❖ Book 1 of 3 ❖
【 Slow burn fanfic 】
║ A Prequel to the Hunger Games Trilogy ║
Isla Dunne of District 4 was a career. She had trained her whole life for the Hunger Games, an annual event held by the Capitol. A blood bath where 2 children, ages 12-18...
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ISLA LOOKED FROM left to right, hardly able to see anything but grey curtains and the blinding overhead light. She couldn't move, her entire body numb from the neck down. People shuffled around, their shadows dancing on the monochrome walls. "Lucius will like this one." a high pitched male voice spoke.
"Oh, yes. Lovely canvas." A female responded as the two giggled. Isla opened her mouth to speak, to let them know she was right there as they talked about her, but decided against it. She could tell they were waxing her body, and heard the sound of running water as they presumable rinsed her clean. She was just glad they were no longer plucking at her face, which was not numbed.
Her hair had to be ringed out, weighing her head down against the metal table. "I think she's ready." And with that, she was transported to a small room in just a thin gown. She sat on the elevated metal table, awaiting the next step. She knew she was being prepped for the tribute parade, but that was all she knew.
It seemed like forever by the time the large door slowly opened, revealing a lanky older gentleman with large teeth and combed back grey hair. He wore a navy blue velvet suit, and a bag hung over his arm with a zipper that trailed from the top of it to the bottom. A hanger stuck out from the top, and he used it to hook it onto the wall.
"Good afternoon, Isla, is it?" the man asked, eyeing the girl. She suddenly felt increasingly insecure, only covered by the thin white material. She just nodded in response. "Don't be afraid, we'll be spending a lot of time together these next few days. I'm Lucius, your stylist. I'm here to help you get sponsors." He flashed a reassuring smile her way, and Isla had the feeling he was assessing her from the moment he had entered the room. Which she supposed was his job after all.
"I'm not afraid," she responded, fixing her posture. The last thing she wanted was to be viewed as weak by the person who was in charge of making her look the opposite. "What's in the bag?" She asked, eyeing what she assumed to be her parade outfit.
"I designed a mermaid inspired dress. Very beautiful, it'll catch the sun just perfectly during the chariot ride." He looked excited, grabbing the zipper and pulling it downwards. Revealed was a long gown with a plunging neckline. The gown was covered in large sequins, designed in a blue chrome. It was simple, yet very 'Capitol-esque'.
Isla stood up, "It's really pretty." She commented, getting closer to inspect the dress.
"I think we'll put it on, and then we can focus on the accessories." Lucius commented, peeling the bag off of the dress with care. Isla decided she could trust the man, she wasn't sure why, but he had a welcoming presence. Not as Capitol looking as most of the people she had met here so far. She changed into the gown with his help, as he zippered the back, which was low cut and exposed a lot of her skin as well.
