Chapter 5 Chapter 5 The Burning Girl

Tear off one by one!Vinia, green-haired and with a gold tattoo above her eyebrows, is plucking hairs from my legs with an adhesive strip, and I grit my teeth. "I'm sorry," she said sharply to me in her weird Capitol accent, "you've got a lot of hair!" Why are these people talking so sharply?Why don't you open your jaw when you speak?A rising intonation is used at the end of every sentence, as if to ask a question. The "s" is always hissing and sounds weird... No wonder the Capitol accent is so irresistible to imitate. Venia had a sympathetic look on her face, "Good news, this is the last time, are you ready?"

I sat there, clutching the edge of the table beside me, and nodded.My leg trembled in pain, and the last handful of hairs were pulled from my leg with a snap. It has been more than three hours since I came to the image design center, but I haven't seen my image designer yet.Apparently, he wasn't interested in meeting me until the rest of the image design team had worked out the main issues.They scrubbed my whole body with scrubbing foam - not only did they wash off the mud, they even rubbed off three layers of skin, cut my nails into exactly the same shape, and, mainly, plucked all the hair on my body - legs, arms My upper, underarm, and some eyebrow hairs were plucked as well, making me look like a plucked chicken waiting to be cooked.I really don't like this.My skin was so sore and numb that I couldn't touch it.But I had to listen to Haymitch, and I didn't say no.

"You're doing well," said a man named Flavi.He was shaking the orange-red hair-plucking clips while applying purple lipstick on his lips. "What we can't stand is people who cry. Grease her whole body!" Octavia, a pudgy woman dyed watercress green, and Vinia put a lotion on me.It tingled at first, but then the skin felt very comfortable.Then they pulled me away from the table and removed the thin robe I had been wearing and taking off.I stood there, completely naked, with the three of them surrounding me, tweezing every last bit of hair off my body.I know I should be ashamed, but I'm not.They didn't seem human at all to me, no more ashamed of me than three oddly colored birds pecking at my feet.

The three of them took a step back and admired their work. "Great, you look like a man now!" Flavi said, and they all laughed. I also put a smile on my face, showing how grateful I am to them. "Thanks," I said sweetly, "we don't have many occasions to dress up in District 12." This statement completely won their approval. "Of course you won't, dear poor fellow!" said Octavia, clasping her hands in pity for me. "But don't worry," said Vinia, "when Cinna dresses you up, you'll be absolutely refreshed and pretty!" "Absolutely! You know, we've washed all the hair and dirt off your body, and you don't look scary at all!" Flavi said encouragingly, "Let's call Cinna!" Then, they walked out of the room like a gust of wind.It's hard for me to hate my image design team.They're a bunch of complete idiots, and while they feel weird, I know they're really helping me.

I looked at the cold white walls and floor, and tried to resist the urge to put on my robe.Even with it on, that Cinna, my stylist, definitely took it off right away.I run my hands through my hair—the only place the stylist won't let me move—and stroke the braids my mother has carefully braided for me.My mother, I left her blue dress and shoes in the train compartment and never thought of getting them back, leaving a little thought of her and this home.But now, I wish I had it! The door opened, and in came a young man who must have been Cinna.He doesn't look like much out of the ordinary, which surprises me.Most of the designers featured in the TV interviews have dyed their hair and had plastic surgery, resulting in a weird-looking appearance.Corcina's hair was subdued and seemed to be a natural brown.He wore a plain black shirt and trousers, the only touch-up being a touch of bright gold eyeliner, speckled in his green eyes.As much as I hate the Capitol and their vulgarity, I can't help but find him attractive.

"Hello, Katniss, I'm Cinna, your designer." He spoke softly, without the Capitol's affectation. "Hello." I said boldly, being cautious. "Give me a few minutes, okay?" he asked.Then he looked around my naked body, he didn't touch me, he just looked at me carefully.I resisted not covering my chest with my arms. "Who did your hair?" "My mother," I said. "It's beautiful, it's classic, really, it goes perfectly with your shape. She's got great hands," he said. I had imagined my designer to be a flashy middle-aged man who tried to pretend to be a young man, someone who treated me like meat on a dinner plate, but Kesina was very different from my imagination.

"You're new here, aren't you? I don't think I've seen you before," I said.Most of the designers are familiar faces, always serving different "tributes", some of whose faces I have seen for years. "Yeah, this is my first time working on The Hunger Games," Sienna said. "So they put you in charge of District 12," I said.The new ones always serve us, it's the last area nobody wants. "I asked for District 12," he said, without further explanation. "Put on your robe and let's talk, shall we?" Putting on my robe, I followed him through a door into a drawing room.Two red couches were placed opposite each other across a small table. There were no decorations on the three walls of the room, and there was a whole glass wall from which the city outside could be seen.Judging from the light outside, it should be noon now, and the clear sky has become gloomy at this time.Cinna invited me to sit on a couch and he sat down opposite.Then he pressed a button next to the table, and the top opened in the middle, and another small table rose from it, with our lunch on it: roast chicken, flower-shaped egg rolls, and a dish with white rice underneath. , small green peas and diced onions, topped with diced oranges and a cream sauce, and for dessert, a honey-yellow pudding.

