Rue's Fight

Chapter Two - The Train Journey

Chapter Two - The train journey

" Amazing! Simply terrific!" Fonda's voice echoes throughout the plush train cabin the capitol has sent to us. If all goes to plan, we'll arrive in the capitol tomorrow evening. The trains amazingly fast, but we can't feel a thing. I've never been in a train before, let alone a car. I have been in horse drawn cart before. We use them to transport our crops, that are then shipped off to the capitol. Its funny to think that district 11 is famous for agriculture, yet our people are starving. We are given some extra crops during harvest, but its only so we work harder and longer.

The train must have cost thousands. Velvet curtains drape over the windows, an oak table has enough food to feed my district lies on it. And, sitting at that table I find the woman that will be my mentor throughout the games. She could be the difference between life ands death for me. Thresh looks me in the eye, and I look back. This woman, has no chance of keeping us alive. Her name is Seeder.

She won her games with strength and wisdom, I'll give her that. But, she's now old and nearly in the 70s. The games have changed drastically since she was a tribute.

" I'm so sorry...."

Her voice is sincere and heart felt. She knows the reality of the games, unlike Fonda. She knows what we will go through, how we'll suffer.  Seeder lives in the real world, unlike Fonda. Her head is up in the sky, thinking its all fun and glory. Seeder knows its a sick torture.

Her apology seems genuine, and her face shows it. She doesn't want to send us off to our deaths.

Fonda glares at Seeder, as though this was the wrong thing to say to us. I think Fonda wants us to believe its all happy days, but Seeder is being kind to us. She is telling us the full story, she isn't feeding us lies. Seeder isn't the only victor from district 11 , there's also a man called Chaff. He's a little bit younger than Seeder, he's stocky, strong, and mostly drunk. He likes a drink, and I can't blame him. The things he saw in his games, I would do anything  to forget them. The drink is his escape. Seeder and him take it in turns every year to become a mentor, as your only aloud one. It wouldn't be fair as the district 1 and 2 have had the most victors, and your mentor is your survival in the games. So as you can imagine, they would have a much greater chance of winning, even without their mentors that chance is much more greater. So, in the spirit of " May the odds be ever in your favour. " Each district is only aloud one mentor.

But the games haven't been in my favour.

Thresh and I sit next to her. Thresh's eyes look around the cabin, and for the first time I hear him speak.

" Where do we begin?"

I assume he means what our strategies will be in the games, how to build shelter, and find food. But, Fonda moves her way in between us and Seeder.

" Now, now. You're meant to enjoy your time on this train. This is no time for survival tips, it'll all be just one big game."

She says in her shrill voice. Thresh stands up,

" To you, yes. It's a game you watch on tv. But, it's the difference between my life and death, so I'd rather start training sooner than later."

Fonda is clearly taken aback, a few peacekeepers come to her aid in case of anther outbreak of Thresh's anger. But, who can blame him?

" Do not make a fire. Other tributes will come looking for you, the smoke will be seen. Water, you need that. Go look for it......"

Seeder tells us how to find water, she says to find a stream, far away from sea water. Or take water from the tree's. If there are any, some years tributes have been thrown into desserts, or the ruins of a forgotten city.