Everglow ➳ F. ODAIR

Chapter Thirteen

Before the sun even has a chance to shine, Ebony is pulled out of bed by a team of stylists. An unexpected turn of events since that is not who she was expecting to see. She had already been on the flight toward the arena and had the tracker placed in her right arm beforehand. At this point, however, she is trying to process everything that has happened in the early morning hours.

"I thought Kyanite or Ruby would be here." Ebony tiredly mumbles, still trying to wake up.

"Nope." Alek pops into the room finally. He inspects the work that his assistants are doing so far and nods approvingly. "We gotta make sure that you look great in the arena."

"Seriously?" Ebony gawks. Why does it matter how she looks in the arena? She isn't going to look gorgeous throughout the Games. No one ever does.

"What do you want to do with her hair?" One of the assistants asks the main stylist. Alek stares directly at the young tribute for a moment, inspecting for any flaws.

"Leave it down. It's short enough." Alek responds. "Maybe curl it a bit... Give her that youthful look. Play up the young career persona."

Ebony simply stares at the stylist. He is seemingly ignoring her or even looking past her. But knowing that this is the morning of the Hunger Games, it oddly enough makes sense to her.

"Eleanor, have we received the attire for the games yet?"

"Yes, sir." There is a moment of silence before the main stylist gestures for the assistant to grab the attire.

"Well, then bring it to me, please." Alek orders the assistant. They frantically run out of the room with no hesitation, before running back into the room with a box. Alek peeks inside, nodding his head. "Definitely leave the hair down. Minimal make-up. Be quick."

The assistants nod their heads, getting right back to work on the young tribute.

"Enjoy the warmth while you have it. I think the arena is going to be colder than usual." Alek remarks solemnly. Ebony stares, trying to process what her stylist just warned her about. "Go get changed. Here are the clothes."

Ebony is hustled into her bathroom to change into the new clothes. The shirt is a gray, long-sleeved shirt that appears to be thick. Meanwhile, the pants are the same material, only black, and the combat boots appear to be brown and bulky. Though, there is not a jacket in sight. Her guess is that Alek and the stylists are holding onto it. Either that or Alek is just trying to scare her. Though that does not seem to match his personality.

Walking out of the bathroom, Ebony is ushered away from the place that has been her forced home for the past week. Oddly enough, she feels a certain pang in her chest. The young tribute will, in a way, miss the forced home that the Capitol placed her in.

Rushing through the building, Ebony is escorted to a private room by Alek, who quickly shuts the door behind them. Glancing around the area, she spots a glass tube with a small platform within it. She lets out a nervous gulp, before turning to face her stylist. In his hands sits a thick, brown jacket with a plush-like material in its hood.

"Here, put this on." he states, handing the item over to her. The girl quickly follows his command, slightly adjusting the material around her shoulders. Kneeling down to face her, Alek sends her a reassuring look.

"You're going to do great, Ebony." Alek reassures. "Just remember what to do. You already have sponsors as it is. You'll survive."

Ebony nods her head hesitantly, trying to truly believe the words coming out of the stylist's mouth. Without warning, the stylist pulls her into a tight embrace for what seems like the first and last time. Eventually, the two break apart, before he leads her over to the tube.

Once the glass slides open, she steps inside, turning to face her stylist. She trembles in fear, scared to finally face the arena. Plastering a soft smile on his face, Alek sends her a thumbs up, as the platform begins rising.

Rising through the tube, she feels a freezing chill fill the area. Finally reaching the top, she squints her eyes from the bright sunshine. Once her eyes adjust to the light, the girl glances around the arena. The entire area resembles a frozen tundra with a small cornucopia of supplies sitting directly in the middle. Shifting her attention, she quickly spots the other twenty-three tributes standing on similar platforms.

Two people over from her is Sam, who sends her a small smile. Repeating the gesture, Ebony nods over at him. Suddenly, a loud voice booms through the area, causing her to jump.

"50. 49. 48. 47. 46." the voice begins counting down, signaling that the games are about to start. Once the timer reaches the last few seconds, Ebony notices Slate send her a threatening look, causing her to gulp in fear.

"5. 4. 3. 2. 1."

With the sound of a loud boom, the tributes jump off the platforms, ready to win.