I was thinking about what it would take to make such a meal at home.First of all, chicken is too expensive, I can use wild turkey instead, and I have to hunt another turkey so that I can get oranges.Goat milk instead of cream.We can grow some peas in the garden.I'm also going to get wild onions from the woods.I don't recognize that kind of rice, the rice we trade for food stamps is light brown when cooked.To make a nice omelet would have to go to the baker for a change, and maybe two or three squirrels.As for the pudding, I couldn't guess what was in it.It took many days of hunting to make this meal, and it had to be exchanged everywhere. The food I made was probably far less delicious than the Capitol's meal.

I thought to myself, what would it be like to live in a world where meals appear at the touch of a button?How can I pass the time I spend running in the woods for three meals a day here?What else do these Capitols do besides adorning themselves every day and waiting for a few "tributes" to be brought here to die for their pleasure? I looked up to see Cinna staring at me intently. "See how contemptible we are to you," he said. Did he see it from my expression?Or read my mind?But he was right, a despicable and dirty bunch of them. "So, well, Katniss," Cinna said, "about the costume you wore to the opening ceremony, my partner, Portia, was the designer of your companion Peeta. Our current idea is to let you Put on a nice dress, you know, traditionally, the kind that reflects the district."

At the opening ceremony, each player will wear a costume that reflects the main development of the district.For example: the eleventh district is agriculture, the fourth district is fishery, and the third district is industry.That said, Peeta and I were going to dress like coal miners.Because the bulky overalls of miners are not suitable for this kind of occasion, our players often replace them with better-fitting overalls and hard hats with headlights.One year, our "tribute" was naked and covered in black powder representing coal.This look is terrible and it is difficult to win the love of the audience.At this time, I also prepared for the worst.

