The 26th

Chapter 3

Thanks everyone for reading so far. I hope everyone likes it!

Chapter 3

When we stepped out of the train the roar was deafening. People lean over the railing that is protecting us from the crazy Hunger Games fans. People would cry if they got to touch us. Lucky they don’t though, so I’m safe from them pulling me into their mob.

The peacekeepers immediately lead us to the place where tributes stay. If they lost one of the tributes, oh, what a tragedy that would be. Inside we go up an elevator 5 floors and stop at a penthouse. When you go in, there are so many different entryways. The table where everyone is supposed to eat is huge. Andia led me to my mansion of a room. Literally, 12 elephants could fit in here.

Andrea came in and led me to where I met my prep team. They were nice but all had an eerie feeling about them. They started my putting extra sticky tape on my legs and ripping it off. Apparently it takes the hair off and its called waxing. Then they cut my hair, they must have cut off 5 inches and kept going on about how bad my spilt ends were.

Then they let Andrea in and she came in with a lightning dress. In the opening ceremonies the tributes ride in chariots in to the circle in special outfits that represent our district. District 5 would have something to do with electricity and that explains the lightning.

She did my makeup to make a silver glow on my eyelids and put a creamy liquid on my face that she called foundation. Then she put silver lipstick on my lips. Lastly she put on my dress. It had lightning strikes coming off the back of it.

She led me back into the main room where Andia and Marina led me to a car that I could hardly fit In because of my dress.

Rode was in the car too and this was the first time we really got to talk.

“So, do you think your ready for the games?” He said.

“I guess, its just a little hard to think of killing a living human.”

“Do you have any select weapons?”

“I’m alright at using a slingshot.”

“Lucky. I have absolute no experience at using any kind of weapon and if even a girl your size attacked me I wouldn’t be able to push you off.”

“Well, hopefully I wont have to kill you myself then.”

After that we really stopped talking. I was mad at his last remark. ‘Even if a girl your size attacked me I wouldn’t be able to push you off.’ What is that supposed to mean. Has he looked in the mirror lately, he looks like a stick. First off, boys are supposed to be bigger than girls and he must be a year older than me and I’m still twice as big. I could never hate Rode as much as do right now.

Finally, after that long awkward moment, we arrived at the capitol’s square (or circle). The peacekeepers helped us out of the car, mostly me though. The lightning strikes insist to get in my way.

We go in a room where my prep team puts my last touches on my makeup, like put on fake eyelashes, put on fake nails and paint them, and put a silvery dust on my face. Then Andrea came in.

“So, do you like your costume?’’ she asked.

“Like it? I love it!”

“I just want to tell you that this is the time to shine. Whatever you do tonight will determine what sponsors you will get in the games. This is the time they all get to see the tributes together. This is also the time that you might get to meet some of the other tributes.”

“Alright, that makes me feel a lot better.” I said sarcastically.

She laughed and patted my head. She did my hair in the simple rolls I always have my hair in. Of course, she was a professional at it so it looked 10 times better.

Andia came in and was hyperventilating.

“We…Have…Five…Minutes…Until…The…Chariots…Go…Out.”

She said, putting a 3 second space between each word.

“O.K. Andia, calm down, we’re going to get there on time.” Andrea said, with slow words.

We hurried out the door and got to the chariots just in time. Marina was not happy that we got there late and when she was yelling at us. Andia started crying.

Marina stuck me in the chariot with Rode just in time before the horses started moving.

The crowd was gigantic. Girls screaming at the top of their lungs and boys hooting and hollering. It rained roses on all of the tributes. The main thing I noticed though is people focused mainly on Districts 1,2,and 4. Then I realized why. They are the career tributes. It is likely the winner will be one of them. They have been training for years for this and its not really fair. The sponsors will mostly want them because they will most likely be sponsoring the winner.

I tried getting their attention by waving at everybody but only a few waved back. I blew kisses, and nobody really paid attention. I felt more alone than ever. I went through this last day thinking, ‘Oh, at least ill have sponsors.’ but its not likely ill have any. I glanced at Rode and he looked like he was in his own world. Not worried at all, its not like he had much of a chance anyway, though.

When we came to a stop President Snow stood up and gave a boring speech about how The Hunger Games came to be. We all know the story anyway.

Then we went to a dinner and Rode and I met with our prep team there. Marina told us we were great but there was something in her voice that told us we weren’t. Then one of the tributes came up. It was the girl from District 4.

“Hi! My name is Demetria.” She shook my hand and I pulled back. “What’s wrong? Scared I might kill you already. Not now I wont, but trust me I will in the arena.”

“Ok that’s enough girls!” Marina said as she pulled me away from her.

That was the first time I really got threatened and it was a lot worse than I imagined. Marina acted like it was normal though. After a few minutes she was laughing with Andrea again.

We ate so much at the dinner I couldn’t fit one more bite in my stomach to save my life. In District 5 we were a bit more well fed than the higher districts but we still did not have a lot of food.

The gamemakers told us to go back to our pent houses and get a good nights sleep because the first day of training was tomorrow. I was nervous. We have only been here for a day and I’ve already gotten a death threat.

When we went back to the penthouse, Andia went on about how we couldn’t fight in training so I didn’t have to worry and I censed that she found out about Demetria.

I found Rode in his room, he called me in but I didn’t feel like going.

“Lily, Come here. I want to show you something.”

Uhhhh, I thought. I walked sluggish over to the couch and sat as far away from him as possible. He handed me a disc. “My mentor gave me these, he said there tapes of previous games.”

I looked at all the discs and they were labeled 1-25 in careful handwriting . Next year, there will be 26 and that one will either have me dying or me winning.

He put the disc in the player and the 1st Hunger Games turned on. It was brutal, much worse than any other Game. I’ve watched all of the hunger games I’ve been alive for but this was much worse. Snow mutations tearing people apart, game makers hurting people severely then putting an avalanche on them to bring all of the tributes together.

When the disc was finished, me and Rode’s eyes were wide open.

“Poor people, I can’t imagine what it was like being in there.” Rode said.

“I don’t want to watch anymore. Goodbye.” I said, then got up and left the room. I went straight to my room and covered up with the silk sheets. I don’t want to die like that.