I start sobbing, my tears gold in the firelight. This is the end. The last time I will ever see my love. My Lexie. Two Peacekeepers enter and escort me to train car. It’s when I’m seated and the train is moving that it hits me. This IS real. I’m going the Games whether I like it or not. The train continues on and I wonder. Where is Dior? Was he placed in a different compartment? I just sit and wonder for about thirty minutes until the door opens and theres Dior, bruised for some reason, being shoved in by a set of Peacekeepers. Once he’s shoved into a seat the door closes and we’re alone. We look at each other for a minute, taking the other one in. “Gave ‘em a run for their money huh?” I say That gets a smile at least. “Yeah, you could say that…” I don’t push. We just sit there for a while, and then I say “So, considering that we’re going to be in these games together and the only thing I can really remember about you is that you gave me a nickname when we were six, I think we need to get to know each other. I’ll I go first.” Great. Now I’m blabbering. But it’s true, I really don’t know anything about him. “Ok. I love music for one, I suck pretty much any weapon in existence, but to be honest I never used most of them.” I have a girlfriend. But I can’t say that. To anyone. Ever. “I’m honestly kind of scared of killing people. Like, what if I’m good at it? What if I like it?” Dang. Why is he so easy to open up to? I barely know him! “Ok, sorry for jabbering on and on. Tell me about you!” He kinda laughs then says “Alright then, well, I’m pretty good with a set of swords.” I give him a puzzling look “Think extra long daggers, but two. I honestly don’t know why I’m good with them, but I am. And then my favorite color is yellow-“ “Yellow? Hm, I should’ve asked about colors. Mines rose gold. Favorite animal?” “Honestly, I don’t know a bunch of animals, but I do love dogs.” “Dogs are sweet, or so I’ve heard. Mine is a horse. Never met one, but I love how they look.” Then our door opens, Celia pokes her bright green hair and croons “It’s time to eat you two!” Me and Dior silently stand and follow her through a few train cars. Then we enter into the most magnificent dining room I’ve ever seen. I can’t help but gasp. Everything seems to be trimmed in gold. A wonder of a chandelier hangs over the table. Oh, the table. I sit, admiring the delicacy’s in front of me. Gravy, green beans, baked potatoes, and yes, a whole Turku sits in the middle of it all. I’m so busy drooling over it all that I completely don’t notice the new presences in front of me. I look up and see a red headed girl, and a dark hair guy. The girl speaks first “Hello there. I’m Iris, and this here is Thorn. We’re your mentors.” I study them. Thorn has a long scar running down the left side of his face. And where the scar hits his eye…the eye…it’s as white and empty as a cloudy morning. Iris, I notice, has multiple scars running up and down her arms. As I’m questioning all of this, I remember. They’re Victors. They survived the Hunger Games, sure. But at what cost?
