The train is one of the greatest inventions I have ever seen. It's at least one hundred meters long, including about twenty five different cars. My heart races at the thought that I will be riding in one of them. Part of me wants to go in and see the high tech Capitol train, but the lump in my throat reminds me that once I step foot on that train, I will be a piece of the Games. On my way to my death.

Blinking, I lift my head and notice the large screen. My face is displayed there. I luckily don't look upset, I just look, angry. That's good, maybe I won't look too weak compared to the other tributes.

I look to my left and see Blaze being escorted by two Peacekeepers. His face looks as hard as stone, his dark brown eyes emotionless. The Peacekeepers seem to rough with him, they have one hand on Blaze's shoulder, and the other on their long silver gun that will end life in a second.

Blaze doesn't even glance at me. I shiver. I'm as good as dead. I know it.

"Keep moving!" The gruff voice of a Peacekeeper jolts me out of my fearful thoughts. I feel the end of a gun being pressed against my back. I notice that Blaze has a gun to his back as well. "It's like we are criminals!" I think to myself.

I'm escorted, more like pushed, all the way to the steps of the train. I turn around, to take one last look at my District, but Peacekeepers block my view. I take a shaky breath, then walk through the entrance.

…~~…~~…~~…~~…~~…

If I thought the Justice Building was amazing, then the train is magnificent. The entrance is massive, especially for a train car! There was a large lavender couch with dainty white pillows across the car, sitting in front of a huge flat television.

My gaze drifts towards the back of the car. A large table filled with assortments of sweet smelling food sits there. My mouth immediately begins to water. The entire train car is so fancy, I feel like I'm in a dream.

I hear heels clang on the floor. I look beside me. Juniper stands there with a blinding white grin on her face, "Well? How do you like it?"

I put a loose strand of hair behind my ear. I don't want to talk to this lady, but I'm going to spend a while with her, so I might as well get acquainted. "It's fancy." Is all I can manage.

She rolls her strangely purple eyes, then arranges her dress. When she's finished straightening out the already perfect material, she turns to me,"Brighten up sweetie! You're going to the Capitol!"

The ground seems to lurch beneath me. Capitol. A place that has so many wonders and splashes of color. A place that has an unlimited amount of food. I shudder. The Capitol, a place where people, for their entertainment, watch kids fight to the death on live television.

"Anyways, I'll show you to your room." Juniper squealed. She did a strange little twirl, then bounded towards the door

Finally, came upon a bright green door. Juniper turned the golden knob, and pushed the door open. "Here it is!" She let out a dreamy sigh, "The Capitol is much better. But, this room will suffice until we arrive."

Are you kidding? This place is wonderful!

The room is very big. A large bed is backed up against the left wall; while a massive wardrobe lies on the left. Pieces of fancy furniture scatter the room.

"I'll just leave you to get settled."Juniper says, ending in a squeak.

Silently, I nod. I want to be left alone to explore the place. She strides out the door, her high heels clanging on the shiny floor.

I lurch forward. The train begins to move. I scan the room for a window, to look and see my district, but there is none.

Well, that really was the last time I'll ever see my home again. The idea makes me sick. I will never ever see District Twelve again. I'll never see the beckoning woods on the other side of that electric fence, which brought life to my dying family. I'll never smell the pleasant aroma of fresh baked bread as I walk past the bakery.

A lump rises in my throat, and I swallow. I'll never see my family again. When the idea really sinks in, I feel dizzy. I stumble over to the blue and silver bed, and lean up against it. I take a deep breath.

My family. The people who have been there since the beginning. Who've seen my ups and downs. Who've experienced tragic moments and great moments. All the time, there for me.

Whether it be Rowan who was there to calm me and comfort me when I needed it the most; or Marsh, who was always around to brighten my spirits. Maybe even Jade, who sat on that old couch sewing, who threw random comments about how great of a sister I was. Comments that I could never, or would never return.

And Father. Oh Father. The man who was always there. There to silently watch the world around him, who never hardly spoke. The man who was supposed to be a father, but never really was.

I bring myself to realize that I haven't lost just Rowan, Marsh, and Spruce, I've lost so much more. I never realized how much Father, or even Jade, meant to me. I wonder how much I meant to them. Sure, they'll mourn my death, but will their life will go on? Will they remember me the way I'll remember them? I'll never know.

I curl up on the bed, pulling the warm covers over me. I just want to escape. Escape this very day. Escape my life. I close my eyes and my breathing slows. I sigh, and let sleep carry me away.

…~…~…~…~…~…~…~

A knock on the door brings me to my feet in an instant. I sleepily walk over to the door. I open it to find I preppy Juniper standing over me.

"Come on! Dinner is about to be served!" She announces, "You don't want to be late."

Juniper bounds away, apparently expecting me to follow her. I rub the sleep away from my eyes, and weave my way through the train car.

I pass tons of train cars. There's so many different ones, I almost get lost.

Finally, I come upon the dining car. The inside is really exquisite. A crystal chandelier hangs above a long table filled with platters of food. My mouth floods with water.

Blaze is already seated and picking at what looks like a large chicken leg. His plate isn't even that full.

"Why in the world isn't he stuffing his face? He's from District Twelve! Hardly anyone from that district gets enough to eat!" I think to myself.

