5: {Transformation}

I hold the mirror up with trembling hands and look into it's depths.

I do not recognize the girl staring back at me.

Her hair is long and white, waved softly. She wears a silver circlet atop her flowing locks. Her skin is smooth and white, not waxy and pale like Coyra's, but the unbroken sheen of marble. The only spot of color on her face is her bright blue eyes, accented with silver. Her hand reaches up to brush the hair out of her eyes, and a wondering expression flickers in their blue depths.

I turn my eyes to the full length mirror standing beside me. The eager faces of my prep team gather round, but all I can see is the vision before me. Her dress is ribbed and loose, and it hangs just below her knees. One sleeve falls over her shoulder, like a sash, while the other one drops away. The dress is belted right above her rib cage with a silver rope. She is wearing soft, white slippers.

This is not me. This is someone else, someone beautiful and mysterious and innocent and powerful, someone whose glance can kill and whose touch can heal. Someone who is too dark to be allowed, and too bright to be sacrificed.

A goddess. Not me.

But it is me.

"Oh, you look absolutely gorgeous!" Aylice's squeal brings me out of my stupor. Ican and Quuia nod their heads enthusiastically, like a pair of bobble-headed dolls. Coyra nods slowly, taking in my appearence. She claps her hands together, and all of us jump a little. "We have to get you to your ride, my dear," she says to me.

♧♧♧

Ebb is waiting for me next to the carriage. Even after my shocking transformation and all that has happened to me, I can't help but crack a smile. Where I have been transformed into a beautiful and powerful creature, he is the one who looks like a freak. His skin is painted white, like mine, but he looks washed out, like all the color has been drained out of him. I smile at him, and he glowers.

Coyra ushers us up onto our carriage. It's made of some sort of stone material. We stand awkwardly next to each other, waiting. I can hear the anthem playing, and I turn around to see the other tributes assembling. We'll be second to go, after District 1.

Ebb is gripping the front of the carriage very tightly. I look at him. He glares at me again, and I feel the heat rise up in my chest. "Hey," I say sharply. He looks at me. "Are we going to be allies or not?"

"It's up to you," he mutters. I really start to get mad. "You and Enobaria and Brutus have all been avoiding me. And I don't like being avoided." He says nothing, and I continue. "So either talk to me, or get out of my sight," I spit.

He doesn't reply. I fume in silence and watch the District 1 tributes ride out in their sparkling contraption. It's only as we are getting ready to go that he finally speaks. "We're allies. Unless you're not going to be a Career."

"Glad that's settled," I scoff, as we roll out into the bright light of the stadium.

Guess What I Made?

DISTRICT TWO T-SHIRTS!!!!

I'm quite excited about these, as you can see (*takes a deep breath*), and I'm hoping to buy one soon. I designed these online (http://www.customink.com/), so if you ever see someone wearing one of these shirts, it's me, say hi!

4: {The Marble Girl}

When I reach my style room, I am instantly shocked by two things. One, the room is filled with more instruments of "beauty" than I could have thought possible. Number two is the three people standing in the room. My prep team. Two are women, and one is a man, but all three of them look ridiculous. One of the woman has a pattern of bright pink and dark brown camo all over her skin. Her eyes are a brilliant violet. The man has dark brown skin, but his hair is ridiculously curly and the color of the sky. The third woman has pale blue skin, but she's covered with bright purple swirly tattoos.

Is this what is considered "fashion" in the Capitol? I can't imagine letting myself be transformed lie this. These people look as fake as the candy colored buildings of this city. But they must be real, because they ooh and ahh and rush forward to meet me. They take me into their little group, like a flock of twittering birds. I turn to Kirrah with a look of desperation on my face, but she just waves and says, "Have fun!"

The birds--I mean, my prep team, are talking to me. The camo-skinned woman is pumping my hand up and down. "I'm Aylice," she says, guiding me towards a large tub. "This is Quuia," she gestures to the other woman, "and Ican." The man nods his head.

"Uh, nice to meet you," I say.

