The 1st Quarter Quell

Chapter 7 - The Tribute Parade

I cry out in pain as my ghastly and horrifyingly eccentric-dressed prep team thread away at my eyebrows, the sharp sting and their remarks not making my day go any better. Not that it was a terrible day, but it wasn't the best either. I didn't like the strangers in the room operating on me, especially since the proposed outcome was a mystery; I had no idea of the image in the stylist's head.

"Sorry sweetie'!" The pink-skinned haired one squeaks as she holds up a snapped thread-string to show that she was nowhere near finished. I didn't bother learning their names, but my prep team were strangely adorable with their high-pitched voices and especially how they were so apologetic, as if they were scared to upset me. The male was so petite and stumpy with his little gold moustache and silvery hair that I felt he should be in school, and the other girl who had a sky-blue wig didn't say much, but she was clearly the more delicate one of the trio as she hadn't made me cry out in pain.

They'd spent the last hour waxing all of my body (underarms, arms, legs, everywhere that had unwanted hair) which left my skin numb and my insides tingling in pain, and then they started scrubbing my body with some exfoliator that left my arms red and sore. It was like they'd taken most of my skin off! The team then decided to oil my skin in three different lotions that burned, itched and soothed my skin until I'd lost all feeling in my fingers and limbs. Apparently my skin was perfect now. They hadn't even finished at this point.

They then started on my hair, chopping off some of the horrible frayed ends that were splitting from 'years of bad care' and then they put some strange gel to the roots of may hair, which they said would make the blonde that had faded at my roots appear brighter and more vibrant. Pity, I didn't like the highly-contrasting colours of their wigs and now they're turning me into one of them. They then stripped me down naked before attacking my body with tweezers, purging any unwanted irritants, in this case, hairs.

"Darling you could fit right in here!" The man beamed as he wiped the sweat from his head, as if making me 'look better' was a real chore.

"I agree completely!" The little pink one squeaked as she took a step back and examined me and my naked body. "Sweetie, you have such a wonderful figure and skin tone! You would do so well in the Capitol! I just wish I could have the guts you do for doing this..." She said cupping my cheeks in her hands, pressing them gently between her thumb and finger. I felt a little uncomfortable with them here, what with them looking like they've stepped out of a colour factory and me standing here naked whilst they attack me with tweezers and other 'beautifying' tools - but, I couldn't help but smile at their comments, it gave me hope. I've always wanted a job in the Capitol, and that was one of the reasons I kind of wanted to enter the Games.

"Thank you! It's probably the only occasion I've ever needed to look beautiful..." I said as I began to bite on my nails, and this made them squeal over me more, hurling their pities and apologies at me, but then scolding me for my bad nail condition. After another long while getting my nails cut, angled and shaped with constant comments and remarks about my terrible habit of biting them, they step back and look at me once more, admiring their work.

"Darling you're going to look amazing when Odile's finished with you!" The pink one cooed as she began tidying up the work area whilst I stood there awkwardly, naked still.

"Odile?" I asked in confusion, panicking as the prep team were scuttling around the place like the crabs you see in the black market tanks.

"Ah, your stylist!" The man exclaimed clapping his hands together, "She's the best in the city! She styled for District Seven last year, turned them into ancient forest spirits as opposed to trees!"

"Why isn't she styling them this year then?" I asked as the blue one handed me a weird robe that they expected me to put on.

"Because I wanted your District." A woman who looked around 40, with pale skin, brown eyes, dark kohl eyeliner around her eyes and on her lids stepped into the room. She had dark brown hair with caramel highlights and it fell in neat waves. She had on a bright pink lipstick which matched with her black satin dress and long silk gloves. She still looked odd (most Capitol citizens did) but it was more of a toned down odd compared to the other people in this room.