Author's Note: I'm so sorry , I was really busy this week. Good news though, we're finally in the Capitol! Well, good news for us, not exactly for Alex.

I don't own any rights to The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins.

Chapter Eight - Real or Not Real?

We're in the arena already. I don't remember much about the interviews and training, it's all a bit hazy. I'm with Cassius, and we're running across a sandy beach. There's something behind us, and I know it's trying to catch up. I don't understand what's happening, but I know I don't want whatever's behind me anywhere near me.

Suddenly, I trip and fall, sprawled on the sand. The salty water that reminds me so much of home splashes my legs. I look up to see what's happened and I see Cassius, still running away. I vaguely see the image, a moment, where his foot sticks out in front of mine and pulls my leg out from under me. Sorry, he mouths, then turns away and keeps on running.

I get up to my knees quickly, only to be knocked right back down by our pursuers. I feel hands tackle me to the ground and I get flipped over, face no longer looking into the sand but into the face of that scary boy from Six. His eyes are wide and blank, irises so dark I can't see where they end and his pupils begin. I begin to shiver violently, even though I can feel the warmth of the Gamemakers' artificial sun on my face, and he grins at most terrible smile. I scream for Cassius, but I hear no reply but Six's laughter, deranged and haunting. Six leans back just enough to reach for a sword at his side. He's about to plunge it into my neck when I hear yelling in the distance. The world becomes much too bright and then the fake sun blinds me.

I wake up, thrashing and screaming. When I start to calm down, I find myself covered in blankets of silk, not water and sand. I'm also being pinned down by Finnick, not Six, who sits quietly at my side, hands pushing hard against my shoulders in an attempt to stop me from trashing. It must have been his voice I heard yelling.

I'm breathing hard, I think you'd call it hyperventilating. Finnick moves his hands from my shoulders to my hair, stroking it kindly until I've calmed down. When my breathing has finally relaxed, I push off the awful blankets and sit on the floor.

Finnick presses a few buttons on the bedside table and, just a few minutes later, a platter of pastries slides out of the wall, still looking warm and fresh. He hands me a curved roll, shaped like a half moon. It looks delicious, soft and flaky.

"They call it a "croissant"." He says. "They're delicious."

I bite into it and smile. Excellent. But I know it wasn't for the taste that he picked these particular rolls. Salty, half moon shaped bread probably reminds him of home as much as it does me. Admittedly, there's no seaweed or anything in these rolls, but they're very close. I like them.

Of course, my friend and mentor would know exactly what I need. A taste of home. I sit there quietly for a second, then realize there's something else I should run by my mentor.

"Cassius and I made an alliance." I tell him. Maybe he'll have advice for me.

He nods, probably expecting that. "District partners should help each other."

"There's another thing though." I say, thinking maybe he can help. "It's Annie, she asks me to try and save Cassius."

He's silent for a little while. "Annie's the girl you and Brooke hang out with, right? The boy's cousin?"

"Yes."

He frowns, thinking for a second. "Well, she's really written you off, huh?"

I suddenly feel the need to defend Annie. Her choice must have been hard, and it's not her fault. Besides, Finnick barely knows her, it's not fair for her to be judged like that.

I explain the whole situation Annie's in with her family and then me and Brooke. From Cass' parents to her own, until Finnick understands the whole story. He stays quiet for a while, which I don't mind. It gives me time to finish most of the croissants.

I've lost count of how many I've eaten when he finally says,

"I'm sorry I misjudged her. I should like to meet her some day, she seems much kinder than just her one choice would make her appear."

I nod, glad I got my point across, though Finnick now got a funny sort of look on his face. I politely excuse myself I go to get ready, but not without taking another croissant.

I don't bother to shower, I know my stylist will just redo everything once I get to the Capitol. Finnick knocks on my door right as I'm about to leave the room.

"Oh good, I was about to come get you." He smiles. He still looks a little bit odd, but I decide to leave that to him. He'd tell me if he wanted me to know.

We walk to the lunch table to find everyone already seated. I slide into my place next to Cassius, and, as soon as I do, Nereida begins to talk.

"Okay, we'll be in the Capitol soon. I want you both to do everything your stylist tells you to do, no matter how ridiculous you look by the end of it. Got it?" I nod, I've seen the costumes District Four has worn in the past. Fish, sea urchins, clams. I know what she means by ridiculous.

I glance over at Zéle, and realize he's wearing what appear to be fairly normal clothes. A button-down brown shirt and black pants. I guess what I had said yesterday really did get to him. I give him a small smile to show that I get it, and he nods, then quickly looks away. I guess I really did get to him.

Suddenly, the world goes black, and Cassius and I jump to our feet.

"Don't worry. We've just entered the tunnel. Better get ready though, the Capitol is on the other side."

She and Finnick go back to eating, obviously not really interested in seeing the Capitol again, but Finnick seems to be forcing himself to eat. This must be hard for him, his Games were only last year.

Finnick ends up pushing himself to his feet and walking us over to the window. The three of us stand there and wait quietly, ready for the majestic Capitol to appear.