"Isn't she sweet!" Quuia pipes. "We haven't had a tribute this nice in...well, I can't remember!" She giggles, along with Ican, who has turned on the tap on the bath.

"Now, now," Aylice says sternly. "Down to buisness!" Quuia and Ican sober slightly. All of them turn to look at me. "What?" I say.

"Get in the bath, and then we can get started," Ican says. I look at Quuia and Aylice, but they only nod enthusiastically. I strip. My nakedness doesn't seem to bother my prep team. Instead, they hang my clothes up nicely on a nearby rack and usher me into the hot water.

My transformation takes a long time. My prep team soaps my hair in the tub, then pulls me out and begins to wax every inch of me. My legs, my arms, even my eyebrows are not spared. They clip my nails and shape them, coating them with a thin, sheer color. They talk to each other and me the whole time. Aylice explains that my stylist, whose name is Coyra, wants to take an old time spin on my outfit. I don't know what this means, but I nod and throw in comments like, "That sounds nice," or "I bet that will be a hit here soon."

Finally, I'm done. Well, at least I think I'm done, but I'm proven wrong when the door opens again and my stylist walks in. She's a tall woman, with very pale skin and jet-black hair. Her eyes are just a tad too large, and a bright green-gold color that seem almost to glow. Her limbs are just a bit too thin and long. She marches up to me and nods to Aylice, Quuia, and Ican. They disperse, pulling something from large carts.

Coyra holds my face in her hands. They are very cold and waxy, and I do my best not to shiver. "Ah," Coyra says. "Well, you've got beauty, my dear, and that counts for something." She gives me a little pat on the cheek, which feels more like a slap, and snaps her fingers. My prep team crowds around me, pulling off the tops of what look like paint cans. Coyra pulls out a picture from inside her black coat.

"What I'm planning for you," she says, "is to go a more classic route. You're from District Two. Stone mining."

Among other things, I think, but I respond, "I know."

"And one stone that was very popular before the Dark Ages was called marble." My team as now taken the covers off of the cans and I can see that they are, in fact, filled with white paint. Or something that looks like white paint. "Marble?" I ask.

"It looked like this," Coyra snips, flipping out the picture and holding it a few inches from my nose. As soon as my eyes adjust, I see that the picture is worn and torn. I am shocked to see that the woman in the photograph has no body below her chest. And then I realize that she's a statue. She's completely composed of a white stone, which must be marble. Her hair is pulled back in a bun, and her head is turned to my left.

Coyra continues. "Marble was a stone. Stone comes from your district. So, we're turning you into a marble statue." The white paint becomes clear. Even now Aylice, Quuia, and Ican are pulling brushes of all sizes from their cart. "So I'm going, in front of the whole country, naked and painted white?" I ask sarcastically.

"Actually, you'll be going in a white cotton robe, though if you prefer..."

"I'm good," I say quickly. Coyra smiles. "This paint will soak into your skin and make it appear this color. But don't worry, it can be washed out later with a special soap." Quuia and Aylice start to paint my back. It tickles, but I don't say anything, just stare at Coyra. She goes on. "We'll temporarily dye your hair white, and leave your eyes blue."

"Thanks," I mutter. I'm going to look like a freak.

"Ebb is going to get the same treatment from my partner," Coyra explains. I smile at the thought of Ebb going through what I'm doing now. She turns to Ican, who is holding a bottle of hair dye. "Tick tock!" she says. "I will return shortly." She exits.

Tick tock. Just like my life.

[Name pronounciations:

Coyra--> coy-rah

Quuia--> key-ah

Aylice--> alice

Ican--> ee-cahn

Also, the marble statue picture is up on a new page, "Ayla's Outfits". Her interview dress, Games outfit, and other things will be there as well.]

Hunger Games Questions

So, I was surfing the Internet today (shock!) and I found seven (my lucky number!) questions about the Hunger Games that someone had posted. So here are my answers. Feel free to comment underneath about my answers or with yours as well!

1) Let's start with an introduction. Who are you and where are you from?

--Ayla Cetteras, District 2. The rest is classified.

