The 65th Hunger Games - EDITING

Chapter six

I wake up around six to the sound of people talking. I put on pants and a t-shirt and head down to the kitchen. Viviana is already up, chatting with our mentors and Ionel. She looks like she had a better night than me. She smiles at me while Ateia explains today's schedule. We are supposed to be discussing the strategy we will adopt during the parade and then get ready. They want me to appear strong and courageous while Viviana will have to convince the audience and other tributes that she's defenseless and weak, which is kinda true. It could work for her, after all, it worked in the past. I'm also supposed to be charming, smile and wave at the audience, make the crowd go wild. Once we finish eating we leave with our respective mentors to practice how we will act. I'm left alone in a room with Mags. At first, neither of us talk and then, as she's looking outside at the Capitol, she asks me a question.

"What are you ready to do to come back home Finnick?"

"Anything" I answer angrily. "I'll do everything that needs to be done so I can go back to district four."

She smiles and then nods.

"Perfect. We have a lot of work to do then."

We spend the next hour practicing waving, smiling and the way I'm going to stand in the chariot. What I thought to be an easy and futile task reveals itself to be quite hard and pretty important. A knock on the door makes us startles us both. Ateia enters the room uninvited, a big and excited smile on her face.

"Let's go young man, we need to get you ready!" she says, emphasizing on the last word.

I look back at Mags, like she was the only one able to pull me from that moment. She simply nods and smile in a way that is supposed to be reassuring.

"Do everything like we practiced and it should be perfect. Good luck."

I nod back at her and follow my stylist out of the room. We enter the elevator and she presses a button. As we go down, I ask where Viviana is, as I thought she'd be with me.

"Don't worry lover boy, she's just getting ready in an other room, you'll see her soon."

When we get out, I instantly recognize the floor; it's where my prep team got me ready yesterday. While we pass in front of different rooms, I hear people talking across the door. I immediately assume its other tributes and their stylist as every door is marked from a number from 1 to twelve.

7

6

5

4

There it is. Ateia opens the door from a single touch on a panel.

***

I'm standing in front of a tall black horse. I run my hand on it's neck, until i reach it's face. It's two eyes of the color of coal seems to penetrate my soul.

"Do you want a sugar cube?"

He seems to react to those two last words. He gives me a small push on the chest with his head and turn his ears towards me. I raise my hand that's holding the five sugar cubes, laughing and he eats them so fast I almost fear for my hand. I tilt my head as I continue petting the majestic animal. He clearly wants more, but I don't have anything else. Five sugar cubes is all I could obtain from the peacekeepers. It's crazy how a big city that has so much to waste has so little to give.

I see Viviana before she sees me. She's wearing a beautiful dress the color of the ocean; I could swear I can even see the movement of the waves on it. She finally sees me and comes my way. Once she's standing in front of me, we both observes each other's outfits. Her dress seems to be made of the same material than my pants. Just like me, she's wearing a golden hair piece, except hers has a purpose; it holds her two braids together. The rest of her hair just falls down on her shoulders and her back.

"I see they experienced a lack of fabric when they tried to make your outfit." she tells me, laughing.

"You're just jealous because I look better than you!" I respond, also laughing.

"You wish!"

We both continue laughing until we hear the order to climb into our chariot. I run my hand on the horse's neck and then his back as I'm walking beside him to reach our vehicle. I climb first and then offer her my hand. She takes it and hop in and we take place, side by side. It only takes less than a minute before the horses start to trot at the sound of the drums and the music. At the end of the tunnel, light partially blind me for a second.

"Are you ready?" she whispers at me while weaving at the crowd.

"Ready for what?"

"No time to explain. There's a button on your bracelet. On three, you need to activate it."

I stop waving at the crowd.

"One..."

I try to feel the button.

"Two..."

I find it just in time.

"Three!"

We both press it at the same time and a huge wave comes out of our backs and crash on the ground behind us. The crowd goes wild, the spectators scream and go hysterical. I'm wondering how all that water could fit inside of costumes and why couldn't I feel the weight when Viviana informs me that it's just an hologram. I don't even realize what happens afterwards, I completely black out.

"Finnick? It's over. Come on, let's get down of this thing."

Viviana's voice brings me out of my sate of mind. We hop down of the chariot at the same time. When I see our stylists coming down our way, I can't help but feel the anger growing inside of me. As soon as Ateia opens her mouth, I explode before she can say a single word.

"How could you not tell me that huge waves were going to come out of our backs!"

"I guess I just... forgot!" she answers, laughing.

"He's right! That was incredibly stupid of you!"

I'm glad Viviana is on my side. I nod at her in an attempt to make her know I appreciate it. She nods back.

"Well you both made it out alive and well. Your performance was perfect anyway."

Yes, right. The performance is the only thing that matters. After all, it's only a big TV show.