Pleasant Nightmare

Chapter 3

The sun feels so good, warm and bright. I have never felt weather this good. The thing is, back in Twelve, everything is either frozen or can melt your face-well that's down in the mine. My first impression other than the pleasant weather Capitol has, I figure the tribute headquarter is located in a good area. The pedestrian, which we don't have back in Twelve, is polished good. There are little shrubs and palms here and there. People are grouping and chattering around wearing their ridiculous outfits. This street is alive. I'm quite ashamed to admit that I like the ambience.

"Well, what do you think? I've got to tell you that I'm starting to like it here, which I'm ashamed of." Cato breaks my daydreaming-mode. Apparently we've been heading north.

"Believe me, I'm ashamed too." He smirks at my response, showing his white pointy teeth.

We've been strolling around, still heading north, for about ten-fifteen minutes now. We don't talk and just simply enjoying the view. The silent is surprisingly comfortable. I've seen several little cafes selling baked goods. They are really pretty and sophisticated, the smell is undeniably good too. I want to buy some pastry, but neither of us brings money that much. Everything is expensive here in the Capitol. So we walk and walk until we end up at a park.

The park has this spectacular entrance arch made with polished silver and bronze with flowers details; I can recognize petunias, lilies, baby-breaths-really, all flowers you could think of. Birds are hanging around front the arch and chipping the ground looking for something to eat. There are pavements made with nicely arranged bricks. I lost tracks of the date, but it does smell like spring because of the warmth and earthiness.

"We don't have anything like that back in Twelve. An arch like that is a real luxury." I just had to say it.

"Who needs a glorious arch anyway? Although back in Two we do have beautiful masonry works like these on our streets. But just because masonry is our speciality."

"Well, mine's coal, nothing pretty can be made with dusty black coals." I scoff.

"Coal does make pretty thing. Coal makes fire. And fire is pretty." I can see the way his pool-blue eyes soften when he says fire is pretty. I can feel my cheeks burning. Is he trying to say something?

We just walk along the pavements inside the park, telling jokes, mocking our mentors, and all that stuffs. When we find two wooden swings, we sit on each of them but we continue the talk.

"You know, Enobaria once lost a bet and had to dye half of her hair orange for a week. And you know what she did instead of embraced her fate?"

"No, but I bet it's horrendous."

"Right, she made Brutus had blue and green eyebrows. And it lasted for a month. He couldn't re-dye his eyebrows, he couldn't cut them either. " We laugh for what seems like a millionth time.

"Okay, okay, enough with embarrassing stories of our mentors. Tell me about yourself, Cato." I'm kind of afraid of his reaction. But he surprisingly takes it breezily.

"Well, I'm 18, it was my last reaping, so I volunteered myself into the game. I have a dad who works in the factory, a mom who works as a maid in the mayor's house, one older brother who won the game five years ago whose job now is drowning his face on alcohol, and twin 12-year-old siblings: one boy and one girl. I spent my whole life to train and be a Career, just like my brother was. I wanted to win the title as a victor, that for me was the highest honor anyone could have; but now that I am a victor, I feel indifferent."

"I'm almost 17. I volunteered too, but never intended to enter the game. I just wanted to keep my sister safe. My dad died on a mine explosion when I was seven. So since then I was left with my depressed mom and one little sister that I had to raise. I go hunting on the woods every weekend with my best friend, Gale-oh, his dad was killed on the same mine explosion too, since then we became fast friends, because we had a family to feed. Anyways, usually after we hunt we either sell our games on the black market we have back in twelve, or just simply bring the games home to be fed to our families."