When Luck Runs Out

We're All in Trouble

    The doors closed and we were off, the tunnel soon disappearing as the train shot out into the numerous fields on its way to District eleven. According to Molly when we woke up tomorrow we'd be there, but our little speech session wasn't until three in the afternoon, so we'd have plenty of time to get ready. Somehow the stylists had gotten on board, I never saw them come on, but they made us change out of our outfits and they took them away to go iron them or whatever they did. John offered to help, but the stylists just laughed at his generosity and assured that they'd handle it, it was their job after all.
"So we've got a couple of hours to kill." Molly decided. The four of us were all sitting on the couches, to my annoyance, and Mrs. Hudson had claimed the seat that my duffle bag had already taken.
"Well we could play the name game and say one interesting fact about ourselves." I said sarcastically.
"Sherlock you're just being difficult today." Molly decided.
"You know I don't like large crowds, and considering the large crowd picked my house as home base, it didn't really settle right." I debated.
"Well you could be a little bit happier now; it's only the four of us now." Mrs. Hudson pointed out. I just scowled and lay down on the cushion, sticking my feet off of the other side of the couch over John. A normal person would find this very annoying, but by now he was used to my lack of personal space, and probably the smell of my feet.
"How in the world do you put up with him?" Molly asked with a sigh.
"It's a full time job." John insisted, and I just did my best to kick him lightly in the face.
"So, are you looking forward to the tour?" Mrs. Hudson asked. She was eating chocolate covered peanuts out of a glass bowl on the coffee table, and I saw Molly eying them up as well. I had no idea how these people had appetites, how many bad memories had taken place on this train? For me it felt like my stomach was flipping inside out instead of growling.
"Not really, I feel like it's just publicity rubbish." John decided.
"True." I agreed, snuggling my head deeper into the couch cushion.
"Well the people like it, so fake a smile as much as you can, it's only twelve Districts and then the Capital feast, that's always fun." Molly insisted.
"Do they still have that puking solution?" I asked.
"What?" John asked, looking appalled.
"When you're too full to eat another bite you chug down this horrible drink and it makes you throw everything up, that way you can eat more." I explained.
"That's absolutely horrible. Here we can barely get our hands on a half a loaf of bread." John muttered.
"Everything's different in the Capital dear; it's like a different world over there." Mrs. Hudson sighed.
"Ya, I've noticed that. What's District Eleven like?" John asked.
I guess you'll have to figure that out for yourself." Molly said with a mysterious gleam in her eyes.
"I've never visited another District, other than the Capital of course." John pointed out.
"Well it's not like we can afford vacation homes." I agreed.
"I don't think it's worth it honestly, you can't vacation in any district other than one or the Capital." Molly shrugged.
"Sarcasm, I thought you'd have picked that up." I sighed.
"Of course I did, but I was adding on to your sarcasm." Molly pointed out.
"Did you get organized yet Sherlock?" Mrs. Hudson asked.
"No, but it takes a minute and I can live out of a suitcase if needed." I defended. The two of them just sighed, but they saw that I was a lost cause and gave up.
"How about a board game, I know they've got some here on the train." Mrs. Hudson suggested. Molly's face lit up but I just groaned, I hated playing stupid board games, they made me play Monopoly during my tour, and in an attempt to make me pay attention they made me be the banker. Needless to say that didn't turn out so well because the game was so boring that I fell asleep and no one got any money.
"How about Trouble, that's an easy game to play." Molly decided; now up in the cabinets and pulling out a colorful box.
"I like that game." John agreed.
"Never played it." I muttered.
"Really? I'd think that dispute your grump that you had at least had a childhood." Mrs. Hudson pointed out.
"I did have a childhood, but we focused our money more on food and clothes than pointless board games." I defended.
"Fair enough. It's easy enough to play though; you'll get the hang of it really quickly." Molly assured, clearing off the glass of chocolate covered raisins (to Mrs. Hudson's disappointment) and placed the board on the table (to my disappointment).
