54th Hunger Games

06

The day of the interviews is full of sessions with my mentors evolving around my ten minutes with Caesar Flickerman tonight. Wireless and Bolt tell me to play sexy for the crowd. My stylist puts me in a silver metallic dress that shows off way too much leg for my liking.

Unlike the private sessions, I go on stage before Michael. The district 2 boy, who I still haven't learnt the name of, turns to the comedy route, passing jokes back and forth with Caesar.

As I buzzer goes off, district two sits down and it my cue to stand. As I walk past Michael we meet eyes for a split second. After yelling at him yesterday he stopped trying to talk to me. 

"My my how beautiful you look," Caesar says as he helps me into my chair adjacent to his "Doesn't she look beautiful folks" he turns to the crowd, earning a large roar in reply

"Oh Caesar stop it, you're making me blush" Smiling sweetly I turn to the crowd and wave my hand in front of my face. They laugh.

"So tell me Elexis..." He seems to go off track for a bit, but I know its all for show "Elexis what a pretty name"

"thank you, my parents said that when they first saw me, I had an electric spark in my eye. Electric, Elexis. Similar"

"Yes, how clever. Well if I ever meet your parents ill praise them on their choice" Caeser says

"Oh you'll meet them" I smile, crossing my legs and patting my eyelashes

"Will I now?"

"After I win, I'll make sure of it"

"Confident. I like it. And with a score of nine in your training, you have every right to be. Tell me how did you get a score like that?" He asks.

What we decide to show the game maker in our private sessions are supposed to remain confidential, If someone knew I won my nine by throwing knives and axes, my skills could be shown to every tribute, so I know that it is a good time to play the crowd.

"Oh you know, I took a nap"

Caeser gives a big hearty laugh along with the crowd and I fake giggle. We continue to exchange in idle chitchat until the buzzer finally goes off and I am shown back to my seat. I don't listen to Michaels interview, or any other tributes, only snapping out of y daydream at the end to stand for the anthem.

Sleep tonight seems to laugh at me as I struggle to find some. I spend the hours until daylight slipping in and out of a sort of daze. As Connie comes to collect me in the morning, I excuse my self to the bathroom quickly. I wash my face with ice cold water and slap my self lightly on both cheeks to snap myself awake. I need to be alert for the bloodbath. My strategy is to get in and out with my weapons and some supplies. I am fast. The fastest runner in school as I was built for running with my long legs and lean body. I would bet money that I am the fasted tribute here, I just have to be concentrated on my goal because although that means I can get to the supplies first, I still have to get out of there uninjured.

The tracker a lady inserts is barely noticeable to me as my mind is somewhere else.

Soon I am dressed in a jumpsuit similar to the one I wore at the chariot rides only black and made with a more stretchy material. I have on another black jacket that makes me hot standing in the slaughter pens. A small pocket in the top of the inside of my jumpsuit gives me a holding place for my gear that was approved to be my district token.

As Sunny laces up my black leather boots, I tuck loose strands of my hair behind my ear nervously. I wouldn't admit it to anyone, but I am petrified. Coming out of this area I will either be dead in a body suit or alive as a killer. No one wins the hunger games without killing anyone and I am prepared to do that. 

"I think desert" Sunny suddenly says jerking e back to the present

"Huh?"

"I think it will be a desert. Judging by your clothing I would expect hot days and cold nights. The material of the jumpsuit is made to protect you from the sun. 

I nod along to her explanation. Heat. I can imagine it now, stumbling around without water in the hot sun thinking you see a puddle but it is heat waves rising from the ground. I have never done intense heat before only seen it at its worse.

As we sit and wait for the call, Sunny orders some food and I spend the next ten minutes picking at fruit and sipping lots of water at the thought of the heat.

"20 seconds"

The automatic voice makes me jump and my hands start to shake. Twenty seconds until i have to be trapped in that cylinder that will raise me up into the arena. 

After hugging goodbye to Sunny, I get into the tube and stare at her as the glass door shuts around me

She puts her hand underneath her chin and lifts it up. Smiling I stand straighter as the cylinder rises. She mouths "Good Luck" and I am quickly thrown into darkness.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, let the 54th Hunger Games begin"