Just A Game-Phan/THG

The brown-haired boy

This is the second part of Just A Game, and I'm so sorry for not updating, I've had problems with writer's block, and when I finally got an idea, I was too lazy to finish the story. I finally got rid of the lazy-ass me and finished it ^^

*POOF!* Julia out! *brofist*

The sunlight fades away as the door closes behind me in the Court house. Emerald and I are separated and taken into two different rooms. A peacekeeper closes the door behind me as I'm being lead into another room. The two windows are open and I feel a wind in my hair. I sit down on the soft rug. I could escape, jump out the windows. But they'll probably catch me. I walk to it, and watch the crowd from the window. The people are heading home. I could be one of them. I turn around as I hear the door open. My mom and Zarah stands in the opening.

"Phil" My mom whispers, and takes me in her arms.

"Don't worry, everything will be fine" I try to calm her. As I lower myself, Zarah climbs in my arms.

"You have to win, you must" She says, her voice shaking.

"I swear" I say, and add "On my life" Maybe the time isn't right but Zarah laughs. The door opens, and two peacekeepers enter the room. They grab mum and Zarah and starts to lead them out.

"Don't forget that I love you!" I shout, just before the door closes, and I'm alone again. Two different peacekeepers enter, and bring me out of the room, to the train station. There's full of cameras out there, and I thank my soul that I didn't cry. I don't want to be perceived as weak. I am led onto the train and a tall girl with waist-long brown hair and big brown eyes appears through the door. Her long, sky-blue dress and the blue glitter around her eyes makes her look like a water goddess. I can't help but think she looks attractive.

"I'm Samantha" She says, and shakes my hand. "I'm your mentor". I nod. "Why don't you enjoy yourself and take something to eat while I go get your district partner" She says as she walks through the door and disappears. I look around and see tables full with food, drinks and desserts. I've always had enough to eat but can't help but think it looks so expensive. I sip on a glass of orange juice while I'm waiting for Samantha to arrive. After I've finished my second glass she returns, with the red-haired girl I think is called Emerald.

"I'm Philip, but you can call me Phil" I mumble as I shake her hand. Even if we're going to die soon, making friends isn't bad, right?

"Emerald" She whisper in response and drops my hand. She doesn't seem like she want to make friends. Samantha goes away, leaving me and Emerald alone. She looks rather nervous so I decide not to talk to her. A comfortable silence fills the room and remains there for the next 3 hours.

When Samantha enters the room night has fallen and the only thing lighting the room up is the hundreds of tiny spotlights in the ceiling.

"We're going to watch the other reapings, then have dinner and then you'll be escorted to your rooms" Her capitol dialect breaks the silence. I nod and follow her out of the bright room, so does Emerald. We enter another room, walls deep blue, the furniture dark red. A huge TV is covering one of the walls and golden candlesticks are decorating the table full with at least fifty different dishes.

"Please, feel free to sit down" Samantha says before she sits down in the sofa. I copy her. Suddenly, the door opens, and Regina appears.

"Am I late?" She asks with her silly capitol dialect.

"Oh no, we were just about to start" Samantha smiles as she turns on the TV. The first district shown is District one, of course. The crowd is smaller than home, there's not so many that can afford living in the luxury district. A man with bright blue hair steps onto the scene. He's wearing a golden suit accomplished with black shoes. Wilma Smyth is read. The girl with dark, dark hair almost runs up to the stage. It's an honor to be entered in the games there; and in my district too, even though for me it's just a ticket to death. The guy has barely finished asking if there are any volunteers when a girl reveals herself from the crowd. Her hair is waist-long and so blonde it can barely be natural. She skips to the stage and proudly introduces herself as Brianna Swarovski. Of course, she's named after the famous crystal called the Swarovski-crystal. It's very common with fancy names in District one. The name Ryan Collins is called and a huge guy steps onto the scene. Believe me when I say huge, he's twice as big as me, and has muscles due to probably a lot of training. This time, there's no volunteer, as the guy on the stage looks pretty intimidating and probably has the odds to win this thing. They move on to District two, my district. I see myself step onto the stage, the panic clearly visible in my eyes. I watch Emerald volunteer for Mimona and then they move on to district three. I get sick of seeing all these kids getting chosen, knowing that death is waiting for them. I barely concentrate on the reaping after that, as they move on to District four, then five, and then District six. I can't help but pity the weak-looking twelve year old that's chosen from District seven, I think Sam Harries was his name. And then there's District eight. I watch carefully as I see a girl I think is called Lucy Thornton is chosen. She's barely over twelve and too young to die, but I don't care. It's District eight we're talking about, The district that killed my brother. The name Daniel Howell is called and I watch as a tall, brown-haired guy steps out from the sixteen-year olds line. His caramel brown eyes show panic as he clumsily walks over to the stage. I can see his ribs through the skinny t-shirt he's wearing and can't help but wonder if he ever gets enough to eat. Although, he's from District eight, and I can't like him, because liking him is like liking my brother's murderer. They move on to District nine, and later ten and eleven. I don't catch much of the tributes, but I see enough to know that they're all skinny and starving, so I might have a chance. I catch a glimpse of a pretty good looking girl from ten, and catch her first name, Grace. She looks quite well-fed and I'm thinking of maybe befriending her when we arrive to the capitol. They show district twelve and I don't pay much attention to the tributes, I know they're going to die anyway. As the national anthem plays, Regina stands up and shows us all to a big table in the center of the room.

"Please feel free to eat as much as you want" She calls before she takes place at the end of the table. I sit down next to Emerald and takes a sip on what I think is wine. I've never tasted it, so I decide to try. After a few sips my head feels foggy and I decide to stop. My stomach seems to have shrunk into the size of an apple and I can get down a potato and a bread piece before i'm getting the feeling of throwing up.

"I'm not really hungry" I say as I stand up and walk away.

"But there's desert!" Regina calls. I shake my head and leave though the doors. It takes me at least ten minutes of endless walking through corridors until I realize I have no idea where my room is. This train is apparently bigger than I thought. Luckily I spot a girl at the end of a corridor. She's wearing a white suit with a dark red tie and her hair is chocolate brown.

"Excuse me, do you know where I can find my... um, my room?" I ask her. She looks slightly panicked. "Um..., you don't?" I ask again. She looks terrified. Then she points at her lips and shakes her head. Isn't she allowed to talk? What's wrong? She obviously sees that I don't understand, then she does something really strange, she opens her mouth. I gasp. Where she should have a tongue, there's nothing, like they've cut it off.

"I-... um, I'm sorry" I mumble as I walk away quickly. Luckily I find Regina on her way to the toilet.

"Where's my room?" I ask her.

"Just around the corner, to the left" Her capitol dialect informs me. I quickly run and open the door. As soon as I get inside, I lock it. I really don't want people stumbling in on me having a break down. I slide down the locked door, pulling my hair. I can't get the picture of that girl's mouth away, with no tongue. Who would do that to another human? I can feel my eyelids getting heavy as I drag myself to the fancy-looking bed. I mean come on, who needs two duvets and five pillows? I strip myself so I'm only in my boxers and then crawl into the bed. The sheets are soft as silk and the pillows are like clouds. I throw a glance at the watch and realize it's only half past eight but I feel my eyelids getting heavy. As I'm drifting off to sleep the brown-haired boy comes into my mind. I try to forget about him, but there's something about those brown eyes that I can't forget. The last thing I think before sleep gets me is that he sure looks attractive, even though he comes from District eight. I feel myself fade away with the look of the brown-haired boy still stuck on my mind.