Effie makes us follow her off the train in a single file, and I cringe away from all of the Capitol people yelling for our attention trying to snap pictures.
We're all separated from each other right away, and right as I'm being dragged away by someone in a Capitol uniform, Haymitch grabs my arm and whispers in my ear.
"Just go along with it. It'll make things easier."
I have no idea what he's talking about but I'm soon being put into a room where three very flamboyantly dressed people are waiting.
They introduce themselves to me as my prep team. In the past, when I've watched the Hunger Games, the tributes always are done up for the interviews and the parade, so I assume they're just going to paint my face on like in those segments.
Instead, one of the members who introduced themselves as Augusina reaches for my clothes and starts pulling them off. I jump, trying to pull my dress back down, but she assures me that this is what's supposed to happen. Her gold brows furrow in concentration as she tries to unbutton the back. I decide to listen to Haymitch and let them strip me, my entire body heating up at being fully exposed in front of these strangers. They guide me to lay down on the table and I focus my attention on the tattoos that are scattered across Tasten's face. He's the shortest of the three and has various swirls and shapes in dark blue ink. Nepla is tasked with working on my brows and I try to move away when she approaches my face with sharp looking daggers and starts pulling individual hairs. I feel like one of the birds I've shot in the woods, completely plucked, especially as they start placing sticky strips all over my body to yank the hair out. I grip the sheet I'm laying on a little harder every time they rip it off, gritting my teeth and squeezing my eyes shut. They rub a cold cream onto all the areas they removed the hair and it helps the pain a little bit.
"All done!" Tasten claps his hands similarly to Effie and pulls me to stand up. I've already given up trying to cover any body parts and frankly, I'm in too much pain to try.
"You're Willow, I presume?" A tall man who looks to be a little older than my parents enter. At first, I don't think he's here as part of my prep, since he looks so normal compared to the other three. With just a single gold hoop in one ear and matching eyeliner and few freckles shaped like stars, he doesn't look so alien. The lack of Capitol garb almost makes me let my guard down until I remember where I am. He doesn't care about me. He's just here to make me look pretty before they send me to my death.
"I'm Cinna." He circles me, studying me, but I try to keep my face a mask, my mouth set in a frown silently letting him know that while he's judging me, I'm doing the same. "Did you do your hair? The intricate braid?"
"My mom did," I tell him. Cinna continues to assess me.
"I've seen you before," I tell him. The stylists get broadcasted every year and this one's been here since before I started watching. "So why did they give you the worst district?"
All the new stylists start off at district twelve. We have the least amount of victors so there's less of an expectation. The stylists typically work their way up, vying for a spot with one of the career districts who get the most attention in the Capitol.
"I asked for twelve," he states, offering no explanation as to why. "Why don't you put on your robe and we can talk." He nods for Augusina to help me into my robe and Cinna takes my hand, leading me out of the small prep room down the hall. This next room looks like a large closet, with two armchairs and a table with more fruit and pastries piled on a tray.
"Are you hungry?" Cinna asks me, sitting in the armchair across from mine. I shake my head. He offers me a glass of water which I do take, gulping it down. I tug my robe over me a little tighter. Cinna takes a single bite of a pastry, before putting it down, virtually ignoring it. I wonder what it must be like, to have as much food that you can eat for pleasure, almost as a form of entertainment.
"How despicable we must seem to you." His simple statement is what finally makes me glance at him. Yes. I do think it's despicable how you use the children of other districts for your entertainment. To treat us like animals to look at and point to and idolize when all we want is to be left alone.
"No matter," he moves on and I'm stuck feeling confused about this man who seems to be at least partially aware of his part in this whole debacle. "This year is different. We aren't going straight into the parade for the games. No, that won't happen until the Capitol votes on the tributes. It's going to be a big reveal."
I look down at my lack of clothing and wonder where we go from here. Usually the parade is the first event and the first time all of the tributes are together.
"Today," Cinna explains, "will be the first look. We are showing the Capitol citizens who you are, so they can get a better idea of what to expect should you be chosen for the games."
He sits back, crossing his arms. "So tell me. Who is Willow Mellark?"
I don't know what he wants from me, what he wants me to say. So I tell him the only thing I can.
"I'm just a girl who wanted to keep her sister safe." And I don't even know how much longer I'll be able to do that.
Cinna smiles, nodding. I think that was the answer he wanted to hear. He looks over at the fireplace, burning with coals. They had to have come from our district. Back home though, we don't burn coals, we burn wood. Although sometimes there might be coal stuck to the bottom of your shoe if you walk through the seam and when there is, we dust it off and throw it into our fireplace.
"Do you want to know what I see?" He doesn't take his eyes off of the flickering flames.
Not particularly, I want to say. But I keep my mouth shut.
"I see a girl who is willing to do whatever it takes for the people she loves. I saw that spark, that flame, in your eyes as you fought off those peacekeepers to get to your sister. They had guns. But I'm sure you didn't notice," he winks.
Cinna then leans in, much too close for my comfort, keeping his voice low. "I see a girl on fire. And I'm going to make sure the rest of Panem sees her too."