What if the odds were in our favor?

The Two Trees

The majestic capitol looks almost artificial, and all the bright colors seem to swirl together for my eyes. Me and leaf are led off the train and into the training center building, where we'll await our doom. We are put into separate rooms, where I assume my prep team will come and get me ready for the tribute parade, along with my stylist. All of a sudden, my prep team comes in. Their flamboyant outfits look worse than Rumina's. First, there is Glaucia who has bright purple hair and what looks like surgically implanted jewels in it. Her face has lavender blotches all over it, which I swear is probably a surgical altercation . She wears a huge purple ball gown. Wow, obsessed with purple, much? Cloelia, a women with pink hair and gold tattoos on her arms and Pontus, a lanky man with green hair and dark pink blush.

They force me to undress, and start forcefully ripping off all of my body hair.

"Hold still!" Glaucia yells as I start to squirm. "Your so hairy, wow!"

"She really is!" Pontus agrees

"Hmph!" Is all I manage to say, as I am trying to suppress my laughter at their silly accents. The way their statements always sound like questions and ever s is like a hissss and the odd vowels and clipped words make me want to burst out laughing.

All three of them continue ripping all my hair and talk about extremely frivolous things while making it sound like it's a life or death scenario. Excuse me, you're not the one who is going to die in a week. After they finish removing all of my body hair, they give me a deep wash and put tons of product all over my body. I feel like a plastic doll they are playing dress up on. They put this weird soapy stuff in my body that makes my skin feel like it could slip off at any moment.

While their talking, I HAVE the chance to think. Really think. I don't think I could kill. I really couldn't. I'm fast at running, so that's my best bet from the cornucopia. Maybe I could be allies with that girl from district 6. Pearl. I have no weapon skills,I mean I have a little practice with axes from cutting down trees, but not enough for it to be useful. I don't have any survival skills besides being extremely good at climbing trees. I mean, I am from district 7. I know I'm not gonna win, but I have to try. What would my strategy be in my interview? I have to be calculating about this.

I am still contemplating this when Cloelia speaks up "Wow, without all of that filth and hair on you your actually halfway decent!" She says. I don't have a mirror yet so I can't confirm or deny her conclusion. Since my prep team is done, my stylist flocks in.

Suprisingly, my stylist doesn't look like he has any body altercations. He just looks like a normal dude.

"Hello Iris. I am Evander." He says, walking in and sitting in front of me.

"Hello." I reply coldly.

"How old are you? 12?13?" Evander says,

Okay, I know I'm short. But like, seriously?

"15." I say

" How tall are you, Iris?" He asks, I don't know what this questioning is doing for me.

"5'2." I reply, yes I am short but who cares

"hmm we could make you look 5'0 sitting down." Evander says. I am so confused.Why would he need to make me shorter? I attempt to brush it off. . For the past 45 years, all district 7 tributes have been dressed in tree costumes. And this year is no different. Evander pulls up a mirror for me to see myself in. The first thing I see is my face, all of my pimples are magically gone. A result of my prep team's work, everything about me looks perfect. But I feel wrong. Fake, artificial. A bit too perfect in a way. My blond hair has some product in it to make it stay still, and I mean STILL. I have to put in effort to move it from its spot on my chest. My new appearance makes me feel weird. I'm wearing tons of makeup, most of it green, green eyeshadow,eyeliner and lipstick. For my costume. Evander puts me into my outfit, and brings to mirror back over.

My entire Torso and legs are basically a tree trunk, and my face,arms and shoulders and covered in green splotches and branches all around.

I am a tree.

Evander whisks me away to the remake center, and I see Leaf. He is dressed in the exact same costume as me, and gives me a faint smile and waves. I spot the horses that will lead our chariot, they are so well trained they don't even need people to control the reins.

Their fur is dyed green.

I feel bad for them, I start to stroke one of the horses and Leaf does the same from the other one.

"Sugarcube?" He says and offers me one while he downs a couple. I don't answer, and instead take the cube.

"Cheers?" I say, and hold out my cube.

"Cheers." He says and touches his cube to mine before we both eat it. I savor the taste, knowing that this will be the last sweet thing I ever consume.

We are put onto our chariots, and stand on their as the other districts go ahead. As they pass, I barely give their costumes any thought. After district 6 rolls along, The horses start pushing our chariot. I watch the adoring capitol audience and feel like throwing up.

I don't want to die.

I wish I was a tree, planted in the forests of district 7. Lav and Lily would climb me, and I would watch over them. Whenever something good would happen, I would grow. I would grin. Maybe some Irises could grow under me, yes I would like that very much.

But I am not a tree, I am a human. Made of flesh and bone, who is getting prettied up for slaughter.Who is going to die.

I think of Lily and Lav back home. I hope Lav is fulfilling her promise and staying strong for her, and holding her tears until the dead of night. When Lily is sound asleep.

Leaf notices my distress and look at me and grabs my hand. I don't object, and we hold hands as we finish the chariot parade.

Me and Leaf, the two trees. Holding hands.