The 23 Cannons Trilogy

Hell Wears a Mask of Candy

I roll around in bed restlessly. Any hope I had of sleeping at all today was dashed when I saw my fellow Tributes. Sure, I've managed to find a few that could be befriended, but that was based on the 5 minutes I saw each Tribute for.

Frustrated, I go to the car with the television, pour myself a drink of warm milk, and sit on the sofa. I spend the next 10 minutes taking sips from the mug, and rolling the pendant around in my hands, until I spot Samuel, coming down the hall. From the looks of it, he's had no luck sleeping either. He sits down next to me, his face still stained with tears. For a moment we sit together, silently, until he speaks up.

"Elektra, I'm guessing you're wondering why I was reaped to be Tribute," he says. I look at him, shocked that he just said what has been on my mind since the slip was read out. "I'll tell you, but not here, somewhere more private. Okay?" he continues, and begins to walk down the hall, towards the back of the train.

I follow him out, and sit on the bench, looking as Panem flashes by us in the dark. I spot some lights in the distance. It must be another District, where they have also had to lose two more kids. But from our perspective, it looks like a thousand lanterns, waiting to take flight, to soar to the heavens, to leave this dreadful country. Samuel looks at me, then at the shrinking bundle of light.

"I'll tell you why I was reaped," he begins, looking as the glow of the District fades into the darkness. "I lied about my age, so I could take out Tesserae for my family. Both my mother and father have no job, and me, being the oldest of my six brothers and sister, decided to try and get help. I lied about my age to take out the Tesserae, and having your name in there ten times as a slum kid obviously didn't work in my favour." he looks away, watching the brief glimpses of animals flit by, illuminated by the lights from the train.

I'm left speechless. This boy, this eleven year old boy, has allowed himself to be chosen to fight to the death for The Captol's amusement, to help feed his family. It takes a while, but I finally find the word to describe my current feeling. Sickened.

Samuel points to the distance and we watch as another District flies by. The milk and the night air have seemed to calm me, and we walk back into our cabins. I lie nearest to the window, watching the occasional flicker of light fly by. I manage to count about three Districts that fly by the window before drifting off.

I am awoken by Rory's incessant knocking, alerting me that we're due to arrive in The Capitol in about two hours. Disgruntled, I make my way to the closet, and grab a simple outfit; a white shirt and some loose-fitting pants. It doesn't matter what I'm wearing though; The Capitol's stylists will quickly alter me into something unrecognisable. Before I leave, I grab the pendant from yesterday's outfit on the floor, and fasten it on. I don't want to lose the one thing that gives me a sense of home.

I join Rory, Samuel and Beetee and Wiress at the table. We are served breakfast, eggs and hot chocolate. I haven't had hot chocolate since the new year's party several years ago, before everything took a turn for the worse. District 9 had grown too much cocoa for even The Capitol to consume, so President Snow gave some to the Districts that had their Tributes in the top 8 in the last Hunger Games, and since both Tributes from 3 lasted up to the top 4, until a tsunami wiped them both out, this secured enough for each citizen in the District. I remember those times, happy, with not a single worry.

After eating breakfast, and chugging the sweet hot chocolate, I sit in the main room, looking out of the window. I watch countless fields fly by, until I hear it. It's faint at first, but the fanfare of trumpets soon becomes clear. Rory comes in, telling us we're about to enter The Capitol, to put on the biggest smiles possible. I move next to Samuel, and we look out of the window, smiling, when we go through a tunnel.

When we emerge on the other side, it's as if we've been transported to another world. Large, candy coloured buildings line the gold-paved streets. Banners hang from the odd-shaped buildings, and the streets are lined with people, coloured every colour imaginable. Confetti rains down over the train, and the people start screaming, jumping, holding banners that read "Go District 3!". I'm taken back by this wondrous sight, and begin to giggle slightly, my inner child showing. I'm brought back when a yellow-skinned man with purple hair styled in a swirl throws himself at the window. Rory promptly shuts the blinds, complaining about how even among the most civilized, you can find uncouth scum. The screaming slowly dies down, until we reach the station, and the blinds open. We are then escorted by several Peacekeepers to a large, golden car.

We arrive at multicoloured building, and are ushered in. We are taken up the elevator, and I step out. Samuel continues up another floor. I'm having trouble making sense of the situation, until I see three women standing there, holding various tubes of cream, and rolls of tape.