Deceived: The 500th Annual Hunger Games

Chapter 23 - The Train to the Capitol

MUSCIDA INCHICAPE'S P.O.V

I sat silently as the train stopped at District 2. All 3 of our Districts are near the Capitol. The ride will barely last half a day.

I want to talk to them. I can't. My tongue is gone.

It all started when I was at home. Me and my brother Endy were eating breakfast. My mum entered the room screaming, holding up her best dress.

It had been ripped. She went out in it last night, slept with a random guy and drank until she blacked out.

She thought Endy had ripped the dress. She grabbed her branding iron and tortured us with it. When Endy died, he blamed it all on me.

My mum attacked me, and burnt my tongue. She then cut it and burnt it until it came off. I managed to escape after that and make my way to my grandpa's house, where I used cow skin to make boots.

"Hey Muscida," Astonia smiled at me. "How are you?"

She didn't know I couldn't talk. I shrugged and shook my head.

"Why won't you speak?" She sounded sad.

I can't. I tried to tell her what was wrong with me, but she didn't quite understand.

She looked really upset. I really want to team with her. It's a shame I can't talk.

I grabbed the spoon and a glass of purple juice. I dipped the spoon in the juice I wrote 'I CAN'T TALK' on the table.

"How come?" She asked.

I signalled pen and paper. She left to look for some. I sat in my chair, twiddling the cutlery in my hands.

When she finally came back, she arrived with Carlin and Lawson from District 6. Astonia handed me a black pen and several bits of paper. I wrote my story on a piece of paper. The 3 of them read it in silence.

"I'm so sorry to hear that!" Carlin looked at me.

I took the paper back. 'What's your story?'

Lawson looked up at me. "I was at school, learning about science, a typical school day. The wind was fast, and it managed to knock down a tree." Lawson looked sad, remembering the memory. "26 people died. 5 of us survived. I was lucky I only lost my hand and not my life."

"Wow," Astonia looked shocked. "I'm so sorry."

We were all sobbing over each other's misfortune. I took a new sheet of paper. 'Can anyone use weapons?'

"No, I've never learnt." Carlin shrugged. "How hard can it be to learn to use a dagger or a sword? The tributes in January made it look easy."

I nodded. I picked up the knife and stabbed at the air with it, indicating I can use a dagger. I think they understood.

"I can use a branding iron," Astonia said. She meant no harm by it, but I started to shake. "Sorry," she apologised. "I didn't mean to upset you."

'It's not your fault.' I wrote.

She nodded. "I know. I just don't want to upset you. I want to comfort you."

'Are we all an alliance?'

"Yeah, if that's okay with you," Lawson smiled.

'That's more than okay!' I wrote, adding a smiley face at the end. It's nice to know people are willing to team with a mute.

SPIRO MARTIAL'S P.O.V

The train was fancy. Really fancy. Leporis and I sat away from everyone else. It's best to play the games with a smaller alliance.