Heart of Gold • Finnick Odair

-8-

ROSALIE POV

Me and Ralph were soon escorted from the luxurious rooms, where we had said goodbye to our loved ones for what could be the last time, and were taken to a fancy car.

I've never rode in a car before. As soon as we sat inside, I can't help but notice the sheer comfort of the seats, expensive material and a 'new car' smell that felt almost suffocating. My hand anxiously traced the rose around my neck and I felt Ralph observe the action.

The car ride was longer than other Districts due to the large size of District 11.  

When we reach the train station, it's swarming with reporters and cameras, recording our every move. I'm suddenly very grateful for not letting myself breakdown. I wouldn't want to appear weak, that'd be an awful first impression.

Me and Ralph exchange a look. A look that says more than words ever could. It says, 'we'll be okay' it says 'I've got your back'. With one simple look, we knew we will stick together through it all until one of us is crowned Victor and sent back home to Apollo and Luna.

When we exit the car, the noise of the crowd hits my ears. We are made to stand in the doorway of the train for a minute so the cameras can get some photos and footage before the door closes, acting as a barrier between us and the nosy reporters on the other side.

The train begins to move instantly and it takes my breath away at first, having never been on a train, but I soon compose myself and follow Liana (our District escort) through a doorway.

The train is fancy, or at least it is with what I have to compare it to. We are given our own chambers with a bedroom, dressing area (filled with fine clothes that I can take my pick of) and bathroom (with cold and hot water). Back home, we only have cold water.

The luxury makes me sick when I think of the shacks we live in back home.

Liana announces that we have an hour til supper and we have to be ready, she loves a good schedule. That's what Capitol people are like. They have enough of everything: food, drinks, clothes. So whilst everyone in the Districts are trying to survive and afford the basic necessities, the Capitol are bored as they don't have to worry about such things. So they fill their days with entertainment and therefore have to keep to strict schedules to fit everything in.

I get a hot shower, the feeling is unusual to me, and then change into some fresh clothes from the drawer. I put on a pair of black trousers and a grey jumper before getting my necklace and tucking it underneath the grey material.

Liana collects me for supper, guiding me through narrow hallways until we reach a dining room with polished walls and a table set with expensive looking cutlery and easily breakable plates.

Already sitting at the table is Chaff, our mentor, and Ralph. Chaff is dark-skinned, about two meters tall, and one of his arms ends in a stump because he lost his hand in his Games. You can tell he is slightly drunk, as he always is, but he's not wasted. He's not quite as bad as his friend Haymitch, District 12's Victor.

Chaff introduces himself as me and Liana take our seats and the supper comes in right on time.

A watery chicken and sweet corn soup arrives, accompanied by a green salad with various other coloured vegetables. Then there's lamb chops in a rich gravy with mashed potatoes, a cheese and fruit platter and, for desert, red velvet cake.

I look at the food in front of me, my mouth is watering with years of starvation and malnourishment. You'd think this would cause me to stuff my face with the Capitol delicacies but instead I feel sick to my stomach. I feel sick with the thought that all this time we have been dropping dead with starvation whilst the Capitol have multiple course meals of more than they could ever eat with glass bowls and mahogany wooden tables.

I manage to stomach a few spoonfuls of the soup, two lamb chops and half my mashed potato before I felt full. In one 'supper', I'd eaten more than any meal I ever had in my entire life back in my District. One supper was more than a family feast, birthday meal, or special celebration. Not that I've celebrated anything lately, birthdays aren't exactly something that's celebrated much in the Districts, apart from your nineteenth because it means your safe from the Games, besides I hadn't really been in the mood to celebrate anything recently.

Once we've all finished our food, we are led to another compartment with velvet couches and a television. We watch the reapings of the other tributes we will have to fight to the death with in a short period of time. I don't listen to their names, I'd rather not know them. I instead remember them from their hair colour and age.

District 1: 18 year old blonde male, 17 year old blonde female.
District 2: 16 year old brunette male, 18 year old blonde female.
District 3: 15 year old brunette male, 16 year old brunette female.
District 4: 14 year old ginger male, 15 year old blonde female.
District 5: 17 year old brunette male, 17 year old brunette female.
District 6: 16 year old dirty blonde male, 18 year old black haired female.
District 7: 17 year old brunette male, 15 year old brunette female.
District 8: 16 year old blonde male, 18 year old dark red headed female.
District 9: 17 year old black haired male, 16 year old short brown haired female.
District 10: 18 year old brunette male, 17 year old blonde girl.
District 12: 18 year old male brunette, 15 year old brunette female.

This means that I'm the youngest Tribute this year, and that's not exactly a strength.