Sorry Guys I know it has been a couple of days. The season makes it harder to get things done quickly!

I still don't own anything

Chapter 3

Before I could even begin to collect my thoughts we were herded onto the train bound for the capitol. I am very much aware of the almost complete change between the games now and how the games were when they first began or even how they were only 50 years ago. I had been told stories of tributes being treated like animals, transported in cattle cars and keep in the capitol zoo for citizens to gawk at and I had even heard that at one point tributes were placed on a pedestal for capitol people to get close too and squeeze their arms, legs and bodies to feel hows well muscled they were to see if they would be a good bet or not. no better then goats being put up for bid at the county fair. I knew that things were better, now we were transported in clean, some would even say luxurious cars to the capitol. But was it any better? Yes the tributes were fed well and given some training to make the games interesting but now we were still being treated like animals being prepared for slaughter.

The train began to move and Effie grasped my arm "Come Katniss!" There was still a twinge of excitement in her voice that made me want to slap her, she made some statement about how much more "spacious" this train was then the one they had traveled in before and mused about how it must be because there were more of us now, only one more I thought to myself but didn't say anything. She was right though. Prim and Barley's room still were very large with an attached bathroom but I had never seen the mentor rooms before, they were huge, the bed looked like it would fill up my old house in the seam. There was also a huge sprawling dresser pushed against the wall and a large sofa that was pushed against the window. I noticed that this time the window as not blacked out and you could see the districts zooming by. There was a large shade that could be pulled. I walked to the bed and ran my hand across the bedding it was the same silky material that I remembered from last year. I had not yet gone into the bathroom and decided that I would explore that room later. I stayed at the bed, still mezmerized by the fabric.

"Well" said Effie " I will go get your sister and Barley settled." She said. I pulled my eyes away from the fabric,

"Don't call her that." I said softly

"What dear?" Effie asked

"Don't call Prim my sister." I said more loudly so she could hear me.

Effie looked confused.

"I don't want people to associate her with me." I said simply. "We are completely different people, if they associate her with me, she doesn't stand a chance."

Effie turned away and started for the door and then I heard Haymitch's voice as he positioned himself in the doorway. " She doesn't stand a chance anyway." He said. His statement made the anger in me flare even harder and I sprinted over to him "Say that to me again." I said my voice low and dangerous. I saw how uncomfortable Effie was getting.

Haymitch held his ground. "I said, she doesn't stand a chance anyway." The words were barely out of his mouth when my hand came up and collided hard with his jaw. "OK, I was expecting the other side." He quipped, grabbing my arm faster then I expected, he had me back across the room and sitting down on the bed with him crouched in front of me before my brain could even begin to form a thought.

"That's exactly what Im talking about Katniss, you have a fire in you, a fight, Prim doesn't have that."

I looked at him my brain mulling over what he had just said.

"How did you win your games Katniss?"He asked, blood was starting to ooze from the wound I had left on his lip, but he ignored it. " What kept you alive in that arena?"

I shook my head trying to think, trying not to be angry for his previous statement "I...I had to get home...To Prim." I stuttered"I promised her I would."

He nodded a slight smile coming across his lips "exactly." he said "You had something that was worth fighting for...You have to give that to her now, she has to have a reason to stay alive in there."

I shook my head..."I don't...I don't know what that is..." I said

He patted my cheek and stood up. "Your a smart girl you figure it out."

He was walking towards the door when I called him back "Haymitch!"

He turned back to me, his face serious now. I stood as well "I need you to be sober." I said, looking between him and Effie who had a slight smirk on her face

He looked tired "Katniss." He began

"I can't do this alone Haymitch, I need your help to help her and the only way I can do that is with you..."

He exhaled hard "I'll do my best." He said "that's all I can tell you."

and with that he and effie walked out of the room and closed the door behind them. I sat back down on the bed trying to think about his last statement, what is her reason for getting home...

As I thought I heard the TV turn on, It was time to watch the reapings, to see who my sister and peeta's wiry little brother were going up against.