The Hunger Games « Niam/Ziam

Chapter Three: The Train

-Liam-

When we stepped on the train, Lynna's cries stopped almost immediately. She has never seen such luxury. The food is piled on trays, just waiting for us. I wasn't surprised one bit, I had seen the photos of these trains and of the capitol. I knew they feasted like kings while some of the districts starved to death. Lynna grabbed handfuls and handfuls of food before sitting down. I only grabbed one tiny muffin. But, then it reminded me of my cute little blond muffin at home. I picture the sparkle in his eyes very visable as he looks at me, and that pretty shade of pink that always seems to tint his cheeks when we're around each other. So, I ended up throwing half of it away. Maralie sits us down.

"I'm going to find Simon. He's probably insulting an innocent passenger on the way they cut their chicken," Maralie says while going through the sliding door. As she left, the room fell silent except for Lynna's constant chewing.

"Don't eat to much, you might get sick," I tell her. She slows down and finally stops, in thought.

"Why are we here, Li?" she asks.

"What do you mean?" I question, knowing exactly what she doesn't understand.

"Why is it so bad that I've been picked for the Hunger Games?" she asks. At this moment I realize that these kids have no idea what they're walking into, Lynna has no idea that she will most likely be dead in a matter of days.

"The Hunger Games are a game of survival, twenty-four tributes go in and only one comes out," I say.

"You have to come out," she says, "you have to survive, for Niall." I almost cry at her words.

"Thank you, but you need to take care of yourself," I say.

"You know I don't have a chance in this and I know that, too. I just don't want to leave without a fight. But, that's not important, my dying wish is for you to survive," she says. Her words make my heart clench, this eight year old girl's dying wish is for me to survive... I don't have a chance to respond before the sliding door opens and Simon stomps in. He looks flustered, but I don't ask what happened. This is not the time to talk to him like Uncle Si, right now he is Simon, my mentor, my lifeline.

"Well, hello. I see familiar faces for once. I don't get out much, so this is unexpected," he says as he takes a seat across from Lynna and I.

"So, what do we have to do?" Lynna asks.

"Well, first of all, I need silence to think and process all of this, so hold on," Simon slowly takes a sip of his drink and then speaks again.

"What do you want to know?" he asks.

"How to survive," I say.

"Well no kidding Liam Payne," he said. He paused slightly and then responded, "You have to get people to like you."

I gave a 'what-the-fuck' face, I know that. Lynna cocked her head to the side.

"S'not what either of you were expecting, I see," he smirks, "when you're in the arena, medicine, matches, or even a blanket, could be the thin line between life or death. You only get these things from sponsors."

"So, the whole game is based on a social bracket?" I ask.

"Yes, exactly right," Simon said, not surprised I caught on so fast.

"Remember, when you're in the games, don't expose your whole self. They might use it against you," I felt like he was talking directly to me, which, of coarse, he was.

　

^/\^

The next morning we were almost to the capitol. Lynna and I shared my room because she didn't want to sleep alone. As I watched her sleep I started thinking, and couldn't imagine loosing her. She was the last thing-- the only thing I would have from home in the arena with me. When she woke up we went down for breakfast, only to see Maralie reading something and Simon slipping some type of alcoholic beverage mixed in with his morning tea.

"Well, good morning lazy ass," Simon says to me as I sit down.

"Aren't you in a chipper mood," I comment back.

"Oh, I'm great. I get to go to the capitol for the 100th time," he says. Suddenly I hear a loud slam and the table vibrated.

Lynna had successfully stabbed her butter knife into the table.

"I thought I saw a bug?" she says, though it sounds more like a question.

"That is mahogany!" Maralie bursts out. Simon chuckled and took another sip of his alcohol infused tea.

"Whoa, there it is," Lynna said in a trance as she walked towards the small window. I heard screams and cheers from outside the train, and wondered what so many people were doing there.

Simon laughed again as he said, "You better enjoy that biscuit while you can, she knows what she's doing." He winked and spread butter on his cornbread.

I felt no need to put on a smile for a place I dislike. I stayed in my seat and watched Lynna smile and wave as the capitol citizens gushed over her adorableness. As I watched, I took in the ignorance of these people and said nothing. I waited until Maralie lead Lynna and I out before I even attempted to seem happy or excited. These people had no idea what was out there. But, if they did then they must have tried their hardest to keep it a secret, for their personal gain. I knew these types of people. I also knew I wanted to prove them wrong, with whatever I was suppose to prove.