep and lined, like someone carved grooves in it with a knife, but he doesn't look old at all, and certainly doesn't sound it. His eyes are brown, like mine, but more solid. Where mine had gold flecks in the iris, his are as hard set and single-coloured as chocolate.
'Angrem Shirt,' he offers me his hand, and after a slight hesitation I shake it.
'Hi.'
'You're Angelie Tennings, am I right? The volunteer?'
'Yes. You weren't at the Reaping?'
'No, I had some Capitol business to attend to I'm afraid. I did see it Live though. Fantastic, fantastic...' He trails off.
Our dinner comprises of several courses; for starters, crispy slices of bread topped with raw fish and sauce, then a rack of sweet tasting ribs and oiled salad, and then a cheeseboard and crackers followed by a large chocolate ganache. By the end I am licking my fingers and my body is feeling exceptionally better.
'Well that was delectable,' Janine says happily as she dabs at her purple lips with a napkin. 'Shall we retreat to the drawing cart and watch the Live previews?'
So there we sat for another hour, watching the recap of all the reapings across Panem. Only a few notable tributes stood out in my mind, the biggest and the scariest; a white- haired girl for 1 who could have survived even the toughest shocks back hone, a boy from 3 who loomed over his peers and had arms the size of tree trunks, the girl and boy from 4, then us. I watch as Wade is called, his coppery hair shining in the sun. Then Nutellie, walking up, and me fighting my way forwards to take her place. Me in my lacy green dress, on the stage. Me shaking hands with Wade and walking into the Justice building, then it's over.
District 6, 7, a small girl no older than Nutellie in 8, 9, 10, 11, then two raggedy-looking kids from 12, then it's over.
Quickly, because I feel it starting in the pit of my stomach, I bid goodnight to Janine, Wade and Angrem, then run to my room. I barely make it in time to shut the door and bury my face in a pillow before the scream unroots itself from it's hold in my lungs to my mouth.
I scream until I'm hoarse. Then I lie in silence.
The train gently rocks me like my grandmother's old chair, and soon enough I fall asleep, wrapped in my blankets and still in my clothes, the locket cold against my chest.