the 1000th annual hunger games

Chapter 39: Tribute Parade

I wake up to a too bright light shinjng in my eyes.

"Amaranth, you're awake." Ethai shouts hopefully.

"Stop yelling." I sternly say.

"I-I'm not." I turn my head to look at him. He looks as if he's talking low, quietly.

"Sorry, my headache, my head." I say.

"What happened? Where's Hawk?" I ask. He fills me in on what happened. And suddenly, I remember.

Hawk punches Ethai in the stomach and in the face. Tears well up in my eyes. I storm over the Hawk and kick him in the groin and he stops punching Ethai for a minute.

"HOW DARE YOU, YOU SLUT!!" He screams and bites me. My leg starts bleeding. It's doesn't hurt me as much as it shocks me. He pulls me by my hair and slams my head against the wall. My head bangs against the wall again and again.

Hawk is a monster. tears well up in my eye. He set me up. Every rebellious thing in the arena I did was for him. And the sooner he kills me, but says he loves me, he'll get more pity and sponsors. And if I live and he doesn't, I'll be targeted and dead. If leave him, therefore ruining his plan, everyone I love will be dead. There's no way to win now. His plan is going to work, and I can't stop it.

"I know, I know." Ethai says. I'm pretty sure I just that last paragraph in my head out loud. Ethai smiles at me, making me feel giddy and like a child. I kinda like this feeling though. Dixie struts in.

"Hello, darling. Are you feeling well? I sure hope you are. The doctors put a fancy healing gel on your head. You healed almost immediately, like most patients. You may still have a headache, because Ha- uh... You were shaken pretty bad, and brain damage and stuff..." She says.

"Thanks Dixie. What day is it, though?" I ask.

"The third chariot day. Ethai got a minor concussion, but woke up within a few hours, but when he did, he begged to see you, as he was very worried." Dixie says, making Ethai blush a bit, "Can you get up without much pain?"

"Ask the doctor." I say, and Dixie rushes out.

"Are you ok, Amaranth?" Ethai says.

"Yeah, I'm good. How's Zap? Bells? Olivie? Katniss? Peeta? Cat? Cricket?Anya? Sadie? Yourself?"I say,

and brush my hand over his cheek. He laughs.

"This is not a funny matter." I say.

"I love how you care more about the ones you love-family if you will- than yourself. I'd always admired that about you. And they, well, they're doing fine." Etahi says.

"If you'd always admired that, than why did you space out, you know, throw away our friendship." I ask. He looks a little taken back, maybe even a bit hurt.

"The reason doesn't matter, it's just, I shouldn't of wasted all those years." He sadly says.

"If you don't want to talk about it, fine, but if you want to, I'm here." I kiss him on the nose. The doctor walks in.

"Amaranth Olivier, you should be able to go." He says, and helps me out of the bed. I slip off the nightgown, which underneath was my normal clothes. Outside, Vanessa and some other crazy Capitol lady waits. Vanessa takes me to a dressing room.

"Hello Ara." She says.

"Hey. What did I miss, Vanessa?"

"Nothing much. They're doing interviews in groups later on, due to the size of the pool of tributes." Vanessa fills me in, "Your dress is simple, like aluminum."

"I'm not going to dissolve, am I?" I laugh.

"No, more like, uh... unwrap." Vanessa says mischievously.

"Oh dear. Is there something underneath?" I chuckle.

"Yeah."

"Well, what is it?" I ask.

"You'll see."

"Aww, c'mon Vanessa."

"Nope." And that was the end of that conversation. Vanessa shampooed and worked my hair into a complex down style. I put on the aluminum dress. She dusted some makeup on my cheeks.

"Is it only you this time because there are so many tributes this time around?" I ask.

"Yep." She says. She leads me down to the Chariots. My chariot looks like a giant plastic burrito plate. I get in the plate, along with the others. Bells wears a princess costume to show her youth. Cricket and Olivie wear the exact same dress.Hawk wears shiny black outfit. His mother wears a maid's outfit.Ethai wears a tux. Zap and Sadie stand in here, too, wearing Dog hotdog costumes. District Ten leaves in their normal cow costumes. District 11 looks magical. Fairies, flowers, sparkles, magic fairyland type things. They look so cute, and get a standing ovation from the Capitols. District Twelve looks very diverse. Some appear as if they are on fire. Some wear the exact costume as last time. But wait, the fire from the bottom of the legs is spreading up, as a visual. District Thirteen is lame, as usual. We come out. Bells looks as if she's a fairy god mother with her wand. My dress looks as if mini lightning bolts are shooting off of it. Cricket and Olivie hold their hands together, up in the sky, as their dresses change color. Hawk looks as if he's a motorcycle man. Bells skips to Ethai and I.

She spins the wand in her hand. My dress turns into what a District One would say as a casual summer dress. It's white with a strange pattern on it. My braid comes undone and curls flow through the air.My hair starts blonde at the top, my usual color, then merged into a fire red and black at the tips. It flows through the air as if I'm in a meadow on a windy summer day. Etahi' tux becomes a casual t-shirt, and basketball shorts. He grabs my hand. Hawk growls, goes on the other side of me and wraps his arm around me possessively. Bells jumps on my back. My chariot probably got more screen time than ever. We arrive at the center circle. Ethai and Hawk kiss each of my cheeks.

"Hello, hello tributes. I know it's crazy enough already, but while District 14 new residents settle in, we'll still be holding this games. That's right! We'll hold these games for three more years! Now of course, you won't be in all the games. If you survive. We'll announce how many survive this round during the games. We'll do mini games and ulimate games and blah while District 14 recovers. Hahahaha." President Stitch laughs.

----------------------later that night

"Is it just me or does it seem that Stitch is making this all up?" I ask Ethai as we leave.

"Yeah, She probably is." He says.

"Uh... hey Ethai, Amarnath?" A voice says from behind us. I'd know that voice anywhere.Hawk.

"What do you want?" I snark.

"Listen. I'm sorry. I was under the influence of some Capitol drug. I hurt you and I... I... I can't change that, but will you forgive me?" Hawk asks.

"Sure, I guess" Ethai replies and I nod my head. We head in and laugh like we'd been buddies for years.

Training starts tomorrow. Maybe an ally will be made.