The 25th Hunger Games

The Train

The Peacekeepers motioned me out of the room. Quickly trying to get rid of my tears, I followed without looking at anything too closely. They stopped on either side of a door connected to a shiny Capitol train. I took a deep breath and entered the train car. 

Inside was nothing that I expected it would be. It was nice. Really nice. Plush couches, velvet curtains. Inside was the cleanest air I'd ever breathed. Through the windows across from me, I saw the district. It looked like it went on forever from here.

"Noah!" a cheery voice said from the other end of the cart. I turned and saw Angeline smiling at me. Just the person I wanted to see. I felt the pain and anger from before bubbling up again. This was the person I'd have to deal with for my stay in the capital. Her and...

"This is her?" A large man approached up, looking me up and down. After a moment, he stuck out his hand. "Sariel Seymour." I shook it without thinking, caught up in the man's appearance. He was all pale, shining beauty. He had sharp cheek bones and clear white teeth. He had to be between twenty and twenty five, and was clearly very wealthy. "I'm your mentor. And your partner's, wherever he is."

"He's already getting settled," Angeline explained. I found this information oddly comforting. At least I didn't have to deal with Kane today.

I broke my gaze from Sariel and studied Angeline. She was older than she seemed from stage, and clearly in tons on makeup. Her hair was silver, but it sparkled unnaturally. It floated on her shoulders onto her bright green, shimmering dress. I made me want to flinch. "If you'd like, I can show you to your room."

I nodded, but Sariel didn't let me respond. "First, I want you to know a few things. These Games aren't easy. I should know, I've won them before. If you and your partner want to live past the first night, you'll have to do everything I say."

"And if I want to live longer than that?" I asked.

He grinned, although I missed the joke. "That depends on you. Get some rest, get mentally prepared. These Games will take everything out of you."

I nodded, although I was still confused. Angeline guided me to another one of the trains carts. I noticed that we were already moving, on our way to the Capitol. If this was a Capitol train, I could only imagine what the actual Capitol was like. My room was just as nice as the earlier room. It was covered in soft carpet and plush covers. I opened the closet in the far corner, only to find tons of Capitol clothes, all about my size.

"I see you want to get changed," Angeline said. She couldn't have been more wrong. "I'll let you be. Dinner will be in half an hour, if you choose to join us."

Not if I can help it. Instead, I said nothing. Angeline left, and I continued to explore my room. There was a weird shower in the bathroom with a ridiculous amount of buttons. I decided to not even try working it. I turned back to the Capitol clothes, but I ended up keeping on what I had. A reminder of home, even if it was a small one.

One the bedside table was a note explaining how to work the projection system. I pushed the buttons, and it came to life with the replays of the earlier reapings. 

I sat on my bed while the reapings played, doing my best to remember things about each chosen tribute, but there were so many and no one particularly stood out to me. A few people volunteered, although I couldn't tell why. They didn't look like the usual Careers.

As the last names were called, a girl named Diana and a volunteer named Ashton-- did I even want to know their names if they were going to die?-- I clicked the projection off. I had missed dinner by now, but I was too strung up to feel hungry anyway.

I looked at the bed. I wasn't even sure I was going to be able to sleep, but I needed all the rest I could get. In a couple days, I wouldn't have these luxuries...

I forced myself to lay down, but my thoughts were everywhere but sleep. I kept remembering scenes from previous Hunger Games, the blood bath, the bodies, some tributes starving to death, others drowning. The arenas were always different, the tributes all new.

I realized that I knew nothing about these games. At all. And that fact could kill me. The only chance I had was listening to Sariel and maybe making some allies. I thought of the reapings again, but I didn't care for anyone in particular. There was no way I was allying with Kane if I could help it. It seemed like he was already plotting my death. But the rest of them, I didn't even know them, and I'd have to pick which ones were going to die.

Or maybe I'd just die. Would that be better or worse?

At some point, I closed my eyes and the sun came up. I decided it was time to take a shower and maybe start dressing like I belonged here. I just barely managed to work the Capital technology, but I hated it all. I hated everything here.

After the shower, I stared at the closet for a while. I had no idea what matched and what didn't, so my final decision was black on black in an attempt to look intimidating. I would face the cameras today, which meant I would face the whole country.

Angeline smiled at me when I made it to the main cart, but quickly frowned at my outfit. Oops.

"We'll be in the Capitol soon," Sariel gave me a warning. I nodded and mentally prepared my thoughts over breakfast. I barely ate a few bites of a bagel covered in magnificent spread.

Kane walked in just as Angeline announced, "This is it, this is it!" She was almost ready to shake him, she was so excited. She must've loved the Capitol. I bet everyone here matched her.

As the doors of the train opened, I realized I was wrong and right. It was all glitter and high fashion, but everyone looked different. No two people had the same haircut, or if they did, the color was completely different.

A whole crowd of Capitol citizens began cheering as Kane and I left the train side by side. I felt my breath catch in my throat as I looked at everyone. This was a lot of people. A lot of happy people. My thoughts kept repeating themselves, unable to think under the pressure of all their eyes. There was nothing I hate more than people looking at me in praise.

"Welcome," Sariel said quietly as the cities stretched behind us, "to the Capitol of Panem."