Annie Cresta- Beyond the Sea

Chapter 5

//Author's Note//

Hey everyone:) thank you SO much for reading this far in my story. You guys are great, and I hope you enjoy. Don't forget to vote and comment, thanks!

-Nat

//Chapter 5-\\

An intense light rose me from my deep slumber. It was so bright, I felt like a snake under a heat lamp. I sat up and gathered a little bit of information about the place around me:

1. I was in a room that wasn't the train. This had to be the Capital! I had no idea where Finnick was and I was beginning to worry what, exactly, the mad people here have done to him.

2. I was in a hospital gown, and I was sore all over, like I had just been in a first fight with a professional fighter. The only part that I couldn't feel was my head, which was numb and buzzing.

3. My face, legs, and armpits felt like plastic, when I put a finger to my eye, it came away smeared black and blue, and my hair had suddenly became five inches shorter. I have been waxed, had my make up done, and had my hair cut.

4. I was completely and utterly alone.

"Hello..?" I called. No reply. Suddenly, I heard two large doors open in the distance, which made me jump. Talkative chatter came in through the door and closer to me, but I wasn't as intimidated as I could've been because the chatter was somewhat friendly and full of laughter.
The talkers got closer to me until four people turned around the corner into my room. Three of them were chattery Capital people, the other one looked annoyed at the three. They all turned to look at me, the chatter stopping instantly. I just sat there and we stared at each other as if we were aliens from different planets. With how unalienable we looked, we might as well have been. Finally, a girl with daisy yellow hair stepped up to me.
"Oh, so she's awake," chorused one of them.
"Hello there! You must be Annie! I'm Siren. I do your hair!" she exclaimed. She was very bubbly and excited- all of them appeared to be. They must've been my prep team, the guys who help me look pretty for all the events leading up to the Games. I touched my soft silky hair, and for the first time in years, I realized it was also free of knots. Siren was a miracle worker.
I didn't like it.
"Well.. You did good," I stammered. They all must be very talented at their jobs, it just doesn't feel like me.
The other two capitol lapdogs came charging at me. I could tell they were twins, they looked identical, only one had purple hair and one had hers shockingly bright blue.
"I'm Uridecee," mused the blue headed one. She took my hand and shook it vigorously. The purple headed one pushed her aside and took her place, also shaking my hand.
"I'm Dime," she said with a smile, batting her long, orange eyelashes. "I do your nails".
I nodded, looking down at my beautiful blue nails. Lovely.
"I did- do- your makeup!" Uridecee cheered. She scanned my face with round, violet eyes and then her face dropped in terror.
"ANNIE, WHAT DID YOU DO TO YOUR FACE?!" she screamed, gasping at my make up. Jeez, that woman could yell. I realized I had smeared my eyeshadow across my nose, and it suddenly caused me to sneeze. With the dexterity of a robot, she pulled a small napkin out of her purse and fixed the whole ordeal in under a minute as everyone around watched in awe. I couldn't really see what she had done, but I could tell she wasn't messing around, anyway.
The quiet one, who was earlier annoyed at my prep team, stepped forward. She was tall and slender, with straight red hair that falls only to her shoulders.
"I'm Darcy. I am your stylist," she told me calmly. She looked around nineteen, maybe twenty. She was pretty young. Must've been extremely good at her job to land a spot like this at an age like that.
"Hi," I said taking her hand and shaking it lightly.
"I know this is all coming at you a little fast, but I promise you'll be settled in soon. You can treat all of us like friends because we're here to help you win, okay? We're on your side. Now come with me. I have your chariot outfit over here," she said, and walked to the exit, bubbly prep team following her. "We only have a so long until the ride begins."
I got up and trailed behind me, hoping nobody would notice how small the hospital gown was. I had forgotten about the chariot ride.
She lead me to a closet and took out a bathing suit, it was a mix of green splashes over blue waves. It was a one-peice. I slipped into it, and suddenly, accsesories were showered all over me by various members of the prep team. A fishing net was draped over my shoulder and one in the shape of a long skirt around my hips. I was put into 10inch heels (ow), and my soft hair was twisted into a shiny bun at the top of my head. I saw Darcy grab something from a high shelf in the corner, and then she turned around and I saw it was a gold crown with an opal pendant. A long fishnet veil was attached to the back of it.
She walked over and put it in front of my bun, vail flowing over it and down my back.
"There," she said, seeming content. "My masterpiece is done".
I turned around to face a mirror, and saw someone new. She looked like me, but she wasn't. I have long knotty hair, not this perfect shiny bun. And I definitely had a worse body than this, and the girl's face looked like a model's. I was no model.
My prep team doesn't mess around.
Was I a fan of this new girl? I didn't  know. She didn't  look like me and probably wouldn't act like me. It's like I left myself behind in District 4 and donned someone completely different. But would this new body help me survive?
Probably. And that's what matters now.
I faced Darcy and my prep team and gave them sincere thanks, in which they returned with bear hugs and half smiles.
Goodbye, old Annie.