The Quater Quell: 50th Hunger Games

Chapter 6

       "Raven. Time for breakfast!" Maizey shouts while pounding on my door. "Ughhh" I groan and roll over. Im usually a morning person, feeding the livestock and cleaning out stalls, but I woke up in a bad mood. Maybe it was because I was having a good dream, maybe because this was the softest bed ive ever laid on and now im being told to get up. Or maybe because I am a Tribute for District 10 and am being forced into the Hunger Games. Not to mention that its also with double the tributes this year.

      I finally manage to push myself out of bed and walk over to the control panel that has a "build your own outfit" feature. I choose a lavender cut off plaid shirt and a pair of jeans. I search boots but they don't have much to offer that I like so I go with a pair of rain boots. I know everyone will look at me as if ive gone mental but I feel like I'm at home and that's good enough for me. The endless closet spits out my clothes and I rip myself holes into the knees. I always did this to my jeans at home so it would be much easier to bend and walk long distances without being too stiff.

          I step out of my train car and walk to the dinning cart. The table was covered in foods that I have never seen before in my life. Custards and jelly like substances, sweet bread and rolls. I stuffed myself until I could feel myself on the verge of exploding. Cicero told me that the foods were named things like "Jell-O, Pudding, Cinnamon Rolls and Waffles. Waylon and Dean were mostly talking to themselves and Maizey was watching something Cicero called "Cartoons". Larten took his breakfast to his room.

         "So, it's time to start talking about each of your personal strategies now. We will be arriving in the caption in just an hour or two." Waylon says while turning his attention to me. "Raven?" Oh crap. I haven't even begun to think of any type of strategy. "Um...I was gonna just...see how it goes?" "See how it goes?" he stares at me. "Is that a bad thing?" "Raven, no one wins the Hunger Games by 'seeing how it goes'." "Okay yeah um, Im not sure then. Do you have any ideas?" Waylon mumbles over his thoughts and tosses me out a few suggestions. "Well there are the basics. Sexy, Sweet, Smart, Scary..." "Uh well I don't think I'm any of those things." I say shyly.

         "That's ok. You don't have to be. You just have to make the world belive that you are." Waylon says confidently and gives me a half smile. "What about you Maizey? Do you have any ideas?" Maizey smiles and tells us she has been thinking of a few trick up her sleeve. "But mostly im going for the sweet and innocent type that has no chance of winning. So, that when im kicking but in the arena, everyone will be so surprised and then they will jus thave to sponser me!" she gleams. "Alright. That sounds like a pretty darn good stradgey to me." Waylon nods and beingins to ask Dean what he has in mind when Larten walks in.

            "Dean? Having a stradgey? Like that time you acted all tough and strong in front of your girlfriend? Then when I kicked your as-" Larten was cut short. Dean was on top of Larten and pounding him in with closed fists. Blood was praying out of Lartens nose. Larten locked Dean in an arm bar and was about to break it when Waylon pulled Larten off. "Enough!" Larten shook Waylon free and kicked Dean in the face, knocking him out cold.

           With Cicero screaming and hissing so loudly, it didn't take long for Peacekeepers to enter the train car. The tallest one tazed Larten and locked him into handcuffs. They began to lock Dean up too. "Stop! He didn't do anything! Let him go!" I run over to the unconscious Dean but a Peacekeepr elbows me in the mouth. Waylon catches me before falling and holds me back. The Peacekeeprs escort the two boys away.

           "Where are they taking them?" I demand. "Probably to the Jail train car. They will most likely subdue the consciences boy and will wait until we get to the capitol to awake them." Cicero answers. "But, but-what happens after that?" I ask looking to Waylon this time. He gives me a shrug and looks back at Cicero. "They will probably be unloaded from the train on a gurney, if they are not capable of walking, or at least given assistance to stand and walk. Then, when we reach the training center they will meet their stylist as usual. But, they might not be held on the District 10 floor. They have a holding cell for the boys if they can't cooperate together." Cicero giggles and walks away.

        I glance back to Waylon who is handing me an ice pack. "At least your injuries will make it look like you got into a tussle with the guys. Im thinking that you three might want to go for the im a 'tough and ready to kill anyone, even from my own District' strategy." I chuckle and gaze out the window for the remainder of what will probably be my last train ride.

"verJ�W�1u