Max: District 4

District 4: The Train

I jolt awake at 4:00 am. I am terrified that I will have more nightmares about the games, so I decide I may as well get out of bed. I sit up and change into blue jeans and a too-big grey shirt. I wander around the train, hoping someone else is awake to keep me company. Eventually, I notice a light on a few cars down.

When I reach the car, I see Maria watching a recap of the reapings throughout the districts. When I sit down on the couch next to her, she laughs. " You don't need to see the reapings. It doesn't matter what your competition is. Anyone could shove you over and stab you with a knife and you'd be dead." I take her insult silently, knowing that it is pretty close to accurate. As we watch the reapings, I see that there are a lot of tough competitors this year. I try to remember their names. I'm not sure why, It just seems right to know the names of the people who are trying to kill me. I'm guessing the males from 1, 2, and 11, Marvel, Cato, and Thresh are all 18. Most likely, one of them will win.

The only competitor under 14 besides me was the Little girl from 11, Rue. She has the same odds as me, surviving these games. Like me, she is only twelve. It's just so sad, the way the wind whistled through the square when her name was called. The way she shakily walked up to the stage, the hope I could see in her eyes that someone older, stronger, would volunteer for her. But she knows that will never happen. She lives in district 11, where volunteers are extinct. I hope she wil win these games, to go back to the family she has at home. I saw them on the replay, the way her five siblings cried out for her. I already know I am not going to win, and that Rue probably will not, either. The odds of these games are completely in favor of Thresh, Marvel and Cato. Disgusted with all of these things, I leave the train car and go back to by room where I sit on the floor, fiddling with my silver wooden fish hook token. The Train Lurches to a stop. The force is huge, because we were previously going 150 mph. I am thrown to the other side of my room and hit my head on the wall, hard. "ow!" I mutter. The room crackles with static, and a voice comes through the loudspeaker I did not know was there. "We seem to have a leak in the fuel tank. It will take another an hour to fix it and reach the capitol. Thank you."

We reach the capitol at ten-thirty. I hear screaming crowds outside the train's windows and I rush to look outside. I am amazed. No, not by the huge buildings or vibrant colors, but at the people. They are like characters from Dr. Seuss's books. They all have at least one or two strange things about them. Red eyes, dyed skin, thousands of piercings, hair so long you can't see the end of it, and people so skinny you could fit your hands around their middle. It was just so shocking to see all these strange people. And then I realise this Is my moment to get some sponsors. I smile and wave at them, acting excited, and the reaction is immediate. They all see me and scream, wave their arms and throw things at the train. Startled, I stumble back and fall onto the floor. I hear a small snort from behind me, and turn to see Mags laughing at me. "what! they look wierd!" I say defensively, my face flushing red. She keeps laughing at me. "Every year, the district 4 tributes have almost the same reaction. A few years ago, a girl fell backwards into a glass table and shattered it completely." I smile, raising my eyebrows. "Really?" She giggles. "No. I made that up. Well, were here, so we'd better get off or we'll be stuck here until it's time for next year's tributes to come."