District Transfer - The Hunger Games Fanfic

A fancy capitol train

6 peacekeepers guide myself, Richard, Pippin and Sid to the train. I'm given a room and as soon as the door closes, I begin to pace.

Immediately I'm trying to devise a plan, any plan. But in all honesty, I'll need Sid's help for that.

I dive, face first, into my bed as take in deep breaths of Capitol perfume. After about 20 minutes, I walk back out to the main cart and sit down for dinner. It's quiet, but as soon as I take my seat Sid jumps into action. "Alright!" He claps his hands together.

"This is the year district 2 will have another victory. Richard, you have to come across as strong, mean and ready to win. Anything it takes, make the others fear you. And you, Ailbe, you need to act like you don't want go to the arena and you can't fend for yourself," I start to interrupt, "but I can!."

Sid shakes his head, "it doesn't matter. Keep it under the radar until the individual assessments then blow it out of the water. Everyone will want you on their side." I nod, disappointed and shove a biscuit into my mouth. Not all of district 2 has luxury and I've never tasted something so rich.

"Ailbe, I've seen you with a sword, blow them away with moving targets and maybe make something for them you have a knack for that."

Sid turns to Richard, who isn't paying much attention, "Richard, work on you long distance skills, I haven't seen you practice or anything but you appear to have an eye for it."

Richard just sits, throwing knives at a random targets on the floor, with precise accuracy , "why all this pretending and crap, let's just play the game and move on. Whoever dies, dies whoever wins, wins." He stands up from the table and walks over to the window, "I should t have volunteered in the first place."

He sulks off to his room. I look at Sid or guidance and he nods. I stand and follow Richard towards the back of the train.

He sits outside with his feet dangling over the edge. I sit down next to him, silently. I look at him, but Richard keeps his eyes trained on the slowly disappearing mountains. "Why do we have to play this cruel game?" He asks.

"The hunger games are..." But he shakes his head, "I can't do this! The only reason I volunteered was to get away from my family. Every day, 'you're not good enough rich' 'be more like your brother rich' 'he died in the games and was still better than you rich!' Im done with it!" A tear trickles down his cheek.

"Believe it or not," I reply, softly, "I know how you feel. Before I was relocated I didn't have the best life either. Relocation was the best thing that ever happened to me, and I'm about to lose it."

I felt bad because my life in 13 was pretty good but most days were filled with hardships. And when the bombing came I was ready to die and give up on life, the abuse of my family and nature was too much to deal with and when I was grabbed, I hadn't admired this to myself until now, but I was relieved.

We sit out on the porch for hours, talking about strategy ideas and just plain on randomness. Hobbies, lifestyle, friends anything. I'm glad to have a friend through all this. There is no way I could be doing this alone.

The sun begins to set and we watch the sky turn from Orange to purple to blue to black. There were no stars and no moon, out only light was a small lantern.

As I get up Richard turns to me and pulls me back down, "you deserve to live, like you said your new life is amazing and I'm going to let you live it." I could tell he truly meant this. It touches my heart, shattering it but then bringing it back together.

I jump into his arms and whisper, "thank you. You're the family I never really had." Richard squeezed my shoulders and walked back inside leaving me to my thoughts.

I was glad to have a protector like him now, even if it meant teaming up with those horrid careers.

I could win.

I can win.

I will win.