Chapter 5

Our train arrived at the capital in the morning. The Panem people were cheering us on like we were the next great thing. Like they were happy that we have to die just to entertain them. Every year they get a show but never have to do any work to not be in the show. Once you are welcomed into Panem you are given riches, a place to live and get everything you want but the people in the districts never get that choice unless we could buy our way into it, but with the prices of getting in no one has ever tried. We walked off the train only to be swiped away from each other to a cleaning station. I couldn't wait to see the costume that our designer picked for Cato and I.

I got sprayed down and then once I was dried off they pluck every hair from my body, except for the hair on my head. They explained that everything that they were doing was to make me look pretty, so I was fortunate to get more sponsors I think they spent more time putting makeup on me than anything. I felt like I have over 50 pounds of makeup on my face once they were done and this weight was very unnatural because I had never cared to spend money on that when it could have been spent on food. When they left to get the designer I took it all off and put very small amounts on myself. My makeup only took 2 minutes and they spent 70 minutes. I had no idea what I was doing but I tried to copy what my mother had done on Reaping day as well as trying to recall countless times that she tried to teach me how to use it. I hated makeup and they didn't seem to notice or if they did they made no big gesture to point it out. I got led to a wall and to my surprise it opened.

I walked into a small room with lots of clothes everywhere. A woman with black hair and gold makeup on her face was sitting in a small armchair with another small armchair beside it. We talked briefly about my family and district, and then she gave me my costume. It was a Roman soldier get up. I was a little unsure of it but she told me Cato has the same costume but bigger. I couldn't wait to see him again not that I liked him or anything. I had no idea how to get sponsors but I knew I would get some just because I was in the careers. I have to work hard at knives because I wanted to win and that was my best option for a weapon because no one else wanted to do it when we were training at school so I practiced a little when I was little. I have to kill most of the tributes on the first day, so I could go home faster. I had Cato to protect me so I could go home. He promised my mom. He was not the one to break his promise, I hoped.

Time went slow but finally, we had to go to the carriage room to meet up with Cato. When we walked in he lit up like a candle. I always waited for that reaction. It meant he was happy and I didn't want to see him mad at me. I also did not want to see what these games would turn us into. We talked with Rick and Jennette and the districts started rolling in. Districts 1's boy and girl's names were Marvel and Glimmer. They were very nice and Marvel had a great sense of humor. He made me laugh a lot will we were there waiting to get on our chariots. I always loved horses. I memorized how they step or trot, or gallop when I was very little. The bell rang and we had to get into the carriage. Cato got in and helped me up. We were the second carriage to move because we were district 2. It was going to be a wild journey but Cato and I were up for it. We were going to win and that is final. No one is going to stand in our way. When the horses stopped in their signed seats we had to listen to president Snow. Finally, the carriage moved into the back room and we could get out. I wanted to take the costume off because it was itchy everywhere and uncomfortable.

We got into our room which was the whole floor two My room was the size of my house and I got a king sized bed that took 1 quarter of my room. There was a desk with an mp3 player, a phone, and a laptop. Right in front of my bed was a flat screen TV. I was in heaven with all these tech things. I had to change and go have supper with the gang then I had to get some sleep because tomorrow was the first day of training. I had to check out my competition. Supper was great as always because it was like the food we had at home. There is nothing you could not buy if you had all this money that they do.