Into the Flames [Watty Awards 2012]

Chapter 9

The remake center was huge. I was so glad Finnick offered to come up with us. We went into a big room and sat down. Six people walked into the room shortly after we sat down. Three came to me and the other three went to River.

“Waterlily right?” I nodded. “I’m Phillida.”

“I’m Scientia.”

“I’m Constantius.”

All three had silver designs all over their skin. Scientia had a pink tint to her skin, but Phillida had on orange tint to hers. They led me away from the room. “So, we are going to get you ready for the head stylist. He will assess you to make sure your outfit will fit.” Phillida exclaimed as she opened the door to a styling room. She shut the door and motioned me over to a table. “Please strip of all your clothes.”

The way she said it was really blunt, like it was no weird thing to strip in front of complete strangers. I slowly took off my clothes. When I finished they circled around me like hawks do their prey. That’s what I was, prey.

After a minute they had me lay down on the table. Scientia went to a counter and got a stack of strips. She divided the pile into three and handed Phillida and Constantius each a section. They pulled off a thin piece of paper off each one and stuck the other side onto my body. Soon, they started pulling them all off. I winced in pain when Phillida pulled off the first one. “Sorry Waterlily. I know it hurts, but it’s better than plucking every single hair.” I nodded and the three hawks continued pulling the rest of the strips off. For every one they pulled off, it got easier. When they finished they scrubbed me down with a hard soap. Little pieces in the soap dug themselves into my pores, taking out all the old dirt. They shaped my nails and painted on a clear layer “to cover up all the scratches and unevenness” as Scientia said. I felt like I was being probed forever before another man came in. “Hello I am Reginaldus, but everyone calls me Regi. I am your stylist, if you couldn’t guess.”

I smiled. “So what are you dressing me up as Regi?”

“Something different.”

“Not a mermaid?”

“No, that has been used too many times. This year you will be water.” He motioned for his assistance to come over. They had a spray thing with blue liquid inside of a container hat was attached to it. Constantius pointed a little novel at me while Scientia and Phillida held up a sheet behind me. Constantius started to spray the blue liquid at me. It wasn’t like water though; this stuck to my body and didn’t run off. It took a few minutes, but I was finally turned blue.

“Will I stay like this?” I asked in horror.

“Oh no! This is just a base it truly won’t show much.” Phillida wheeled out a big rack with two hangers on it. Regi took a shirt like think off the first hanger. “Put this on please.” I slipped it over my head and then I slipped on the pants he handed me. My entire body was covered with blue colored sequins. From my wrists came big waterfalls that ran down to the bottom of the top piece. The bottom was a long wide skirt. Phillida pulled out a tall mirror. I truly did look like water. Scientia came over with little bottles of paint. Regi had me sit down at the table and he put the paint on my nails in the pattern of water. As he screwed the caps back on the mini paint cans, Phillida came over with shoes and fake fish. I slipped on the shoes before she started attaching the fish. A few of the fish had a slight swim, but they never moved position. Regi took my arm and led me outside the room and to the elevator. We rode down to the basement where the chariots were. Regi took me to the fourth chariot. River was already waiting for me. He was wearing a fisherman outfit and held a fishing rod. He stepped onto the chariot and then offered me his hand. I took it and he helped me up. Almost immediately the big doors opened and the first chariot lurched forward into the capitol.