"So, I'm going to wear a miner's costume?" I asked, thinking it wouldn't be too shameful. "Well, not exactly. You see, Portia and I both feel that the miner's costume has been worn too much before, and no one will remember you. All we have to do is make the players in the district 12 memorable ’” Sina said. "I'm definitely going to be naked," I thought. "Then we'll look at coal rather than mines," Sina said. "Nude, painted in black ash." I thought. "What is coal for? For burning," Cinna said. "You're not afraid of fire, are you, Katniss?" He grinned at my expression. A few hours later, I was in what was either the most sensational or the deadliest costume of the opening ceremony—a simple black bodysuit, tightly cinched from neck to ankle, and shiny knee-high black leather boots with orange, yellow and orange accents. , a flowing cloak with red tricolor stripes and a matching cap.Cinar intends to set the cloak on fire before our chariot rolls into the street. "Of course not a real fire, but an artificial flame designed by Portia and I. You are 100% safe," he said.But I'm still not sure if I'll be grilled when I get downtown. I have basically no makeup on my face, just a little bit of highlighting in one or two spots.The hair is recombed and, as usual, a large braid is left behind. "I want the audience to recognize you as soon as you arrive in the arena." Cinna murmured, "Katniss, the burning girl." It suddenly occurred to me that Cinna's serene, ordinary exterior hid one of the wildest souls. Despite all the speculation about Peeta this morning, I was relieved when he showed up in the same outfit.As a baker's son, he should know about fire.His stylist, Portia, and the design team followed him, all excited about the potential buzz our clothes and looks could make.Only Cinna, under the frequent congratulations of others, was a little tired. We were surrounded and came to the bottom floor of the Image Design Center, which was originally a huge horse racing training ground.The opening ceremony is about to begin.Pairs of "tributes" boarded chariots drawn by four horses.Our tanks are black.The horses that pull the cart are so well trained that the driver doesn't even need a bridle.Cinna and Portia led us into the carriage, carefully positioned us, and arranged our cloaks. "What do you think? The flame idea," I whisper to Peeta. "I yank your cloak, you yank mine." He squeezed the words through gritted teeth. "Deal." I said.Perhaps we can yank off the cloak as soon as possible and avoid serious burns.It sucks, we're going to be thrown into the arena no matter what the situation is. "I know Haymitch has been promised to do exactly what they say, but I don't think he's taken that into account." "Where the hell is Haymitch? Isn't he supposed to protect us in this kind of thing?" Peeta says. "Maybe it's not a good idea to let him near the fire after being drunk," I said. Suddenly, we laughed together.At this time, we are already too tense and depressed, fearing that we will become living torches, and our behavior is a bit strange. The music for the opening ceremony sounded.Loud and noisy voices penetrated the entire Capitol.The heavy gate opened, and a wide street appeared before the eyes, with crowds of people on both sides of the street.The chariot will drive for about twenty minutes, and finally arrive at the circular square in the city center, where the crowd will be waiting to welcome us, and then the national anthem will be played, and the crowd will welcome the players into the training center.All the contestants will stay here until the Hunger Games begins, it's a home, it's a prison. The chariots in the first district were pulled by snow-white horses. The contestants wore silver tunics studded with shining gems, which looked beautiful and tasteful.District One crafts luxury goods for the Capitol.The crowd roared with applause as their chariots passed by, and they were forever the crowd's favorites. The chariots of the second district followed closely behind.Soon, we were getting closer and closer to the gate.I saw the sky was overcast, and the lights looked gray against the twilight and the sky.The chariot of District 11 was about to drive out of the gate, when Cinna appeared, holding a torch in his hand. "It's our turn," he said.Before we could react, he set our cloaks on fire.I was short of breath, waiting for the fire to burn, but all I could feel was a numbness in my back.Cinna climbed into the chariot again and set our turbans on fire.He breathed a sigh of relief and said, "It worked." Then he gently cupped my chin in his hand and said, "Remember, hold your head high and smile. People will love you!" Cinna jumped out of the chariot, then seemed to remember something, and shouted at us, but the music drowned out his voice.Again he shouted and gestured. "What did he say?" I ask Peeta.That's when I looked up and saw the fake flames on him for the first time, and he looked radiant, so I must be too! "I think he meant let's hold hands," Peeta said.He grabbed my left with his right, and our eyes turned to Cinna for his confirmation.Cinna nodded and gave a thumbs up, the last thing I saw before entering the city. After we came out, the audience was surprised at first, and then quickly turned into cheers, "District 12!" Everyone turned their attention from the three chariots moving in front to us.At first, my body was a little stiff, but I saw myself on the big screen, and it was dazzling how radiant we were.Torches illuminated our cheeks in the coming night, and our fluttering cloaks stretched long lines of light behind us.Cinna was right not to put on heavy makeup on us, we both looked smart and recognizable. "Remember, hold your head high and smile, people will love you!" Cinna's words echoed in my ears.I raised my chin slightly again, showing the brightest smile on my face, and kept waving to the audience.It's nice to have Peeta pulling me for balance, he stands firm as a rock.I became more confident and even blew a few kisses to the audience.The Capitol went wild, holding flowers at us and chanting our names that they had just seen on the show. The deafening music, cheers and the respect of the audience made my blood boil and I couldn't suppress the excitement in my heart.Cinna gave me a big advantage, no one would forget me, my name, my face.Katniss, the burning girl. For the first time, I felt a glimmer of hope kindle in my heart.There must be patrons to support me.As long as I get extra help -- food, a handy weapon -- why do I think I'll be eliminated from the competition? Someone throws a rose at me, I catch the flower, smell the flower, and blow a kiss in the direction of the flower.A hundred hands reach out to catch my blown kiss as if it were something tangible. "Katniss, Katniss!" I heard people shouting my name from all directions.Everyone wants to blow my kisses. It wasn't until we reached the city center's Circus that I felt that the blood circulation in Peeta's hand had stopped.I wanted to let go of our intersecting fingers, but he held me tightly again. "No, no, don't let me go," he said.Firelight danced in his blue eyes, "Please don't let go of me, I'm going to fall out of this thing." "Ok." I said.I kept grabbing his hand, but I felt strange why Cinna connected us in this way, let us play as a team, and then locked us in an arena to kill each other, it's so unfair up. Twelve chariots formed a circle in the central square.Every window of the buildings around the circular square was filled with the most prestigious citizens of the Capitol. Our horses pulled the chariot directly in front of President Snow's mansion and stopped.The music ends in a beautiful movement. The president, a small man with white hair, stood on the balcony and gave us a warm welcome on behalf of the government.Typically, during the speech, the camera cuts to the face of the "tribute".I've noticed on TV that the two of us have far more camera time than anyone else.The later it got, the harder it was to take our eyes off the flickering fire. When the national anthem sounded, the camera lens switched to the faces of the contestants in each district, and turned around quickly.When the Twelfth District tank finally circled the field until it disappeared into the training center, the camera never left us. The gates closed behind us as our tank was mobbed by the design team, who babbled praises at us but were drowned out by the noise around them.I looked around and saw many "tributes" casting jealous glances at us, confirming my prediction that we dwarfed them all in their splendor.Cinna and Portia were waiting there, and they helped us off the chariot, carefully removing the burning shawls and headdresses.Portia then extinguished the fire with a fire extinguisher. Realizing that my hand is still joined to Peeta's, I spread my stiff fingers and we both rub our hands. "Thanks for holding me, I was shaking," Peeta said. "I can't see you shaking," I told him, "I'm sure no one noticed." "I bet they didn't notice anyone but you, and you should always wear red," he said. "It suits you." Then he smiled at me with a slight shyness, which just set off a warm current in my heart. But I immediately sounded the alarm. "Don't be so stupid, Peeta is planning to kill you," I said to myself. "He's getting you hooked. The more reliable he seems, the more he'll kill you." But he's not the only one with tricks, I tiptoe and kiss him on the cheek, right on the bruise.