Safe and Sound

Chapter Five - We Will Burn

I woke up to the most unwanted sound of Effie rapping loudly on my door, insisting that it was a 'big, big, big day!'. I groaned internally (in case Effie was to hear) and steadily got to my feet, my eyes adjusting to the bright sunlight streaming through the window. After stretching myself out, I changed back into the outfit I had picked out yesterday. I still hadn't removed my ribbon and I wasn't planning on doing so just yet, if not ever. It was my token, they weren't allowed to take it from me. If they were, I was going to be able to straight training myself on how to wrestle. All in good practice for the arena.

I slowly made my way to the dining car, where I am met by the eyes of Grayson and Haymitch. Haymitch orders me to sit down while Effie bustles about with her clipboard, insisting that I drink the freshly made coffee she had just made Grayson and I. I took a few sips. It was disgusting, but I figured I should have the decency to drink it.

Haymitch took another swig of whatever liquor he had in his bottle and Grayson started to nibble on his plate of food, which consisted on toast coated with a chocolaty looking substance. Grayson saw me staring at his toast, so he pushed a piece towards me and on to my plate. I would have refused, but it looked so good and plus, it was already on my plate. It was as good as it looked. The brown stuff was practically chocolate made into some sort of spread. Mixed with the toast, it was like heaven for breakfast...and I wasn't being over dramatic.

Grayson and I continued sharing our pieces of toast with the chocolate spread, which seemed to make Effie a little bit teary eyed, seeing as we would be fighting each other to the death in a few days. I would rather not have thought about it and so I enjoyed my toast while it was still here.

Only once Effie had declared that we had had enough toast for a life time, did Grayson and I start on the other breakfast delicacies, eating until we could literally eat no more. That was when Haymitch started looking at the pair of us, as if he was analysing us, sizing us up.

"You two look a bit scrawny this year. Oh well, once your stylists have got a hold on the two of you, you'll both look like flickering, flaming fighters." He said aloud. Grayson exchanged a look with me, as if suggesting that we should run away now, "But you two have still got a lot of work to do if you are to get far through these Games. We are arriving at the Capitol station very shortly. I want you both on your best behaviour when you are on camera and when you are with your stylists. Got that? Good. No arguments, just let them do whatever they are doing. They know their stuff."

With those last words, Haymitch walked (or rather, staggered) out of the car, leaving us in the hands of Effie. But she was soon gone, reminding us to smile and wave. The train slowed down and the view outside the window had caused Grayson's jaw to drop slightly. I turned around and went a little wide eyed too, when I saw that the cameras hadn't edited anything to do with the Capitol. We both scurried over to the window and gawked at the view on the other side of the glass. The buildings were a range of colours and were larger than the Justice Building back at home. The houses in District 12 looked like mere garden sheds to the sheer palace-like homes of the people of the Capitol. The citizens dressed in odd outfits, wigs and body colours. The one thing about the Capitol that actually made me jealous, on the other hand, was how well fed each of the people looked. None of them seemed to have missed a meal. They were all healthy, every one of them.

Eventually, some of the citizens began to recognise the tribute train slowing down into the station, and began to point eagerly and excitedly. It was awful of them to be excited over the fact they were going to watch us all suffer, but I followed Effie's words and waved and smiled weakly. Grayson wasn't exactly beaming either, but he was trying his best not to look scared.

As soon as we disappeared from sight of the people, Grayson turned to face me, looking petrified. I gulped as I looked at the boy. We both walked to the train door, before we gave each other an encouraging nod, when at last we were torn from each other's company and taken into the accommodation of our stylists.

_________

I always knew my pain threshold wasn't very good, but this was slightly ridiculous. I was now fighting back tears as Venia, a woman with golden tattoos above her eyebrows, lay the final waxing strip down on my leg. She had waxed my entire body and now I was feeling very much like a skinned rabbit. Venia looked me in the eyes as she patted down the strip and prepared herself to tear the last of my, I quote 'ugly', hair out of my body.

