If Crane Never Made The Call

To The Capital

  Once Gale left Effie came in to take me to the train. Katniss was already with her so we went strait to the car. Her face was wet so I assume she had been crying, I mean who wouldn't. Your being sent to kill children around your own age in an arena while the entire country is watching and betting on you. Not to mention that they could save your life or get you killed and you would never know why.

  Before I know it I'm sitting in a car staring out the window while Effie is blabbing on and on about how nice the Capital is. Just thinking about the Capital makes my eyes water. About how they can root for someone and then laugh when they die, how they can throw away plate size piles of food when people are starving in the districts.

   As we pull up at the train station citizens of 12 are banging on the windows trying to get a glimpse of us. I step out of the vehicle and Mrs. Trinket ushers Katniss and I onto the train. When I walk through the doorway I take in the inside of the train. It has a lovely mahogany dining table piled high with food on one side of the room, on the other side theres a couch with a t.v. infront playing old recaps of previous Hunger Games. Next to the couch sits four chairs facing each other with a table in between each set of 2.

  The train spreads out in both directions with a door separating each car. Every car holds new suprises, lamps in odd shapes, carpets with weird patterns and sleeping chambers with the most comfortable but craziest beds ever. I honestly don't know what to do or where to look until Effie's pushing us into two chairs by the television.

  "I'm going to go find Haymitch, he's probably in the bar car." Effie says enthusiastically.

  "Have you ever met him?" I ask. "Haymitch, I mean." Katniss looks at me with a blank expressionon her face and doesn't reply. "Look Katniss he is are mentor, he did win this thing once. I understand if you don't want to talk but I don't think there's anything wrong with needing a little bit of help." I look her in the eye and she stares strait back at me. Suddenly her face goes slack and she turns deathly pale. I can tell by the way her eyes stare off into the distance that she's having a flashback.

  I hear a click and Haymitch the drunk and stupid walks into the room. He pours himself a drink and gets mad when theres no ice.

  "Congratulations." He says as he sits down in front of me.

  "So when do we start?" I ask.

  "Slow down, most of you aren't so eager." He reply's.

  "Ya well the thing is your our mentor. You teach us to get sponsors and give us advice." I say.

  "Ok, here's sme advice,  embrace the probability of your imminent death and know, in your heart, that there is nothing I can do to save you." He says casually.

  "Then why are you here?" Katniss spits out.

  "Oh, for the refreshments." Hamitch replys shaking his cup in front of me.

  "Ok, thats enough of that." I say reaching for is glass. Before my hand makes contact with it he has his foot on my chest shoving me back into the chair. He keeps his foot where it is and stares at me with disapproval.

   "You made me spill my drink, these are brand new pants." He says removing his foot. "I think I'll go finish this in my room." I watch as Mr. Abernathy gets up and spins in a circle searching for the door. When he finds the door he walks out not saying another word.

  "He's going to come around." I say to Katniss.

  " Its no use." She says back as I head for the door.

  "I'm gonna go talk to him."

  I walk from train car to train car searching for Haymitch. When I stumble upon a door marked 'MENTOR' the occupation slot says 'HAYMITCH ABERNATHY' so I assume this is where Haymitch said he was going. I knock on the door and hear footsteps coming towards me from the other side. He opens the door and slams it as soon as he sees my face.