The Survivor (Book 1)

Pamela and Sasha

I held back tears the entire way. What did I just do? I wasn't the biggest fan of killing things, just ask Cassia or people in general. yet here I am, heading to the train. Sigh. I mean, what I did was better than letting Morgan participate in the Hunger Games.

Letting her die.

The thought that I saved her life instead of my own made this whole situation seem somewhat more bearable. I did the right thing. I was positive about that, if not anything else.

I gasped when the train came fully into view. Like I mentioned before, I already had a picture in my head of all the times Persia told us stories about her time in the Hunger Games, but seeing it for myself-was a whole knew experience. It abruptly washed away my negative thoughts somehow. It was slick and silver, something you wouldn't see ridden by someone like... me. Now I'm not saying I'm some train expert, but one look was enough to tell me it was fast.

I was so mesmerized by the vehicle before me that I didn't notice Conner was bent down tying his shoe until it was too late. My bare foot caught on his exposed shoe and I lost my not very promising balance.

"Eek!" I squeaked as I fell forward. It might not have been so painful if I was at least expecting it. Reflexively I stretched my hands out. The second they hit the ground pain shot up them in multiple waves, same as my knees. There was an audible smack! that made me wince again.

"Ouch!" I said again and carefully pushed myself from the cement ground and dusted my palms from the gravel.

Pamela never noticed a thing; she was already on the train. I looked down hopelessly and saw my knees were red and scratched with signs of blood here and there.

Conner was at my side in an instant, looking like it was him that tripped me instead of my own clumsiness. "Are you okay?" Conner asked me, not even trying to hide his concern.

"Oh. Yeah. I'm fine. Thanks for asking," I said quickly. My voice went higher a few octaves, making it sound like a bad lie. I shook off my embarrassment

Get it together Freya! I told myself and headed to the train.

The second my foot was in, Pamela was there. The way she looked at me made me feel like I fell off of three cliffs. "Oh my goodness! Freya, what happened to you?!"

I scratched the back of my neck like a child being scolded by its mother for a minor issue. "Um... I tripped. I am kind of uncoordinated..." I trailed off, expectant of her reaction.

She clasped her hands together as if praying. "Goodness! We must get you cleaned up! We can't have the female tribute from District 9 possess even a single scratch. Come. Follow me." I knew I had no other choice. It didn't make sense, though. Why did I have to be perfect if I was going to an arena only to be killed as bait? I slumped my shoulders and trailed behind her to another part of the train.

My eyes kept wandering. Everything looked too expensive. People were starving while these people used up so much silver for just one train.

So my assumptions were correct. People like me did not belong in a place like this. I scanned the interior eagerly.

Weirdly enough, there were even many kinds of potted plants. "Hey, Pamela? Won't these plants fall and break?" I asked. As rich as they obviously were, they couldn't defy the laws of gravity, right?

Pamela laughed as if I said some funny joke. "Of course not, silly!" she said through her laughing fit. "President Dawson wouldn't put them on the train if they were going to fall!"

"Well, won't they die without sunlight?" I pressed on. Nothing made sense.

"You sure ask a ton of questions." She walked around a table slowly. "But to answer you, watch this!" She pulled out a little remote from her pocket and pressed a button, everything with swift and elegant movements. All of a sudden the sides of the train rolled up to reveal big and clean windows. "That is so cool!" I said in astonishment. At least photosynthesis still worked. Pamela just giggled.