"Okay, I'll be yellow, Mrs. Hudson what color do you want to be?" Molly asked, holding out the bag of colorful plastic pieces. Mrs. Hudson took red and John took green so I was stuck with blue, but it wasn't like I cared, I was probably going to fall asleep once more.
"So, set your pieces up in your home space, and you have to roll a six to get out on the board." Molly pointed out. "I'll go first." She popped the big plastic bubble in the middle and the dice rolled around, landing on a three and a one. It went around a couple times and I was the first piece out, hopping along the plastic nubs until finally one of Mrs. Hudson's pieces sent me home. It was actually a fun game, not that I'd admit it to anyone, but it was fun trying to catch people and trying to run. In the end Mrs. Hudson won, but we played a couple more times until the Avoxes finally brought us dinner on all of the platters and bowls. So Molly packed up the game while the rest of us got up and marked our places at the table, like a little family with seating arrangements. Mrs. Hudson took the head of the table while Molly sat on the right and John and I sat on the left. I was slouching of course, looking at the streaming delicacies with disgust. Once again, I wasn't all that hungry, it was a miracle I had eaten the sandwiches Molly fed us. Of course we had to wait for Molly and then Mrs. Hudson had to say the prayer and only then were they all allowed to load up their plates. John was eating chicken and mashed potatoes, Molly was eating baked ziti and Mrs. Hudson was putting together some sort of cheesesteak on her plate. I simply observed, wondering why I was even supposed to be at the table if I wasn't going to eat anything. Surely they didn't want to be around my negative energy much longer?
"Aren't you going to eat something?" Molly asked.
"No, I'm not. You people need to get used to my habits again, my very positive and fun filled attitude and my eating schedule, or lack thereof." I insisted, but they just sighed.
"We are used to them, but we thought that maybe things have changed." Mrs. Hudson decided. They both cast a sideways glance at John, who looked up in surprise, like a deer in the headlights.
"Me?" he asked. "I'm not going to be the one to make Sherlock more human, thank you very much."
"You already have dear." Mrs. Hudson defended, and I just groaned.
"Wow, a romantic movie script, can I just leave?" I defended.
"No Sherlock, you'll stay until everyone is done, you know the rules." Mrs. Hudson insisted.
"Try the ziti Sherlock, it's very good." Molly insisted, nudging the bowl in my direction, but I ignored her. More human, please. I was as much of a robot as the train we were riding on, so what if I happened to possess an emotion I had not expected, it didn't matter, I wasn't more human.
"So you'll be meeting the mayor of District Elven tomorrow, he's such a sweet man." Mrs. Hudson decided. John nodded.
"Do I have to meet any other mayors on this thing?" John asked.
"All of them, I'm afraid, but they're not mean or anything." Molly assured.
"Unless you killed one of their own, then they'll be nice on the outside, but they'll cast you very hateful glares." I pointed out.
"Can't argue with that." Molly agreed.
"Who'd you kill that year Sherlock, someone from one?" Mrs. Hudson asked.
"I think it was two, because that entire district seemed to ignore me. Not that I cared, I was ignoring them as well." I shrugged.
"So I'll just watch out for one then." John decided.
"Don't be nervous dear, it's not like they do anything to hurt you, emotionally or physically, they're just colder than other Districts." Molly assured.
"Then I'll make sure to bring a jacket." John decided, looking around with a proud smile to see if anyone even giggled. No one did. When desert came around everyone had pudding or cake or something. I plucked the raspberry off of one of the fancy cupcake things and was set for the night. Finally when everyone was done we were all excused to go do whatever we wanted, and for me it meant sitting on my bed and reading some stupid book I had gotten from the library. It wasn't stupid I suppose, more useless, it was a science book but I already knew all the information on it. So either the author had visited our science section to do research, or I had already read it. Never the less I went on reading about the atmosphere, outer space, and some cool animals here on Earth. The door opened and I half expected Molly and Mrs. Hudson out there inviting me to a game of Monopoly, but thankfully it was John. "You busy?" he asked, almost apprehensively.