Maddy

Kari. Out of all the people they could have chosen they had to choose one of my only friends.

I watch her walk up to the stage. She looks as terrified as I am. But I can tell we're both trying not to let it show.

I ignore the speaker's attempt to get the crowd to cheer for us. Why would anyone cheer about sending a couple of kids to their deaths?

I pause.

No. I'm not gonna die.

I look over at Kari.

And neither are you.

I know that combined, we have zero chance of surviving the first minute.

But I'm already working on a plan.

As we're ushered away I take one last look at the crowd.

My "mother" and sister are looking at me with expressionless faces.

Do they even care?

I push the thought aside. The only thing I need to think about right now is how Kari and I are going to survive the Hunger Games.

There are no goodbyes. We're immediately put on the train that will take us to the Capitol.

We're taken to a spot on the train where a buffet of more food than anyone in District 8 will ever see in their lives.

Once we're alone I make a beeline for the buffet.

"How can you eat at a time like this?" Kari asks.
"Eating helps me think. And I didn't have breakfast."

I fill my plate with food. I don't know what half the stuff is. I'm just grabbing whatever looks good.

Kari joins me. Which I'm glad she does.

Because we need to come up with a plan to survive.

"We need allies." I tell her.
"Allies?"
"We need tributes who are gonna be able to help us."
"Do really think anyone's gonna fight?"

I look at her skeptically.
"Why wouldn't they?"
"Because if the tributes don't fight, there can't be a Hunger Games. The Capitol wouldn't know what to do."
"The tributes are going to fight because if theu don't, Snow will kill everyone they love. And none of them are going to let that happen."

I hate to be blunt but it's the truth. Every single tribute in these games is going to fight no matter what.

"Ok." Kari says. "Who should our allies be?"
"I need to know who the other tributes are."

Luckily there's a TV in here.
I'm about to find out to turn it on when it does by itself.

The Capitol anthem begins to play, followed by the usual video of how and why the Hunger Games were made.

Yada Yada. War, death, peace, we get the idea.

Finally the tributes are shown.

"Tony Stark and Steve Rogers. I don't know about Stark, but Steve might be trustworthy."

Kari nods and watches the screen.

"Bruce Wayne and Barry Allen." she looks at the tributes from District 2.

"Not Bruce Wayne. That guy gives me the creeps. But Barry might be a good choice." I comment.

District 3.

"Legolas and Tauriel? Ok something is defininately up. Why would two elves be going?"
I ask no one in particular.

"Would they make good allies?" Kari asks.
"Not sure. Legolas barely said a word during his Hunger Games so I don't know much about him. Tauriel might be good though."

District 4.

"Thomas and Minho. Both would make good allies."

District 5.

"Tris and Four? Ok now I know something's up."

Kari waits to hear my opinion.

"I wouldn't. Both of them are in love so they'd probably wouldn't be to quick to make an alliance with anyone. You know, so they wouldn'y have to make amy difficult choices."

Kari looks at me in confusion.

"Never mind. No. They wouldn't make good allies."

District 6.

"Jack Sparrow and Will Turner. I wouldn't trust Jack or Will. They are pirates."

District 7.

"Katniss and Peeta. Why am I not surprised? And no. I wouldn't trust them as allies."

That's everyone. Our competition. Every single one of them trained and ready to kill.
I look at Kari.

"When we get to the Capitol we'll spread out. Talk to the other tributes and see which onea you'll think will make good allies."
"Ok." Kari looks out the window. I can see tears welling up in her eyes.

I grab her hand.

"We're going to be fine Kari."

I sound the complete oposite of hopeful.

"Are we going to die?" she asks.
"Probably."
"That's comforting."
"Comforting is not one of my specialties."

We laugh in spite of ourselves.

I look out the window. If only we could escape from this train, run back home, free our friends and family.

But it's impossible. We're trapped.

There's no way out.