Chapter 4
I hold the arms of the hard white chair as a young Capitol woman, with purple hair done up in a twisted bun, removes the last of the hot strips along with the hairs that use to live on my leg. Now they're forcing me up, catching me out of a dream world and into the current moment. After standing up they're walking round my naked body to check there is no hair left on my body. Why do the Capitol want to dress up in costume, and be paraded around the street, some of the kids have only a week left to live. Why can't they just have it in peace? My prep-team leave along with clothes and my necklace, my last reminders of home, replacing them with thin robe. The robe is made from the simple blue fabric that we use in District Eleven, weird I didn't think Capitol had this. I slip it on, and my stylist walks in. She has waist length hair with some of it different colours then the rest. She is in her early twenties, and I think her eyes had been edited as they glitter gold and silver in the light of the room, her outfit does the same twinkling with her every move.
She takes me into the connecting room, all the walls but the one door I just came through are glass, I can see all of the Capitol and all of the Capitol can see me. I sit down on one of the chairs and my stylist finally introductions herself. "Hello Autumn, my name is Stella, I'm the newest stylist," yes that's why I've never her before, but most new stylists do have good ideas. Her mouth begins to open as an Avox comes in with two bowls of soup. The soup is a frothy pink and dotted with raspberries. It reminds me of summertime, and the raspberries that grow in the meadow, but now I'm thinking of home. A warm tear rolls down my cheek, Stella looks up "Oh dear don't cry you're in the Capitol for a week there's no need to cry." She doesn't get it, no one here gets it the kids in these games, they are just kids with hopes and dreams, they just want to go home. I just want to go home. I wipe the tear from my cheek and Stella leads me into a small room. The only thing this room has inside is a model about my size. On it is a bubble dress the bottom looks to be of lily petals, and the top of lily leaves.
Soon enough I'm in a horse stable where the tributes wait for the parade to begin as only other outfit I notice is the District Four girls outfit. A shirt shaped like a fish tail, the top starting green and to the bottom the colour being the deepest blue. I can hardly call the upper part of her outfit a top it's really just of silk wrapped around her upper body. The outfit shows her body off she'll get many sponsors. I walk to the District Eleven chariot and see that Odin is there but I love the horses that are going to pull it. I reach my hand to touch the horse's mane and it feels so silky, like my own hair. I get in as District One leave. Screams and cheers come from outside I guess the outfits are a hit, as I imagine how many people must be watching the other Districts go out. I lift my head up and see the doors opening and the crowd cheers. I don't think they're cheering for me, I'm in an outlying District and the outfit isn't that good. We will be forgotten next to the other Districts. After a lap around the circle will are in front of Snow's mansion, and he says his classic words like every year, "Tributes we welcome you, and we honor your courage and your sacrifice." Hearing this makes me sick and reminds me ever more of what kind of people live in this city. After a final circle we are delivered into the prison of the training centre which we can't leave until the day before the games begin for the pre-game interviews, then for games, and then of course for twenty-three of us death.
