The Boy with the Bread

Chapter 6

Just shut up! I swear you are completely useless!

I'm dreaming again, mostly about my childhood. It seems that talking about my dad with Katniss has awakened old memories, and not all of them pleasant either: my mother's angry face before she raises her hand to punish me, insults of useless and worthless thrown our way, my father pounding away at dough, a young Cain holding me in his thin arms until I stop crying, pages upon pages of scrap paper with nothing but black meaningless scribbles all over them that I used to vent my anger and helplessness...

Some of the clearest memories, however, are of when I was very young, barely five or six years old, peering around the door into the front shop to see a tall man with dark hair and grey eyes talking to several men, including my father. They all seemed to get along, drinking out of some mugs while laughing a little. It was after hours, and the men were relaxing after a long day's work. That was when someone called for a song, and the tall man began to sing. I can't remember the song, but I do remember how beautiful his voice was. A deep, rich bass. No one really sang in my house, so hearing someone like him sing was awe-inspiring.

You see that little girl? I wanted to marry her mother, but she ran off with a coal miner.

I dream about a different day now. Father is pointing out a girl my age, who is walking along with a pretty blonde lady. When I demand to know why the lady would marry a coal miner over him, he just sadly smiles.

Because when he sings, even the birds stop to listen.

It's a little after seven when I wake up the next day. For a minute, I forget where I am as I look up at the plain white ceiling. I'm almost expecting to hear the bustling of my family just outside the room. That is, until I look over and see the wide window covered by curtains. This is not my room that I share with my brothers. This is way too big, the blankets and sheets of my bed way too silky. No, I'm in the Capitol.

I can still faintly hear the sound effects of the sea from my magical window and I get up to pull the curtains back. I'm still shown my chosen view of the ocean, but now the sky is a bright blue and the sun is shining down on the clear waters. I really should try to scrounge up some paper and watercolors, I tell myself. I could sketch this in what little spare time I have left.

I don't know what time breakfast is, so I decide I might as well get ready for the day. This time, I do take a shower and once again, all the different options and functions in the shower alone is enough to astound me. I can change the water pressure, the temperature, the way the water comes out of the shower head, and there's even an option to choose what kind of scent I want the water to be. I take five minutes just to figure out how to work the whole system before I even start to clean myself.

Once that is out of the way, I attempt to get dressed, though the idea of having to work a closet that is just as intricate as the shower is a daunting task to me. My concerns are set aside, however, since it seems someone has already chosen something for me to wear. I slip the clothes on and they're comfortable enough. I don't worry about shoes just yet and exit the bedroom.

Haymitch emerges from a door next to mine. Once again, he doesn't seem to be drunk like he was on the train. I suppose he is taking the games seriously now, which is good since today begins our strategizing as well as our official training. I have to admit, I'm a little apprehensive about the whole thing. We just had our opening ceremony, and now we only have three days to train for the games. It all goes by so fast...

"Morning." He shoots my way.

"Good morning," I answer back. I join him at his side and we head to the dining room.

"Did you have a pleasant night?" There's a twinge of sarcasm in his voice and I dryly chuckle.

"More or less. You?"