The minute I step through the crooked door into the drab school I can tell my presence will not be welcome. My suspicions are confirmed when everyone in the room stops and stares to take in my bright pink, off shoulder silk shirt and my plaited hair with matching pink highlights. Immediately the curious faces turn into disgusted ones. I sigh and grab my bags, ready to face the inevitable.

I shuffle my feet towards the stairs in the dimly lit building. I can feel the stairs and hear the whispers.

"Is she lost?"

"I don't think so. Look. She has the school's forms in her hand."

"So she does."

"I still don't think she belongs here."

"None of us do."

I flee up the stairs without actually running. It's very obvious where I need to go to talk to the person who runs this place. Once I arrived, a pair of teens had exchanged glances and slunk off in this direction. Once I reach the top of the stairs, I see them head into the only door spilling candle light into the hall way. I reach the door and see that whatever plaque that had once hung on the door had been replaced a piece of parchment paper with the word 'Amir' scrawled across it in what appeared to be blood.  They seem to be more demented than disturbed.

"Ah. Ms. Hawthorne. It's nice to see you made it okay. Please come in, don't you know it's rude to lurk in doorways?" a deep voice calls from the room. I stop gawking at the 'plaque' and walk into the room.

Inside shows very obvious signs of struggle. A very bloody struggle. I wonder where they got the blood for the paper. I think sarcastically. The boy who called me inside notices my glance and gives me a wry  smile, while the teens I followed look at each other again.

"When I led to students in driving out the teachers, some tried to put up a fight. Key word tried." His eyes twinkle mischievously as if he just informed me that he hid a mouse under someone's pillow and not that he killed people.

"How pleasant."  I reply honestly. I am at this 'school' for a reason, no matter what the kids downstairs think.

He gazes at the bloodstain and sighs longingly, "I think so." He slowly rips his eyes from the floor to rest them on me. "I know that some of the other teens think that I made the wrong choice letting you come, but they don't know the full story like I do, do they?" I almost think he looks sympathetic. "I will keep my promise and not tell them why I allowed you to come. With the Games so close, you'll either prove them wrong, or right, so there is no point in my interference." As he talks, he walks about the room, gathering things like keys and what look suspiciously like medical supplies and knives. What an interesting combination.

He stops abruptly and looks at me in surprise. "How rude of me! I obviously know who you are, but you know neither me nor my companions." He gestures to the pair who have been way too quiet for comfort. "I am Amir. You probably read my name on the door. I am the one who runs this place and make sure everything is okay." he pauses, "Well, as okay as a place full of teens and no adults can be." He smiles mischievously again, no doubt reminiscing about killing all the teachers. "And these two ," he gestures to the other teens again, "are Jessinia and Nathaniel  Wright, the twins. They are my second-in-command and will be escorting you to the mess hall where your group will choose you." With that, he dumps a bag filled with the stuff he gathered into my arms and the twins take my arms and lead me out the door.

"Have fun!" I hear Amir call before he starts cackling.