Chapter Eight

A/N: Unfortunately, no reviewers.

The dawn had come far too soon for Abby, as it had brought it with it the worst day of her life, one which could potentially be her last.

In fact, she was hardly sure that she would survive the day at all. No matter how many times Alex had promised her otherwise, there was a haze covering her mind, whispering that she would not live to see the sunset at all. And no matter what she did in an attempt to stop the voice, it continued to taunt her, breathing just as she did. Killing her slowly.

A knock on the door caused the haze to fade a little, though it came flooding back when the face of Haymitch Abernathy came into view. 'He is one of the three Victors from District Twelve, not four. Never four.'

"Sweetheart? It's time to get ready. Get your uniform on and meet us in the foyer downstairs in twenty minutes. Okay?" At Abby's nod, the man left the room with a smile, leaving a terrified young girl in his wake.

Pulling on her uniform, the brunette felt that she could have begun to cry. She did not feel like an adult, preparing to go into a battle. She did not even feel her age. She felt like a tiny child, wishing to cling to her mother, but knowing that she couldn't. Maybe that she wouldn't ever again. The future was so uncertain, she did not even know if she would see sunset.

When she reached the foyer, the girl found her entire prep team waiting for her, along with Haymitch, Effie and Alex. The Capitol citizen was sobbing into a handkerchief, wailing loudly as she did so, and their Mentor was attempting to comfort the woman by patting her awkwardly on the back. As she blew her nose loudly, Effie finally noticed Abby's arrival.

"Oh, Abigail!" she cried out, running over to the young brunette as quickly as she could, her high heels restraining the speed of her movement dramatically. "Now, I don't want you to worry. Victory in the Games is in your blood, after all. If your parents can do it, there is nothing stopping you doing so as well."

All Abby did in response was nod her head a little, not wanting to talk about her mother and father. She did not know if she would see them again, after all, and did not want to get her hopes up. Her only focus for now was survival.

"Right, then. I suppose we ought to go." Effie said, swallowing down the further tears that were threatening to surface in her already coral coloured eyes. "Come along, both of you."

To minimise the risks of any information about the Games being leaked through stylists, who were told more about the arena than the Mentors and escorts were, in order to prepare suitable costumes for their Tributes, and so the Capitol had decreed that the Tributes all be taken to the same room before entering the Games, and that no one was allowed to escort them further than their apartments.

"Well, kids, this is the furthest we can go." Haymitch said, a touch of reluctance audible in his tone, which was husky from a combination of alcohol and the disuse of his voice. "It's up to you two from here."

Abby was also slightly upset by this information, but did her upmost not to let it show, for fear that Effie would start her fussing over again. Instead, she kept her head held high, even as she bid farewell to the only two links to her parents she had left in the Games. Now, she only had Alex left to cling to.

Ten minutes had passed, and the two Tributes from District Twelve were sat in a transportation capsule, alongside the Tributes from Districts Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten and Eleven. The other twelve were being taken down in another capsule, to minimise the risk of fights breaking out between the Careers and the others, as the former held a reputation for being highly confrontational, even before they touched one foot down in the arena. 'At least they hold our safety in regard before we get to the Games, even if they don't do afterwards.' Abby thought, with more than a touch of bitterness. The Gamemakers had always been an object of hate for the young girl, due to the trouble they had deliberately caused for her parents all those years ago, particularly for her mother.

Allowing herself the risk, Abby cast a quick glance around the capsule. She was wary of doing so earlier, as just a single look taken in the wrong way could mean death in the arena. It just depended on the person, as the Careers in particular were privy to this tactic, using any excuse to execute a cold blooded kill in the early hours of the Games. Out of the corner of her eye, the young Mellark could not help but glance over at Ainsley.

Even as she concentrated so avidly on Ainsley, Abby could not help but see Isabelle also, as she was seated right beside her District partner, though in all honesty, the younger looked to want to be as far away from him as Abby did, if not further. Truthfully, the brunette did not blame her.

It only took a further minute before the engine of the capsule ceased. The thing itself then seemed to sink through the very ground, stopping approximately twenty feet beneath it, where the passengers were finally released. 'Beneath what could be my grave.' Abby thought grimly.

There was no hesitation for the Tributes, as they were each shepherded to various rooms, escorted by an Avox. 'Those poor people.' the young girl sympathised, though she made no more sound doing so than the poor man did.

Almost instantly, Abby was led into a cylindrical chamber, made entirely of glass. Unlike her mother and father before her, the brunette knew exactly what these tubes were, as she had learnt it from them. For some reason, as they were reasonable familiar, she did not fear them. The terror only surfaced when the platform began to rise.

'This is it.' Abby told herself, as a single tear fell from her eye. 'This is the beginning of the end.'

A/N: Please review, because next chapter is the arena!