"Last one! Deep breath and-" Venia said in her weird accent, before she tore the strip from my poor, raw body. I yelped as the hair was torn from the layers my skin. Venia then smiled triumphantly, but then grimaced when she caught sight of the strip. "Bleurgh, I don't mean to be rude, but you District people are covered in so much hair."

"At least she isn't sobbing, it always makes the job much harder than it actually is." Octavia pointed out, giving me a pat on my shoulder with her bright green hand. I just grimaced, but she seemed pleased with my reaction, obviously thinking I had taken to it happily. Flavius then looked me up and down once more, then nodded in approval. I shivered in my thin dressing gown, the effects of having a hairless body finally hitting me hard.

"Good, good. Now, time for some lotion. She's looking a bit on the raw side." He said as he patted down his bright orange, corkscrew curls. Venia and Octavia then started rubbing my sore legs down with a lotion that stung, but eventually started to soothe my plucked skin. I breathed out in relief, but my joy was short lived, because they pulled me down off the table, then pulled off my thin dressing gown, meaning I was standing there naked. All three of them examined me, pulling out the last remains of my hair. I felt slightly self conscious, but I didn't argue and demand to let me put my robe back on again, Haymitch had told me not to argue, so I didn't dare say anything. "My dear, you almost look presentable now!" Flavius exclaimed, looking proud about his work.

"Time to fetch Cinna?" Venia asked, looking excited now. Flavius nodded and all three members of my prep team darted out of the room to get Cinna, my stylist. I just stood there, stark naked, wishing I was wearing my dressing gown, despite how thin it was.

At last, Cinna came walking in with his casual black shirt and trousers, his metallic gold eyeliner bringing out how wonderful his eyes were, despite the small wrinkles beginning to form under them. His hair was cut short and brown, but there were a few grey streaks. He was looking older now, but most unlike the other Capitol stylists, he hadn't tried to hide it. He gave me a kind smile.

"Hello Harper, I'm Cinna. I shall be your stylist. Let me have a look, don't be scared, I won't do anything." With that, Cinna started to examine my body, but I didn't feel too self conscious about it. He didn't make any comments, he was silent, but I could tell he was making mental notes, "Now, if you please, slip on your robe and follow me. We're going to have a little chat, nothing to be afraid of. You can relax, you're safe with me, I'm not going to rip you raw."

Cinna takes me into a simple room and beckons for me to sit down on a red sofa. Cinna also sat down and pressed a button, causing lunch to come out of a second layer and on to the table. I stared at the food hungrily, the Capitol food truly was delicious and somewhat, well, extremely appealing, especially after years of starvation and hunting for the family dinner, which would consist of a wild squirrel or two, and maybe even a wild turkey.

"Go ahead, take all you want." Cinna then said, smiling slightly as I grabbed a chicken roll, "So, Harper. As you know, I am your stylist and Portia is your fellow tribute, Grayson's. Our aim is to make the two of you represent the flavour of your District, as so to speak. You are both in District Twelve, so mining. Over the last however many years, Portia and I have created fiery outfits for your tributes. This year will be no different, except for the fact that it will be different." That made absolutely no sense to me. How could something not be different, but be different at the same time? That wasn't possible and I couldn't believe Cinna could even pull that one off.

How wrong I was.

* * *

A few hours later, I was dressed up in something that made me look powerful, deadly and of course, like some sort of humanoid bonfire, but all in the best way possible. I was wearing a rather simple dress which was black, quite tight and sleeveless. It came down to just above my knee. On my feet, I wore soft soled, black boots that were laced up and covered my shins. My dark hair was down, fluttering down to below my shoulder blades, sprinkled with a variety of glitter, each the colour of fire. Rose's ribbon was weaved into one strand of my hair, a special request made by me. My eyes were coated with black and dark grey eyeliner and eye shadow, which brought of the greyness of my Seam eyes.

The twist was that when the fire was turned on, it wasn't just a pleasant flicker or a menacing glow like usual, the whole dress was engulfed in flames so deadly that I was afraid that I myself was going to burn to ash, despite the fact it was synthetic.