2) Who is your favorite character in the series?

--Boggs and Cinna and Pollux and Venia and Rue and Prim and Buttercup!

3) Who is your least favorite?

--Most people would say Snow, but he makes me laugh in a morbid kinda way....The one person I really hate is Johanna Mason. She annoys the heck out of me.

4) You have been selected to be a contestant in the next Hunger Games. What's your strategy? Got any allies?

--Get to the Cornucopia fast, get weapons and food, then get out of there. Kill anyone who gets in my way, but hide out until it comes down to the final five. Then watch my back and stalk the weakest.

5) Quarter Quell! How do you feel about Finnick?

--Finnick? The pretty boy from Four? Meh.

6) Are you Team Peeta or Team Gale?

--PEETA!!!!!!!!! ♥♥♥♥♥

7) What do you think of Effie Trinket?

--"May the odds be ever in your favor!" She's weird.

3: {The Capitol}

There's a whoosh of steel as the train slows to a halt. I open my eyes from my rest. I haven't been able to sleep, not since the tall, glittering spires of the Capitol appeared on the horizon last night, at about 11:00. I've been avoiding everyone so far. We've all been eating together, but there's an awkward silence that hangs over the table, and we all avoid each others' eyes. Kirrah makes an effort to bring us all together, but Brutus and Enobaria have been spending most of their time strategising (and probably placing bets on the both of us), and Ebb--well, I have no idea what Ebb's been doing these past few days.

Me, I've been practicing my knots and snares. Aside from knives, knots are the only thing that gets me. And in the arena, setting a snare can be the difference between having a meal and starving to death. I found some rope in a compartment--none in my room, though, just in case I try to hang myself instead of going to the Games--and I've been trying out loops that I saw in past Games.

I get up out of bed, and pull off my nightclothes. I pick out a pair of fitted brown pants and a black short-sleeve top. I zip up my black boots and go out into the corridor. I find Kirrah waiting for me outside my cabin.

