Nicholas White's Story

Perhaps it was just the fear. Yes. Just the fear. it was making him hear things.
Nicholas gulped hard, and felt his dry throat heave. Did he hear that correctly? Was that really his name? He wasn't sure.
Silence. His ears began to fail him. Nothing but silence, ringing endlessly in his ears, making his heart race, making him panic.
He blinked hard, and peeled his eyelids painfully open again. Almost every head was turned his way. A thousand sets of piercing eyes, looking at him, picking him out from the crowd... It must have been his name....
Suddenly, the silence was broken. His hearing came rushing back, and he was deafened by the obligatory applause, as he felt a hand in his back, shoving him towards the stage. Effie was waiting, that sickening smile on her face.

"And there he is!" Her shrill voice rang out, with an excitement he didn't share. "Any volunteers from District four?"
Nick waited, desperate for someone to stand forward and take his place.
Silence. Only silence, ringing endlessly in his ears. making his heart race MORE. making him panic MORE.

Some sort of music played, as Nick mounted the stage. Unable to escape.

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In the darkness of the small room, Nick sat alone with his thoughts. The silence was still here, with him. And he much preferred it to the oddly cheery music, and false applause.
He was waiting for his father to come. Waiting to see his father for what would probably be the last time.

The sound of a creaking floorboard caused his neck to snap up, pulling his vision from the ground to the door. Nick's father, a small, lean man, age of 50, walked in to the room, wearing a dirty white tanktop beneath a blue checkered shirt. The faint smell of fish accompanied him into the room.
"Nicholas..." was all he managed before Nick rocketed himself off of his chair, and wrapped his arms hard around his fathers neck. He felt the man pat his back hard, before gripping him in a short-lived embrace.

"Don't say anything." Nick said. His voice wasn't as strong as he'd have liked. He thought it may even have quivered. "Just.. Don't."
His father nodded hard, and looked at his son for a long moment, before extending a closed fist. Nick's eyes glanced at the fist, lingered there for a moment, before returning to his fathers eyes.

"It's your token. I want this to be your token."
His father opened out his hand, revealing a small metallic object that Nick recognized instantly.
It was a the wedding band that had once belonged to his late Mother. It was the one his father had given her.
Even in district four, nobody really had money for things like fine jewellerry. And so this wedding band was made from a small fishing hook, which had been tightly coiled, and heat-sculpted. A small pearl sat where one would ordinarily find a diamond. Nick's father had put the ring onto a chain, so that it could be worn around a neck.

Nick nodded. And took the necklace, hanging it around his neck, before two men swiftly came and took his father away.
And then suddenly, he was alone, again.

Silence.
Heart beating.
Panic.

"Nicholas White!" Clattice actually had to look to see the boy's face. He was older than her, but also quiet. She didn't know him very well. He was scared, just has Clattice was. The Capitol lady presented them to their District one more time before Peacekeepers dragged them to separate rooms. This was where they would see any family members for the last time. Kia and Brine came in, still crying slightly from earlier. Clattice still held the bunny from before. The twins didn't say much. Brine just looked around the room while Kia stared at Clattice. "I love you both, remember that." Clattice gave them one more hug before they were dragged out. Clattice was then transferred to the train, where she met her "helpers".

She silently sat in a seat. None of the others talked either. Nick entered shortly after her. Clattice waved, but still didn't say anything. "Now that everyone's here," said the spokeswoman from earlier. Her name escaped Clattice's memories at the moment. "This is your mentor, Kish Jakenberg." Kish scared Clattice, he had deep, orangish scars covering the left side of his face. Kish's dark eyes (it was impossible to tell the color exactly) also looked...distant. Clattice looked over at Nick. The kid still looked scared, with good reason. "Hey, it'll be okay..." Clattice whispered to him in the same voice she used with her younger siblings: kind and soothing.

As Nick entered the carriage, the first thing he saw was a small blonde girl, sat un-moving on one of the many seats. She waved somewhat uneasily when she saw him, and so he gave her an equally uneasy smile in return.
He looked around the rest of the carriage, to see a few "helpers", whom he assumed would be prepping them for their ordeal, and of course, Kish Jakenberg. Famous in Four for winning the games. His eyes still seemed as cold and harsh as they always had. Nick couldn't help but think, in a few months, he would either be dead, or as cold and destroyed as Kish. He wasn't sure which outcome he preferred. Nick took a seat near the girl, wary that he shouldnt try to befriend her. She was probably afraid of him, anyway. He was competition, after all.

"Hey... It'll be okay" He heard her say. For a moment, he locked eyes with her, and gave her a tiny nod. He didn't know what to say.
What could he say to that? 'no it wont' ? 'we might die!' ? ' we WILL die!' ? No. There was no correct response. He was certain of it.