"Oh Cinna," I said, once the flames had been turned off so that I could speak, "I-I don't know what to say. It's amazing." I stroked the material of my dress, which was quite soft. How Cinna and Portia did it, I had no idea, but it was truly amazing. Even though I hadn't seen Grayson, I knew that together, Grayson and I were going to take the breath of the crowd away. Maybe even the breath of Panem, to make them go silent for just a second as we rode out, covered in flames, looking like we lived, breathed and were fire.

It only took a few minutes before Grayson showed up, beaming like a madman. He likes his outfit, then, I thought as he looked me up and down. I looked at Grayson, who was wearing something similar to me. He was wearing laced, black boots that came up to his shins. His plain black, tight-ish trousers were tucked into these boots. He also wore a plain black shirt. He looked rather normal. We both looked quite normal essentially, but the crowd wouldn't think we were plain and normal when our flames were turned on.

"You look nice." He said, then the tops of his cheeks went slightly pink. I laughed to myself as we were then lead all the way to the bottom level of the Remake Centre or, in other words, the ginormous stables. The tributes were being put into their chariots for the ceremony, which was going to start at any minute. Each chariot was lead by four horses. The horses for District 12 were pitch black and I figured they were black so they would be like coal, meaning they would fit the picture better.

Cinna and Portia came over to us and helped us into the chariot. They both angled us so that we were close, but not too close that we'd block each other from being seen. The music had already begun and I could tell Grayson was getting a little bit nervous and so was I. The doors then opened and the District 1 tributes are pulled out by snow white horses. District 2 began to prepare themselves as the crowd from outside roared. District 1 was always a favourite for the Capitol, ever since Katniss and Peeta, District 12 had marvellous outfits, but none of them won the Games. It was sad, but it was something we, as a District, couldn't avoid.

Time went by and soon, District 11 had left the doors. Grayson was beginning to go a pale green colour so I did something I thought I could never forgive myself for; I grabbed his hand. Maybe it was because I needed the support too, maybe it was because I wanted to be supporting him. But whatever reason it was for, Grayson held on to my hand tightly in return. Cinna then came running and he calmly set us alight. I gave Grayson a smile and he returned it. However, it did not quite reach his eyes - probably because he was scared of the Capitol and the flames. Our eyes locked on one another's for a millisecond, before the doors opened and our horses led us out into the open.

We both looked forwards, wearing serious faces as the crowd roared at us, amazed by how fiery we actually were. No pleasant flickers. No menacing glow. Just fire. Menacing flames that seemed to fly from us as the breeze hit us from the front, angry sparks that lit up our features and dared to turn us to ash. Fire that said only one thing: we burn, but we will not die out. It was as if we were giving out a message to the Capitol, speaking as a District, saying that you can slaughter our children and you can let us starve, but we will keep fighting. We will not give way and we will live.

Grayson and I seemed to be the main attraction. I caught a couple of glimpses of the two of us in the screen and we both looked deadly, even when clutching each other's hands. The hand holding made it look like we were one, that we were fighting in this war together. We looked strong, like we weren't going to go down in these Games without being tried, tested and fought. Like we, as a District, were stronger than Panem thought and we were going to prove it to everyone when in the arena.

Many of the tributes were looking at us as we went around, some jealous, some shocked. Grayson and I's names were being called out from the crowd and various things were bring thrown at us. Hopefully, this recognition would land us both with a fair few sponsors. I had to owe it all to Cinna and Portia, who had obviously worked hard on these outfits.

We made the final loop around the City Circle, before we stopped in front of the President's house, where he gave the official welcoming speech from his balcony. He was as old and evil as ever, but it was evident that nearly facing a rebellion at the 75th Hunger Games had worn him out slightly, but that hadn't stopped him from being as awful as ever.

At last, the chariots paraded the circle one last time, before we were taken into the Training Centre. The doors shut behind us at last, finishing our flaming performance once and for all. Grayson and I were still holding hands, but we didn't let go until our outfits had been put out. We then looked at each other and we both breathed a sigh of relief in unison.

"Well, we showed them." Grayson said as we both stepped off of our chariot. I nodded slowly, looking back at the Training Centre doors.

"Yeah," I muttered under my breath, "We showed them."