Chapter Nine
Everyone was screaming. Not in horror, like I was inside, but in pure fascination of getting to see the object of the next weeks of entertainment.
There are so many of them. I never thought… They said the Capitol citizens were gone. Over. Dead. Never-to-be-seen again.
But then there could be thousands in front of me, clapping and whooping. Some have less than five fingers on each hand, some have more.
Some seem to have been so surgically altered that they no longer are identifiable as human. Some had orange-tinted skin, fiery red hair to match.
Maybe they were slapping my mother in the face for being the “Girl On Fire”.
I saw some that resembled animals. Dogs. Cats. Cows. And… a tiger? That woman seems to have whiskers. I know she has a tail, as I see it behind her, swooping to and fro in a motion that tells me she’s agitated. Or excited. Maybe both. She had large green eyes, and from here I could tell that her pupils were not of normal size. They were slits. Her skin is painted in an alternating orange and black pattern, and her body, which seemed tensed to spring, gave her a more feline look. If that was even possible.
I’m not even allowed a second outside. It seemed as if the doors opened before the train came to a complete stop. Then I was grabbed by a man in a white suit, and he wrapped his hand around my forearm. The cold night air immediately bit at my skin, chilling me to the bone. Short gusts of wind blew while I was ushered into a building. I attempt to look around for my mother, my father, my brother, anyone who will give me any sense of comfort. But no one is in sight. Just cameras. Flashing cameras. And people in white suits.
They lead me to a door, and the buttons around me indicate that it is an elevator. My eyes went to the door as soon as it opened. No one was inside. The man pushed me inside and he explained that this is the only elevator I am authorized to use. It will be for me and me only. I asked him why and he told me it was because of an accident my parents had many years ago. I am tempted to press the matter further but bite my lip, holding it in.
Allowing myself to look up, I saw the face of this man. He looked like a normal person. Normal in my terms – no alterations. His skin is normal and his eyes are a strange shade of grey, but normal nonetheless.
“What’s your name?” I hear myself ask.
He looks down at me with a shocked expression but quickly composes himself. “Darius.”
“Well nice to meet you Darius,” I say, holding out my hand.
Darius’s lips form a tight line and he begrudgingly shakes my hand. “Nice to meet you too, Ms. Mellark.”
“Don’t call me that,” I scoff. “I am Iris Mellark.”
“Well, nice to meet you too, Iris.” He offers me a genuine smile.
“Thank you Darius.”
We arrive at my floor and he leads me out into the hallway. “Okay, here is the deal. We arrived late, so the kitchen did not set out supper. The group is still going to have their night meeting, but there will only be snacks. You will be called out there.”
“How much time do I have?
“Maybe an hour or so.”
I turned on my heel, heading towards my room. I stopped. Where is that?
“Missing something?” Darius asked, waving a small card in front of him.
I ran back to him, snatching the card. “Thank you!”
“Goodbye, Iris!”
I stopped once again. Why was he saying goodbye? Turning around, the question bubbles on my lips, but pops when I realize he is gone.
How peculiar…
Oddly enough, the card had a GPS tracking device directing me to my room. Oh, like I would ever get lost.
Maybe it was so they could find me.
I find my door and realize it had no switch in it for the card to slide in. I wave my arms madly and become confused when a strange beam of green light scans me. Then my door opens.
As I walk in, my eyes scan the room. It is completely white and plush. How nice.
I decide to head for the restroom and take a shower. As I strip my clothes off, I see the large control board in the shower room. You can chose dyes, smells, any concoction of your liking. To inaugurate my first day at the capitol, I decide to go a little daring. I chose the lightest blue skin dye, and the one that lasts the least amount of time. Then I pick out a blue dye for my hair, non-permanent as well. I chose lavender oils and soaps to calm me, as it is one of my favorite flowers.
The beautiful Primrose coming in first.
I remember the first time I heard about her. I think I was about three or four years old, my brother a newborn. My mother was holding him in her arms, and she was shaking from the struggle as her arms were weak and feeble from so many years of starvation and stress.
My skin is screaming in protest at the searing hot water, so I decide it is time to get out of my shower. As soon as I step out, I slip at the sight of the naked monster in front of me. She is a blue freak, hair a deeper blue than her skin, eyes to match.
I look like someone from the Capitol.
I should have never done this! Now what am I going to say?
I pray that my stylist – whoever it is – will be able to fix this.
All I can do is jump back in the shower and request the coarsest body scrub available. And for a rough sponge. I breathe a sigh of relief as I see the blue bleed out of my skin and hair. After a couple of minutes of scrubbing, I am sore and raw so I command the shower to shut off the water and step out again.
No more blue freak.
A towel pops from a small box next to me and I take it, wrapping it around me. A metal sphere that is set in the corner chimes and I walk over to it, gingerly running my hand around it. I hear a small buzz and become agitated.
What is this? Some kind of plot to kill me before I even enter the arena?
The computer’s loud voice sounds throughout the room. “It is an electric current hair dryer, Silver.”
I scowl. “It’s Iris.”
“Thank you, Silver.”
I roll my eyes and stroll over to the hair dryer and place my palm on it before I think better of it. I feel quick tingles race through my body, eventually reaching my scalp and parting and drying my hair. My skin too, apparently.
The towel becomes uncomfortable and I make my way over to the bureau in front of the large white bed. I open the first drawer and find and a purple shirt and a black pair of cargo pants. I dress quickly, going back to the large mirror to check myself and braid my hair.
It holds a girl I do not know. Her hair is dark but there are streaks of what seemed to have been blue at some time but has now faded to violet. The flush of color was slight and becoming. On her skin was the same faded blue that could pass a deep purple. But instead of completely staining her skin, there were little blotches in the shapes of flowers spread scarcely over her ivory skin.
It takes me a while to realize that this is me.
I gather the purple streaks and set them together, using them as a whole strand for my braid. The finished result is spectacular. It seems as if my hair is dancing.
There is a knock at my door. “Iris! Time for the gathering!” declares a voice I vaguely recognize.
I clear my throat and make my way towards the door opening it. I follow my memory to what I remember to be the dining room, pausing a moment before I step in.
Their mouths dropped at the sight of me.
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Okay guys just a quick update D:
Not really much to say, and my mom’s yelling at me to go wash the dishes. D:
PLEASE VOTE! :D
THANK YOU!
Daniela <3