A Game of Chance [THG Fanfic]

The Train

We soon reach the district 1 train station. When we see the train, we gasp slightly. It is completely clean, and is powered by blue heat energy. This energy makes the train seem like it is floating in mid-air which... they can probably do without us seeing the blue anyway. I suppose they think it looks better with the energy. As always, they are right. My guess is that it looks better by a long shot, making the overall effect even more awe inspiring.

Joe grins at the look on our faces. 'In the Capitol everything must be clean, and flashy' he explains. Well, at least that explains the exterior. But when we enter, we stop, shocked and look round, seeing diamonds littering the wall and endless comforts. Not mentioning the plush cream sofa to die for in front of the TV. For some curious reason there is damson jam and bread on the table. Wonder where they thought that one up from?

My question is answered just as soon as I think of it. Joe smiles happily at me while he says 'The Diamonds on the wall are for you, Dia.'

I wince as he says my supposed 'name'. It doesn't feel right. I guess that is understandable, although I do wish that i'd had a bit more time to choose it. Then I frown, confused. 'Where's Hunter?' I ask. She wasn't with us when we went to the rooms, and I can't see anything in here that looks like 'hunt'.

'Oh, don't worry,' Joe dismisses my worries. 'She'll be here soon. It's just that she doesn't have any family. Besides, the hoses by the fire extingusher represent her. We decided to use her surname, Hosement. She doesn't deserve anything special; she didn't volunteer now, did she?' He then leaves the room, for who knows what reason.

I frown slightly. I suppose that is fair. After all, she had to try hard to pretend she wasn't scared... and still failed. Me and Damon are the Careers here.

Wait a minute... Damon. His name does not sound like a usual district 1 name. I lean into him slightly. Unsurprisingly, he recoils. I grind my teeth together. I actually can't wait to kill him in the arena. But for now...

'Why haven't you changed your name?' I whisper to him. He smirks.

'Well...' he replies. 'To start with, they'd suspect. Then there is the fact that I hate the usual District 1 names. They're all so stupid. Like the one you've chosen, Diamond. The other districts won't take you at all seriously now.

I open my mouth hotly, preparing to object, but he goes on. 'And of course my mother named me Damon. If I won by a fake name she'd kill me. So there's your answer.'

I am just about to reply when Joe comes back in. 'It's time to meet your mentors!' He says, sounding exactly like a high pitched bird. 'Yours, Dia, is Kiere Hurtone. As for you, Damon... you have Rald Bergress.' I laugh slightly at this, and he struggles to say anything. You see, Rald was the victor of the last games. He went slightly... bonkers, and tried to eat the other tibutes. At this rate, I might not even have to deal with Damon in the arena! 

Our mentors shake our hands before leaving. Joe turns to us again, and tweets in his Capitol accent 'the next thing on our agenda is to review the other tributes from their reapings!'

He tosses us notepads. 'I'd like you to take notes' he explains. I groan. I absolutely hate taking notes. Damon smirks at me. Of course he'd know, from Karl. Joe glances sharply at me.

'Don't groan like that, Dia. It will help you. I'd like you both to record who the tributes that would make possible careers are, and which District they are. I'd also like you to note which tributes seem weaker. Those tributes will be sure kills in the Arena. Any in-between tributes you can put down in a list. They might be weaker, or more lethal than they look. Dia, please turn on the TV. As District 1 is the closest district to the Capitol, we don't have much time before we arrive.'