Losing my Head (Hunger Games Fanfic)

Dark Parade

I stand in front of a mirror, with stylists mesmerized over their work. My long red hair has been put into curls, with some sort of liquid to make it appear shimmering. The top half of my body has two large seashells, to cover my privacy.

When I was relieved of the fact that I wasn't going to be put in a fish suit, I guess I received false hope, because my entire bottom half of my body has been transformed into the tail of a fish. It does look realistic. Gems have been planted into specific spots, that if I moved by legs, it would appear as if I were a swimming fish.

My lead stylist starts to speak, "I realize that I haven't even told you my name." she smiles. "I'm Carol Jones, and today, Annie, you're going to be a mermaid."

The word sounds so strange. "What is a mermaid?" I ask.

Carol begins, "Long ago, our ancestors were sailors. Sometimes, the sailors would get lost at sea. They had been stuck in the sea for too long, missing their wives. So they would hallucinate, started to think some of the animals in the sea were magical woman, that were part animal. Some of them took these false images too far, and even swam out to the 'mermaids', but only end up drowning. But the legend spread on of the existence of mermaids."

I stand there staring at myself in the mirror. The idea that someone could mistake a fish for a woman alludes me. "How can someone be so stupid? Thinking that some dolphin is there own wife?" I ask.

Carol smiles, "Oh Annie, you will believe anything if you want it to be true that badly."

I stay in silence at her words. Manter is brought next to me, and we enter the chariot that will pull us around the Capitol. Manter is dressed as a sailor. Cassandra and Finnick stand in front of us. Cassandra lets out a squeal, "Oh! You two look so beautiful!"

Finnick smiles at me and gives me a nod, "Knock 'em dead."

Even other tributes start to look at us. Some burst out laughing, and I start to feel embarrassed of being a half-fish. But others just stand in awed silence. Their opinion doesn't matter. All that matters is what the crowd thinks when those doors open in front of the chariots.

And they do.

District One is released first they are costumed in Silver and Gold. Next is Two, and they are gladiators. District Three is next, and... I'm not sure what they're supposed to be. They look like walking kitchen supplies.

We go out next, and the crowd whoops and cheers. I can't help but smiling; these people are only loving us for our appearances, they've only known us for five minutes, and they're screaming at the top of their lungs. The Capitol is weird sometimes. The crowd mistakes my smiling as me smiling at them.

I look behind me, most of the Districts look good too, well, except District Twelve. The poor bastards are naked, covered in coal dust. They look wide-eyed with fear.

A thought enters my head, making me frown. These people can't wait to watch me die. They cheer for my blood to be spilled. I'm a sheep being groomed before a slaughter. The Parade no longer appears as bright and cheerful to me as it was. I now stand in a dark parade.