Arena (*Hunger Games Fanfic*)

Chapter 3

I looked back at Judaea, once the train shot forward. From the distance, Judaea was small, with tiny speckled tan houses that were too close together. I never wouldn't thought that my city would look like this from afar. 

Hecatia had gone to take a shower, Silius sat in his chair, staring out the window, and Oddius was talking with an oremus. I sat alone, feeling lonely. The train was heading towards Senatia, the capital of the Euro Nation, and it would take two days to arrive at least. 

After sitting in silence for a few hours, dinner was finally served. We sat around the mahogany table, with the steaming food teasing us. 

Oddius stood up. "Before you eat, I would like to tell you how...obliged I am to have you all on my team. I'm sure Judaea will have a victor this year!" He filled up his crystal glass with a blood red wine, and held it in the air. 

Silius reached for the wine, but I slapped his hand. "What do you think you're doing?" I asked. He brushed my hand away. 

"Getting some alcohol. I'm already going to die in a week, might as well experience life." He retorted, and snatched the wine glass, and filled up his cup, and downed the sick substance. I had tried alcohol back at my home. My mother worked at the textile factory all day, and my dad was a tailor, so I had the house to myself. One day I got bored, so I tried some wine, and spat the bitter drink out. 

"So, Lucerna, what were you thinking when I called your name today?" Oddius asked. I knew what he was doing; he was inspecting me. He was going to test if I was mentally strong. 

"I was frightened at first, but I know I have to be strong now." I lied. He nodded at me, and took a sip of his drink. Hecatia tapped on Silius's shoulder. 

"Do you have a sweetheart back in Judaea?" She questioned, and he nodded. Silius had a girlfriend at home. Jezabelle was her name, and she was an exact replica of him. Blonde hair, goofy smile, kind of an idiot. They were a match made in Heaven.

It was odd that Jezabelle never came to say goodbye. Maybe it was because saying goodbye was too hard, or maybe Jezabelle never actually cared. But I knew for fact that Silius had no interest in this conversation.

I spoke up. "Oddius, are you from Senatia?" 

He shook his head. "I wish! I am from the humble district of Apollonia. Ever heard of it?"  

I nodded. Apollonia wasn't exactly a humble place, since of its short distince from Senatia, but wasn't going to disagree. 

Oddius continued to speak. "I got my love for make-up and colors there. In Apollonia, it's hard to walk down a street without passing a fashion factory. Did you know that all the toilettries in the Euro Empire are from my hometown? How cool is that?" He clapped his hands, and I couldn't help but think about how pathetic Oddius was. 

Silius looked at Hecatia. "Are you from Apollonia too?" He asked boringly. 

"Of course not!" She said loudly, but changed her tone when Oddius gave her an angry look. "I'm from Judaea, like you guys. But my father runs most of the textile factories, so I was raised in the richer area. I guess that's why you never saw me." 

Silius gave her an annoyed look, and she quickly changed her response. "I don't mean that you were poor! I'm just stating that I was seperated from most of the district. I rarely was allowed to leave the home, even to go to the bazaar. Being rich isn't that fun, you know." 

Silius nodded, and I almost felt bad for her. But then I remembered that we were the victims, not her. We ate the food, which was mostly meaningless bread and some small portions of meat, that the chef stirred up to look fancy. 

Oddius opened another bottle of wine, this time it was blue, matching his skin. He trickled it into his goblet, and took a swig. He turned his head, and spat it over the floor. 

"Revolting! This wine is stale!" He yelled, and a maid ran in with a mop, and hurried to clean the mess. "You call this wine? More like dishwater!" 

Silius smacked the table, gaining Oddius's attention. "Be happy with what you have. Most people will never get to drink wine, much less travel on a train." 

Oddius looked down, and Hecatia and I looked at each other, realizing something. Silius wasn't the stupid boy anymore. Something had changed, and I was determined to figure out what. Was it that he knew that his life was in danger? Or was it the trauma of knowing that we would never see our family again?

After the meal, Silius went to his room, and locked the door. The train coach wasn't large, it was a perfect size to fit two tributes, one mentor, and a few servants and chefs in. I went to my room, and looked in the mirror. 

Brown eyes, sandy skin, black hair. I was Judaean, you could tell. Father had told me that my ancestors were Jewish, but after the Great War, most of that race was destroyed. I was one of the few remainents of that race. 

My room consisted of a fluffy bed, a bathroom with a large shower, and a dresser. I opened up the dresser to see multiple outfits, all in my size ready for me to wear. I changed into a light blue nightgown and pulled my long hair into a ponytail. I wasn't a beauty, but I wasn't ugly. 

I slid into my bed, thinking. Thinking about my parents. Thinking about my friend. Thinking about who would be the tribute that  would kill me in the Hunger Games.