CHAPTER SIX
❝The Ocean❞
— • —
"Cold, so cold" I shivered. Hunter had put me in some strange stretchy white material that covered my body from the neck down. Hunter had explained that projections will make the plain material come to life but even with a thorough explanation I still did not understand it.
"Your hair isn't doing its job properly," Eric chuckled. He pulled me into a hug and rubbed his hands up and down my back. A futile attempt to warm the both of us up. Eric was always the one to tease me about my hair. It was a constant thing and I had gotten used to it.
"My hair is perfectly fine," I reply into his neck. My hair was in a half up do with one braid wrapping around the back, the border between the 'up' and the 'down'. I tilt my head so I can study Eric's face. The makeover did him well. His shaggy gold hair had morphed into a neater shaggy style. From the distance I was from his face, I could make out the fine stage makeup that Eric had been made to wear. 'To enhance his natural beauty' he had told me.
"What you looking at Alice?" Eric's eyes caught mine.
"You look nice with your new look," I smirked at him.
Eric's chest vibrated with a laugh. He wrapped his arms tighter around me, "I guess you didn't turn out that bad either."
I laughed back at him before wriggling from his hug. Our little moment had not gone unnoticed by other tributes. We were all in a large room with the chariots, waiting to be paraded. The room echoed and picked up the slightest noise. So it was not surprising that people near us were focusing their attention on us. In all the misery and determination, Eric and I were a bubble of happiness, a reminder of what everyone else left behind.
"Keep that for the camera," Millie instructed from behind us. It was the first time I had seen her without Aiden next to her. "Now instead of you two bonding why don't you go meet some other tributes?"
"I don't want to," I whispered to her.
"Why not?"
"Because they will all want to kill me and they will all get killed. I don't want an alliance," I whispered back to her.
"Don't worry about that," Millie rolled her eyes at me before grabbing my hand and dragging me away from Eric, "Go find Aiden, Eric," She ordered towards him before taking me to meet some deadly strangers.
"Bella!" Millie called towards a mentor standing near the district seven chariot. Straight away the mentor, Bella, spun around with delight on her face.
"Oh Millie it has been too long!" Bella embraced Millie in a hug, leaving me standing next to my mentor awkwardly. When they let go I took in Bella's features. She had straight brown hair to her waist that had a handful of silver strands. Her eyes were a light brown and her skin the same tone. I remembered Bella from Hunger Games re-runs. She had won the 5th game. Bella looked at me with her brown eyes and smiled, "You must be Alice. What a pleasure to meet you!"
"No what a pleasure to meet you," I reply, shaking Bella's hand. Bella had won the games at the age of thirteen with pure luck, smarts and forest knowledge. She had become many children's role models over the 29 years since the games.
"Alice this is Clover and Moss, the district seven tributes," Millie pointed out to the two tributes. I remembered their reaping well. The plant named children were siblings. Clover was only twelve and looked a lot like the twins back home. Moss was fifteen with shoulder length blonde hair and green eyes. Them being chosen to fight to the death gave Eric and I a run for our money.
"Your hair is like the fires that we sit by in winter," Clover looked up at me with her wide green eyes. If it wasn't for their ridiculous tree costume I could have taken a real liking to her.
"That's rude Clover!" Moss hissed to his sister, causing her to frown towards me.
"No not at all!" I jump in, "I get the exact same comment from a lot of friends and family." I smile at Clover.
Moss looked as if he was going to say something back but he didn't get a chance to say his words, a Gamemakers voice echoed through the room, "Chariots to go in two minutes."
"We better get back to Eric and Aiden," Millie told me. "Nice seeing you again Bella. We'll catch up over the next few days?"
"Of course," Bella smiled before hugging her friend again. I stood there, once more awkward, studying Clover and Moss. I had an instant liking, almost a protectiveness for Clover. Moss on the other hand... I didn't know how to take him.
Millie lead me back to Eric who was now joined by Aiden, "Ready?" He whispered into my ear.
"May as well be," I shrugged before taking his hand in mine. We would look strong towards the viewers and it would give me security. We waited for a minute until the large grand wooden doors opened up, revealing a straight path that lead to the president's house. There were tens of thousands of crazed Capitol citizens cheering us on as the chariot parade began.
I felt underdressed, naked almost as I observed the other district garments. One were sparkly, Two looked like warriors, Three were some sort of microchip and then there was us, Four. We jolted into the open and that's when it happened. Our plain white garment came to life. On it water rippled over us. It looked real, like I could swim in it if it was possible. "Wow look at us!" Eric shouted, he had to shout over the screaming fans.
"Just like home," I smile, squeezing his hand. I caught I glimpse of us on the screens before they flicked to district five. It was if we were the water, the water if it had two legs and arms and a human head. It was perfect.
"Remember what Aiden said," Eric shouted towards my ear, "Smile, wave, and look pretty."
"Done, done and done," I chuckle. My right hand was free so I used to to wave to the crowd on the sides. I caught glimpses of strange hair colours and body parts, they all blurred together until our chariot came to a halt in front of the presidents building. I looked over to Eric, his face worse excitement.