"I was just about to come in and get you," she says with a big smile. "Yeah," I say. "I saw the Capitol out my window this morning. Are we almost there?" The question sounds stupid right after I say it. Of course we're almost there. But Kirrah just smiles and gives me a little nod, sending her bright blue hair bouncing. "Come along, come along," she says. "Time to get you to your room!"

~~~

My room is huge. A king size, fluffy white bed, large windows (though the glass is about five inches thick), a soft rug, and most amazingly of all, a shower that responds to your voice commands and has I-don't-know-how-many options for water, bubbles, and soap.

The first thing I do when I get there is take my stone heart out of my pocket and place it on the dresser table. Then I change my mind and snatch it back. This time it goes in my breast pocket, over my real heart. A heart that may be punctured before night falls on the first day of the Games.

Don't think about it. Go somewhere else. Talk to someone. But the problem is that there's no one to talk to, besides a neglecting mentor and a gloomy fellow tribute. But they're better than no one, especially since I want to develop a friendship, however temporary, with Ebb.

I open the doors of my room. The main room is furnished with soft couches and a large chestnut colored table. Enobaria is sitting at this table. Ebb and Brutus are probably both sleeping in their rooms.

I walk over to the table and pull out a chair, but I don't sit down. Enobaria is picking at her famous teeth. Her teal eyes watch me, and I watch her back. "So," she finally says. It's the first word that she had said to me since I met her. I am suddenly filled with anger. "What do you mean, 'so'?" I snap back at her. "You're supposed to be teaching me how to survive, and instead you're just sitting around talking to Brutus! Do you want me to die?!" She doesn't seem that surprised my my outburst. I guess she's had to deal with unstable tributes before. She just studies me, and I feel like slapping her, but I know that that's a bad idea.

Eventually she speaks. "The first thing you've got going for you is a temper. That's good. I like that." Was that a compliment or an insult? I'm trying to figure it out in my head while she's talking to me. "Temper is good in the arena. It helps give you an edge. But it won't get you far with sponsors. So tone it down."

"Sorry," I mumble.

"Better," she says. "Your stylist and prep team should be here in an hour. Go get ready."

"I am ready." She cocks an eyebrow at me. "Really."

She sighs, and opens her mouth to say something, but she's cut off by the sound of the door swinging open. Kirrah enters. "Okay Ayla," she grins, "let's get you in style!"

Yay. Fun.

2: {Goodbye}

The train sways me back and forth. I'm sitting at a window, watching my district disappear behind me. The ride will be a short one, I know. District 2 is one of the closest Districts to the Capitol. Ebb has wandered off somewhere, probably to the dining car. I think back on my conversation with Wyss before I left...

They put us in the mayor's house, in his office. It was decorated with pictures and fancy furniture. Portraits of former mayors were hung on the walls. I sank into a red plush chair. Ebb stayed standing, picking at his nails. The sounds outside were all blocked out by the bulletproof glass doors and thick walls.

After a while, the balcony doors opened and I caught a glimpse of the crowd below, making their way back to their daily lives. Kirrah Olity, the mayor, Wyss, Ebb's parents, and a man and woman entered, along with several Peacekeepers dressed in immpecable white suits. I noted the guns they were carrying.

"Well, isn't this nice?" Kirrah said, clasping her hands together. There is silence in the room. The mayor clears his throat. "Well, it is an honor to be selected for the Hunger Games," he grumbled, "and I hope that you two will perform to the best of your abilities, bringing fame to out district..." He drones on and on and I loose interest. Instead, I look at the man and the woman. On closer inspection, I recognize both of them. The man is Brutus. He won the Hunger Games when he was eighteen, by brute force. He isn't that smart, but he'll be good for Ebb's mentor.

My stomach turns over when I recognize the woman. Her name is Enobaria, and she won the Hunger Games by ripping out the throat of her opponent. After the Games, she had diamonds studded in her surgery-lengthened canines to comemorate the event. Enobaria is my mentor, and I know she's not easy to impress.

"That's enough for now!" Kirrah said, cutting the mayor off. "I'm sure they know plenty about their importance already!" I glanced at Ebb. He avoided my gaze. Fine, if that's how you want to play it, I thought. Clearly, he thinks I'm not worth his time. I'll show him what's not worth his time, I vowed silently. "Now," Kirrah said, "you two can have a few minutes with your family, and then off to the Capitol!" She let out a high pitched giggle-scream.

I rolled my eyes in disgust at Kirrah. Wyss stepped forward, and I stood up. He pulled me into a tight hug, and I buried my face in his shoulder. "I'll buy you that new pair of boots you've been wanting when you get back," he whispered in my ear. I noticed that he didn't say "if you get back". I hope that he's right. We held each other for a while, then Kirrah calls out, "Time's up! Let's go! We've got lots to do!"

I broke away from Wyss slowly. He slipped something into my palm, and whispered a last message in my ear. Kirrah marched in front of Ebb and I, while the Peacekeepers, along with Enobaria and Brutus, ushered us out of the room, leaving Wyss and Ebb's family behind.

