Humanity- A Hunger Games fanfic

Part 3- The Capitol

I wake up and we're approaching the Capitol. It's absolutely amazing, with colourful buildings and skyscrapers and it's huge. I run into the dining car,

"We're at the Capitol!" I say. Everyone looks at me

"Yes, i think you need to get dressed, we're near the train centre," Annie tells me. I look down and realise I'm still in my pajamas. I run into my room and change into the clothes folded neatly on my bed. It's my outfit from yesterday, and it's been washed, clearly. I change, and go back into the dining area. I see some people take away the toast rack,

"Hey- hey can I get some toast, please?" I ask,

"Don't talk to the Avoxes, darling," Amanda tells me. Avoxes! Somehow her telling me not to just makes me want to do it more,

"Thanks for washing the clothes," I say. Amanda looks at me, irritated, yet seeming slightly amused, whilst the Avox smiles and nods her head.

A few minutes later we enter the train station. There's a huge crowd.

"Go make yourself known, honey," Lila tells me. I run to the window and start waving to the crowd. A few seconds later, Bruce joins me.

"Brianna, i think we're famous!" He says. This is the first interaction we've properly had, which makes me smile.

We get off and make our way to the training centre in a car. We get there and the apartment is even more impressive than the train. There's sea nets on the walls and the smell of the sea in the room. It's nice they've tried to incorporate our district into it, but it's still very very capitol. I go into my room and it's massive. I have my own bathroom here, too. I go back into the main area and we wait for Bruce to finish looking around before talking about how to survive.

"First thing you're gonna want to do is make sure you stock up on energy. That means eating lots, and drinking lots of water here so you have an energy store and you'll die of hunger slower. Then, in the training, use the time to your advantage. Bruce, you should go to the survival areas, and Brianna, head for the weapons. I recommend a knife. You do what you like with allies, though. The tributes from 1 and 2 will want you, Bruce," Finnick tells us. I try to process all of this.

"If they want me, Brianna is coming with me," Bruce says, smiling at me. I smile back, honoured that he would want me as an ally.

"Good. Also, try and get a score no bigger than 10 and no lower than 7. Too high and your allies will turn on you, too low and you won't get sponsors," Finnick continues.

"So around 8 or 9?" I ask.

"Perfect," he says.

"Also, pick out a strategy. For example, I hid, Thor went solo and used brute strength, Finnick tricked his allies, Beufort used his brains, and Annie and Troy both laid low," Lila adds, talking about the other victors. They go on a yearly rotation of mentoring. It used to be one male and one female, but there was a pair of victors, and everyone wanted to see more of them and the other mentor as they were a successful and iconic team so they changed it to keep the Capitol interested,

"How did Mags win?" Bruce says, reading my mind.

"We don't know." Annie says.

"In training, also, you should show enough talent to intimidate everyone, but not enough so you have a plan B if you need it," Beaufort instructs us.

Four Avoxes enter the room carrying platters of food. Seeing this, we all sit at the table. I decide I'm going to try some Capitol food. To my surprise, at that moment, I see the Avox from the train and we smile at each other, then I reach for the potatoes. I love potatoes, but my Mother can't have them. The last time she did, she had to go to the hospital, so we don't have them much anymore because Mother loves them too and we don't want to tempt her. Next I take some rice and pumpkin soup and mix them together. I don't know why, but it just feels like it would taste nice. I add lots of salt, naturally, and pepper, then grab a loaf and dip it in. It's surprisingly nice and the rice adds a good texture. I definitely don't want to add the potatoes, though. I eat them alone.

When we're finished and about to head to bed, Amanda reminds us that it's the tribute parade tomorrow and we'll see the other tributes and meet our stylists and prep teams. Again, I have a very comfortable mattress, but I can't fall asleep this time, though. Maybe it's the thought of meeting the other tributes, or my stylist, or maybe purely the fact that in about a week I'll be thrown into an enclosed area with 23 other kids to fight to the death. Whatever it is, it's keeping me awake, so I decide to get some water. I have no idea why, but I just do. Once I get to the main area, I see about 7 Avoxes cleaning. So this is how it stays clean. They all freeze.

"It's fine, carry on, I'm just getting a drink," I say. They go back to what they were doing. Then I see the Avox from before, cleaning the kitchen. I don't know why there's a kitchen, since no one uses it, it's probably for decoration and late-night water. She sees me struggling to find where the glasses are and hands me one.

"Why are you like this? An Avox i mean." I say, trying to make conversation in the silence. She stares at me, "Oh right-" I grab a notepad and a pen, "There," She looks hesitant, "It's fine, I won't tell anyone,". She starts writing on the notepad.

I refused to watch my little brother in the games.

"I get that. Do you have any other family?"

Just my Pa, but I'm not very sure now. You?

I feel a pang of guilt for her, "My Mother and Father, and my little sister, Maysilee, and big brother, Caspion. I'm Brianna, by the way. You?"

Rose.

"That's a beautiful name, really. What district are you from?"

11.

"Is it nice there?"

No. The peacekeepers were very very strict. We had a strict curfew and lots of rules, where a lot of the penalties were death and whippings, especially since the 74th Games.

"What happened to 11 back then?" All I know about the 74th Games was that it was the year Katniss and Peeta won, the first games with more than victor, and Seneca Crane, the head gamemaker, retired after a year, going off the grid and being replaced with Casper Canville, but i don't remember anything about District 11. I once heard rumours that it almost sparked a rebellion, but I don't believe it. Besides the rumour was made up by the schools' biggest two-faced rumour-starter, Corral. You can never trust her.

It's not important now.

"Well, if, in the games I kill someone from 11, which I hope I don't, I'm really sorry. In advance,"

I know. You have no choice.

I should probably get back to cleaning. Thanks for being so kind.

"My pleasure, you deserve respect, you were only being human and you shouldn't have been punished for having feelings. And also I should probably get my water now," I get water, and go back to my room. The Capitol has no feelings, no dignity. It's sick. Why cut off someone's tongue for not wanting to see their family most likely get killed?