66th Annual Hunger Games

Chapter 4 The Train Ride: Day 2

   I rolled over to look at the clock that glowed brightly in my room. 4:21 am. I sighed and stared at the ceiling. It was much higher than I originally realized. The sun had just rose over the sky line and a thin strip of orange-red stretched above the ground. If I was at home with my family, I would be waking up soon to go to the fields. I would miss the lake of gold that shined when the sun hit it perfectly. How it blew like waves when it caught a gust of wind. The realization of my situation kept hitting me harder. Anada had told me that they would be arriving at the Capitol late at night and that would be the final punch in the face to wake me up and tell me that this was really going to happen. Eleven 12 year old kids. They all believed that since it was their first year they wouldn't get reaped. Some probably had their name in only once and yet they were just unlucky enough. They hoped that they would survive till 19. People have hope, but sometimes the world wants to destroy that hope because hopeful people are the ones who will change it. It was what my ma always told me when a child was reaped. Especially twelves and eighteen year olds. Those are the years of so much hope. Hope is the most fragile thing. Once it is lost, everything worth living or fighting for seems like a dream that will never come true. Hope becomes useless when their is death.

    "Grena?" I jumped when my door creaked open. Bern stood unsure at my door with a pillow in his hand. He looked vulnerable and I hated it. He was the boy who defended me and my brothers when the rumor went around that our ma died of an intentional poisoning; he was the boy who helped our family when they barely could feed one mouth much less six. He helped our family so much that I would help one last time. I would get him home alive. "Can I come in?" I nodded and sat up so he could sit at the edge of my bed. 

    "What's wrong? No, everything is wrong. What's up?" He shrugged. We both sat in silence as we watched the strip of sun rise higher and higher until half of the sky was covered. It was beautiful. I could almost imagine standing in the field. Open air and the wind blowing against my face. At peace. "I'm not sure if I want to die." Bern looked surprised at what I said. I had considered what Ryis said. To live meant I had to kill, but if saw the blood on my hands, the thought that the person I killed might have been the victor if I didn't kill him or her and would see his family that loved him with everything. Like my family loved me. How could I live with myself. But if I did everything in my power to make Bern win, I thought that the deaths on my hands wouldn't matter because it was to help him get home plus I would be dead and be free of all the pain. But to be truly free, I would have to die and the pain was what scared me.

    "Me too." He played with the ring around his finger. It looked like his family ring. There is only one of those. It would be bad if looses it in the arena. I didn't know what they did with the arena once the Games were over, but I was sure that the ring would be no more after. "I'm scared. I don't feel like I could kill someone, but I'm sure I will change in there." He laughed when a thought came into his head. "Are you up early because it's natural for you to be up at this hour too?" He laughed again and I laughed with him. Like normal.

   "Yeah. I guess my body can't out of the rhythm." I laughed again. "I guess the Capitol can't control us on this. It's in our blood." We jumped up when a piercing sound went around my room. The clock said 6:30 am. Had I talked with Bern for two hours? In one month, we wouldn't be talking like they did. "Bern?"

    "Hmm? What's wrong Grena?" He looked at me kindly.

    "Do you realize that in a month that one or both of us will be dead? Not talking. Not breathing." I pulled my knees up to my chest as tears began to form in my eyes. "Dying sounds so painful. I'm afraid my family will think I didn't try hard enough to stay alive for them." He groaned and fell down on my bed. He put a hand over his eyes.

    "Grena. You will be going home. I will make sure of that."

    "Bern. You have done so much for me and my family. I could never repay you but I found a way. My final thank you is getting you home alive. One way or another, I'm going home." He looked defeated. He shouldn't look like that. He was strong and confident. The Capitol was taking the best of my friend and leaving him a shell of the lively boy. "Bern." A single tear rolled down my face. " Please. Take care of my family. Make them keep on living a full life. That's what I want-"

    "Why are you so accepting of death! Grena! I volunteered to protect not just your brothers but you family. Your family can't risk loosing one you. Your father has already broken with the death of your mother! If one of your brothers went in with you, he would protect you from a falling leaf! He would be dead so fast then that leaves you alone. You become an easy target for the Careers. He wouldn't let you join the Careers if they ever asked! Then you both would be dead. Three of the six people he loves more than the world would be dead!" His eyes softened. "Grena. I want this. Your father deserves a world so much better than this. He is like the father I never had.  The most I can do is protect his family." He spoke in a whisper. "His daughter." He looked at me sadly. I hated it, but I needed to be ready when the time came that I would die. Instant or Long, it meant that Bern was closer to winning. Maybe he would use my death as a fueling point and win. I could hope. 

    "Thank you Bern, but my family will learn to move on." He frowned while he sat up and looked deeply at me.

    "I should go. Panner will be coming to get me ready. Lavia should be coming in soon for you." He stood up and left saying nothing. I took one of my pillows and screamed as hard as I could into it. I was screaming a lot.

    "Excuse me Miss Screamy, but we must prepare you for the arrival to the Capitol! I am Lavia and I am your head stylist. Aurum and Agenta are my two assistants." A short woman with bright pink hair and orange eyes stood confidently in my door with two others similarly dress towering behind me. She looked from over her glasses at me and she smiled

    "It's 7:00 am. We won't arrive until 5:10 pm. That's ten hours and ten minutes away." They laughed a high pitched squeal that sounded like how Anada would laugh. I hated it.

    "This is the Capitol! How you appear is how we appear Miss Screamy. Aurum, bring in the makeup! Agenta, bring in the dress! You will look beautiful by the time we get there! We would be getting rid of any blemishes, but since we were called immediately by Ryis Arle to make you look less...well, worn down and tired we could not bring our special liquid. He insisted that you needed to see us and I understand why.  I suppose that we will depend on make up and use it when we get there. At the Capitol, we will take you to the Prep station. The Chariot Parade is tomorrow and that is time for your first good impression on the Capitol sponsors. Now, get up!" I grudgingly obeyed and sat in the chair to my vanity. "We will make them love you!" 

    "That won't stop them from killing me." I muttered when Lavia grabbed my hair and yanked it out with her silver platted comb. It would all be over in a month. One of the twenty three kids in the parade would be my killer.