"Wow," He let out a sigh.
"Wow indeed," I copied his response.
We were still until the district twelve chariot came to a halt at the very end. The poor tributes were skinny and covered in coal dust. It was then that the Panem anthem played, bringing the attention the the balcony overlooking us. President Snow walked over to a microphone. He was middle aged, his hair white just like his last name. He had eyes that reminded me of an eel or a snake. It was only his smile that made him look friendly, it was charismatic.
"Welcome, welcome, welcome," Snow started. His voice was deep and husky but you could still hear the viciousness in it. "Tributes, this reaping has held many surprises. We have never had a game with so many close ties between the tributes," His eyes landed on the two district eleven tributes, then at Clover and Moss and finally at Eric and myself. "The 34th Hunger Games will hold surprise and will surely keep the people of Panem on the edges of their seats," He took a few moments pause before saying the iconic phrase, "And with that, may the odds be ever in your favour."
The odds are not in my favour President Snow. I thought to myself, and you know that Snow, don't you.
— • —
After the chariots we all were taken back down the long road and into the room where we started. Only this time we had Dolly waiting for us as well as our mentors.
"Oh you two looked amazing!" Dolly clapped, squealing with excitement as soon as Eric and I stepped off our chariot, "I must ask Hunter if she can make me one of those beautiful things."
With that being said our clothing turned off. The waves that lapped across our bodies turned off, showing the boring white material once more. "I'll custom make one for you," Hunters voice sounded from somewhere behind me. I turned around to see Hunter and Eric's stylist, Seraphine. Hunter held some type of control in her hands. It must be the one that controls the projections.
Dolly nodded at Hunter's proposal before hastily walking towards an exit, "This way everyone! Time to see where you will be staying for the next week."
We walked down a grey coloured corridor and out into the cool Capitol night. Everything about the Capitol seemed colder. It was probably due to the mountain climate but even that I was not sure about. We arrived at the training centre after a few minutes of walking. It was twelve stories high not including ground level. And just like everything else that had something to do with the Hunger Games it was metal and grey.
The district four party walked into the foyer. The district eight and eleven groups were also in the foyer, they were waiting for the elevator so we hopped in line behind them. The district eight tributes were both very young, twelve or thirteen. They had mouse brown hair and their costumes were a patchwork, symbolising their textiles industry. In my opinion their costume looked nice and warm. The two from eleven had dark skin, tight ringlets that sat on their head and dark brown eyes. They were dressed up in a sack with apples. In my opinion their costume was not as good as the one for the district eight tributes.
When it was our turn for the elevator Dolly pressed the 4 button with one of her very very long light blue nails. "You're going to love it!" She explained as the doors close, "Luxurious rooms, food beyond your imagination and technology you never knew!" The elevator jolted to a rise and we came to level four quickly. The doors opened to a very large living space. The floor was white marble, red curtains hung on the sides of windows and the smell of freshly cooked food quickly made its way to my nose. I didn't know how I should react: Delighted or Appalled. "This way please!" Dolly beaconed the four district natives and two stylists towards the source of the food. "Bon Apatite!" She giggled, gesturing to the long table full of extravagant food.
"I'm going to get out of this," I pointed to my costume.
"Of course!" Dolly answered with enthusiasm, "Get cleaned up before dinner. The food isn't going anywhere."
I walked straight ahead down corridor until I found a room that I decided to put dibs on as mine. The door slid open to reveal a room larger than the entire Stargazer. I walked in and the door closed behind me. The room had steps in the middle that created a raised platform, the place where the giant bead sat. It took me a few moments to locate the bathroom. I entered to find a very large bath and even more shiny marble. I peeled off my costume and ran the bath water. While it was running I undid my hair and washed my face free of makeup. I still looked different, my prep team did beautify me but without the makeup painted on my face I looked a lot like my natural normal self.
The bath water was silky, it caused me to sit in it for ages until my skin was all wrinkled up . I got out of the bath and spent a generous amount of time brushing my hair. After I experimented with the dozens of creams in the bathroom I wrapped a towel around me and went into the rest of the bedroom in search of some clothes. I found a long flowing cotton dress so I slipped into it. The material felt really nice against my waxed legs. I was about to go back to the rest of the district four group when a remote caught my eye. It was on the bedside table. I picked it up, the remote was cool to touch. It had no buttons, only a black surface. I ran my thumb over the remote wondering what it does when my question was answered. The wall-to-wall windows before me changed view. The Capitol nighttime was gone, instead it was replaced by a forest.
"Cool," I whisper to myself. My thumb swiped the remote again. The windows changed from scene to scene. A Capitol park full of freaky people, a desert, Grassland and then I changed it again. This time it landed on something closer to home. Way closer to home. The windows were filled with nothing but ocean. Waves gently moving across the open ocean. I closed my eyes, the image of the image in my head. If I focused I could smell the salty seawater. This image reminded me of what I left behind. I sat down slowly onto the bed. The thoughts that I had been supressing finally found their way to the surface of my mind. The salt water brought on my own salty tears.