The capitol woman introduced us to Kish, who still sat in complete silence.
Nick cleared his throat. And spoke up.
"So..." He began, his voice quivering slightly. "What's next?" He asked.
The capitol woman rolled her eyes slightly, and gave a slight chuckle. She opened her mouth, as if to begin to speak, but Kish cut her off, with his icy voice.
"Next. You eat. " He said, gesturing to the delicious looking food on the table in front of them. "And then, we must get you ready. Your chariot awaits you, at the Capitol."

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The next hour sped by, as the train sped onwards, and everyone ate. The helpers and the capitol woman spoke idly about things like our outfits, and the "fishing" theme they wanted to deploy.
Of course. We were from Four. We were both lowly fisherman. And nothing else.
Nick winced slightly, as Kish dropped his knife to his plate with a loud shatter, which broke the quiet atmosphere. He was staring out of the window over Nicks shoulder.
Without missing a beat, Nick twisted himself in his seat, and felt the air get sucked out of him lungs. Looming ever closer was the grand city of the Capitol. Its buildings reaching high in the sky, it's lights bright and powerful. It was, in it's own way, both beautiful and mysterious. And most likely the place Nick would die. He looked over to the girl. who's name he had learned was Clattice. She looked younger than him. And innocent. Her eyes, too, were lit up at the sight of the Capitol.

For the first time, Nick felt a pang of emotion. It was so sad that they would probably both die here. That neither of them would ever get a chance to know one another. That two people should ever have to meet in such a scenario as this.

"Come on, Fisherman." One of the helpers said, "We have to get you ready."

Clattice could hear the roar of the Capitol as they pulled up. Clattice tried to hide her fear. She had to get out of here alive...at any cost. As the train stopped, Kish rushed her out. "We have to get you as many sponsors as possible, so hurry and get dressed." Kish basically dragged her by the wrist to the dresser. She had a pale face and a theme of blues covered her face. Clattice didn't catch her name, but did as she was told. Soon, Clattice was in a white-blue dress (more like a kimono, because Clattice IS Japanese) decorated with the waves of the sea and the life that inhabits it. For once, Clattice's hair was down and the dresser curled it. Soon enough, it was time to present herself to the audience.

Placing herself on the carriage, she waited for Nick.

Nick boarded the carriage after Clattice, and was vaguely aware of the sounds of a crowd. Some cheers, some jeers, some hissing, too. But to be honest, None of it really registered properly in his mind. Everything was whizzing past him in a blur. He barely even noticed the booming voice of President Snow, as he welcomed each district to the games. And of course, wished them well, and that the odds be ever in their favor.

Nick glanced down at the golden "Merman" like armour he had been dressed in, and the fake golden trident in his left hand. How he longed for this to be his trusty fishing spear. He looked up at Snow on that balcony, around 60 feet above the chariots. He was pretty certain he could make the throw with his spear. Send it hurtling straight through Snow's chest. He deserved it. He deserved to be gutted, like a trout. He was the one orchestrating these terrible games.

Before he knew it, they were being shuttled into a building, everyone. All the tributes were gathered together for the first time, before being hastily shown to their rooms. District four had a room on the fourth floor, as always. And Nick didn't sleep a wink in the gigantic sea-blue bed that had been laid out for him.

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The following morning, Kish woke both Clattice and Nick up for training. They were told to put on the training uniforms provided, and head downstairs in 20 minutes. There was a delicious feast laid out on the table in their room. Nick looked at it with disdain, and picked some grilled salmon up with his bare hands, tearing it along the flaky separations, before placing chunk after chunk in his mouth and savoring the taste. He absolutely loved fish, especially salmon. But back at home, where this very salmon would have been farmed, they weren't entitled to taste the fish very often. It was for the Capitols tastes only. Pathetic.

"Well," Nick said, washing his food down with a goblet of water. "I guess we should go and prepare. Right?" He said to Clattice.. And for the first time, he smiled.

((Sorry if this OOC message in the role-play bothers you. To the characters I tag: Don't feel like you have to respond right away. Catch up if you have to, just know that I tagged you.))
Training. Breath in. Breath out. Her mentor had told her not to show how fast she was, to leave them guessing. It was a good idea, but now everyone would view her as week. She must be the youngest one here. Literally, she remembered the watching the reaping tape. She was the youngest, and most likely to die first, that is, unless she made some friends. She shook the thought away. Friends she would just end up killing, killing her, or watch being killed. She glanced around at the rest of the tributes. There was district four, the fishers, careers, she presumed, as that is what they were every year. She sized them up, maybe not careers, but still just as easy to outrun. She blinked. She shouldn't have to think about this. She was only 12. But you have to be strong. Then there was district eight, both so much older than her. She was dead meat.

Surprisingly enough, she walked to the knife rack, and spent a good hour learning how to defend herself. SHe couldn't be completely helpless, you know? After working up a great deal of sweat she wandered over to the plant station, sitting down and listening to a lecture about what plants are poisonous or not. Like she didn't already know. Growing up in a farming family had its benefits. Even the most confused poisonous plants never tricked her. Glancing around at the other tributes, she felt....small. She breathed in heavily. Yep, she was dead meat.