The Hunger Games: The Cry of Temperance

The Locomotive

After the Reaped were chosen from their homes, to be taken away and stripped from away their ruthless but familiar life to be placed into the next few days of forced reformation into spectacles for the Capitol to alter completely. All in an attempt to gain sponsorship— donations, gifts, anything to augment the chances of their own tribute— out of the twenty-four to win. Pair by pair, they were sent towards the opulent center to be assured an equal chance for the designers and their mentors to put on a performance for those watching.

They were set into these thematic railway boxes that rusted them along, some with higher quality than others but all durable enough to withhold two individuals regardless of how heavy either of them were.

Ever since the prior games to the thirteenth, they made sure to install any component necessary to keep out any animals or rodents. In previous games, the carts were not necessarily lowest quality but the monitoring of said transportation was inadequate. Often stray animals that acted as a contagion, often killed tributes first through slow and thorough disease as such animals were not monitored as devoutly as the tributes were.

Now, the Peacekeepers wait along the cart before and after the one holding the Tributes. However, locking them inside a dimly-lit cart to assure that even they got the smallest luxury of seeing when and where they were headed. Though, it helped very little considering all the walls had been solid, all windows had no in and out, and the only thing that really acted as such— was a peephole that was drilled in only moments before.

It provided light, but helped less as the sun began to trickle down.

The Career districts, however, were given a bit more than the other poorer ones had. They were given kerosene lanterns to fend off the darker parts of the cart itself.

Despite being highly revered in the Capitol, especially One, who had a winner in the twelfth, they were still treated slightly poor in the rides. Though, most of them didn't complain much, considering that it was just like home to them— even had they lived in such a fortuitous country, they were no stranger to the industrial work that painted itself in every generation of infrastructure seen.

In stead of their complaints, many of the tributes reveled in their thoughts. No use doing it, but children being children, especially those who were placed in a game familiar to human but unfamiliar to humanity itself.

The conceding thought among the major of them— only one of the twenty-four would get out.

Night had been unbearable.

The tributes often were unable to bat a wink, their hearts beating louder than their minds to even allow them to fall asleep.

Oftentimes they were staring off into space, their thoughts barely emanated upon their eyes. All they could do was wait for the sun to come up to see where they were finally staring.

But it's the midst of unknowing that drove them down. It was causing them to dig in themselves.

Their minds the biggest perpetrator before the other tributes, and to even worse, before the Games had even started.

So when the sun came up, it was almost like a cleansing light. The tributes gathered around the little peephole installed within their carts as they could see a glimpse of the outside— the light almost blinding them as the sun had shadowed over them. Its white reflection soothed over the clear lakes that had sprouted out with fountains of crystalline clear water upon the oceanic environment.

And in moments, they were eventually brought towards a further part into the Capitol. There were masses of people, dressed in an array of lights as they wore fantastical clothing such as boas, furred gloves, necklaces, amulets, all sorts of things you would not normally see down in the Districts. They all cheered as they looked towards the carts, some advancing further than others only to be pushed back by the Peacekeepers that stood by.

People were cheering for the tributes typically— all of them already placing bets on these unfortunate children. Their lives almost as expendable as a playing card, the people had continued to show their regards through the ovation.

Sights of towering pristine glass erupted from the ground, like buildings that were magically constructed as they had never seen this down where they had lived. Beautiful colors such as pinks, blues, oranges, and all others had been painted generously upon the masses, and the environment.

For the little time they had— they were unsure if it culminated into fear or awe— as both were slowly becoming synonymous as time had went on.

But their little burst of fascination had come to a close, as they looked ahead— to see that the show had finally come to a close. As the only thing they could see now were the plated metal that had scoured their eyesight before backing away.

The sound of hissing from the boiler ahead, the locomotive coming to a slow as the tributes turned their heads in silent panic.

The doors were abruptly opened— the sunlight blinding them as it had beamed upon them— men who were dressed in grayed blue, whose faces had been exposed but heads completely covered with ballistic-style helmets that were strapped underneath their chins— they jumped up into the carts and with forceful and subdued unpleasantry, they ushered them out of the carts.

One by one, individuals from the carts had looked at the environment around them— an old warehouse that had been spotted with broken windows, cargo boxes that were pried open, old gear used for the locomotive scrapped to the bone, and all else.

The tributes, though fear-stricken, had shown a myriad of emotion. Some curiosity, others avoidance, but all taking in some view of each other before they were greeted by children— those like them, though most older than they. They were dressed in red coats, each of them— hands behind their backs as they stood from a distance.

They all looked upon each other— before looking ahead to see another cart— at least six, this time.

Two districts were able to be upheld in these carriages, while their mentors had remained with them in the other half of the carriage where two peacekeepers had been kept.

One and Two.

Three and Four.

And so on.

The conversations that went about in those carriages had been indiscernible.

The only place where cameras weren't.

As they approached, the environment had went from its decadence back to the opulence they had seen before. This time, they could finally see through the clear glass that allowed them entry into the environment as they could see its eminence just by looking out the window.

Districts 1 and 2 looked unperturbed, while most others especially Districts 9, 10, and 12 couldn't keep their eyes off the Capitol.

All of them watching in awe once again— as fear heightened, so did their fascination.

Even as the doors were slowly opened, their awe remained.

Though, only short-lived as stepping out invited the beginning of the Games.