The 62nd Annual Hunger Games

Chapter 5: The Capitol

After a day of speeding along the train tracks we arrive in The Capitol. The city is surrounded by snow-topped peaks and crystal water. Who knows if it's real or not, but I want to go and splash in it. Ashton and I exit the train to find crazed Capitol citizens. I thought Ali was extreme. A rainbow man (at least I think it's a man) tosses me some roses. I catch them and blow a kiss towards the direction it came from. Everything my sister didn't do. Star's words pop into my head. I guess you can say her sister was cold to The Capitol. We step into a long car. It carries us to The Tribute Center. Ali guides Ashton and I down a hall.

"Faith, sit here. Your prep team will fix you soon."

Are you kidding me!??! Fix me.

"Alright thanks!" I smile at her.

Star's words return to my head. A green lady, one purple guy, and a gold lady come into the room. The purple one shrieks. Is he scared of me?

"Hello, darling. I'm Crendalia." The gold one smiles.

I return the favor, but nothing else.

"And this is Blangius." She points at the purple one.

"I'm Rishank." The green lady pops out of her mouth.

"Hi guys!" I wave.

"Well, let's get started already!" Blangius says, obviously anxious to 'fix me'.

"Lay down, darling." Crendalia says.

I obey.

"We'll start on your legs, and work up from there." She smiles at my nod.

I am quite confused by what she means until Blangius and Rishank put stickers on my legs. They rub them, and rip it off really quick. I take a deep breath to keep from yelling. While they do my lower legs, Crendalia does my thighs. The prep team talks to each other, about the big party last week that was held for all the prep teams at Rishank's house. I tune them out, because none of this at all has to do with the games. I begin to wonder about my stylist. Hopefully he/she is nice.

"We quickly just have to do your eyebrows, then you'll be ready for Mindalia." Crendalia says.

"Alright!" Ugh this happy thing is torture.

After they finish, my stylist, a normal lady comes in. She doesn't have much Capitol to her. Maybe she won't put me in a stupid costume.

"Hi. I'm Mindalia. Crendalia is my sister, in case you didn't notice. I'm going to finish fixing you. Okay?"
Oh dear.
"Great!" I say.

She grabs my face and sighs. "You've been in the sun too long. We'll need more makeup than I expected. Get comfy, girl!"

That's it. I can't take it any longer!

"Maybe you could try to be a little nicer?" I suggest.

"Oh, sweetheart. I am being nice!" She replies.

"Just don't change me too much please." I beg.

"We will see." Says Mindalia.

After an hour of silence (besides Mindalia's grunts of disgust) she turns me to the mirror.

"Woah." I say, not hating it but certainly not liking all the makeup smeared on my face.

My baby blue eyes are enhanced to look like the water outside the Capitol. Somehow, Mindalia shaped my face to look much older, and more mature than my chubby cheeks that belong to me. She pulls my hair into a similar, but more complicated bun that I wore the day of the reaping. She pulls out my dress, it is actually pretty, at least I find it so. Since my district is cattle, she has to theme my dress with a 'western' twist. The sleeveless dress has a huge flow to it.It has a high waist, with pearls on the top half and on the bottom, live footage of the fields in district ten. Of course no ones out there, they have to watch me in my dress, but it still reminds me of home. She pulls a pair of high-heeled shoes out of a box, they look like wood. I strap them onto my feet. She scatters pearls in my hair and puts a pearl choker around my neck.

"It's. Amazing." I say. "Thank you, Mindalia."

I embrace her. She's not here to be nice. She is here to help me feel beautiful. She has done her job. Very well.