The tunnel gives way to open air in a burst of light. It takes my eyes a minute to adjust, but when they do, I still think I'm seeing things. Tall curved buildings, spiralling up around each other and into the sky. Bright, crazy colours, the kinds of which I've only seen worn by the old Zéle.

As we get closer I begin to see that the buildings weren't the weirdest part. It's the people. Skins of all different colours, hair styled in any way you can imagine. Tattoos and surgery has made many among them not really seem human, even among the other citizens. Through the screaming, waving crowd, I catch glimpses of wings and tails, fur and scales. I try to block out what I'm seeing in order to get my muscles to move again, forcing my arm upward, then back and forth in order to give some sort of a wave at these…creatures.

As robotic as my wave seem to me, they love it. When Finnick comes up closer to the glass they start positively shrieking, clawing at each other and pushing their friends aside, trying to get just a bit closer to my mentor. As much as I feel bad for him, I'm glad he has such a fan base. If these people will do anything for him, maybe they'll help him help me.

The five of us climb out of the train together, and the creatures closest to us need to be restrained to keep back from Finnick. They are screaming our names, mine and Cassius', but also Finnick's and even Nereida and Zéle. As much as I can't really think of the things clawing their way towards me as people, it might save my life to have them on my side. I wave goodbye and climb inside the safety of a car waiting to take us to the next chapter in my nightmare. Only this time, it's really happening.

My prep team is no less freaky than the…people…at the train station. They are two girls, Harmony and Melody, who are identical in every way but the colour of their skin. One's green, the other, purple. I'm trying to keep track by connecting Melody with the word meadow, which brings to mind the green grass fields outside school.

The two girls are very, VERY Capitol. Not only in their looks, but their voices are what I can only describe as an exact replica of Zéle's, only way too high-pitched. Their accents are so ridiculously crazy it's hard to imagine that they're actually speaking at all. It really helps the whole "creature" image though.

They've been buzzing around me for the past who-knows-how-long, doing who-knows-what to my face and body, but for the most part, they've been fawning over my eyes, just like my mentors said the people here would. It's scary to think that they can almost relate to me in some way, seeing as they are sending me to get slaughtered, but at the same time, it's almost comforting, in it's own weird way. As if maybe they'll take me to be one of them and will protest my going into the Games because they just can't bear to lose their new friend. More like what the Games are like for the Districts. Hey, I got Zéle on my side, who says I can't get the rest of them to see it too?

I sigh. What am I thinking? Or course I can't. They monsters love their beloved Games way too much to feel the slightest bit of pity for the girl with the Capitol eyes. It will just make it all the more interesting for them when I die, they'll probably never let me close my eyes and rest in peace. Instead of help, I'll probably get to forever stare at the top of some wooden box I'll be shipped back to my parents in.

With one last yank at my leg the twins proudly announce the completion of their work, and I thank them for helping me out. They squeal and grin happily, saying it was a pleasure to work with me. They back out through the door bowing. And not for even one moment able to take their eyes off mine.

As soon as they walk out, another woman walks in. She's fairly normal for the Capitol's standards, with what appears to be her normal skin colour, a fair amount of makeup instead of surgery, her hair dyed a fiery red and a silver wolf tattooed to her shoulder.

She walks up to me, smiling ear to ear.

"It's great to finally meet you, Alexis! I'm Emiline, I'm going to be your stylist for this year's Games. Just wait until you see what I have planned!"

She begins to circle me, making comments about the various adjustments she will have to make to my costume. She finally stops in front of me and looks at my face.

"My, my, dear. Aren't I lucky, you've already given me so much to work with, and now, those spectacular eyes! Your costume is going to look fantastic!"

"What is my costume?" I ask, curiously.

"Not a fish, I can tell you that. I want it to be a surprise for you too! Now, close your eyes, and sit down dearie. Let's get started."

I did as she said.

I felt her hands move around, brushes touching up my face and arms. Something spraying my upper body. My dark hair fought into whatever shape Emeline had chosen. Finally, she helps me step into what must be my dress. Then I'm confused, when Emeline only pulls the fabric up to my waist. I wiggle my toes around, but I can't find the floor. It must be closed off at the bottom. I'm still trying to figure it out when something is pulled around my chest and I'm handed what feels like a heavy metal pole.

I hear Emeline's footsteps back up a little bit, probably to observe her work.

"All right now, open your eyes. I hope you like it, I got the idea from Zéle's costume!"

I suddenly know what I will see when I open my eyes. Zéle's costume. My mind flashes back to the Reaping. Of course.

I open my eyes to find a mermaid, staring back at me in the mirror. She has a blue-green tail that sparkles like the scales of the fish back home and she wears two seashells across her chest. The mermaid girl holds a trident in her hand and has pretty, long hair which flows down her back and frames her face in an intricate braided pattern. But what you can see the most is the girl's eyes. They are gorgeous, mysterious, and powerful. They are the kind of eyes that you can help but stare at. Perfect.

"Thank you." I whisper. "She's perfect." She is. Not me. Because whoever's staring at me in that mirror is not Alexis Lace. She is a beautiful powerful creature, straight out of the legends my parents used to tell me while we fished. All the stories of the mermaid warriors who lived at the bottom of our ocean came alive with one look into that girl's mystical eyes.

"I think I'm ready for this."