The 200th Annual Hunger Games

Remake Center & Mentor Advice

Lacey Burton D8

Riiiip.

Flause looks at the strip that he’s just yanked from my leg in disgust.

“Ugh, you’d think you came straight from living in a cave” He says while tossing it in the bin.

Flause is one of three in my prep team. Despite being middle aged, his hair is styled in fluffy curls and coloured a light pink. So far has done nothing but criticize me and boss the other two members of my prep team around.

You’re so hairy. Wax this, wax that.

“Aprodite get to work on those eye brows, they are giving me nightmares!”

Aprodite is a round lady who’s age I can’t even guess, probably due to the amount of work she’s had done. I would like to say that it’s helped her age gracefully but that would be a lie. Her skin is stretched extremely tight erasing the wrinkles that should be on her skin. Back home people welcomed ageing as it meant that you had survived the struggles of living in a poor district. That is obviously not the case here. Her skin is tinted yellow and her eyes have been modified so that they look like a sunset, with the colour of her pupil changing from red to pink to yellow.

She works on my eyebrows and I’m worried that she’s going to poke my eye out with her dangerously sharp nails.

The third member of my prep team, Fraquisha, works silently on my nails. She’s tall and sickly thin, except I suppose that’s fashionable here. Her eyes are a deep green and are lined in layers of black paint. Her skin is as white as the sheets that I’m lying on and her black hair sticks out from her head at crazy angles.

“I think we better hose her down one more time before Sabrina gets here” Flause says.

By this stage I’ve already been covered with hundreds of different types of creams, had my hair scrubbed and cut and gone through the agonizing process of having all of my hair ripped of my body. Apparently they've got to get me to beauty base 0, whatever that is.

The creamy water that I’m forced to sit in, makes my raw skin burn at first but then soothes the pain. My relief is short lived as they pull me out of the water before I’m blasted with warm air that instantly dries my body.

“I think that’s all we can do” Flause says looking up and down my body.

Ugh.

I have the urge to cover myself up. I hate feeling exposed especially to these people.

The large doors open, revealing someone who I assume to be my stylist. She walks over to me and prods me in different places before stepping back and saying, “Hmm, very well. Thankyou Flause, Aphrodite and Fraquisha, you may leave.”

I watch them scurry out of the room before looking back at my stylist. She is tall with hair piled on top of her head in the shape of a cone. A large ring sits in her nose and as she stares down at me with her bright blue eyes, I again feel the urge to cover my body.

“Get dressed. We have worked to do” She says over her shoulder as she too walks out of the room leaving me naked and confused.

Lanni Salton D3

“Alright, first things first. Do you two wish to be coached separately or together?” Our mentor Rodric questions with raised eyebrows.

Huxley looks at me before saying, “I’m happy to be coached together if you are, Lanni”

I stare at him and without a moment’s hesitation I tell Rodric that we can be coached together. I trust Huxley, which is funny since we are going into a battle to the death were only one can win, but I do trust him.

"Geat! Alright this year being a Quarter Quell we can expect more twists than ever before, so I want you two to be prepared for that. Things are going to be a little different this year….”

He tells us that before we enter into the Games we will be ranked out of 24. These rankings will be determined by our Private Sessions scores, the response from the capitol citizens after the tribute parade and our interviews and the number of possible sponsors we have. In theory it’s a mix between our talents and the affect we have on the Capitol citizens. Rodric doesn’t know if the rankings have a real meaning or if they are just another way to help people pick their favourites, but my guess is that they will affect the way that this game is played out.

“Tonight is the tribute parade and then tomorrow will be your first day of training. You will have two days of training and then it is your private sessions with the Gamemakers. The importance of it going well cannot be understated. Then you will have your interviews, another extremely important event. After that… well, then it’s time” Rodric says, giving us a sad smile.

“Look kids, it’s going to be tough, I’m not going to lie or sugar coat it for you, but I believe in you two.” He adds before getting up and grabbing an extra cream puff before walking out the door.

I look down the long table which is slowly being stripped of its food by the Avoxes. Only minutes ago it was filled with plates of fluffy eggs, soft bread and mugs of drinks that I’ve been told is called Hot Chocolate. I don’t think my stomach has ever felt as satisfied as it does right now.

“So...”

“Well…”

Huxley and I say at the same time. He blushes and looks down at his hands. He looks like a little child right now, acting shy and embarrassed. Cute.

“I was going to ask you if you wanted to watch the reapings with me, you know suss out our competition?” He says with a laugh.

“Of course, let’s go see what we’re up against. If their anything like you than I don’t think we should be worried” I tease.

“Why? Because I’m so strong?” He says in a fake shocked voice while doing ridiculous poses.

“No because if their anything like you, they wouldn’t have an evil bone in their body.”

He gives me a lopsided grin before opening the door to the TV room that is apparently on every floor of this building.

He flicks on the TV and we watch as tribute after tribute steps up to claim their place in The Hunger Games.

The brutal boy from District 1, the best friends from District 4, the small girl from District 7 and the overly confident boy from District 12.

I can’t believe that 24 of us will go in and only one will come out. 23 children will die.

Of course this isn’t news to me as I’ve watched the Hunger Games for years back home but being here in this situation makes it so much more real.  Huxley could be dead in a week. I could be dead in a week.

As we watch the reapings a second time I can’t help but wonder what people will view me as.

The weakling from District 3?

A bloodbath tribute?

No. I’m here to fight.

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I would love some feedback, & votes would be nice as well i guess... :)