cloves games - a hunger games spin-off

The Parade

I climb up onto my chariot, and me and Cato agree to hold onto the reigns of the horses, it would look rather embarrassing if we wobbled, or fell down.

I grab onto the rope, and make sure I'm steady.

I look around me, I nod at Glimmer, from District one, her and her district partner, Marvel, are 'wearing bejewelled tunics, and they were spray painted silver.' Their  whole bodies were silver. I couldn't decide whether it looked tacky or cool. It doesn't matter.

I notice District 12, the one with the girl who volunteered for her little sister, are dressed in plain black outfits, with red and orange capes. I think it's meant to look like fire, but I'm not sure. The outfits quite basic.

Now, everyone's on the chariots, and the anthem is playing. The big gray doors are slowly opening, and the suns glaring in. I can hardly see, the sun is so bright.

District 1s chariot starts to slowly roll forwards, the horses walking slowly, and I can hear screams. The crowd are going mad. They love the jewels on them. Just wait till they see our gold armour.

Then we start to move. I make sure I'm holding onto the reigns as tight as I can, and I make sure I'm looking confident. The horses are going slowly at first, but once we get outside, and the crowd is now cheering us on, they go a little quicker.

They love it, every bit of it. We look amazing, and they know it. I am confident now, I'm not acting, I know the crowd loves me. I slip a smile in, but quickly change it to a smirk. I see Cato looking at me out the corner of my eye, and I see he's doing the same.

A few people throw roses.

We're just about to turn the corner, when everyone hushes. I look up, and no one's looking at me or Cato. They're looking behind us. At another chariot.

I look behind me. District 12 have just left, and they're on.. fire.

No, they're not on fire. Obviously. But it does look like it. It looks so.. real.

Unless it is real. I mean, it's not impossible, but surely they would get burnt? I'm not sure, I've never seen it before, but the crowd loves it. It was a smart idea really, and I'm furious we didn't think of it.

When we finally get to President Snows huge home, which looks even bigger than on telly, we see him on his balcony, with his daughter, son, and granddaughter.

They all wave, apart from Snow, but he stands up after a few seconds, and puts his hand up. Everyone in the streets goes silent almost immediately.

He starts his welcome speech, thanking all the Capitol Citizens for turning up, thanking the Districts for this years group of tributes, reminding them that the Capitol is forever in control, and ending it with the all too familiar 'And may the odds, be ever in your favour'

He sits back down, and they all clap, then we slowly pull away.

We get into a car and take our headpieces off, my head hurts a little. The armour was quite heavy. The car drives us to the Training Centre building again.

We walk in, and see most the other tributes already here. I see the girl on fire, the boy has just been put out.

I give her a dirty look, without even realising it. I do it to often to the girls in school. But then she goes to the elevator with the District 7 team and go up. I can see them from the bottom floor, and they're all standing in silence. It looks awkward.

Then we go to the desk, the same woman from before looks at my photo, which is now printed out, and looks at me, she nods and i step aside.

She does the same for Cato, then we head to the elevator. Plato and Fauna are waiting there for us, as well as the District 11 prep team and escort.

We click the button next to the crystal elevator and wait for it to return to the ground floor.

By the time it has, the two district 11 Tributes are here. I hear the escort call them Thresh and Rue.

I make eye contact with Cato, then I look at Thresh and I know Cato understands. We need to ask him about being an Ally.

We all step into the elevator, I expect it to be squashed but it isn't.

I glance over to Cato, and I see him nod at Thresh. But he just looks at us both and looks away.

Maybe he doesn't understand. We can ask tomorrow.