Catching Fire: Peeta's Story

Chapter Five: The Justice Building

We enter District 11 in silence. The tunnel door brings in the light of the dull grey sky. 11 is agriculture, and it doesn't play down its name. All kinds of livestock in fields and pens surround every road and track. Fields of corn and other plantation mirrors the livestock.

The train pulls to a stop at the other side of the fields and so Katniss and I get up and walk through the tedious doors of each train cart.

Effie and Haymitch are gathered at the train's exit, Effie's usual Capitol esc grin, and Haymitch's oddly pleasant smile he gives me. We exit the train to a mood shattering atmosphere. PeaceKeepers line up on the station platform, all armed with guns that match their uniforms in white.
"Well." Effie starts, "this isn't very festive!"
And she's right. There's a strange feel to the air. There's a reason for these Peacekeepers, a reason for their guns. What it is only time will tell, and I hope I'm not there to see it.

We enter an armoured car. Strange. Effie takes the short journey to the car with grimace on her face. She reaches into her large pockets of her dress and pulls out some papers as we bump around in the car like pinballs.
"I have prepared some cue cards for you both to use. All you have to do is read them, and soon we'll be in the Capitol." As always, Effie expresses *Capitol* as if it's music to our ears.
I can sense Katniss tensing, probably at the thought of having hundreds of people staring at her as she reads a speech commemorating their dead tributes and their grieving families. This entire parade is truly disgusting.
"I can do the talking if you want?" I ask her quietly.
She keeps her head straight, grips my forearm and says "thank you" in a hushed tone.

We arrive at the back entrance of the District 11 Justice Building. A mirrored image to the one back in 12, it stands tall with the presence of a Manor House. Huge windows with a darkness blocking their transparency. Perhaps the upstairs is unused. We enter the large wooden doors, ones that resemble castles from ancient times that I remember in history class, metal bolts holding the huge structures together. Inside is pretty similar to the one in 12, it's the only building that will get any attention, with marble floors and plush furnishing. Effie's face lightens up all of a sudden.

Katniss and I are placed in a room, similar to the one they send the tributes before their trip to the Capitol. We wait in silence looking out of the Windows, seeing hundreds of people pile up in the town square.
But this silence doesn't seem the usual silence that is only present due to Katniss' terrible social skills, this is something else.
"Katniss," I break her away from her idle stare, "is there something wrong?"
She turns her head slightly but her eyes lock to mine, "Rue. This is Rue's home." She looks away and holds her eyes shut, as if to get rid of the memory.
"Katniss, it will be fine. I'll do the talking." I remind her. "Once we've gotten through this you won't have to come here again."
She lifts her head from sorrow just enough to say "thank you Peeta."

Effie and Haymitch walk in, accompanied by two Peacekeepers. Katniss and I stand and exit the room.