Now, in the train, I finger the item that Wyss gave me. It's a small stone, shaped in the form of a heart. Each tribute is allowed a token from their district to use in the arena, and this one has special value. When Wyss and I were littler, and our parents were still alive, they used to take us down to the river on weekends to collect rocks fro the stream. Once evening, my father found this stone in the water. Wyss and I had a great debate over it, but my mother settled it by finding a stone with the pattern of a W on it for Wyss. I got the heart, and we all went home tired, but happy.

My thoughts are rudely interrupted by Kirrah, who opens my car door with a bang. "Hi Ayla!" she says. "We'll be arriving in the Capitol shortly! So, get ready, because we're going to meet your stylist!" She gives me a huge, fake grin,then closes the door. Does anything these people say not end with an exclamation point?, I think to myself as I gather my things. I tuck the stone heart back into my pocket, and think of Wyss' last words to me.

"Good luck. You're gonna need it."

1: {The Reaping}

The sunlight is so bright that it blinds me almost to the core. It's the morning of the reaping for the 68th Hunger Games. A fight to the death, all broadcast on live TV. The reaping is held in front of the mayor's house. Here in District 2, our mayor has the grandest house of all. It's got fountains, and cobblestone walkways, and turrets, towers, turtles, and all other sorts of things that begin with T.

But today, no one stops to admire the beauty of the house. Instead, we're all watching the mayor himself. And our representative, Kirrah Olity, since she'll be the one to pull the tributes' names out of the two ornately carved stone bowls in front of her.

I stand in the crowd, wearing my best dress. It's District 10-made, the next best thing to the Capitol's garments, but it's much better than the rags that the kids in the poorer districts wear. The dress is blue and white, with a pattern of flowers. I feel a bit like a china tea set, but I didn't tell my brother that. The dress was my mom's, and I've worn it for every reaping I've been in. And I've been eligible for three. This will be my fourth.

My name is Ayla Cetteras. I live in District 2 with my older brother, Wyss, who works in the stone mines but can't tell me anything about it. The rest of my family is dead. My mother died when I was ten, giving birth to a sister who didn't last through the night. My father was killed in a mining accident when I was twelve. My siblings, except for Wyss, have all been dead since before I can remember.

Wyss is nineteen. He takes care of me, lives with me and works to support us. Me, I train. I've been training to be a Career ever since I could walk. In District 2, it's a great honor to be chosen for the Games, and no one can argue that I'm not fit for it. I can handle a sword better than any girl my age, and I've been developing my skills with the bow and arrow. I've even got a chance to fire a gun. Wyss gave me clearance. The only thing that I can't fight with is a knife. It's not like I haven't gotten a chance to train with a knife or a dagger, I just can't do it. My body doesn't respond the way it should.

And this year, there's less eligible girls than ever. There was a big bunch of them last year who were all eighteen, so they're out, and several more were killed in a training accident. So this year, I'm almost guaranteed to get picked. And there Kirrah Olity is, up on the mayor's balcony, the bowl in front of her. There are several cameras in the crowd, all pointing towards her. The whole thing is being taped and will be broadcast to all of Panem later this evening. Kirrah smiles benignly at the crowd.

"Let's get started!" she says in her high-pitched Capitol accent. "First the girls, then the boys. That's the way it goes, in order of importance!" This draws a mild laugh from the crowd, and the mayor makes an effort to smile, but we're all waiting for the names to be called. Kirrah reaches into the first one and pulls out a slip of paper. She unfolds it, then holds it up high.

"Ayla Cetteras!"

That's my name. That's my name. I blink three times, and I know that the cameras are on me. Wyss, standing beside me, gives me a gentle shove. I lurch forward, then regain my wits and start to make my way for the crowd, which parts in front of me like a wave. This is the time when people will volunteer. But no one does. It's just me who's making noise, as I climb the stone steps up to the balcony.

When I reach the top, Kirrah gives me a big hug for the cameras, then deposits my paper into my hand with a flourish. It's a tradition in 2 to give the tributes their slip of paper. Supposed to be good luck, though I can do just fine on my own. Still, there's a sick feeling at the back of my throat that doesn't go away, even after I sit down in one of the chairs beside the mayor.

Then Kirrah calls out the male tribute. "Ebb Quiren!" I don't know Ebb that well, but what I do know is that if you cross him, you'll end up injured or worse. He's a big guy, with dark hair and eyes. He doesn't talk much. At least I'll have him as my ally, even if it's for a short time. The tributes from Districts 1, 2, and 4 are traditionally allies, at least until tensions start to rise. Then no one knows what's going to happen.

Ebb climbs up the steps, a little more steady than I was. No one volunteers for him either. I guess that the rest of the district thinks he's ready for the Games. I offer a small smile when he reaches the balcony, but he just stares back at me and says nothing. He takes his slip in silence.

I realize that the rest of the people of 2 are cheering for us, and I force my smile back on my lips. I wave to the crowd and Kirrah grabs one of my hands and one of Ebb's. She holds them up.

"Ladies and gentlemen of Panem, the District 2 tributes in the 68th Hunger Games!"

Let the fun begin.