Scars That Never Fade- A New Generation of Hunger Games

Chapter 6

It was my father. I cried and ran to his arms, hugging him and never wanting to let go.

"Daddy!" I sobbed, "where were you?" He gave me a sorrowful look, like he wasn't going to tell. He couldn't tell.

"I missed you," he said, "you meant everything to me." I cried harder.

"What are you gonna do when I'm dead?" I said. There was no point in ignoring it. I would try to win, but really, what chance did I have? A little fourteen-year-old girl against...who knows? I hugged my dad tighter.

"Who says you're going to die?" he asked me, "you're just as capable as any of them. You have the fire. You can do it."

I shook my head. "I don't know if I can. What do I do?"

"Just be fast. Always keep your eyes open. And make them love you. Which won't be hard, since you're my little girl." I laughed a little at this joke. As I turned around, I noticed several Peacekeepers watching, as well as Lina. Volker was listening to his family tell them they love him.

"Okay," says Lina, "we really should be going now." I nodded at her, and looked at my dad. Tears were beginning to well up in his eyes.

"I love you, Daddy," I whispered.

"I love you, Fern. Don't ever forget that," he said, and as before I walked away he whispered to me. "Win for me." I nodded as I walked away.

"I will see you again."

Peacekeepers grabbed both my arms and I struggled a little bit. Perhaps they feared that I would dart. Slowly, Lina led Volker and I out of the building to an enormous train. Right before we boarded it, the Peacekeepers let go of my arms. They were now aching from their tight grip. Lina got on first, then me, then Volker.

I was in awe. I certainly didn't live a life of poverty, but nothing I had ever seen could compare to the splendor inside this train! Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, fancy silk pillows were everywhere. There were television sets everywhere, and food galore. Volker seemed to be entranced as well. His eyes grew wider in amazement each time he saw something new.

"Isn't this great?!" exclaimed Lina, "so many things to do here! Sit down, we're about to leave for the Capitol."

The Capitol. I had been there once with my father on a business trip, and I didn't like it. Many of the Capitol people, like Lina, wore excessive amounts of makeup and fancy outfits. They were the richest of the rich, and even at a young age, I recognized that they didn't care for anyone but themselves.

As Lina left the room, I moved to sit by the window. This train was going remarkably fast, and we were out of District 12 within a matter of minutes. I wondered where Theo was, and hoped he was okay. Why were they taking him, if they weren't going to kill him? What were they planning?

Volker came and sat next to me. He pulled a small notepad out of his pocket and began scribbling, his light brown hair hanging over his face. When he was done, he tore out a page and handed it to me.

"Hi," it read, "do you want to be friends?" Well that was sudden, since I hardly knew him, but I masked the confusion on my face and wrote back, "sure."

He smiled at me, and scribbled again, "do you think you can win the Games?" I thought about this for a second. Could I? Well, it was possible, but I didn't have many skills. And I certainly wasn't strong at all. "Maybe, but I doubt it," I wrote back, "how about you?" He scribbled again, "No. I think I'm okay with that though." I looked at him. He was tall, but very lanky like me. Not very muscular, but he looked fast. He may stand a chance, and maybe his muteness would come as an advantage.

Someone burst through the door, stumbling and crashing into our table. I shrieked, but covered my mouth. The man who had come crashing in looked up, smiling. He was missing a few teeth and his graying hair hung down his face. He had wild eyes and smelled like alcohol. I had met this man before, and judging by the twinkle in his eye, he remembered me.

"Hello there, sweetheart."