The 100th Hunger Games

The Parade

The door opens with a creak, not an eerie creek, but a suspenseful creek. I am quite curious to find out what costume I will be wearing for the Tribute Parade tonight, as I’m sure the capital is. Generally, the tributes from district 12 would be wearing either miner outfits, or something to do with mining. Sponsors would be bored to death with those types of costumes though, I hope Jason made something better than a miner’s outfit.

 

The other districts also generally wear boring costumes, district 7 dresses up like trees or origami or something to do with paper and lumber. District 3 is technology and they wear outfits designed to show circut boards and wire. But the poor tributes in district 15, the district where the capital’s sewage was pumped to, had the worst imaginable costumes and they generally did not help the tributes to get sponsors.

 

However, some districts had really good costumes. But they were mainly the ones with good industries, like district 1, whose stylist would dress the tributes up in the most glamorous outfits they could make in the timeframe they had.

 

“What do you think” Jason says holding up a grey skin-tight suit.

“It umm..” I try to think of something positive I can say about it, but I would rather be dressed as a tribute from 15 right now.

“It’s very bor- No”

“Umm, very err.. Traditional, yes that!” I say trying to mask my hatred of it.

“I thought so.” Jason says frowning with a disappointed tone in his voice.

“No. No, I like it.” I say, curious as to whether I am trying to convince him or myself.

“How about now?” He says, smiling. Suddenly, he moves his fingers down the back of it and the costume comes alive. Not really alive, but close enough. The greyness is replaced by what looks like 3D holographic rocks coming off of it. The rocks falls down the length of the costume and seem to crack open on the floor and then vanish as more take their place.

“It’s like a..” I say with a big grin on my face, whilst trying to think of the words.
“A cave-in.” Jason says smiling, then “I can’t believe you thought I was being serious when I showed you the grey suit.”

I try to think of something to say to that, but Jason continues talking.

“But that’s not all it does.” He says, clearly excited awaiting my reaction. He moves his fingers again and some of the rocks start to get bigger, within no time some are nearly as big as my torso, but round and a brown earthy colour.

“Boulders.” I say with my mouth open. I wonder how this simulation is possible, I decide not to ruin the moment and just accept that it is. With a swipe of his fingers down the rough rocks, Jason stops the simulation.

“What if I accidentally swipe it?” I ask, hopeful that I don’t.

“It won’t matter, because I will be controlling it with a remote.” He picks up a remote off of the table, it is almost identical to the one that Psyde used to turn on the reapings on the TV in the train. Jason turns the suit on and the rocks start, he taps a button and the boulders fall and then he taps a third button and the simulation stops.

“I’ll be back in a few minutes, I want you to put the suit and then we will go and rendezvous with the others.” Jason says before taking his leave.

 

As Jason left the room I stripped down to my underwear and put on the suit, being skin-tight it was hard to get on, but fortunately, it was to a degree, flexible. Then I picked up a pair of black socks and shoes and put them on. A minute or two later Jason came in and we made our way to the chariots.