Tribute or Victor

Chapter 7

The train eased to a stop in front of hundreds of thousands of people, making you wonder how exactly you were supposed to get off the train without getting lost in the crowd. Suddenly someone bursts into your room, making you spin around in surprise. Your heart rate slowed down, but a glare marked your face when you saw who it was.

"Come on dear! It is time to meet all of your adoring fans," she speaks in a singsong voice, twirling her hand around as a motion to follow her. You grumble something unintelligible under your breath before stomping over to her and colliding your shoulder with her as you exit the room. A huff of disapproval makes its way to your ears, but somehow Tafida managed to make even that sound almost jolly.

You stride through the hallway into the dinning area that you had paid little to no attention to the day before, anger and sadness and pain clouding your senses to make you not particularly care. Just now are you realizing all of the many cake trays, chocolate fountains, biscuits, and other tasty looking treats that you pass by. It takes a little bit of self control to not reach out and take a cookie off of one of the trays, but you contain yourself. You didn't want the capitol people to think you were enjoying their 'Happy early death day' presents.

Once you're at the door that you had gotten into the train by, you realize Peter is already waiting for them to open the doors. He's bouncing around on his toes a little, making you wonder if he was planning on trying to run off into the crowd to try and get away. A part of you wanted him to try to run. He was too young to be sent to his death. Ya you were only two years older, but it still made a big difference. The other part of you hoped he followed the rules and didn't get himself shot by one of the peace keepers.

You hadn't realized how much time had passed since you had stepped up to the door, but suddenly your blinded by light, a loud click sounding as the doors open. The crowd erupts in cheers, screaming and calling at you, while you hear squeals of girls screeching Peter's name. It disgusted you how they could react like this when they new that you most likely be dead in a week.

Someone shoving you from behind makes you stumble forward and out of the train, peace keepers making an isle for you, Peter, Tafida, and the two other guards behind her. People were reaching their hands out past the guards, trying to grab onto your arms and hands. You subconsciously wrap your arms around yourself, trying to stay as far away from the ridiculously long nails of the capitol men and women.

After about two minutes of dodging hands and nails you are practically shoved into a large black limo. Your in the middle of Peter and Tafida crawls inside behind you. You mentally groan, wishing the guards weren't taking up the other two seats on the other side of the vehicle.

"Where are we going now," Peter asks, looking out the window at all of the girls blowing him kisses and waving like lunatics with an almost awed look on his face.

"You both get to meet your clean up team, and then you get to meet your dresser," she exclaims in a singsong voice. You look over to glare at her, but she has her head turned towards the window, waving like a queen would at the men and women on the sidewalk. The crowd went on for miles, like a trail leading up to the tribute building.

Your jaw dropped when you saw the skyscraper. The top floors touched the clouds, and the sun reflected off the spotless windows, making it feel like staring into a flashlight. Your vision went spotty as you were ushered out of the car and into the large building. On the first floor it was just like a hotel, except a billionaire - actually trillionaire - paid for it. There was a huge crystal chandelier hanging from two floors above you with a walkway wrapping around the edges of both floors. The reception desk was huge! Almost as long as the limo you drove up in, and only one person was running it. As you walked it felt like you were sinking into the ground from how squishy the bright blue and green spotted carpet was.