Being Ashlyn Mellark [ON HOLD]

Chapter Five

I opened the door and Aaron was sitting at the table with my dad. He was giving Aaron survival advice. I tucked a blonde hair behind my ear and I stepped out. The cold floor underneath my feet. The floor creaked, Dad and Aaron's eyes snapped over at me. "Hi." I said. I straightened out the shirt I found in the drawer. 

"Hey." Aaron said. He smiled at me. I looked at my feet and made my way to the table. I grabbed a plate and started loading up my plate. 

"Don't light a fire. It'll only attract your predators." Dad said. 

"What if I get cold?" Aaron leans in. There's a scar above his right eye. 

"You'll have a thermal jacket. When it's cold it heats up and when it's hot you can just take it off." He replies. 

"What survival rules were y'all talking about?" I ask. 

"Uh," Aaron looks down at his plate, "about, uh . . . " He doesn't continue. 

"It's fine." I sit down and I pick my orange slice.

The train pulls to a halt and there are a lot of screaming and yelling Capitol citizens out there. Waiting for us to get killed. 

Effie walks down the steps and leads us to get made up and prepared for training. Capitol stylists take me away. They wax my legs (it freaking hurts), they pluck my eyebrows, they wax my entire body, and they slap pale pink lipstick on me (it tastes gross, just saying). 

I am left in a room by myself for a few minutes. Then . . . they start.

*Flashback*

I am laying on a bed and I feel a slight breeze. My eyes flutter open and bright lights blind me. I squint and bring my hand up to my eyes. I try to sit up but a shooting pain stops me. I look around. A boy was laying in a seperate bed next to me. What happened yesterday? Was I here yesterday as well?

Questions swim around in my head and my head aches.

*End of Flashback*

Someone is calling my name but, it's hazy. They clap in my face and I blink. A young woman with very little piercings and baby blue hair smiles at me. "Ashlyn Mellark?"

"Yes? Sorry." I stand.

"All is well." She grins at me and turns to the door for something.