I've always heard it's difficult to leave your family. Now I realized it was more than hard, it was agonizing.
As I was moved to the train station (surrounded by peacekeepers the entire time) I caught glimpses of Capitol camera men catching everything. I put on strong glare and made sure the cameras saw it. They weren't going to capture me breaking down any time soon.
Once Cato and I were both at the station, I looked up at him fleetingly. He had on a cool calculating smile that made me shiver involuntarily.
Trustine told us it was time to board the train. We did so immediately, and began our ride to the Capitol.
Since District 2 is so close to the Capitol, we arrived in about three hours.
Avoxes lead us to our floor in the training center (the second floor) after the residents of the Capitol had oohed and gawked at us for a little over an hour.
Once I was dropped off in my room I decided to explore. After all, my family would want to know all about it when I came back home.
If you come back home, I reminded myself sternly. I wasn't on a field trip to the Capitol, I was here to most likely die for their entertainment.
Instead of letting these terrifying thoughts latch on and fester pointlessly in my already petrified brain, I examined my room from floor to ceiling.
Thick, lush carpet in a deep slate gray, like the stone back home. Pale, baby blue walls like ice. A small stone fountain tinkled sweetly in the corner. The huge, king size bed with a light blue and gray striped comforter.
Next was the bathroom. A gray stone shower with huge glass doors and over two hundred bathing options. A large sink in toilet in the same stone as the shower. Towels and wash clothes the same color of blue as the walls. Everything was stunningly gorgeous, but I was homesick. I longed for the shabbiness of my own bathroom, the bed at home that I shared with my sisters. It was like a knife cut that was open and bleeding freely; it hurt so much.
I padded across the rich carpet and opened the closet door. Inside was every outfit you could imagine. I looked down at my body and recalled that I was still wearing my reaping dress. I decided to change before dinner to give my mind something to do.
I pulled out black leggings, a long mint green tunic with slits up my legs, and black ankle boots. I fishtail braided my dark hair and made sure Chasin's necklace was gracing my throat.
There were a few, quick knocks at my door. "Time for dinner, Clove," Trustine said in her perky voice.
"Coming," I called, looking one last time at my reflection in the mirror.
I headed to the door and opened it to see Trustine rifling through a small sheaf of parchment. "Alright, the viewing of the reaping begins at..." She muttered to herself. "Come along, love."
I followed Trustine to the dining room, which was situated down the hall, about fifteen yards from my room. Trustine and I entered, and I finally got to meet my mentor.
Enobaria was scanning the room with a brooding look in her sharp face. Her dark hair was streaked with gray, and her blue, hawk-like eyes were were angry and cold. She looked at me, acknowledging me with a single, turse nod of her head, and went back to scrutinizing the opposite wall.
Trustine bounced over to her spot at the head of the table on the left, and I (begrudgingly took a seat next to her and my bitter and silent mentor.
Across from Enobaria, Brutus, Cato's mentor, was grinning like a madman, and laughing so hard he had tears streaming down his creased cheeks. Brutus waved his arm to get an avox's attention. I felt a shiver of revulsion run up my spine; Brutus didn't have a hand. Of all the times I'd watched the reaping during my life you'd have thought I would've noticed that by now, but no. Brutus spoke in a gruff, but friendly voice, "So, this'll be Clove. You're a pretty lass aren't you?" Then, "Have you and Cato met before the reaping?"
After a few seconds of silence I realized he'd been talking to me. I'd been thinking of how Chasin and I had planned to watch the stars tonight, reveling in the fact that we hadn't been reaped...I'd meant to say no, Cato and I hadn't meant, but instead, I blurted out exactly what was running through my mind, "What happened to your hand?"
Trustine immediately choked on her wine. "Clove! You are to never ask such things!"
"Ah, cool your jets, Trustine," Brutus smiled broadly. "Clove didn't mean no harm."He turned his attention back to me. "That, my girl, is an amazing story. Would you like to hear it?"
"No violence at the table, please," Trustine huffed, though she may as well have saved her breath because Brutus began his story anyway.
"Back when I had my games, before you were even born, I won but lost my hand in the final battle. So, there I was, in a terrible sword fight with the boy from 1, and I had the upper hand. I knew how to use a sword and he didn't. I went in for the kill, he swung and caught my wrist with his blade, slicing my hand clean off. Luckily, I got him too, and he went down."
Trustine shuddered. "I hate that story, Brutus!"
"Yep, another reason why I love telling it," Brutus winked at me.
I glanced over at Cato and saw he was smiling. Not a cold, calculating smile, but a smile that transformed his face. He wasn't bad looking when he smiled.
Then I was distracted by the arrival of the first course of dinner. A salad of fresh garden greens, carrots, and flavorful goat cheese. The second course was smoked salmon with a rich buttery sauce. The third course was a roast stew with carrots, potatoes, onions, and mushrooms. The final course was a huge chocolate cake with thick, fudgy frosting and a peanut butter filling.
We left the dining room and headed to the room with the huge television, big, leather couches, and a large assortment of snacks on a cart. Trustine turned on the TV and we began to watch the reaping. There were the tributes from one. Proud, beautiful, waving and smiling at the cameras. There were me and Cato. The tributes from 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10. District 11 had a twelve year old girl tribute that reminded me so much of Trinity I turned away. I wished that Chasin could hold me in his strong arms; rest his head on mine. Last was District 12. Another girl of twelve was chosen, then all of a sudden a sixteen year old girl broke away from the crowd. "I volunteer! I volunteer as tribute!" I felt so terrible for the girl and her sister I wanted to cry. Of course, I didn't.
As soon as the reaping recap was over I left the room and walked to my room. Not even bothering to change, I fell asleep in my clothes, my hand caressing the gray stone of my necklace.
