Black Ice (The Hunger Games--Fanfic)

s i x

"So," Autumn smiles "we need to discuss some of our options for your costume for the opening ceremony."

I look at her, she is no longer smiling and happy like she was when we ate. Instead, she looks in deep thought, like she has to make an important decision- and I guess that to her this will be an important decision.

"You're from district four, the fishing district, so I thought that we should base your outfit off of the sea, you know, represent your district,"

I nod. This is nothing new. They do this to ever district every year. The tributes are meant to dress accordingly to their district.

"So, I am going to be dressed like a fish?"

Autumn laughs, but I don't exactly see what is funny. If that is her plan, then the whole of the capitol are going to be laughing along with her. Great. So, not only do I have a rash down my face, I am going to be dressed up like a fish. A good impression I'll be making on all the possible sponsors tonight.

"No, no! Of course not." she stops laughing and picks up a raspberry from a bowl of fruit on the table, popping it into her mouth, once she has finished she continues "I think we will stick with a similar theme..."

The next thing I know, I stand in front of a mirror looking at my costume: a dress which flows all the way down to my feet; white at the bottom, and slowly fades into a light blue nearer the top, with shell patterns printed on it in deep sea blues and bright corals. I can't say that I particularly like it, but I have seen so many worse outfits over the years (a couple of years back, it was green and blue fish scales on every item of clothing), that I am actually quite pleased with my appearance.

My face is kept to its normal state, but my eyelids have an electric blue on them, and my lips are coloured the same shade.

"You look amazing, don't you feel wonderful?" Autumn smiles.

I nod, though quite simply, I don't feel wonderful.

I feel like someone I am not. I feel like back at home I would never have thought about wearing something like this. Being here, eating all these new foods, looking out of huge rooms with glass windows for walls at a beautiful city.

I know in a lot of out newspapers back home, they over exaggerate things to make them look even better than they are, but if anything, they haven't exaggerated the capitol enough.

"Brilliant,"

I smile, though, I am rather happy that the other stylists were able to help Nellie find some cream to soothe my skin, and it doesn't look like there was ever anything there, so I am rather grateful for that.

"So, Mira,"

I look at her, straight into her purple eyes. Are they naturally that colour? Is it the light? Is she wearing something to make them that colour?

"Are you ready?"

Music is blaring so loudly that I know that it means the ceremony has begun. In front of where I awkwardly stand on the back of a chariot, pulled by four horses, a pair of large doors slide open and reveal the streets of the capitol. The ride through the streets lasts about 20 minutes and ends up in at the City Circle.

The first chariot pulls out into the streets, and I know that we are shortly to follow. District 1 are always first, then it's District 2, then District 3, then District 4-thats us, and then District 5, and so on, all the way to District 12.

Slowly, we follow the trail of people out into the streets, and people cheer louder and louder as we appear. Each time a new chariot emerges, this happens, but I can't help but feel special, celebrated, even though it's my death that they're celebrating, not me being there, not me eating their food, not me being dressed by their stylists, or staying in their town, but my death. My moral sacrifice of life for their bloodthirsty population.

I am just another piece in their chess game. Another pawn that they are trying to move one-by-one across a board, until it all ends.

I realise that all these people can see me, so I lift up my head, and start to wave and smile at the strange looking people, hoping that they might possibly be the ones who save my life, or provide me with a little bit more time.

The music is loud and makes my head hurt, but I try to smile and ignore that, and greet all of the capitol citizens with smiles and waves, trying to focus on looking happy.

There are children here. Just like there will be back home, as they watch me die. Children there as young as...Alex. My mind casts back. What happened to him? Is he okay. He wont miss me too much, will he?

Stop, I tell myself thinking about him will make things worse, what if you end up crying in front of all the people that are here?

I shake him out of my head. But not completely, just enough to let myself think straight, and focus on the moment that I am in. The situation...I just want to get it over with, so I can get away from the prying eyes of the public. Inside to somewhere safe. I hope that Nellie is waiting for me on the other side.

Eventually we stop, as we pull into the city circle and as District 12 pull in, the music stops. President Snow stands at the front, his beard as white as pears, as white as snow. All the chariots wait together as the anthem plays and then we do one final circle of the City Circle, then exit through the doors and into the training centre. Doors closing behind us.

Autumn walks up to me and grins. Sam's stylist is there too, but I do not know her name, so I briefly nod at Sam, for the first time since the train, and then he is out of sight. I don't want to be his friend, because he is probably the one who is going to kill me.