The 100th Annual Hunger Games

Chapter 13

On the morning of the interview a tall woman with short brown hair runs into my room and calls me by name.

"Morning Sylvira!" She chimes happily. "I'm Lissa and I am your stylist!"

I smile back at her. Her chirpy mood should annoy me at this early hour of the morning, but I find it quite amusing.

Lissa helps me dress and then pulls me to a dressing room where she measures me in all the necessary places and then starts messing with materials. I stare into the mirror standing before me and try not to feel sick with fear about the interview.

A few other girls walk in and announce that they are here to do my makeup. I sit in the chair silently for three seemingly endless hours while they cover my face in various powders and attack my eyelashes and nails.

Once the three hours are up I am left alone with my own thoughts. And my new sparkly nails which I find hard to call my own. They're just too... Capitol. But then my mind begins to fill with thoughts. What if I mess up at the interview? Someone could die over it. I could continue to be a murderer even after leaving the arena.

In the mirror I notice that I am wearing a knee-length pink flowery dress and pink stilletto heels with dozens of thin pink pieces of silk wrapped around my ankle as far as my knee. My hair is flowing around my shoulders, shiny and smooth. I look... nice. That gives me a bit of self-confidence, but it does not last long.

Surprisingly, time passes quickly and suddenly it is time for me to go to the interview. My heart begins to pound hard and I start shaking like a leaf. Lissa walks with me to a car and then leaves me alone.

After a short drive I am left outside a back entrance to the interview hall. I walk in and am immediately directed backstage where I am given a few last minute dashes of powder on my face and my dress is dusted down.

Then the show begins.

A fanfare announces Caesar's arrival and he smiles widely at the audience before roaring with laughter. The audience cheers and the hall lights up, revealing the thousands of people. I feel butterflies in my stomach and prepare myself.

"Welcome to the victor's interview of the 100th Annual Hunger Games!" Caesar yells and the audience scream and cheer.

"Tonight we shall be speaking to the extraordinary Sylvira Swan, the victor of this years Quarter Quell against seventy-one formidable opponents! Are you all excited?" He calls.

The audience cheer, but not quite loudly enough for Caesar.

"Are you all excited?!" He calls again, and the audience scream at the top of their lungs.

"Let's get Sylvira out on stage!" He announces, to which the audience roar happily.

Now I begin to panic. Someone really could die because of this. But I have no choice. I am pushed out of the darkness and up onto the stage.

I walk slowly but carefully over to Caesar who grips my hand and smiles warmly. The audience applaud me and Caesar invites me to sit.

"So, Sylvira" Caesar begins, and I ready myself for interrogation.

"What is it like to be out of the arena?" He asks.

I smile calmly. "Surreal. I'm still trying to take it all in."

Caesar smiles again. "I bet."

The audience chuckles.

"Lets take a look at the highlights shall we?" Caesar says.

I nod and turn to the massive screen behind me. We watch all the highlights I have already seen along with the bits that include me this time.

When Roslyn's death comes on screen I see that Wesley was actually wrong. They do tamper with the recording, but it is still clearly Roslyn's own choice when she jumps in front of the blade for me.