Juniper is dabbing a pure white napkin on her already clean mouth. "Go on and have a seat hon. We'll watch the Reapings after you two are finished eating," She says sweetly.

Don't have to tell me twice. I immediately throw myself into a chair and grab a plate. The food, oh the food. There's so much, too much. There's about every kind of meat there is, which makes my mouth water even more. There's this strange, but delicious looking rice with orange sauce drizzled over it. There's steamed vegetables, fresh fruit, sweet smelling puddings, and sugary cookies; something I've only seen in the windows of the bakery.

I fill my plate until it's overflowing. I don't even use a fork. I just scoop a handful of rice into my hands, and shove it in my mouth. Flavor explodes, filling my tongue with a wonderful sensation. I don't stop cramming handfuls of food in my mouth until my plate is empty. Not a scrap remains. I look up to see Blaze and a very green looking Juniper staring at me with disgusted looks on their faces.

What?" I demand.

Blaze rolls his eyes, then continues to fiddle with his fork. He doesn't even have an expression on his face.

Juniper begins to rant, "What in the world did you just do? That is disgusting! What are you, a pig?" I open my mouth to reply, but she keeps going, "Absolutely no manners whatsoever. How rude! What a filthy creature you are!"

At that comment, I slam my fists on the table, "Oh, me? What about you? You are the one who disgusts me!" Fed up with the Capitol, I add, "You've never spent a day in your life longing for food! You have no idea what it feels like, you... you..." I scan my mind for a word to call this lady, "You piece of Capitol filth!"

I don't even look at her face. I don't want to. I loudly pull out my chair and stomp out of the room, leaving all of Juniper's retorts still waiting on her tongue.

…~…~…~…~…~…~…

I slam my door, purposely making it rattle. I'm mad. No, I'm more than mad, I'm furious!

How dare she? She makes me sick! Sick! And him! Looking at me like I was a fool! He could've at least took my side. But no, he just sat there watching while Juniper walked all over me.

I hate them! I hate them both!

Not able to control my anger, I sweep my hand across a night stand, sending a lamp crashing to the floor. Glass grazes my legs. Seeing the sight of blood on me makes me more enraged. I tear the covers of the bed and toss them on the floor. I trip on a pillow and land in the pile of broken glass.

Blood begins to stream out of my cuts. I lay my head down on the floor and catch my breath. I hear footsteps coming my way.

A knock on the door sounds, but I ignore it. I don't want to see any one. No one at all. After a few minutes the door goes silent.

I let out a moan, and haul myself to my feet. My legs have long gashes in them with blood slowly trickling down. There's a few cuts on my arms too, but the worst are on my hands. I can hardly see the peachy skin underneath a thick coating of blood.

Without really thinking, I wipe them on my already ruined dress. Crimson streaks run down the sides.

I must have been lying on the floor in the pile of glass for quite a while, cause the room is almost pitch black. I fumble around for a light switch, and I watch amazed as the lights immediately blink on.

We only had electricity for about three hours a day back in District Twelve. What would my family do if they saw the train I'm on right now? I don't want to think about them right now. It'll only make the pain worse.

Now with the lights on, the bathroom door is visible. I briskly walk to the bright green door and open it. The room is astonishing. The walls are painted a light blue color, and the shiny floors are a sunset orange.

I notice a large shower, with at least two dozen buttons on the inside. I let my tattered dress fall to the ground in a messy heep. I stumble over, and slide the glass door. I step in the pure white shower, and push a random button.

Immediately, hot water gushes out of the silver nozzle. I let out sigh, the water feels so good. I've never really had warm water to bathe with. We only have hot water if we boil it, which takes forever to fill the washing basin, so we don't bother.

I watch the red substance swirl down the drain. I stare at my hands. Small gashes dot the skin. Luckily, they've stopped bleeding.

I press another button, and soap piles into my hand. I lather it in my hands and gently wash my cuts and scrapes. More blood goes down the drain. When I'm finished washing, I turn of the streaming water and step onto a furry rug.

At once, warm air blasts all around my, blowing me completely dry. I grab a towel and wrap it around me. My cuts are starting to bleed again, so I bend down and pull out a few pieces of gauze from the pink cabinet. I slowly wrap the soft cotton around my hands. I'm sure they'll heal. Even if they don't, I am almost positive that the Capitol would find a way to fix them as good as new.

When the gauze has been secured, I dart over to the wooden wardrobe and pull the door. It opens opens with a slight squeak.

I select a solid blue shirt and some comfortable looking stretchy black pants. I'll probably just sleep in them, so there's no need to be fancy.

Once I'm dressed, I decide that I might as well watch the Reaping highlights. Besides, I need to know what I'm up against.

However, that will mean seeing Juniper and, ugh, Blaze. I shrug and walk out the door.

It's not hard to find them. They're sitting on a large striped couch, in front of a flat, large television. They don't say a word as I take a seat on the far side, away from the both of them.

Looks like I've missed the Reapings from Districts One through five. Oh well, I'll meet them soon enough. A few people stick out to me, like a tall, muscular girl from District Seven. And perhaps a short, but hefty looking boy from Ten.

But there's one tribute that makes a gasp escape my lips. Makes me choke on my abrupt breath.

The tribute from District Eleven is Spruce Helmsworth.