The Sixty-Fifth Hunger Games

Leo

I walked down a random hallway on the train trying to find the dining room. Today was the last day on the train and I still hadn't figured out how to get there.

I saw a girl standing alert on the side of the hallway and went over to her. I wasn't comfortable asking help from avox's, it just seemed wrong. I'd figured out that they couldn't talk the first day I was here and I asked one a question. My Capitol lady who did whatever had informed me that they were being punished. I asked the girl, "do you know where the dining room is?"

She nodded and started walking. I followed her and after a few minutes we ended up in front of a door. I nodded at her, "ah thanks I guess."

She seemed a bit startled that I had bothered to address her and gave me a quick bow. Her dark hair falling over her shoulders.

She was quite pretty really.

I opened the door to a conversation happening between my escort and my mentor. I think the Capitol lady's name was Sylia Ostrich. She lived up to it and had a long beaky nose and small beady eyes. Her hair that was currently a garish swirl of rainbow was piled on her head like melted icing.

I sat down in a random seat and reached for a weird circle of bread with a hole in the center. My mentor abruptly stops speaking when he sees me and gives me a big grin, "Had a nice sleep?" I stare blankly at him and he points to the wall where a clock is showing 12:00.

The Ostrich lady turns to me, "You'll have to do better than that if you want to win."

I shrug and take a bit out of the bread and my mouth explodes with flavor. It has a weird flaky glaze to it and tastes sweet. I grab another and ask, "where's Nyssa?"

Sylia looks horrified at me eating with my mouth full. She shrieks with her tinny voice, "Manners!" Pylis, my mentor (or at least I think that's his name) replies to my question, "She went down to the engine room." Something about trying to find out how the train works?"

I gulp down my bread thing and decide to at least get some idea of how the games work. I point to my mentor and ask, "so...what is this weird bread?"

He stares at me and busts out laughing. I decide that I like him.

Sylia looks horrified again. It seems to be her only expression around me. "That, Leo is a donut."

I shrug and turn back around to my mentor. Honestly, why don't they just sit next to each other? That way I can look at both of them at the same time.

"So Pylis-" He corrects me, "Pyralis" I nod, "So Pyralis, how does this whole Games thing work?"

He immediately gets serious. The Games didn't seem like his favorite topic. Even though he must be have been around 21 he must have seen some things some people hadn't seen in their lifetimes.

Now I'm probably going to see them too. Lucky me. He gets right down to business.

"First thing you do, grab anything that's near you and get the hell out of there. Mostly everyone except the career tributes die in the bloodbath. Do you understand?"

I nod along with what he's saying he's probably right. But I get a thought, "What if there's something reeeally important near the cornucopia, like a handy set of tools, should I go get it?"

He frowns as he contemplates that, "Are you good with machinery?"

I have to think about it. After my mom died and I ran away from the orphanage, I made myself a living by taking spare scraps of anything I could find and constructing it into something I could sell at the Hob.

Before I can give him an answer he frowns, "What are you doing with your hands?"

I look down, I had taken some forks and spoons and connected them with some strips of tissue to make some sort of launcher.

I hold it up and shrug, "I fidget a lot. It's kind of a thing I do subconsciously."

He appears thoughtful, "That could help you in the arena. So yes if you see some tools that would help you go get them."

That confuses me, back in the orphanage and school I was often teased and bullied for my antics and was subjected to many exercises by my teachers to 'Help' me get rid of it.

No one had ever told me it would help in something. Maybe I had a chance in this game after all.

Suddenly the train goes dark and I jerk. I hear the voice of my escort, "Ohhh, we're here!"

Suddenly the darkness faded and a new view came up. I got up and stepped closer to the window. I caught my breath, it was the weirdest most beautiful city i'd ever seen. Not that I'd seen many cities. Each building was individual and different in it's own way. The overall view was something that looked like someone had twisted multicolor clay into a rainbow of a city.

I spotted a building that looked like a sitting bird with glass feathers covering it.

My escort tittered, "That's my house! Isn't it beautiful?"

She looked at me and beamed her beakish smile, "I love birds, mainly ostriches."

I didn't know what to say to that so I nod and pretend to admire it.

Before I know it we reach the building where apparently we're going to be staying for the next week.

A stark contrast to the other buildings, the building in front of us was a plain glass tower. It was still impressive but dull compared to everything else.

Pyralis clapped me on the back, "ready to be styled?"

I looked questioningly at him, "what do you mean?"

He explains, "You know the chariot parade? And the interviews?"

I nod, everyone knows about them, there televised.

"Well you have a stylist to get you ready for each one."

I groan. I can't help it, the idea of a stylist sounds like torture.

The door of the train car opens and my escort ushers us out, "we don't have all day you know!" Before we can step out Nyssa appears out of breath. "Sorry i'm late."

Sylia sniffs but doesn't say anything.

We step out together and I feel a sense of dread settle in my stomach.

The Games have begun...

This chapter was written by @marsh_meowllow .

-Toodles!