My Alternet 74th Hunger Games

Part 2: The Journey.

(I don't know if this is an accurate map of Panem. If it isn't then too bad.)

Amber's View

I woke with the sun the next morning like always and had to remember where I was. I got out of bed, washed off and picked out a casual outfit of just flexible pants and shirt with hiking boots. I went out to find no one there and I saw a guitar sitting on the bench. I pick it up and play a small song.

After I was done playing I looked around and saw Jack staring at me in awe.

"Sorry did I walk you up?" I ask apologetically.

"Yeah, you woke me up but... don't be sorry. You amazing at playing the guitar," he said sitting down on the chair across from me.

"Thank you," I say, putting it down.

"Why are you up so early?" he asked.

"I always wake up with the sun. The real one. Not the fake one they sometimes use in the games," I say.

"You're allowed a token to keep with you during the games. What did you bring?" I ask.

"A bracelet from my sister..." he said trailing off.

"Hey... Why did you save my sister?" he asked.

"She and you were the only two that stuck in my mind when I visited the district. I got to know you by... spying on you... I know it sounds crazy but I didn't want to give my self away by blowing my cover," I say slowly, refusing to look at him.

"Well, I appreciate it. But now I kind of owe you and that's not a good thing with our situation," he said with a slight laugh.

"Just try not to die that all I ask," I say quietly.

"Why?"

"Because I don't plan on coming out of this alive," I say and before he can ask me any more questions I head back to my room.

An hour later I was brought out by Effie to come and eat. I sat down and just stared at the food.

"Why aren't you eating?" Effie asked.

"Prefer to eat my own food. Can I go into the kitchen and cook?" I say.

She looks uncertainly at Katniss and Peeta.

"She won't be able to order food in the arena, why not? Yes you can go, cook," says Peeta.

I get up and to the kitchen. I look around. I take out an assortment of berries and mush them into a paste, I get out eggs, flour, milk, and sugar and make a dough. I shape the dough into little circles and bake them. When they get out I spread the paste on them and top it off with a couple mint leaves.

I eat a couple and went to see if anyone wanted to try one. I walk into the main area to see them all playing some sort of card game. I walk over.

"Anyone want to try one?" I ask lowering the tray for them to see.

They all take one.

"This is surprisingly well made!" said Effie.

"Where did you learn to cook?" asked Peeta.

"I taught myself," I said.

I looked over at his cards.

"Do you want to learn a new game?" I ask sitting down.

"What's it called? asked Effie.

"It's called UNO. It was very popular before the birth of Panem," I say.

"Sure! Teach us," says Peeta.

" The goal of UNO is to be the first person with zero cards in their hands. You can place card with the same color or number on top of another. If you can't play a card you draw a card and that counts as your turn. There are special cards. Skips allow you skip the turn of the person after you. Take two makes the person after you take two, you can stack these and the amount keeps rising until someone can't stack so they have to take how many cards. Rewind make the order in which people play reverse. Color cards let you change the color. Take fours, let you change the color and the person after you has to take four cards. When you have one card you have to say UNO or else you have to take two cards. Ok?" I say.

They agree and we start the game Katniss is surprisingly good at it but I ended up winning anyway. I looked out the window and saw a huge city emerge out of the distance. About thirty minutes we were pulling up to its station.

We had just entered The Capitol.

( And that's the end of this chapter because I'm lazy.)